Speed of Life

The New York Times fires a broadside against the McCain campaign: October 8, 2008 EDITORIAL Politics of Attack "It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember. "They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent’s record — into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison. "Despite the occasional slip (referring to Mr. Obama’s “cronies” and calling him “that one”), Mr. McCain tried to take a higher road in Tuesday night’s presidential debate. It was hard to keep track of the number of times he referred to his audience as “my friends.” But apart from promising to buy up troubled mortgages as president, he offered no real answers for how he plans to solve the coun...

This is the most disturbing thing that has happened in the 2008 campaign so far. Watch this video carefully. At the 13 second mark, in reference to Obama and prompted by the goading of McCain, an audience member yells out in a guttural voice, "Kill him!" This is what happens when a campaign loses its purpose and becomes nothing more than an attempt to grab power. It brings to mind images of Brown Shirts and beerhalls and scapegoats. McCain is dangerous because he knows he is losing, this sort of desperation is communicated as anger that masks a win at all costs mentality. McCain has been running a losing campaign for the last few weeks but he lost the election at the 13 second mark in this clip.

Gregg Chadwick Buddha in Suburbia 72"x36" oil on linen 2002 Speed of Life is four years old today. Thank you to all my readers for your interest, encouragement , thoughts, and comments. My life, art, and spirit wouldn't be the same without you.

Execution Day: July 7, 1865 The four condemned Lincoln assassination conspirators (Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Herold, Atzerodt) with officers and others on the scaffold at Fort McNair. July 7, 1865 The Republican candidate for President, John McCain, and his Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, have run a campaign of bluster, neglect, and obfuscation. In a sense, the two are taking a political party forged in the conflicts of a civil war and in their actions are conspiring to erase its memory as a party of liberty and justice. It is fitting that Rolling Stone magazine has just published an article, Make-Believe Maverick , that finds a post-Vietnam McCain attempting to find his way at Fort McNair in Washington DC. For it was here that condemned Lincoln assassination conspirators were hung on the scaffold on July 7, 1865. Make-Believe Maverick A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty By Tim Dickinson From Rolling Ston e:...

Full text below of Bruce Springsteen's impassioned speech in support of Obama: "Hello Philly, "I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States. " I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence . These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another. "I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today ...

"I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers." -Sarah Palin (as played by Tina Fey)

Palin is anti-choice for victims of rape and incest. What if this was your daughter, granddaughter or sister?

In 4,214 words the editors at The New Yorker have endorsed Obama for President. The endorsement itself is not surprising but I am heartened by the ferociousness with which they go after Bush ("the Presidency of George W. Bush is the worst since Reconstruction") , McCain ( "John McCain, played the part of a vaudeville illusionist, asking to be regarded as an apostle of change after years of embracing the essentials of the Bush agenda with ever-increasing ardor") , and Palin ( "Palin has no business being the backup to a President of any age, much less to one who is seventy-two and in imperfect health. In choosing her, McCain committed an act of breathtaking heedlessness and irresponsibility"). In a piece entitled The Choice the editors begin, "Never in living memory has an election been more critical than the one fast approaching—that’s the quadrennial cliché, as expected as the balloons and the bombast. And yet when has it ever felt so urgently tru...

At the Santa Monica Art Studios Studio #15 3026 Airport Avenue Santa Monica, California 90405 As well as the new work there will also be a selection of out takes, rarities, B-sides and covers for purchase. Gregg Chadwick's Homepage cell 415 533 1165 greggchadwick@earthlink.net Gregg Chadwick American Rain (Thunderhead) 48”x36” oil on linen 2008

“Obama speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music…a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit.” - Bruce Springsteen CHANGE ROCKS A Very Special Acoustic Appearance By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Saturday October 4th, 2008 Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and 22nd Streets Philadelphia, PA Gates open: 2:00 p.m. Program starts: 3:30 p.m. CHANGE ROCKS Also: Bruce is scheduled to play for free in Ohio on Sunday, October 5th. Springsteen will appear in the Main Oval at Ohio State University. Tickets for the 4:30 p.m. performance are free and can be picked up starting tomorrow at Obama campaign offices in central Ohio. The list of those offices will be available later today on the campaign's Ohio website: Ohio for Obama And More: Springsteen will play a free acoustic set at Oestrike Stadium at Eastern Michigan University on Monday, October 6th. Gates are expected to open at 3 p.m. and the program is expected to begin at 4:30 p.m. O...

New Yorker Cover, October 6, 2008

"Obama can inspire, and our nation desperately needs an inspirational leader. And he does not carry the deep scars of Vietnam, as do many of McCain's generation. He offers hope. A new way of doing business. And a belief that our system of government can be made to work. He's the clear choice." -The Stockton Record For the first time in 72 years, the Stockton Record has endorsed a Democratic Candidate for President. Not since Franklin Delano Roosevelt's second term, right after John McCain was born, has the Stockton Record endorsed a Democrat. Until now. And it was a unanimous decision by the editorial board. Choice is clear: Obama for president

Uncommitted voters: Obama won the debate

Gregg Chadwick American Rain (Thunderhead) 48"x36" oil on linen 2008

Chris Rock interviewed on the Presidential Election by Larry King- Chris Rock: " I think Obama would be great. I mean, just look the big thing right now is the economy. And people are going broke. And here: The choice isn't Republican or Democrat. The choice is you got a guy that's worth $150 million with 12 houses against a guy who's worth a million dollars with one house." Larry King: "Well --" Chris Rock: "The guy with one house really cares about losing a house, because he is homeless. The other guy can lose five houses and still got a bunch of houses. Does this make any sense? Am I the only one that sees this?" Larry King: "It's unique way of ..." Chris Rock: "I'm just saying, John McCain could lose half his houses ..." Larry King: "You got a point." Chris Rock:" - And sleep well." ~ Chris Rock: " You know, I hope Obama wins just because, you know, the country needs it. The country nee...

Update: December 11, 2009 - La Cucina on Showtime and available on Blu-Ray and Dvd Details at: Art and Film The film La Cucina is gathering praise and awards as it makes its way along the film festival circuit. La Cucina won Best Picture at the Beloit International Film Festival and the Backlot Film Festival. We are fortunate to be able to catch the film in Beverly Hills on Sunday, October 19th at noon. A number of my paintings were used in the film to provide silent visual insights into the character's lives and actions. The cinematography by Alan Caudillo is simply stunning. The film is rich in color and light and presence. Each shot is composed as if it were a painting. On a sidenote: Alan Caudillo has been busy. He was the cinematographer and associate producer on the upcoming comedy, Waiting for Ophelia , which stars Yeardley Smith who is known for her work as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the Simpsons. Alan was also the cinematographer on Henry Jaglom's, Hollywood Drea...

This is a beautiful video. It is well produced, heartfelt and continues the positive message that Obama is sending across the globe. This spot was put together by Israelis and Israeli-Americans who believe Barack Obama will be good for America and good for Israel. They explain their hope that the world in such dramatic times needs an American leader who is able to employ intelligent diplomacy hand in hand with a strong defense. These characteristics are embodied by Obama and are crucial to our shared global future.

Despite John McCain's desperate and cynical call for a political "time out", Barack Obama reflected the public's need to hear the candidates debate the issues in a difficult moment: “This is exactly the time when people need to hear from the candidates,” Senator Obama said. Barack finished strongly, “Part of the president’s job is to deal with more than one thing at once. In my mind it’s more important than ever.” The Commission on Presidential Debates said the debate will go on Friday despite McCain's request: "The plans for this forum have been underway for more than a year and a half," the commission said. "The CPD's mission is to provide a forum in which the American public has an opportunity to hear the leading candidates for the president of the United States debate the critical issues facing the nation. We believe the public will be well-served by having all of the debates go forward as scheduled." "Indeed, both campaigns, wit...

"John McCain and Sarah Palin’s meeting with Bono was canceled Wednesday due to scheduling reasons, according to the McCain campaign. Instead, McCain and Palin will chat with Bono by phone this afternoon about the ONE Campaign, the U2 front man’s initiative to raise awareness of AIDS and global poverty." U2 Bullet the Blue Sky Live - Los Angeles - During the Joshua Tree Tour U2 Bullet the Blue Sky Live - Chicago - 2005

Bono and Barack An open letter to Bono the night before his meeting with Governor Palin: Bono, I hope that you hold dear to your comment that the meetings this week at the Millennium Development Goals summit will be "judo in a suit." I know you are a cagey and intelligent man. But don't be fooled by Governor Palin's crocodile tears and false down-home banter. The McCain campaign wants nothing more than a photo op and the chance to fool voters in the USA into thinking that you and your band have endorsed the McCain/Palin ticket. Bono, you are walking a tightrope here and the majority of the voters in the United States want to put an end to the Bush years and the Bush legacy. McCain is nothing more than George III. Please remember what America means. Please remember your inspiration to write and perform "Bullet the Blue Sky" as you watched the Reagan administration's support of Salvadoran death squads and Nicaraguan contras. America is not torture, Abu Gh...

"The disclosure contradicts a statement by Senator McCain that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, right, had no involvement with the company for the last several years." Breaking News from the New York Times: "WASHINGTON-- By JACKIE CALMES and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain’s campaign manager from the end of 2005 through last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement. The disclosure contradicts a statement Sunday night by Mr. McCain that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had no involvement with the company for the last several years. Mr. Davis’s firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae, the other big mortgage lender whose deteriorating finances helped precipitate the cascading problems on Wall Street, the people said. "They said...

(Flickr user aar0n5150 has a really nice looking Obama image which mashes up the Obama and Apple logos released under a Creative Commons license…) Obama Apple

Vincent Van Gogh Eugène Boch (the Poet) 23 5/8 x 17 11/16" oil on canvas 1888 Musée d'Orsay, Paris Bequest of Eugène Boch through the Société des Amis du Louvre, 1941 Photo: Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Reunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource "It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly coloured than the day." -Vincent van Gogh Arles September 8, 1888 In his letters Van Gogh describes the genesis of his portrait of the poet: "I should like to paint the portrait of an artist friend, a man who dreams great dreams.... I paint him as he is, as faithfully as I can to begin with. "But the picture is not yet finished. To finish it, I am now going to be the arbitrary colorist. I exaggerate the fairness of the hair, I even get to orange tones and pale citron yellow. Behind the head, instead of painting the ordinary wall of the mean room, I paint infinity, a plain background of the richest, intensest blue that I can contrive, and by this simpl...

The Obama campaign has opened a new field office in Santa Monica and needs your help. The office is looking for volunteers to phone bank and do data entry in the office whenever you are available but especially 2:00P.M. to 8:30P.M. M-F & Saturday and Sunday from 10:00A.M. to 8:00P.M. The office is located at 900 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica (the corner of Wlshire & 9th on the south side of the street). Lars Thorn is the volunteer coordinator. Please shoot him an email at larsthorn@hotmail.com and let him know what area you can help out with. Also, feel free to just drop in and the campaign will put you to work. The Santa Monica Obama office invites you to, "Please come in and HELP US HELP BARACK!"

News agencies are reporting that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Sunday that the government should resist including households in its bailout plan despite calls from Democrats to do so: continue reading Who made Secretary Paulson emperor? His plan is nothing more than an Economic "Patriot Act" which would give power and money back to the same people who are destroying our economy. I stand with Obama when he says, that any financial bailout plan for Wall Street must address "the crisis on main street and around kitchen tables across America." Contact the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate now. Let them know that we the people will not stand for Paulson's ill-conceived buyout plan. Contact your Senators and Congresspersons now by using the contact info below: Members of the United States Senate Members of the United States House of Representatives Obama Statement on Treasury Proposal Full text of Barack Obama's state...

Opening this weekend at the Museum of Modern Art in New York is an exhibition of Vincent Van Gogh's night paintings. The immense tactical appeal of Van Gogh's swirling brushstrokes never fails to draw me into his world. I am reminded of the scene in Akira Kurosawa's film Dreams in which the camera brings you into the vibrant landscape of Van Gogh's mind. Vincent Van Gogh has given our world much to dream about. Vincent Van Gogh The Starry Night Over the Rhône oil on canvas 1889 Musée d'Orsay, Paris " This work was made toward the beginning of the 12-day, or 12-night, stint of painting outdoors after dark that culminated in the hallucinatory fireworks of “Starry Night,” wheeling freely, splintering the velvety blue." -Roberta Smith in the New York Times Crows from Akira Kurosawa's Dreams Vincent Van Gogh The Starry Night oil on canvas 1889 "Van Gogh discovered new colors everywhere, and especially at night. Peripatetically, briefly yet fulsomel...

McCain and the POW Cover-up: The "war hero" candidate buried information about POWs left behind in Vietnam (Research support provided by the Investigative Fund of The Nation Institute. This is a link to the expanded version, with primary documents attached, of a story that appears in the October 6, 2008 issue of The Nation.) By Sydney H. Schanberg The third Friday in September is set aside to remember the members of the United States Armed Forces who were imprisoned during war or went missing in action on battlefields across the globe. Take it upon yourself to read all of Sydney Schanberg's article, McCain and the POW Cover-up , which is linked above. The Nation Magazine describes Sydney Schanberg's career and dedication to honest journalism: Sydney H. Schanberg, a journalist for nearly 50 years, has written extensively on foreign affairs--particularly Asia--and on domestic issues such as ethics, racial problems, government secrecy, corporate excesses and the weaknes...

Obama on the Economy:

Thought I would pass along this email from Barack Obama. Take a moment to register to vote or check your voter registration status. And make sure that you pass this information along. We need to get the vote out for Obama on November 4th! Register to Vote Now You'd be surprised by how many people you know who aren't registered to vote. Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website: Register to Vote for Change Now VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote. You can also: Confirm your existing registration Apply to vote absentee Find your polling place If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now. This race ...

Chris Wilson - founder and chief executive of Wilson Research Strategies which is actively push polling Jewish voters to garner support for McCain It seems that a Fox News political analyst, Chris Wilson, as founder and CEO of Wilson Research Strategies is allowing and perhaps backing his companies ongoing push polling efforts toward Jewish voters. The Huffington Post and Politico are reporting that a Republican oriented organization: "Research Strategies" which is Wilson Research Strategies , a company which, according to their web site, is an "opinion research firm serving Republican candidates, conservative organizations, public affairs campaigns, and major corporations." is currently conducting push polling towards Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and Florida. This is an egregious affront that needs prompt attention. When members of the mainstream media are actively involved in manipulative, covert scare tactics on behalf of a conservative candidate we know that...

"Following a weekend of scathing media reports and editorials on John McCains unprecedented campaign of dishonor and dishonesty, the Obama campaign today released a new 30 second TV ad called Honor."

"We've seen this movie before. And we know, the sequel is always worse than the original. If you're ready for four more years of George Bush, then John McCain is your guy. McCain could easily become known as 'Bush 44' (a reference to Bush being the 43rd U.S. president)" -Senator Biden Political spot produced by cartwrightdale, a former Republican who voted for Bush twice. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina opened his eyes as to what the current Republican party stands for so he quit the GOP in disgust and is channeling all his efforts into electing Barack Obama as President. More at: truthandhope.org What is truthandhope.org? "The recent GOP convention culminated in John McCain’s acceptance of his party’s nomination at the end of a four day effort to convince the American public that his Presidency would be something other than a third Bush term and that he is still the maverick many of us believed in when he ran for President in 2000. However, the facts...

From the New York Times: ''Today is the first day of the rest of the campaign,'' Obama campaign manager David Plouffe says in a campaign strategy memo. ''We will respond with speed and ferocity to John McCain's attacks and we will take the fight to him, but we will do it on the big issues that matter to the American people.'' The newest ad showcasing their hard line includes unflattering footage of McCain at a hearing in the early '80s, wearing giant glasses and an out-of-style suit, interspersed with shots of a disco ball, a clunky phone, an outdated computer and a Rubik's Cube. ''1982, John McCain goes to Washington,'' an announcer says over chirpy elevator music. ''Things have changed in the last 26 years, but McCain hasn't. ''He admits he still doesn't know how to use a computer, can't send an e-mail, still doesn't understand the economy, and favors two hundred billion in new tax cuts for co...

"Poor man want to be rich, rich man want to be king, king ain't satisfied 'til he rules everything." Listen and remember Springsteen's impassioned version of this song played in 1980 the night after Ronald Reagan was first elected. VA nurse and music writer, John Ford , explains that evening " Bruce Springsteen opened his show with an especially roaring, impassioned performance of Badlands. He saw it coming: the rape and pillage that would be the Reagan years. Springsteen's still at it, though with a new group of pillagers to confront. His defense against the Reactionary tide in America has long been to shout about where we are going wrong, but also to present an alternative view of what "America" means. It's not support of Salvadoran death squads and Nicaraguan contras, nor Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and torture." Bruce Springsteen supports Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The stakes are just as high as they were in 1980. Remember what America...

Gregg Chadwick Speed of Life 65"x49" oil on linen private collection San Francisco Just months before his death, I saw the painter RB Kitaj after a UCLA sponsored presentation he gave at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Kitaj saw a card gripped in my hand of my painting, A Walk with Ganesh, and he started our brief conversation saying, “Is that for me? I would like to have that.” I handed him the card and watched him examine the image of the painting in his hands, and then my face as we talked. Moved by our discussion, I went home and painted Kitaj as he appeared that evening; white beard, roaring voice, stern focus, like a prophet calling figurative artists, in particular, to “paint their worlds.” My world today is a fusion of the present moment, tempered by the memory of the past, and thrust into the future by the motion of time. Travels since childhood have taken me from the U.S. to Asia to Australia to Europe and back, again and again. These wanderings provide a series o...

Gregg Chadwick 48"x38" oil on linen private collection San Francisco

"it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme." -Joe Klein, Time "Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan and former John McCain adviser, Time columnist, and MSNBC contributor Mike Murphy were caught on tape disparaging John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate: "It's over," Noonan said. When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Eve...