S: Is for Statements from the past

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From Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history." That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said. "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862] He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois. And this is what he said. This is what Abe Lincoln said. "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we will save our country." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862] When standing erect he was six feet four inches tall, and this is what he said. He said: "It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says 'you toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.' No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle." [Lincoln-Douglas debates, 15 October 1858] Lincoln was a quiet man. Abe Lincoln was a quiet and a melancholy man. But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said. He said: "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy."Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of these United States, is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen. For on the battleground at Gettysburg, this is what he said: He said: "That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

To hear the music with the text and see a wonderful
video copy onto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vJLJdrS_Go
Maybe we can learn from the past and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: is for Talent

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The end of a year, the start of a new one, what a better time to contemplate the world we live in? My favorite way to start the celebration of life a-new is the Concert for Peace held at St. John the Divine. Started in the 80's by Leonard Bernstein this year marked its 25th anniversary. Set in a magnificent Gothic church that perches on the edge of Harlem at 1047 Amsterdam Ave. (112 St.). This year host, Harry Smith from the Early Show and Biography was joined by an array of talented artists. An evening of music, readings, all geared towards a time of peace on Earth ensued.




















The highlights were: cellist Lindsay Mac's 'Rain'. Playing her cello like a guitar this 26 year old is electrifying. You can hear her on the on-line magazine or go to www.lindsaymac.com. This is an artist to watch. Opera singer Lauren Flanigan soprano is glorious ringing in resonance with Rossini. Judy Collins 'How Can I Keep From Singing?' and ' Amazing Grace' are staples and sent chills. This is the quintessential activist for peace, still going strong. Harry Smith's words were inspiring and I asked for a copy so if I get it I will publish it because it spoke volumes. Aaron Copeland is one of my favorite composers and 'Lincoln's Portrait' has all the reasons why. His music evokes the passion that stirs the Americana in us all. The sweeping of the strings as the horns blare a call to arms, but the joyous outbreak of hope is ever apparent. Copeland's music captures an era of a time of rebirth, rebuilding and vast open spaces. This piece is an oratorio, so on Friday I am including the words of Lincoln because they are a powerful insight to today's problems. Commissioned in 1942 by Andre Castalano this piece was meant to uplift Americans after WW11. Its message is still powerful today. As a finale to the whole night candles were lit, and in this space that is cavernous and glorious the site was spectacular. When it was said that the world needed peace it was if a universal hand pulled the string all the candles raised even higher and it was tears of joy that flowed down several faces.

Don't be sad that you missed this on January 13th at 3 and 6 Let My People Go: A Service of Liberation
A Celebration of Lessons and Carols Commemorating the Abolition of Transatlantic Slavery takes place. Actors, dancers, musicians, readers, and a mass choir celebration of the bicentennial of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. On display will be scenes of slavery in New York from the New York and Brooklyn Historical Societies and clips from the New York Reparations Committee's resource guide to Katrina Browne's documentary, Traces of the Trade.

There is always something to celebrate, expand your horizons and entertain you without breaking the bank and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: is for the cinematic creation of 'Charlie Wilson's War'

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I originally wrote this column, then I went to see 'Charlie Wilson's War'. I was in school when this was happening and remember hearing snippets of the covert CIA operation to support Afghanistan. Congressman Charles Wilson and CIA operative Gust Avrokotos's guile, determination, and utter disregard for the rules made a quixotic undertaking a reality. Impossible personalities prevail against impossible odds to defeat the perceived communistic threat. The utter chaos of the region's history, politics, and religious, ethnic, and territorial turmoil have direct connections to our present day difficulties with Afghanistan and the Islamic world. This is an object lesson into our current relationships in the Middle East. Throughout this story you will be struck time and time again by the sheer magnitude of the undertaking, the force of the personalities, and the effect they had on the entire world.
In the early summer of 1980, Wilson saw a Dan Rather expose describing hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Afghanistan. He then reads off the AP wire the intensity of the situation and gets funding to double from the US Congressional Appropriations Committee. Wilson was on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, a small panel of lawmakers in the House responsible for funding CIA operations, putting him in a position to do such. From $5 million to an extraordinary $300 million, with $17 million earmarked for anti-aircraft weapons that could take down Soviet Mil Mi-24 helicopters that caused heavy damage and casualties to the Afghan Mujahideen.
But we'll be damned by history if we let them fight with stones. For the Mujahedin became the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. "Great events have unintended consequences. What no one involved anticipated was that it might be dangerous to awaken the dormant dreams and visions of Islam. Which is, of course, exactly what happened." So what was intended as a tribute to American ends unintentionally as a sobering narrative of American lack of foresight.

Go see this film. Google and research, for we need to remember history or we will keep on making mistakes and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for art abounding

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A new year begins and life continues. We are blessed to live in a city where culture abounds and we can take a bus, a subway or a walk to see the wonders of the past and the future. This column is some of the adventures that await you if you’ll only walk out your door.

The Metropolitan Museum of art opened a new gallery for Oceanic art. Featuring sculpture and decorative arts from the regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Australia. It is a glimpse into another world that we can visit in an afternoon. Also until January 13th you can catch Lorenzo Ghiberti’s doors called the Gates of Paradise. Retelling the Old Testament this is a moment in time a of the Italian Renaissance, during the 27 years (1425–52).

At the Whitney until January 13th a collection that includes Alexander Calder, Georgia O'Keeffe and John Sloan, among others — who pushed the margins of American art outward. Also on display is Television Delivers People an examination of how an individual viewer is shaped by television's structure and content. The exhibition takes its title from Richard Serra's video Television Delivers People (1973), deconstruction of specific television programs. You can examine for yourself until Feburary 13th.

One of my favorite galleries has become the sundaram tagore gallery located @ 547 west 27th in the heart of Chelsea. On exhibit until January 19th is Hiroshi Senju is a painter who expresses contemporary modernity with ancient painting techniques. He combines pigments derived from natural materials such as minerals, seashells and corals in a medium of animal-hide glue, and then applies this "paint" to special hand-screened Japanese rice paper. Mr. Senju is the first Asian artist to receive an individual fine arts award at the Venice Biennale for his acclaimed Waterfall paintings in 1995. Some of his more recent exhibitions include Beauty Project at the Museum of Contemporary Art in London in 1996, and a tour of fourteen Japanese cities of his acclaimed Waterfall paintings. His murals are sought after because they sooth the soul and that is a relaxing F.A.C.T.

F: Is for farewells

As we get ready to say good-bye to 2007 and welcome in 2008 most of us are making our resolutions to a better life. Miniature promises of how we can fail. Ironically we do this twice a year, now and at lent setting ourselves up for failure. My quest for understanding the resolution list started with a Jenny Craig's commercial, where Valerie Bertinelli tearfully states, she never has to put losing weight on her list again. It is a tragic commentary on our value system and how we equate self esteem with lower scale numbers. Don't get me wrong, I am just as guilty. Even when I was underweight I wished to be just 5 more pounds lighter. The saying,"You can never be to rich or to thin" was drilled into my head at a very young age. I sometimes think I learned that before the alphabet. Maybe if our resolutions were geared towards others we would accomplish more ourselves. What if we set our list to give instead of get? How can we fail then? I enclose the list of the top 10 promises in hopes to shed some light. I am adding my own solutions.

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends: This is a win, win situation. They say stress causes most diseases. Why not plan a hot chocolate day with a friend who is on your mind when it snows? A spa date with your mom or sister?
2. Fit in Fitness: How many museums have you been to? We live in a city of wondrous art, catch some culture and expand your mind as you exercise those limbs.
3. Tame the Bulge: Try the think of"The Others Diet". When you have the urge to buy that pint of Ben and Jerry's put the money into a fund to support your favorite charity. You pants will slide off your hips as you give cheerfully giving to yourself.
4. Quit Smoking: See the above.
5. Enjoy Life More: This one has me stumped. To not enjoy life is to quit living. But see #2 and I can tell you by staring at the genius of someone's creativity, the universe opening wide or the past there right in front of you, you will see life happening.
6. Quit Drinking: See #'s 2 & 4
7. Get Out of Debt: Live a cash only life. Keep a change jar and use it to pay off a credit card. Put 10% of what you make away until New Years Eve. Don't count it and you'll be surprised.
8. Learn Something New: I learned how to make web sites this year and the joy of that accomplishment has had me accomplishing my next goal of turning this into an on-line magazine. By learning something new you are able to move forward.
9. Help Others: This doesn't take money. Have you ever just walked down the street and wished people you didn't know "Hello"? I have and the smiles you get are worth stepping out of your safety zone. Kindness to others sometimes helps heal a world more than cash.
10. Get Organized: By taking things in small amounts we can accomplish the greatest of things.

As I say good-bye to 2007 and say Hello to 2008 I welcome you to the newest leg of the xplorefacts journey. 2008 is a year of new beginnings may yours be what you wish and may you make them a F.A.C.T.