loving art, science and creative kids
4/29/2023 9:04:14 PM
BLUE BIRDS
Awesome is the smell of freshly cut grass, the blossoms of spring, birds nesting in tress.
Awe—It's awesome!
Awe is an emotion, a feeling you get in the presence of the vast unknown. Hard to describe, the feeling challenges your understanding of the universe. Awe, a mixture of fear and wonder, can fill you with respect for mystery. Eliciting an ecstasy sparked by music, art, and nature, it is experienced by infants as well as seniors on their death bed. Developmental scientists like Allison Gopnik, author of The Philosophical Baby, believe that children feel awe more often than their parents. Adults become adept at eliminating awe-inspiring experiences from their lives.
I still remember the expression on my six-month-old son's face when seeing his first snowfall. His eyes lit up, becoming round like saucers as snowflakes fell silently around him. His mouth opened round as he reached out from my husband's arms, trying to grasp a flake. Though many parents don't think infants as having the capacity for awe, recent scientific investigations show the opposite. Infants are aware, thoughtful, and constantly analyzing all that they see.
I like being around young children. Their explorations allow me to relive the wonder and experience surprise, shaking me from complacency. When my three-and-a-half-year-old grandchild was upset after noticing the tires on my car were scarred with deep cuts, her observation led to an inspection of dozens of tires on cars in the lot adjacent to her apartment. Because I was there to witness the moment, I grabbed onto her curiosity and helped it evolve into something more. I learned a lot about tires that day.
Awe is mainly viewed as a positive emotion, as it was when I stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon--but that isn't always the case.. One stormy night, while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike, lightning struck a few feet in front of my windshield. It sounded like the crack of a whip, followed by a luminescent, blinding light that left me shaking in fear of its power. It wasn't the first time I had seen lighting up close. The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia sparks lighting in a controlled environment. The demonstration was interesting, but not as awe-inspiring as it was on the turnpike.
We humans are unique in our capacity to experience awe. It awakens our minds, stirring intellectual and philosophical thoughts. We may speak of these events as being transformative, sometimes spiritual. While it may make you feel small in relation to the universe, it can also give purpose to life. Religious leaders are known to find their calling after an awe-inspiring experience.
As an expansive emotion, awe is good for our health. It takes us out of self-interest, letting us become more willing to engage with people. Awe inspires musicians, artists, philosophers, and inventors willing to share the insights gained from their mastery. They may be humbled by their achievements, but their skills can also make them strong, open-minded, and generous. And wonderment coming from admirers can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
We would do well to put ourselves in situations that stimulate awe. Medieval cathedrals, synagogues, and mosques with stained glass windows were designed to do that for people paying homage to God. The Taj Mahal, an Ivory-white marble mausoleum in India commissioned in 1631 by Shah Jahan, was built so that visitors would feel awe at the love he had for his wife. Visits to national parks and other places of beauty stimulate wonderment for the mystery of being alive and love for the people close to us.
Hiking through natural areas, viewing a night sky that's not dulled by city lights, hearing a virtuoso musician, and watching an olympian athlete perform are things that take us outside of ourselves. They help put our days in perspective. This spring, seek out precious moment that inspire awe rather than dwell in the gutter of society's negativity.
References:
Keltner. D., 2021. What is Awe? Greater Good Magazine, retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/awe/definition#:~:text=Awe%20is%20the%20feeling%20we,the%20birth%20of%20a%20child.
Omary,A. 2022. The Awesome Psychology of Awe. Psychology Today. retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/natured-nurture/202207/the-awesome-psychology-awe
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Art is always for sale. Bluebirds is an acrylic on canvas painting, 20.5" by 24.5"/ available framed for $425. Shipped free within the continental U.S. Send questions to [email protected]
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4/22/2023 2:51:31 PM
EARTH MOTHER
Is a Utopian Future possible?
Don't be Fooled! The human species has flung the planet into an epoch propelled by human behavior rather than biological evolution. It has reshaped the map into urban areas, croplands, and rangelands, not the woodlands, rainforests, savannas, and tundras spanning the globe in the past. With 9.5 billion people expected to populate the earth by 2050, I can't help but ask if our natural resources can keep up with this increase. It is naive to think the planet has enough life-giving resources to sustain an infinite amount of growth.
Predicting the maximum number of species our environment can support is difficult for ecologists to calculate. How people reproduce, consume resources, and interact with the environment varies from place to place and country to country. Ecologists evaluate the carrying capacity of the earth by studying how natural resources are consumed and waste is managed. According to World Population Resources, "...our global footprint is in overshoot. It would take 1.75 Earths to sustain our current population. If current trends continue, we will reach 3 Earths by the year 2050." No wonder Elon Musk's utopian vision is to establish colonies in outer space.
Environmental naysayers believe technology will improve such dire projections. Some folks advocate for slowing population growth, while others seek rational ways to change cultures to improve decision-making. I fall into the latter category. Mathematical biologist, Joel Cohen, writes that all three approaches are necessary, though they may not be enough. His call is to promote access to contraceptives, develop third-world economies, empower women, and educate all.
At this moment in history, the United States is heading in the opposite direction. The offshoot of urban growth is increased poverty, homelessness, pollution, and gun violence. Recent actions to eliminate abortion, to ban books, and bastardize the LGBTQ community are pushing citizens into a pit to be consumed by lions.
Is the situation hopeless as many think? I'm not sure. Population growth in the past was controlled by epidemics and wars. Today's medical establishment controls mass extinctions. Though 6,845,412 died of COVID during the last three years, it was a drop in the bucket compared to approximately 420 million births occurring during the same period. There are four births every second of every day with more than half taking place in Asia with twenty-five million births in India and sixteen million in China alone every year.
Though globally, live births have decreased since 1950, they are not low enough.In 1950 the average birth rate per thousand was 37. In 2050 it is expected to drop to 13 which still causes growth when you consider how long people live. With global warming added to the formula, mass migrations from equatorial countries and coastal areas will continue pushing inward and north
In prehistoric times, life expectancy at birth is estimated to have been 33 years. By 1950 it rose to 48 years globally. Global expectancy in 1922 was 72.98 years. Kaare Christens of the Southern University of Denmark predicts that a Danish woman born today will live to be over 100 years and that the first person to reach 150 is already alive. The United States is in the middle of the pack with a life expectancy for males to be 74.5 years, well under Hong Kong's (82.9 years, Iceland's (81.7 years), and Japan's (81.6 years). Life expectancy for women in the U.S. is 80.2 years. In addition to hormonal differences between men and women, the discrepancy is due to the toll of gun violence, risky male behaviors, smoking, and drug usage among the male population.
A Utopian Solution
"Among all species, it is perhaps only humans who create habitats that are not fit to live in." - Stephen Marshall
Healing the earth has neither an easy nor welcoming solution. Controlling population growth, changing morality, and doing what is necessary to protect the human species from extinction requires a worldwide consensus to do the right thing. The solutions won't be pleasant for first-world countries used to independent thinkers controlling their own destinies.
Mega-cities are pollution centers crowded with vehicles that cause road rage. As carbon emissions continue to climb and the planet gets warmer, rising sea levels affect coastal cities worldwide. To solve our problems, individual privileges will have to be curtailed if we want clean water and air, an adequate food supply, universal healthcare, and education for the masses.
It will only happen if an organization like the United Nations is given increased power to control population, pollution, migration, resource development, and usage in a shared economic vision for the planet. This means lowering the autonomy of national governments and requiring local authorities to implement changes that evolve from a consensus of nations. Neither capitalism nor communism would be the end-all economic solution, but rather a blending of social programs and innovative technologies will be aimed at improving the quality of life for all.
A more sustainable model of urban development will be needed for cities to adapt more easily to continuous change across multiple parameters. Urban planners will have to pay attention to the soil, the importance of plant diversity, its role in water and nutrient cycles, and its reserve of carbon. City governments will have to account for how extreme weather brings down power lines and the way rising seas affect wildlife as well as urban dwellings. Long-range city plans already take into account the fact that climate change increases the risk of extreme wildfires, droughts, and floods. Physicians have been responding to allergy seasons that have become more intense. Fossil-fuel-reliant governments are slowly looking for more earth-friendly sources of power.
Our shared vulnerability may be the key to change. Dwindling natural resources affect everyone regardless of wealth and status. A step forward could be to promote intergenerational involvement in climate change, gun laws, and housing. The world appears different for graduating youth than it did in my day. As a result of changing demographics, they are more tolerant of sexual and racial diversity, live in apartments with smaller footprints, and are more connected to each other through technology. They don't desire a large family and look to friends to provide emotional and physical support.
To plan for the future, our children will need to study how nature continues to adapt. They will have to get ready for the next pandemic, wean themselves off of petroleum-driven engines, and create social structures that are supportive of diverse cultural norms. It is a great challenge, but I believe our youth are up to it. My twenty-year-old grandchildren already live and talk differently than I did at their age. They are more aware of global issues, are less acquisitive, and find pleasure in nature, friendships, exercise, and things that can easily be enjoyed without a huge expense.
My utopian dream is based on hope for the next generation to do what is right. I see my role as a supportive one that provides youth with the tools they need to analyze the complex issues of their day. They will find it easier to adjust to the realities of the day than folks like me, nearing the end of my time on earth.
References:
Nevozhai, D. (2021) Farewell the utopian city. The Conversation. retrieved from UTOPIA
PRB website. Gender Disparities in Health and Mortality. retrieved/from https://www.prb.org/resources/gender-disparities-in-health-and-mortality/
World Population Counts website. retrieved from https://www.theworldcounts.com/populations/world/births
Worldometer website. Coronavirus Death Toll. retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/
World Population History Website. How Many People Can Our World Support? retrieved from POPULATION. https://worldpopulationhistory.org/carrying-capacity/#:~:text=Today%2C%20our%20global%20footprint%20is,to%20sustain%20our%20current%20population
Art is always for sale. Earth Mother is a 30" x 24" deep canvas acrylic painting. available for $645. For information contact me at [email protected]
Lives of Museum Junkies, second edition is available on Amazon for $14.95. Now is your chance for a behind-the-scenes look at museums and to see how a naive mother became the director of a major science center. Go to AMAZON
4/15/2023 12:56:58 PM
SPRING SNOW ON OAK TREES
Portland residents were sequestered in March three years ago. It snowed that day with jonquils peeking through to remind me that life is cyclical. As did many of my friends, I expected the pandemic to be over by the summer. What a surprise when it continued year after year. While people were sick and dying around me, I became healthier than ever. I took long walks through the neighborhood and arboretum, painting and writing about my observation. The air swas clean and I had nary a sniffle. In many ways, I was at peace with the universe and myself.
By the time most people stopped wearing masks, I was convinced I was one of the lucky ones who would never get COVID. What a surprise when two weeks ago that myth was shattered. Not only did I become ill, but I brought COVID to friends and family who had also thought they were immune. Fortunately, we no longer had to face the worst of the early storm. With medicine available to reduce the severity of the disease, we languished at home rather than in a hospital.
My case was pretty mild, though I remain tired, sleeping much of the day away. Unfortunately, my daughter and my partner experienced the full fury of COVID. It's not something to mess with. They are on the mend now.
Please excuse me if I don't wow you this week with statistics and insights into the human condition. I count myself among the lucky millions who now have antibodies to protect them for a while. I wish you well until next Saturday when I plan to return full steam ahead.
Reminder!
A Walk in the Woods with thirty paintings from my COVID collection remains at Lake Oswego Library through the month of April. To purchase canvas prints delivered to your door for $99 go to https://www.eichingerfineart.com/collections/182747
4/8/2023 12:59:39 PM
Summer Dream
Holidays abound that celebrate the changing seasons. Passover reminds us that the seasons are cyclical, but it is also a reminder that some people are slaves, not free to enjoy thewarm weather.
Passover and Slavery
Passover begins on a full moon in the spring. It was at sundown on April 5th this year. Families and friends gathered around the Seder table to read from the Haggadah, the story of the exodus from Egypt. My gathering is taking place tonight, this Saturday.
The Last Supper celebrated by Jesus, was a service and meal similar to the way it is celebrated today. The Seder plate holds unleavened bread symbolizing that there wasn't time for the bread to rise before the escape. A roasted egg recognizes spring and the cycle of life. Parsley dipped in salt water is a reminder of the tears shed during slavery. Bitter Herbs are for the bitterness of Egyptian slavery, Charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts, and wine is symbolic of the mortar Hebrew slaves used to build the pyramids. A lamb shank bone completes the platter, representing the Passover sacrifice made in biblical times.
The story elicits conversations that continue through the night. One question that occasionally arises, is whether the tale is true or a myth. And, if a myth, what does that mean to those who participate in the service? As a woman of Jewish heritage, I celebrate Passover because of its cultural and historic significance. The holiday brings my family together but is also a reminder of the horror of slavery. Unfortunately, it still exists, and though it isn't legal anywhere, it happens everywhere.
According to Anti-Slavery International, modern slavery is "when an individual is exploited by others, for personal or commercial gain. Whether tricked, coerced, or forced, they lose their freedom. This includes human trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage." Estimates are that globally, 49.6 million people, half of them women in forced marriages, live in involuntary labor conditions. A quarter of the victims are children. Approximately, 6.3 million are trapped by commercial sexual exploitation, another 4 million are captives of government labor camps and prisons, with another 17.3 million in private-sector forced labor situations.
A study conducted at the Britain's University of Nottingham concludes that the average modern-day slave (worldwide) is sold for $90 -$100, a price much lower than was in the 1800s. Though the price may seem low, slaves are easy to acquire, especially in countries like Nepal where parents sell children to sex traffickers for $10. In 2017, sex traffickers worldwide received an average of $660 per person. The purchaser reaps between $4,000 and $50,000 annually, depending on the country, the U.S. being on the high end.
It surprised me to read that women make up the largest proportion of traffickers. Their motive remains one of money. Globally, human traffickers make an estimated $150 billion in profits. In an effort to thwart slavery, our government partners with private businesses. For example, traffickers use banks to deposit and launder earnings. They use planes, buses, and taxis to transport victims and book hotel rooms. They are active users of social media to recruit and advertise the services of their victims.
United Kingdom, the first country to abolish slavery (1833), it also established a slave owner compensation fund that lasted until 2015. The government paid out £20m ($49.6) in bonds to 40,000 slave owners. In today's money, the distribution amounts to £16.5bn ($20.46 bn). The accumulated interest made certain families in the UK exceedingly wealthy. Similar reparations were given to slave owners in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil.
In 1862, President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensation Emancipation Act giving $300 ($8000 today's value) to 900-odd slaveholders ( for 3,100 slaves) to free their slaves and stay loyal to the Union. In 1864 and 1866, two acts of Congress allowed the owners of slaves who enlisted or were drafted in the military to file a claim against the Federal government for loss of their slave's services. The compensation for slaves who enlisted was $300 with $100 paid for drafted slaves.
An 1862 government census held before the Civil War counted 3,853,700 slaves. Their descendants make up nearly 50 million U.S. citizens. After the war, an emigration incentive of $100 ($2,683 today) was offered to formerly enslaved people who agreed to leave the country. No payments were made to the enslaved.
There is a growing movement in the United States to compensate slave families. The estimate is that it will cost $10 to $12 trillion or roughly $800,000 per person to compensate eligible Black households. There are numerous arguments for and against reparation that I won't get into here. This Passover, I've been thinking about how slavery and human trafficking in the U.S. remains rampant and cause such suffering.
In the United States, an estimated 17,5000 foreign nationals and 400,000 American citizens are trafficked annually with women and children making up 70 percent. At-risk communities include children in foster care, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and migrants-people in plain sight. Slaves may be working on your roof, in your parent's nursing home, in a restaurant you frequent, or in a sweatshop supplying clothes bought for the holiday. With the demand for slaves high, traffickers find it relatively easy to find victims to force into slavery.
Five states have slavery on the ballot this year. Citizens are deciding whether to close loopholes allowing convicted labor as an exception to slavery. Twenty states have constitutions that permit slavery and involuntary servitude. There is a push against incarcerated people being forced to work without recompense. Still, in those states where they do receive pay, the amount is piddling. If a prisoner doesn't want to participate, he/she is denied phone calls, visits with families, and even parole.
This brings me back to the question of whether Jews were slaves in Egypt or whether the Passover story is a myth. Ancient Egyptians kept slaves, most of whom were war captives. The extent they were important to the economy is unknown because slavery was never codified into law. The old kingdom lasted from 2649 to 2130 B.C. The middle kingdom was more active as a slave culture with peasants obliged to work in the fields.
The Bible talks of the Jewish people being enslaved three hundred years after the 1750 B.C. completion date of the pyramids. There is no archeological evidence, state records, or primary sources to prove that Jews were enslaved in Egypt. Not one shred of pottery, of Hebrew writing, or mention in Egyptian records point to the sudden migration of 600,000 families (one-quarter of Egypt’s population at the time) crossing the Sinai.
Still, Passover remains an important family gathering and a reminder of the burdens carried by slaves. Symbols of the seder plate are worth remembering. To rebuild trust and maintain peace, Jewish people have to let go of their prejudices against Arabs just as Americans have to do when it comes to the Black/White divide. If we want to build a better world, we have to bend to accommodate and celebrate our differences.
References:
Anti Slavery. website What is Modern Slavery. retrieved from https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/
Kimberfee, K (2022) For Five U.S. States, Slavery is Back on the Ballot. retrieved from
https://www.yahoo.com/video/five-u-states-slavery-back-005858747.html
Hartmann, M. (2018) Does Slavery Exist in America Today? The Exodus Road. Merican Reparations Commission. retrieved from https://reparationscomm.org/reparations-news/britains-colonial-shame-slave-owners-given-huge-payouts-after-abolition/
Hadavi, T (2020) Support for a program to pay reparations to descendants of slaves is gaining momentum, but could come with a $12 trillion price tag. CNBC. retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/slavery-reparations-cost-us-government-10-to-12-trillion.html
Niethammer, C. (2020) Business of Human Trafficing. retrieved from TRAFFICING. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carmenniethammer/2020/02/02/cracking-the-150-billion-business-of-human-trafficking/?sh=367d6d3c4142
website Guide to Cvcil l War Slave Compensation Claims from Compiled Military Service Records. Set. Louis County Library. retrieved from https://www.slcl.org/content/guide-civil-war-slave-compensation-claims-compiled-military-service-records
Facts and Details website. Slavery in Ancient Egypt. retrieved from https://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub404/entry-6151.html
Mintz, J. (2017) Were Jews Ever Really Slaves in Egypt, or is Passover a Myth? Jewish World. retrieved from https://www.slcl.org/content/guide-civil-war-slave-compensation-claims-compiled-military-service-records
Do comment below. It is always interesting to read your thoughts.
Art can be purchased through the website at www.Eichingerfineart.com. Go to works and you'll find it all.
4/1/2023 10:33:17 AM
Spring Has Sprung
This is a busy time of year for me. I just installed thirty arboretum paintings at the Lake Oswego Library's Gallery and am finalizing edits of Rightfully Mine: the Water Factor to be published later this year. The paintings will be on display throughout April, so stop by to see them if you are in Oregon.
Some things are constant reminders of spring, like grabbing a light jacket from its peg by the back door and being reminded of the poem I recited as a child. With jonquils and hyacinths pushing through the earth, and chrysanthemums blooming in the yard, my energy has increased and I'm ready for action.
Spring has sprung
the grass is riz
I wonder where
my jacket is.
The words pop into my mind as soon as the first flowers push through the ground. When I looked into who wrote the verse, I came up with a big zero. Though often attributed to Ogden Nash or ee cummings, the poem has roots that go back to an anonymous author centuries before.
Spring is sprung, the grass is riz,
I wonders where the birdies is.
They say the birds is on the wing.
Ain't that absurd?
I always thought the wing was on the bird.
And then there is my favorite adaptation in Arnold Silcock's Verse and Worse.
The Budding Bronx
Der spring is sprung
Der grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is?
Der little boids is on der wing,
Ain't dat absoid?
Der little wings is on de boid!
And then - attributed to Ogden Nash though I can't find proof.
Spring has newly sprung
the hills are full of grass
and along comes a billy-goat
sliding on his overcoat down the summer pass.
Whatever the words, the poems carry the joy, beauty, and energy of the season, a time of rebirth. Spring is a gift that propels me to start anew and focus attention on realizing my dreams. As Passover, Easter, and May Day arrive, they remind me that much of life is cyclical. But after participating in the festivities, I realize the celebrations are not identical to those I went to the previous year. Though the earth circled the sun completing its cycle, I find that I'm not the same person either. All I have to do is look in the mirror to see a few more wrinkles and gray hairs.
The universe is so vast it is easy to forget that it is in a constant state of transition. Why should humans be different? Our solar system began 4.6 billion years ago as a collapsing cloud of gas and dust. It took 600 million years for the sun and the planets to form. And even longer for the oceans on earth to be formed from the impact of comets rich in water ice. Microscope bacteria evolved into plants and animals to create our present environment. The oldest known fossils from living species are from 3.8 million years ago—not a very long time ago when you consider when the planets began spinning.
As human brains evolved, sapiens became foragers focused on basic needs like finding food, shelter, and immediate pleasures, not concerned with how the universe and all its creatures are in a constant state of transition. They knew that the earth traveled around the sun but didn't know the extent of changes that came with each revolution. A NASA study published in March 2021 found that Earth's axis has been shifting drastically since 1995, speeding the movement of the poles and changing its direction. The reason behind the shift is melting glaciers, a contributor to climate change.
Since the earth will be here long after I'm gone, I can only hope that wise land stewards will take the helm from those who choose to remain ignorant or those who are motivated by instant gratification. Pollution, population growth, and our warming planet are major problems that must be taken seriously if our great-grandchildren are to enjoy the boidies and see that the grass is riz each spring.
d a warming planet must be taken seriously if our great-grandchildren are to enjoy the boidies and see that the grass is riz each spring.
Your thoughts? please respond in my comment secdtion below.
Art is always for sale. Canvas prints of the paints are available for $99, shipping included. Purchase through web sited or contact me at [email protected]
Resources:
NASA Website. Planets Grow and Change OVer time. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/YOSS_Act_14.pdf
POEM- sources for "pring has sprung”
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Visit Lake Oswego Library's gallery at 706 4h Avenue during the month of April to see paintings inspired by Hoyt Arboretum.
