Nature

Nature’s Embrace

on September 6, 2018

Nature is never ending

The comfort I feel surrounding me

Being connected to the whole universe

Takes me away from worries in life.

Joy of heading into the mountains solo

Knowing I might never return

Immersion in the moment

Melts away the ravages of civilization.

It’s more than just

The air we breathe

Water that hydrates

Food that nourishes.

It’s the excesses

The vibrant colors

Delicacy of a flower petal

Dew catching the morning light

Trees reaching for the sky.

Insects, birds, animals

Wind, rain, warm sun

The sounds, the smells, the silence

It soothes my soul

Like nothing else can.

All photos by Henry Lewis and shot in the cloud forest on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.

peace~henry

Culture

Margaret Mead–Bringing Anthropology to the Masses

on September 6, 2018

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

I don’t recall the first time I heard Margaret Mead’s name, but it’s quite likely I read it on the pages of National Geographic magazine as a child in the early 1960s. I remember being glued to the television when Mead appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Even at that young age, I recognized that she was different from the other ‘celebrities’ the show normally hosted.

Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist who focused her research on problems of child rearing, personality, and culture. In both her personal and professional lives, Mead was a pioneering and controversial figure.

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CulturePolitics

Abuse of Power: the more things change…

on September 1, 2018

Just to prove the wisdom of the old adage ‘the more things change, the more they remain the same,’ I ran across some photos from an art show I had in Seattle back in 1995.

Pan Man: The Right Icon? 1995

The show was entitled “Pan Man: the Right Icon?” and featured a group of vaguely male-looking plaster casts covered in decorative bead work. Each of the 10 figures was graced with a large penis made from a variety of found objects ranging from pieces of rusted metal to a strange looking wood-working tool. The figures were inspired by a cartoon I did during the 1994 US midterm elections when Newt Gingrich and his fellow Republicans took control of Congress.

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CultureTravel

Contemplating an ancient civilization in San Agustín, Colombia

on August 25, 2018

While many globetrotting travelers these days hurry from one megasite to another in their haste to check each off a ‘must see’ list that’s been compiled by someone else, many discerning travelers are ready to escape the crowds and delve into often over-looked and more remote historical gems in their search for a more authentic and unique travel experience.

One such site is the San Agustín Archaeological Park found deep in the montane rain forests (also known as cloud forest) of the southern Colombian Andes.

Pack snacks and don’t forget your worry beads

Just getting to San Agustín is half the fun. Well, that is if you have a keen sense of adventure and a durable backside.

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Politics

More Arms in the Middle East

on August 19, 2018

…the US Government instead chose the path of aggression and death in partnership with Saudi Arabia…

The civil war in Yemen began in 2015 and has been particularly deadly for innocents–men, women and children. It’s been made even more so due to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s use of remote-controlled weaponry, much of it produced in the USA which is one of the coalition partners.

On August 9th, a coalition airstrike killed at least 51, 40 of them children on a bus which was parked outside a market at the time of the strike. The deadly bomb used in the attack has been identified as a laser-guided MK-82 bomb made by Lockheed Martin, one of the largest US defense contractors.

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Human Rights

We All Need Encouragement

on August 16, 2018

“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”    William Arthur Ward

Mother and Child at Ellis Island Immigration Station–early 20th century.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

 

This quote is just what I needed to read today!

peace~henry

 

CultureVisual Arts

Street Art in Oman?!!

on August 11, 2018

Imagine my surprise when one of my Omani students told me that the walls of his entire village had been painted by a local street artist. “Really,” I exclaimed with glee! “I love street art!”

On the following weekend, I headed north from the port city of Sohar in a bid to capture on video whatever I found. What I discovered in a small fishing village just west of the slightly larger town of Liwa was much more than I had expected. The walls of the village were indeed covered in art—an assortment of male faces—from the walls immediately surrounding the local mosque all the way to the sea.

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