Presidential Campaign Misinformation: The Facts and Only the Facts Please

With the presidential election in the United States quickly nearing an end I'm receiving more and more unsolicited emails from friends and family originating from dubious sources, if sourced at all. The emails started months ago with accusations calling Barack Obama a radical Muslim who was sworn in with a Koran after gaining a seat in the Senate. I've also received the obviously photoshopped photo of Sarah Palin in a bikini with a gun. Whenever I receive one of these unsourced and uninformed emails I politley send a rebuttal using one of two websites that reference credible sources to prove or disprove the accuracy of rumors - Snopes.com and Factcheck.org. Both sites have no party affiliation and cover a gamut of political material. Snopes also includes quite a few urban legends that should entertain for the sheer gulibility of some people concerning what they are willing to believe.

So, the next time someone sends you a ridiculous email claiming their cell phone grew legs or Sarah Palin is secretly a modified pitbull created by Cheney, take a look at the sites above to see where the rumour originated and how to discredit the false information.

Photo (http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/03/)

- Christopher Bishop

Brian Henson Presenting at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta

I love Jim Henson Company films and television shows such as Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and Farscape for both their wonderful stories and their amazing puppetry. Couple my love of these films with a childhood spent watching The Muppets and you have a puppetry fan lucky to live in Atlanta where we have The Center for Puppetry Arts, a fantastic resource for puppetry shows spanning varying audiences, both in age and interest, and a standing collection of puppets often augmented with touring exhibitions and classes.

In keeping with their excellent programming The Center will host "Brian Henson: The Future of Digital Puppetry" on Sunday, September 28, 2008. Henson is co-CEO of the Jim Henson Company and Executive Director of "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars." He will present an overview and history of the Jim Henson Company's puppetry legacy while also exploring new advances in voice and puppeteering using computers. Tickets are still available and cost $10 for non-members, while members are free. If you haven't visited The Center yet now is a great time since they are also hosting the exhibit "Jim Henson: Wonders From His Workshop" through September of next year. More than anything, The Center for Puppetry Arts is a multi-generational resource for anyone who enjoys creativity, art, and the general need to see imagination brought to life.

- Christopher Bishop

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/KERMIT THE FROG ©THE MUPPETS STUDIO, LLC

East Atlanta Strut - Sept. 20th

I live in the greatest little community imaginable, East Atlanta, an area with lots of eclectic happenings year round. Saturday, September 20th, is the annual East Atlanta Strut, a now eleven year old celebration of all the wonderful things represented by this diverse community. The day starts with a 5k run before transitioning into a fun parade with lots of colorful participants, music, arts and crafts, a giant book sale, and lots of food. I highly recommend the Strut for anyone interested in a historic Atlanta community's take on civic expression.

- Christopher Bishop

Japan Fest 2008 in Atlanta

The annual Japan Fest celebrating all things Japanese will be held on September 27th and 28th in the Gwinnett Center Convention Center. The festival has really grown over the years and offers everything from authentic Japanese food, music, and dance, to martial arts and workshops for children.

The Carlyle Fraser library owns a large number of books related to Japanese culture and history. Here are a few.

Fodor's Japan
Ref. 915.2 FODOR

Culture and Customs of Japan
952 KAMA
Kamachi, Noriko

Haiku-Vision In Poetry and Photography
895.6 ATWOOD
Atwood, Ann

Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints: A Guide
769.92 STRANGE
Strange, Edward Fairbrother

Japanese Mythology
291.1 PIGGOTT
Piggott, Juliet

Modern Japanese Writers
Ref. 895.6 MODERN

Blogging The Universe: A Weekly Look At Blogs of Interest, Installment 6, The Science of Battlestar Galactica

I will impartially but emphatically state that Battlestar Galactica (the new series) is the best show on television currently, and perhaps ever. I can say this without bias because so many critics, fans, and people who rarely watch science fiction agree with me and everyone knows the masses cannot be wrong. As the series comes to a conclusion later this year I'm already having withdraw pains. Questions to still be answered include: will the motley assortment of humans find Earth to be a barren wasteland or a refuge, what will happen to the newly exposed Cylons on Galactica, will Adama and the President find true love, is their really going to be a spin off show? I want to know!

In the interum I stumbled upon Patrick Di Justo's fascinating blog The Science of Battlestar Galactica, a blog dedicated to answering questions such as, how can cylons and humans breed, or, what is the mass of Battlestar? The blog is a smorgasbord for those with an interest in science fiction speculation or just a love of Battlestar. Even a science novice like myself can follow along with the explanations so don't let the science in the blog's title dissuade you unless you hate science fiction and Battlestar Galactica, which you hopefully do not.

Scifipedia - Battlestar Galactica

Nicely summarized history of the show from the original series to now

Forbes.com - The Science of Star Wars

Science Fact or Fiction Quiz

- Christopher Bishop

Experience the Battle of Atlanta July 18th - 20th

One of my favorite events is the yearly commemoration of the American Civil War's Battle of Atlanta in the neighborhoods of East Atlanta, East Lake, Kirkwood and Cabbagetown. The variety of historical activities, food, and shopping mix well with the great neighborhoods on display. I highly suggest making a day of it if possible.

"July 22nd will mark the 144th Anniversary of the historic Civil War Battle of Atlanta. To commemorate the important event, the neighborhoods in Atlanta’s 5th Council District have teamed up to organize B*ATL on the weekend of July 18th-20th. The battlefield is actually in these neighborhoods where people live and work and play today. This will not only be an event of remembrance but also one with fun for everyone including: a Gala Dinner and House Tour, a 5K run, Van and Walking Tours, a re-creation of the Frontlines with Re-enactment Soldiers and artillery, a Civil War Village with civilian re-enactors, historic music concerts and dramatic performances, shopping and dining in East Atlanta and Kirkwood and more!! Please see the schedule of events below."

- Battle of Atlanta site

- Christopher Bishop

WALL-E: Reviewed and Linked

Last night I saw the new animated film WALL-E at Atlanta's Starlite Drive-In, my favorite place to see films in Atlanta. I actually went to see Iron Man but thought WALL-E might be a cute distraction before Robert Downey Jr. turned in his surprisingly great interpretation of Tony Stark. Out of nowhere WALL-E floored me with its beautiful, sometimes almost life-like, animation while touching on questions involving the environment and the role of artificial intelligence as seen through the eyes of two robots looking for love. The love story between the film's star WALL-E, a trash receptor, and Eve, an information retrieval unit sent to earth in search of life after humans left the planet 700 years earlier due to an environmental catastrophe, is touching and surprisingly moving. However, the very overt environmental message took me by surprise. Earth is portrayed as a garbage strewn wasteland wherein only WALL-E the trash collector still exists, building skyscrapers out of condensed trash and hanging on to trinkets of the now departed human race. The emphasis on human laziness and dependency on technology to create luxury free of personal responsibility is also very overt and raises a number of questions for those who see technology as an escape from thinking and doing for oneself and those around you. The film's environmental awareness is especially timely given the current questions facing America and the world concerning use of energy sources.

The new and overt environmental awareness exhibited by mainstream Disney films such as WALL-E and conservative politicians such as John McCain seemed unlikely a few years ago, but now seems common with the advent of high gas prices and the questions raised by increasing energy costs and the realities of global warming. A film such as WALL-E serves as a fun but eye opening example of just how much America has changed in regards to environmental awareness. We are truly seeing a paradigm shift in America as the mainstream embraces the realities of environmental degradation. Hopefully the heart tugging love story shown in WALL-E will serve as a model for those who want to further reach out to skeptics through mainstream outlets.

The following books are owned by the CFL and deal in some way with issues raised by WALL-E.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
394.12 POLLAN
Pollan, Michael

An excellent examination of the food we eat, where it comes from, what it does to us, and how it effects the world we live in.

Artificial Intelligence: A Beginner's Guide
006.3 WHIT
Whitby, Blay

Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World
363.738 BRAAS
Braasch, Gary

-Christopher Bishop

An Old Timer's Lit Picks, Installment 2

The CFL's Jane Vickers reviews the spy thriller novel Secret Servant by Danieal Silva. Click here to access the podcast from podomatic.com.

Bishop's Book Speak (Rob Sheffield's Love Is A Mixtape reviewed), Installment 4

Click here for Mr. Bishop's podcast review of Rob Sheffield's Love Is A Mixtape, a truly moving exploration of love set to mixtapes capturing the quickly changing soundscape of the early nineties. I also suggest visiting the following websites...



Muxtape
A site for creating and sharing mixtapes on the internet


Love Is A Mix Tape Official Site


Art Of The Mix
A site for submitting and sharing mixtapes


Mix Tape - Wikipedia entry
This is a great entry detailing the history, culture, and enthusiasm surrounding mixtapes

Lost In The Library, Installment 6, Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World

I first became acquainted with Georgian Howard Finster, Baptist preacher turned artist, during my teen years while watching a PBS special dealing with folk artists in Georgia. I loved the undisciplined sincerity of his paintings and sculptures often created with objects from his surroundings, works so opposed to the rules often associated with formal art practices and the confines we are taught regarding artistic merit. Here was a man who captured all the wonderful, but quickly changing, aspects of rural life in Georgia including religion, family, and community life in his own unique way. A trip to the High Museum cemented my love of Howard Finster's art after viewing pieces of his work kept on permanent display. I'm always on the lookout for more Howard Finster sources so the discovery of Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World in the CFL was a welcome find.

The book contains a wealth of photos displaying various paintings and sculptures from Howard Finster's entire life. The accompanying text includes Howard Finster's observations concerning his art, religion, and the world as he saw it. Oftentimes art collections are accompanied by a critic's voice describing an artist's intentions and influences, this collection allows the reader to hear Howard Finster describe his work in a way only someone this unique could. An inscription from Howard Finster's painting number "1000 and 48" is appropriately placed before the title page of this collection. The inscription reads, "I am Howard Finster a stranger from another world. My father and my mother, my sisters and brothers, my wife, my children, my grandchildren have really never figured me out for my kingdom is not of this world. Only my father in heaven knows me on this planet and that's why I have been strong and happy. When my work is finished I will go back to my other world." Howard Finster truly was from a world all his own, a world presented fully by Howard Finster: Stranger From Another World.

In addition to a number of well researched and representative sites listed below, the CFL contains an excellent collection of books detailing outsider and folk art.

- Christopher Bishop

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:
Flying Free: Twentieth-Century Self-Taught Art From The Collection of Ellin and Baron Gordon
Ellin Gordon
709.73 GORDON

Passionate Visions of the American South: Self-Taught Artists From 1940 To The Present
Alice Rae Yelen
709.75 YELEN

Raw Creation: Outsider Art and Beyond
John Maizels
709.04 MAIZELS

Souls Grown Deep: African American Vernacular Art of the South.
Paul Arnett
Ref. 709.73 SOULS v.1

Websites of Interest:

The Official Homepage of Howard Finster

Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens Park and Museum
"The mission of Paradise Gardens is to restore and preserve the work of folk artist Howard Finster; perpetuating his legacy - promoting education in the arts and providing expansive communityinvolvement, and enrichment through its unique spirit, setting, and message."

The David Leonardis Gallery
"The DLG houses one of the finest collections of Howard Finster pieces in the world, including concrete, shelf pieces, wood cutouts, paintings and prints."

The Outsider Art Pages
A collection of works by various outsider artists

Youtube: Howard Finster's Vision House