Speed of Life

Happy Halloween!

At the #ObamaSummit , @MichelleObama and @CraigMalRob share family stories and discuss what their parents taught them about empathy around the kitchen table. pic.twitter.com/dMe8eMJuKI — The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019 “Most social change starts with a story.” — @BarackObama on how tapping into a story can be the most powerful way to change the world. #ObamaSummit pic.twitter.com/Oz10g2PT7j — The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019 “We’re recreating life in cinema. We’re recreating stories that you remember.” At the #ObamaSummit , @Ava talks about the power of storytelling to nourish and grow audiences. pic.twitter.com/F2EwHaWg9e — The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019

#GettyFire Context - How architects made California’s Getty Museum fireproof. The @GettyMuseum is safe. Suppressing sparks isn’t easy in wildfire-prone Los Angeles. https://t.co/4oQhYfFkqN — Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 28, 2019

Former Pres. Barack Obama invokes the Parable of the Sower to start his eulogy of Rep. Elijah Cummings. "The seed on good soil: Elijah Cummings came from good soil, and in this sturdy frame, goodness took root." https://t.co/87H50yox0v pic.twitter.com/d4gWEO1fvi — ABC News (@ABC) October 25, 2019 . @BarackObama : "I was just noticing 'Honorable Elijah A. Cummings,' & you know this is a title that we confer on all kinds of people who get elected to public office. We're supposed to introduce them as 'honorable.' But #ElijahCummings was honorable before he was elected."💔💔 pic.twitter.com/WOmKPPQbot — dσxxεd Ъuт หσт σuт (@twmentality1) October 25, 2019 Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and others remember Elijah Cummings https://t.co/dvxCnvN3gh — Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 25, 2019

Nice to wake up to this awesome version of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith's "Because the Night" on my birthday!!

Watch Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. deliver what one person called "the most important breakdown of racism in America." https://t.co/wT9LFMhEt6 via @HuffPostPol — Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 22, 2019

Protesters were blocking the road a mum told them she wanted to pass because her baby was afraid. This is what they did 😂 Our people are the best! #Lebanon #ThatsHowWeProtest pic.twitter.com/CI7NX545dq — Rachel R. (@RachelleRashid) October 19, 2019 From the New York Times: Only in Lebanon would a song like “Baby Shark" become the anthem of a revolution. But the catchy tune has now become symbolic of how the Lebanese, when united, lead demonstrations, writes @rabihalameddine More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/opinion/baby-shark-and-the-sounds-of-protest-in-lebanon.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur

The saga will end. The story lives forever. Check out the final Star Wars #TheRiseofSkywalker trailer and get your tickets now. pic.twitter.com/E6Ozp99sTv — Star Wars UK (@StarWarsUK) October 22, 2019 Final Star Wars #TheRiseofSkywalker trailer 

Alabama Shake's Brittany Howard's gritty storytelling is in full force in her Tiny Desk concert. SET LIST "Stay High" "Georgia" "Baby" "Goat Head" MUSICIANS Brittany Howard: vocals, guitar; Nate Smith: drums; Alex Chakour: guitar; Brad Allen Williams: guitar; Zac Cockrell: bass; Lloyd Buchanan: keys; Paul Horton: keys; Shanay Johnson: vocals; Karita Law: vocals CREDITS Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Beck Harlan, CJ Riculan; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Laura Beltran Villamizar/NPR

Wonderful podcast by Tyler Green featuring artist Lari Pittman. The Hammer Museum at UCLA is featuring the exhibition “Lari Pittman: Declaration of Independence,” a retrospective of Pittman’s nearly forty-year career.  Tyler writes: The exhibition reveals Pittman’s engagements with America’s history and with issues and subjects that have been core to our history and identity, including landscape, violence, citizenship, belonging and more. The exhibition was curated by Hammer chief curator Connie Butler. It is on view through January 5, 2020. The excellent exhibition catalogue was published by DelMonico Prestel.  Amazon offers it for $51.

A recent @WilliamsPolicy study found 21% of the LGBTQ population in the United States is not registered to vote. Please join us in raising awareness of the vital importance of voting, which begins with registering to vote: https://t.co/Lm6002WdSS — Matthew Shepard Foundation (@MattShepardFDN) October 18, 2019

WATCH: Elijah Cummings in June: "200 to 300 years from now, people will look back on this moment and they will ask the question, what did you do? ... I may be dancing with the angels when all of this is corrected, but I've got to tell you, we must fight for our democracy." pic.twitter.com/6Mk1OWnbni — MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 17, 2019 Please read Barack Obama's thoughts on the passing of Elijah Cummings: This speech gave me goosebumps. The last words from Elijah Cummings' 92-year-old mother were, “Do not let them take the vote away from us.” “There are efforts to stop people from voting. That's not right! This is not Russia. This is the United States of America!” #RIPElijah pic.twitter.com/CBrAVLzt4j — Mother Jones (@MotherJones) October 17, 2019 \

Happy International Pronouns Day! She/Her/Hers. He/Him/His. They/Them/Theirs. Calling people by the correct pronouns matters. #PronounsDay pic.twitter.com/2sDmNBWGHP — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 16, 2019 It's really quite simple: Pronouns are important to everyone, not just LGBTQ people. If you were a cisgender male (assigned male at birth and identifying as male) but referred to as she/her, you'd be uncomfortable, right? Now, turn that into empathy for us. #PronounsDay — Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) October 16, 2019 In honor of International #PronounsDay ... Purposefully misgendering trans people: ❌ Extremely not nice ❌ Rude rude rude ❌ Something Voldemort would do Respecting trans people: ✔️ 100% free ✔️ Is the right thing to do ✔️ Proves you can be in a society ✔️ Did we mention free pic.twitter.com/0hrjkyyTtt — National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 16, 2019

@kamalaharris at her best. (Which is very, very good.) https://t.co/gP9f5mNrXk — David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) October 11, 2019 Love Is Love!

Happy National #ComingOutDay ! Be Loud, Be Proud, Be You! #NCOD #NOH8

Today, for the first time in history, the Supreme Court will hear a trans civil rights case. Let's do this. #RiseUpOct8 pic.twitter.com/jEN8HuErXK — ACLU (@ACLU) October 8, 2019

On my recent road trip across the American West, I often listened to Springsteen's haunting Americana soaked "Western Stars". 2500 miles from where I want to be indeed. Enjoy.

Memory coats the American West like photographic silver. It only takes a bit of light to bring out the past hiding in the shadows. Driving across the vast landscape, I am conscious of the countless Native American souls that inhabit the land. Many are living and many have passed on.   There is a presence in the red dust and auburn rocks that speaks beyond time. I am humbled. My painting "Ghost Rider" is inspired by these shadows of memory. In my work a modern, hat wearing person seems to nod to the ghostly apparition of a Native American rider in the middle ground. I can hear  Robbie Robertson 's plaintive voice in the distance: Crow has brought the message to the children of the sun for the return of the buffalo and for a better day to come You can kill my body You can damn my soul for not believing in your god and some world down below You don't stand a chance against my prayers You don't stand a chance against my love They outlawed the Ghost Dance but we ...