Buildings and Monuments and Neighborhoods

The Buildings, Monuments and Neighborhoods

are the biographies and Diaries of a city.

And the residents are the authors.

I sit in the twilight of a new Dawn

And watch the skeleton of a new edifice rise from the old city streets

The Floors, columns, girders and beams made of thinner concrete

and even thinner steel than in my day.

It seems like these "disposable buildings" are not built to last.

Use them for twenty years then throw them away and build a new one.

When I grew up I knew men who had suits more than twenty years old

and they lived to see them come back in style.

Such suits were still of a better quality than the ones made today.

I'm not saying all that was made before is better than now,

but there is a sense of the strength and permanency

in the hearts of the people that is reflected in the things

which they build with their hands and

in the way they use and care for them.

This why I say the people authors

and the buildings the biographies

Denise Sleeping

Denise Sleeping

Charcoal on 9"x12" paper

by JAS
March 12, 2008

Art Journal:

This is obviously just a quick Sketch,

But some of my friends liked it.

So I figured I would post it.

It is my wife,

who was still snuggled in when I got up that day.

She doesn't like it, she says I made her nose too pointy.

Oh well, maybe I did a little.

I hope you all like it.

It is a pretty fair likeness actually.

Award by Hanna for Global Communities from Italy

I would like to thank with my Award
the blogs that represent the special people
to my notice
for appointment, genius, quality and liking.
"Love-buds put before you
and within you whoever you are"

Thank You I am Honored by this award

I know that it was not given lightly

Ciao! Aslan

Hanna's weblogs and profile

http://www.philohanna.blogspot.com/

Her MyBlogLog Site:

http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/fiha/

If Noah had lived in the United States today

Noah's Ark
If Noah had lived in the United States today the story may have gone something like this:
And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed. But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark. "
In a flash of lightning, God delivered the specifications for an Ark. In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the ark. "Remember," said the Lord, "you must complete the Ark and bring e verything aboard in one year." Exactly one year later, fierce storm clouds covered the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping. "Noah!" He shouted. "Where is the Ark ?"
"Lord, please forgive me," cried Noah. "I did my best, but there were big problems. First, I had to get a permit for construction, and your plans did not meet the building codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans. Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a sprinkler system and approved floatation devices. Then, my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission. Then, I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the U.S. Forest Service that I really needed the wood to save the owls. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won't let me take the 2 owls. The carpenters formed a union and went on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now, I have 16 carpenters on the Ark , but still no owls. When I started rounding up the other animals, an animal rights group sued me. They objected to me taking only two of each kind aboard. This suit is pending. Meanwhile, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the Universe. Then, the Army Corps of Engineers demanded a map of the proposed flood plain. I sent them a globe. Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking atheists aboard. The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I'm building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes. I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a 'recreational water craft'. And finally, the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the Ark, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it's a religious event, and, therefore unconstitutional. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for another five or six years." Noah waited. The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine, and the seas began to calm. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up hopefully. "You mean you're not going to destroy the earth, Lord?"
"No," He said sadly. "I don't have to. The government already has."

The author of this piece is unknown
it was sent to Colorado Baby by her Dad
The Statue of Liberty is a graphic from Print Shop 11

SILVER AWARD for Recommened Read

THANK YOU TO

Jackie

and whoever else mey be respondsible

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Garland of Posies

Garland of Posies

by J.A.S.

Copyright © 2007

by James A. Stratemeyer

Art Journal

This was probably the third free hand sketch in color, just before I did this I had worked on a much bigger unfinished piece of a reef of posies and dried vines on a barn door, about 8”x10.” I probably never finished that one because I was getting some rather extensive dental work done at the time I started it, and you know how that goes. But I kind of remember this being sort of a practice piece after I had started on the bigger work, and the bigger work is actually done enough to post in this little art journal here. I like the way this little ditty turned out though its only on about a 6”x4” practice card I liked the texture of the petals, in fact having never worked with color and having just started to draw again I was rather pleased with the way it turned out. And it is kind of a happy piece and I wanted something happy to follow the writing about the angel.

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Healing Golden Roses (unfinished)

Healing Golden Roses (unfinished)

by J.A. Stratemeyer

Art Journal:

pastel & colored pencil on paper 8" x 10"

These roses were given to my wife after she had completed the grueling series of chemo & radiation treatments,

by the staff of the oncology unit where was treated.

(still afraid to give up those pencils at this point)

Spell Checker, Installment #1 - Incurable?

Spell Checker, installment #1

by AmericanFlier

Incurable?
I guess I got the spelling right. My spell check is telling me it is okay so I guess it is. It just doesn’t look right. You know what I mean? Incurable, sometimes you spell a word and it just doesn’t look right on paper or on the screen as it were. I am a notoriously poor speller, always have been. I am never quite sure if have spelled even the simplest words correctly. I am also good for using the incorrect homonym. (i.e. their & there) In fact, I just used the wrong spelling for homonym, and I wouldn’t have known it without the good’ol spell checker.
However, I have found that I must be careful with my word processor’s correction devices. Computers are very anal & can offer you corrections to what is already right or when you may desire the poetic or literary license to be wrong intentionally as in the case of contractions and the use of vernacular. Hence, in the case of the former, the corrector’s advice is incorrect and in the case of the latter, it is undesirable.
This, and here I am guessing again, is apparently the situation with the Art of Medicine. Immediately, without a second thought, I know that many would disagree and claim that Medicine is not an art but a science. In this commentary, I put forth the centuries old notion that Medicine is an art that uses the sciences. This is an idea that goes back to the Ancient Greeks and maybe even further. These people invented the idea of Physical Culture (in Western Civilization) and knew about the circulation of the blood, the importance of cleanliness and of proper diet and exercise. Many speculate that they had inherited a relatively fair grip on Pharmacology from the Egyptians, Babylonians and other predecessors. As an Art it is subjective and much testing and unexplainable phenomena happen during the diagnosis, treatment and healing process.

"Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult"
(Hippocrates)
(I don't really know where I am going this piece. I started it when my wife was diagnosed as terminal with metastatic carcinoma and given about a year to eighteen months to live. I just didn't want to believe the word incurable. So far the therapy has been effective and she is now considered in remission but the disease is still considered incurable, and the side effects of the treatment are horrible. Her doctors say they have just bought her some time. Take the time to leave a comment especially if you are going through a similar situation)

 

Incurable it is, and cancer finally took the beloved form my arms and placed her into the loving arms of Jesus. The loss is unbearable. In my heart I find there is nothing left to live for, though I know in my head I must go on. How hard it is to concentrate or find zest in any of my prior endeavors, this blog, or even the ministry to which I have been called. My mentor keeps challenging me to persevere, but I cannot find the energy. My heart is broken unto death. Help me my Lord in my destitute condition.

 

From blogger Philyr:

Two months later Aslan's heart gave out. The paramedics were summoned, but to no avail. The one who originated this blog, who used the pseudonyms of Aslan and Samuel Winterwood, has gone to his eternal rest and left the torch for another to follow. Should history ever care, few shall know who the true names of the bloggers were.

 

The following Obituary is provided as a parting accolade for the blogger:

 

Throughout his youth he was carried along in the ways of the world

Taking of its pleasures and conforming to secular voices.

He believed all the perplexing troubles surrounding him

Were common to all humankind.

He traveled beyond the limits of control where hidden forces

Began taking over till his life was not his own.

He tried to reach back, to escape the consequences of his unrighteous acts

Only to be powerless against those shadows of darkness

Separating him from free society.

He turned to religion expecting to find a new way

But religion only exposed his inadequacy.

His own confession was the ultimate discovery

That life was not about him,

But  about fellowship with the Savior of his soul.

It was there he found the power, the victory, the satisfaction

That filled the God shaped vacuum in his heart.

Through that fellowship he learned to love,

To serve, to be there when needed.

When the need was finally gone

He longed to be joined with his people.

It was then the God he loved and served

Mercifully took him home

To eternal rest and comfort.

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Is It A Wall?

Is It A Wall?

or what

by J.A.S.

Art Journal:

Computer Generated

more work by J.A.S.:

/ http://profile.imageshack.us/user/StraighTruth

Many families from around our nation feel the same

I just thought I should publish this because AmericanFlier is designed to be a public forum for review and commentary for all who wish to participate.
Yesterday a new member of another blog, in which I am a rather new member myself, spoke of his disappointment because a large agricultural company that had employed many members of his immigrant family, just up and pulled out of an area where they been for generations. They had been there so long they had become a local & family tradition. In the spirit of commiseration I wrote him this.
Many families from around our nation feel the same traditional emptiness as yours does my friend. Business is run by money, not tradition & most of them simply don't care what happens to communities after they close shop and go some place else (some do but the majority do not). Here we had several employers that were community traditions: Western Electric, Cross & Blackwell, General Motors, Bell telephone, Bethlehem Steel! & the Beta Shoe Company which closed up lock stock and barrel and left the people who had worked for them for decades with nothing. Although I would bet that the executives who ran these companies did okay for themselves. Sometimes it even happens on the whim of an owner or CEO. The Baltimore Colts snuck out of the city one night with no prior notice whatsoever, and the Brooklyn Dodgers just simply left N.Y. and these were teams the had huge followings and fanatic fans, with sold out season tickets every year and they were making money! And the list goes on. Even the Federal, state & local governments occasionally act with the same thoughtlessness for employees and communities that have served them for a lifetime. And I have my suspicions that it is going to get worse before it gets better
Whether it is right or wrong I am not wise enough to say, but that's Capitalism. I feel your pain, I have experienced that emptiness and that butchering of self-esteem and community pride by the loss of employment and community tradition. Welcome to ... maybe this will be a good place for you to vent?
May the God of Heaven and Earth bless all of you,
AmericanFlier
If you have any response to this posting, please take a moment and leave a comment here on this blog or at this link:http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/StraighTruth/

Dream Geode

Dream Geode
by J.A. Stratemeyer
Chalk & Oil Pastels, Colored Pencil & Charcoal:
On Paper, 11" x 8.5"
August 19,2007
Art Journal:

This is an image of a waking dream I had the day that I did this work.
The geode was not a closed stone however but an endless cavern of crystal.

A golden white glistening light was coming from the infinity inside.

The young woman was trying to climb up and see inside.

I may want to try this again someday because I didn't really catch this the way I saw it in the dream, but this is close enough to jog my memory if I ever do give it another try.

I was still real timid about using color and the proper way to use oil pastels at this point.

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PROGENY OF ABRAHAM

God, gave us our life,
and our path to choose.
By our choices each day,
we either live or lose.

Isaac and Ishmael,
of the same paternal line;
Emanations of different mothers,
yet both sons of the Divine.

It seems our present conflicts,
find their origins here.
For both men fathered nations,
founded in jealousy and fear.

We worship the same God,
at least that’s what we claim.
And our tribes trace their source,
to the iconoclast, Abraham.

From our faithful Father,
should we not take our lead,
And shatter our idols,
of mistrust and greed?

For the ancient war continues,
and we are all at fault.
Intolerance and hate have chained us,
to a final, fatal result

Our teachers tell us to,
“Love God and one another,
As we would do for ourselves,
Let us do for our brother."

Let our kind not die,
bearing the Mark of Cain!
Let us forgive and bless and,
break this age-old chain!

The choices we make,
determine the lives we lead.
Let us forget the past,
and from its curse, be freed.

We are together on Earth,
for so short a time.
God made us all different,
His Will …….. Sublime!

J.A. Stratemeyer
( January, 2002: four months after 9/11)

*Illustration at the top left of poem

by 19th century Master, Gustav Dore',
depicting Biblical account of Rebecca & Jacob

deceiving Isaac
in order to steal Esau's paternal blessing.
Genesis 27:1-41

See also:
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“Progeny of Abraham” In Chinese:
http://esay.2an3di.com/html/News_and_Society/Religion/ The_Progeny_of_Abraham_12785.html

It's Bouquet

It's Bouquet

by J.A. Stratemeyer

Soft Pastel & Crayon on paper 7.5" x 10"

August 22, 2007

Art Journal:

This is my second effort with pastels using no pencils, at this point I had only been working with color about 3 or 4 months.

I dedicate this piece to the fictional character Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket from the BBC production "Keeping Up Appearences." Hyacinth insist that her last name Bucket, is pronounced Bouquet, thus her signature running gag throughout the series is correcting people who say Bucket by saying"It's Bouquet!"

I worked very hard on this little piece of impressionism, it took an entire day to get the effect that I wanted, and when I was done I was a mess, with more pastel chalk on my hands, face and clothes than on the piece.

"Your Honor, I find the defendants: Not Guilty!"

I admit that I have a bias here; that is, as soon as I hear someone say that President Bush aided in the events of 9/11, I mostly tune them out. I do the same to those who claim that President Roosevelt knew and aided in the events of 12/7/41.

Don't get me wrong, I don't tune out all conspiracy theories. I am convinced that the CIA and certain branches of U.S. military intelligence, motivated by power (some of them were about to lose their jobs). Teamed up with the U.S.military industrial complex of the early 1960's, motivated by profit, to murder our President on 11/22/63 in Dallas, TX.. (The same military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about in his Farewell Address.) Anyone who isn’t so convinced, should start looking into the evidence that is now available. I would passionately suggest that you read:
Professor Mellen's recent book A Farewell to Justice as a starter. (www.joanmellen.net)

I have an open mind about other historic and contemporary events labeled conspiracies. Lets admit it, most people conspire to do something, not by the book, almost everyday of there lives. From penny ante theft like stamping one another’s time cards at work to major schemes by the new international industrial complex or governments looking for new ways to screw the proletariat and make money for themselves, it happens every minute of everyday, somewhere. I have done things in my life for which I am very sorry. I am no better than anyone else and in my travels I have witnessed conspiracies (big & small) from both sides of the desk.

All politicians get caught up in the power and money games to some extent, it is unavoidable. Many of them are still patriotic, caring citizens nevertheless.
The love of money and absolute power corrupt. (I know the former is Biblical and the latter is Poor Richard, I think.) Both of these assertions were known to be true by our Founding Fathers, that is why we have a triune balance of power built into our government’s structure (theoretically).
However, I simply will not accept as undisputed truth that either President Roosevelt or President Bush had anything to do with intentionally killing thousands of their own countrymen.
In fact, if I had any money, I’d give even odds that Roosevelt and Bush lost good personal friends or children of their friends in these attacks, respectively.

I have no doubts that they knew that there was trouble brewing and they were definitely getting intelligence indicating that something was up. That doesn't mean they knew exactly what, when or where it was going to happen or that they helped plan it.

I was born during Eisenhower's watch and I would assert that:
any of the Presidents in my lifetime so far, would do everything they could to prevent such an attack, much less would they conspire with our enemies to perpetrate an open Act of War upon our own Nation!

When it comes to traitorous citizens or those who would prosper from war, I hold to different certitudes altogether!

I concede that it may be politically naïve, but I believe the men who have achieved the office of the President of the USA and realized the magnitude of the responsibility, have done the best job they could. Whether I voted for them, whether I approved of what they did, whether they were good at the job or even whether they were honest or not, makes no difference. I still believe that as each in their own way grew into the office, they all did what they thought was best for our country; that includes Nixon, Johnson, Ford;
& yes, even now with G dubya.

John 18:38 Pilate said to Him "What is truth?" ...
"seek, and you shall find …" Matthew 7:7

May God Most High Bless you and yours.
Respectfully,
AmericanFlier

Review of NBC's "The Book of Daniel"

This is the very first review of anything that I have ever attempted, except for maybe book reports that I did back in high school; that was over thirty years ago. This type of writing is new to me and I’m not quite sure how to go about it.

Needless to say, the show made quite a splash, didn’t it?

According to the Baptist Press on Jan.6th the producer of the show is a homosexual ex-Catholic. The writer of the article doesn’t state how they know this to be true, but I figured as much just from watching the show. By the light manner in which The Book of Daniel handles the subject it is obvious that somebody at the top, like the producers, directors or the writers, are either extremely sympathetic to the homosexual lifestyle or they are homosexual’s themselves. I don’t know if I would have guessed the ex-Catholic part, but there is enough anti-Catholic stereotypes there to make it a good bet. Mainly I’m thinking of the Italian, Mafia connected Roman Catholic Priest, that Father Daniel runs to for help whenever there is a question of criminal activity or a lone shark is needed.
But homosexuality is not the only conservative Christian taboo that the show flaunts in face of the viewer. There are so many it is hard to remember them all. We have a whole variety to pick from: teenage sexual exploration, unwed couples experimenting with co-habitation and fornication, using illicit drugs, drug dealing, internet piracy, an Episcopal Pastor desecrating his marriage to a wife afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease and having an affair with another high ranking member of the Episcopal clergy, lesbianism, drug addiction, church board members stealing from the church coffer, racial prejudice, ménage a’ trios and I’ve probably forgotten a few since Friday night. It just seems to me like these people did everything they could think of to offend just about everyone on the planet that isn’t a sexually and Spiritually dysfunctional ultra-liberal. They really went out of their way to challenge norms and to tic people off.

That said, I don’t think it was unentertaining.
The cast is excellent and the acting superb, given the material with which they have to work. I liked the relationship between the Jesus character and Daniel, even though I feel that it too was handled a little too lightly. I appreciated the fact that Daniel had an open dialogue with Jesus even though I don’t recall any of the conversations occurring during prayer. I missed Daniel’s sermon at the top of the show, but I suspect that that was probably a nose-thumb at the establishment as well.

If this show would have aired in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s I would have loved every minute of it. That was when I was a drug takin’, drug sellin', hell raisin’, anti-establishment, promiscuous, greedy, spoiled brat. That life put me on a path that eventually lead to brokenness, misery and imprisonment.

We welcome any comments.
American Flier

American Flier Mission Statement

American Flier is a comparative study of World Arts, Science, Music, Literature,
History & Culture: past, present and future,
to encourage truthful examination of the Human Spiritual Condition.

The Binding Force

Love is the binding force of the Universe!
Without the gravity of love,
all things disintegrate into … oblivion. ...

2 Comments

Philyr said...
Ying and Yang
Hate is the destructive power of the Universe!
With the explosive power of hate,
all good things are blown into... oblivion...

7:42 AM


AmericanFlier said...
So relevent, so current, and unfortunately, so true.
Let us pray that we choose the Binding Force and not the destructive power.

Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you Life and Death, the Blessing and the Curse. Therefore choose Life that you may live, you and your seed."

6:30 PM