Wisconsin mine to be sold to a Chinese-owned corporation?

My 2008 artwork "Wisconsin China Made" guerrilla installed in Milwaukee
 and exhibited in the show Seeing Green.

"... we now find out about this obscure provision that could allow the mine to be sold to a Chinese-owned corporation. ... people have a right to know who is behind this, who stands to benefit and why this provision is buried in the budget rather than being debated on its own merits.” 

Public Deserves Answers to Questions Surrounding Mysterious Budget Provision to Benefit Foreign Countries

Example of my 2005 artwork critiquing the sale of Milwaukee Electric Tools to a China-based corporation.  This work was shown in multiple exhibits including the Wisconsin Triennial.

Mining Votes Will Make Or Break Wisconsin and Leader' Good Names

BREAKING: Public hearing scheduled for the Open Pit Mining Bill for Wednesday, January 23. Learn how you can help protect these hills here: http://bit.ly/13NVZj6   Image of Penokee Hills: Derek Johnson

A lawmaker voting "aye" for the bill is saying... 'I want to clear cut the Penokees, blow a pristine mountain range to smithereens, gouge out miles of open pit scars and release tons of acid runoff into publicly-held rivers, lakes, streams and the Bad River Band's treaty-protected water, wild-rice food supply and culture.'

Mining Votes Will Make Or Break Wisconsin and Leader' Good Names 

Dar Al Funoon Opening at 6pm on Sunday 13th January

Dar Al Funoon cordially invites you to an exhibition of photographs by Bret Webster

Opening at 6pm on Sunday 13th January and continuing through to Thursday 17th January, 2013

See attachment for details.

Dar Al Funoon Gallery: Bret Webster’s Photography Exhibition

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:27 AM PST

Opening on Sunday, 13th January, 2013 at 6pm Bret’s images have become globally popular, particularly in the American Southwest, because...

Tell KFC to stop using rainforest destruction before it's too late!

Tell KFC to stop using rainforest destruction before it's too late!

KFC is driving the destruction of critical Sumatran tiger habitat with its throw-away packaging! But KFC can stop this by dumping rainforest destroyer APP from its supply chain. Join Greenpeace and take action now!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

REUSE 5.0 Celebrates Earth Day with 85 Students from 7 Schools in Kuwait

Really good speakers and a great day!  I am the guy in the back with the dark sunglasses and making the V-sign...

en.v Celebrates Earth Day at REUSE 5.0 with 85 Students from 7 Schools in Kuwait - en.v

www.envearth.com

On April 22nd, The en.v Initiative (en.v), an organization dedicated to social responsibility in the Arab world hosted a three hour interactive “Earth Day Celebration” event at REUSE 5.0 at the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK).The event was attended by 85 students from seven public and private sch...

REUSE 5.0 still on tonight and tomorrow 5-9pm!

AUK students participate in REUSE 5.0 exhibit

You are cordially invited to the REUSE 5.0 exhibition.  This year again a number of AUK students will be showcasing their artworks made with reused or re-purposed materials.  The exhibit is open to the general public from April 19-22 of 2012 on the premises of the Australian College of Kuwait from 5 to 9pm daily. 

The VIP opening reception is on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, from 6-9 pm (please let me know ASAP if you still need tickets). 

REUSE, now in its fifth year, serves as an opportunity for non-profit organizations, companies, professionals and aspiring creative talents to showcase their accomplishments in the fields of social responsibility and sustainability via a range of artistic mediums and interactive activities for the general public.  On a daily basis, REUSE 5.0 will feature a dynamic mix of art galleries, music, short films, a lounge, trendy eco- fashion & accessories & more.

Please feel free to share the REUSE 5.0 facebook event with your friends and invite them to visit REUSE 5.0 from 19-22 April 5-9pm.

REUSE 5.0 event page on Facebook  

Read the REUSE official blog 

REUSE 5.0 list of organizations, artists, students (the AUK students are MY students!), etc. participating in REUSE 5.0.

Check out the list of organizations, artists, students (the AUK students are MY students!), etc. participating in REUSE 5.0.

en.v Announces REUSE 5.0 Participants

projectreuseme.wordpress.com

REUSE, now in its fifth year, serves as an opportunity for non-profit organizations, companies, professionals and aspiring creative talents to showcase their accomplishments in the fields of social responsibility and sustainability via a range of artistic mediums and interactive activities for the general public.

This year REUSE 5.0 is being held on April 19-22 of 2012 on the premises of the Australian College of Kuwaitfrom 5 to 9pm daily with an expansive participation list to date.  On a daily basis, REUSE 5.0 will feature a dynamic mix of art galleries, music, short films, a lounge, trendy eco- fashion & accessories & more. We have compiled a detailed list of participants to date. We apologize if certain names were not mentioned – we definitely appreciate everything you have done for us thus far and look forward to showcasing your talents at REUSE 5.0!

Artist Sleeps Outside Till the Grass Grows

The artist's "piece is a commentary on human choice in the grand scheme of things…"

Artist He Yunchang (aka A Chang) is sleeping outside in Beijing's Caochangdi art village till the grass grows. (all photos by xingrui_beijing)

Artist Sleeps Outside Till the Grass Grows

hyperallergic.com

Since March 24, He Yunchang, also known as A Chang, has been sleeping outside in the Beijing artist village of Caochangdi (whose name literally means “Grassland/s”) until the grass is fully grown.

Buddhist pilgrimage starts tonight...

Komusō represented the Fuke Zen Buddhist School, a branch of Buddhism originating from China. Their unusual and distinctive feature, the straw basket worn on the head, symbolized the “absence of ego". 

Two friends and I are doing a kind of pilgrimage to the historic Buddhist sites in India ( Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar, etc).   We leave tonight, but I already hear the hypnotic 

Tanpura  music playing in my head...

AWESOME!: The Scale of the Universe 2

AWESOME (literally)!

The Scale of the Universe 2

htwins.net

Zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of spacetime and learn about everything in between.

Peru update: National Protest in defense of Water planned for 9th and 10th February!

After re-posting about what I thought was good news: New rainforest and indigenous reserve established ... I had my parade rained on by someone much more familiar with the region.  She believes this is "just a smart PR move to turn the attention away from the ongoing and escalating conflict around the gargantuan mining operations in the Cajamarca Province. There, an access to fresh water is at stake. Apparently, people in the city have only access to water 1-2 hrs a day and the situation in the rural areas is often much more dramatic. National Protest in defense of Water is planned for 9th and 10th February."

I guess we need to be suspicious of all "good news" when "millions of dollars from the multinationals might be involved"  (it still must be "good" in someway though since another very large track of the Amazon has become a nature reserve (that also importantly connects to other reserves), no????).  But of course my heart is with the marchers!

"Beginning of the Water March" from:  http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/07/peru-following-the-great-water-march/

Here is a link to the group's webpage:  Marcha Nacional del Agua

And a link to decent info in English:  http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/07/peru-following-the-great-water-march/

New rainforest and indigenous reserve established in Peru!!!

I love good news!

New rainforest and indigenous reserve established in Peru

news.mongabay.com

On February 4th, the Peruvian government and a small indigenous group created a new Amazon reserve, dubbed the Maijuna Reserve. Located in northeastern Peru, the 390,000 hectare (970,000 acres) reserve is larger than California's Yosemite National Park and over three times the size of Hong Kong.

More Damning Evidence Points to Pesticide as Cause of Mass Bee Deaths

Findings give credence to fears that neonicotinoids are behind a worldwide decline in honey bees. (photo: Samantha G)

More Damning Evidence Points to Pesticide as Cause of Mass Bee Deaths
www.commondreams.org
A new study published in Naturwissenschaften - The Science of Nature by a leading bee expert provides damning evidence that a widely used pesticide, even at low levels, is responsible for the recent catastrophic decline in honey bees. Dr. Jeff Pettis of the USDA's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsvil...

Open season on sandhills? Send our crazy legislators home!

 Sandhill Crane parent with child maybe four weeks old.  http://www.birdphotos.com

Lawmaker wants hunting season for sandhill crane - m.JSOnline.com

m.jsonline.com

Plain Talk: Open season on sandhills? Send our crazy legislators home

host.madison.com

Here's still another reason why we've got to return to a part-time Legislature and get these people out of town...

a natural solution for pests and fertilizer?

This seems like such a natural solution to so many problems, not sure why this is not used more (I can only speculate that pesticide and chemical fertilizer companies have something to do it).  I have heard about this practice being successfully used in China too, but the below link is about rice farmers in the Philippines that have found an ally as they try to protect their crops from pests and the effects of global warming. Farmers use ducks to help keep the water in their paddies fresh, and to get rid of weeds and other pests that could damage their crops. Duck manure also works as a good organic fertilizer, which helps to decrease the amount of money farmers spend on harmful pesticides.

Feathered labour for Philippines rice farmers

www.aljazeera.com

Integrated rice-duck farming has helped farmers to spend less money on harmful pesticides.

China and Taiwan Reunite Painting

The bulk of the artworks in the National Palace Museum, Taipei are from 2,972 crates of shipped artifacts that once made up the imperial collections of the Forbidden City, Beijing

China and Taiwan Reunite Painting - NYTimes.com

By ANDREW JACOBS (NYT)
The reunification of an ancient painting at a museum in Taiwan has become a metaphor for the possibility of reconciliation between the two countries.

Link to the website (which was very difficult to find) on the exhibit: Landscape Reunited