IT'S KITE SEASON! HANDMADE KITES BY DANIEL FROST

The creative illustrations of Daniel Frost have quite literally taken off and are flying high above Copenhagen. His beautifully crafted handmade kites are currently on exhibit at The Big Kit Show.

TALL PAINTING by HOLTON ROWER

Tall Painting by Holton Rower.

EVERYINGHAM ROTATING HOUSE

Built largely of glass and steel, and powered by an electric motor “not much bigger than a washing machine motor”, the Everyingham Rotating House is a brilliant testimonial to the ingenuity of its owner/builders. It also encapsulates many aspects of ecologically sound building principles, such as optimising natural light and heat, while rotating 360° to take advantage of sunshine and shade at different times of the day and year.

60+EARTH HOUR MARCH 26 8:30 PM

Earth Hour 2011 Official Video from WWF on Vimeo.

EARTH HOUR 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). Earth Hour is the largest mass participation environmental event in the world and every year, WWF encourages people all over the world to turn off their lights for one hour in a symbolic gesture to pledge their commitment to combating climate change. This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.

REQUIRED VIEWING: CIVIL RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE 1963

In a television studio in Washington, DC on August 28th, 1963, a small group from Hollywood, California join to give their own personally held views of the civil rights gathering which took place on that day. Here as citizens committed to the cause of civil rights are James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Joseph Mankiewicz, Sidney Poitier, the moderator David Schoenbrun.

REQUIRED VIEWING: ZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward by Peter Joseph should be Required Viewing by everyone on the planet. In fact on Jan. 15th, 2011, it got off to a great start accomplishing that when it was released theatrically to sold out crowds in 60 countries; 31 languages; 295 cities and 341 Venues. It has been noted as the largest non-profit independent film release in history.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. - MAN OF PEACE IN A TIME OF WAR

Watch more free documentariesA rare and candid TV interview with Martin Luther King, Jr. - unseen in 40 years - is the centerpiece of this timely tribute, featuring exclusive interviews with such notables as Jesse Jackson and Colin Powell that provide fresh insight into the life and personality of the late civil rights leader.

"I would hope that the president (President Johnson) means what he says when he says that there should always be room for dissent. And we have come to a tragic period in our nation when we equate dissent with disloyalty. I believe firmly that it is necessary to have these moments of dissent in order to challenge something that may be leading the whole nation down the wrong path."

"The important thing is that I not lose favor with truth and with what conscience tells me is right and what conscience tells me is just. I am much more concerned about keeping favor with these principals than keeping favor with a person who may misunderstand a position I take."

"We are either going to have peaceful co-existence or violent co-annihilation."

PAX CHRISTI EL PASO FILM SERIES 2011

This film series on peace and justice themes, now in its sixth year, is sponsored by Pax Christi El Paso and the Peace and Justice Ministry of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. Admission is free. Donations are graciously accepted but not required. Light refreshments are served, and there is time for discussion after each film. Movies have been scheduled at 3:00 p. m. generally on the second Sunday of each month (but check the schedule for changes) through the end of 2011.

JANUARY 16th: MAHATMA GANDHI: PILGRIM OF PEACE

His pacifist philosophy brought one of the world's great powers to its knees. He proved that violence is not the only road to change.

Mahatma Gandhi's life was a study in contrast and paradox. He saw himself as doing God's work, yet recognized only personal conscience as the highest authority. He was a charismatic leader of millions who confounded intellectuals. He took a vow of abstinence, but in old age welcomed young women into his bed! BIOGRAPHY® profiles the small man who took a great nation on his shoulders and changed the world. Trace his rise to power and fearless campaign of truth, non-violence and non-cooperation with injustice that defeated the British Empire. Biographers offer insight into his surprising personal life, while historians explore his remarkable accomplishments. Hear from his grandson, Arun Gandhi, and, in a rare interview, the Dalai Lama reflects on Gandhi's incredible life and enduring legacy.

From the formation of his philosophy to changing the face of the world, this is the complete saga of the Pilgrim of Peace Mahatma Gandhi.


FEBRUARY 13: AT THE RIVER I STAND
AT THE RIVER I STAND chronicles the tumultuous events that unfolded over two fateful months in 1968. It began as a local strike by African American sanitation workers for human dignity and a living wage . The story eventually captured national attention and drew Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, along with the assassin who would kill him. The results marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and the national struggle for racial and economic justice..

A Free online screening of "At The River I Stand" is available for a limited time.

CHICAGO 10
At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, anti-Vietnam War protestors who were denied permits for demonstrations repeatedly clashed with the Chicago Police Department. Tensions mounted, and an already fraught week culminated in riots broadcast live to a television audience of more than 50 million, further polarizing the nation.

Seeking a scapegoat for the riots, the U.S. government held eight of the most vocal activists accountable for the violence and brought them to trial a year later. Brett Morgen's CHICAGO 10 explores the explosive build-up to—and the eventual unraveling of—the Chicago Conspiracy Trial.

The trial’s defendants represented a broad cross section of the anti-war movement in the late Sixties, from counterculture icons and Yippie leaders Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin to renowned pacifist David Dellinger. Seven of the defendants were represented by Leonard Weinglass and famed liberal attorney William Kunstler, who went head-to-head with prosecution attorney Thomas Foran. The eighth defendant and co-chair of the Black Panther Party, Bobby Seale, insisted on defending himself; Judge Julius Hoffman responded by binding, gagging and handcuffing him to his chair. From the start, the trial was a media circus, with the defendants on a collision course with governmental authority.

A parable of hope, courage and ultimate victory, CHICAGO 10’s unique and unconventional style uses motion-capture animation to portray actual events from the trial, recreating courtroom dramas based on transcripts and interviews. CHICAGO 10 moves from the streets of Chicago to the courtroom at an accelerated pace, giving the audience a ringside seat for one of the most controversial trials of the period.

For more information, call (915)532-0527 or (915) 497-0384
Show time: 3:00 p. m.
Mother Tesesa Hall of Dioscesan Migrant & Refugee Services
2400 E. Yandell Dr.
El Paso, TX
(Between Piedras and Cotton St.- From I-10 take the Piedras exit, go north on Piedras turn left on Yandell.)


Schedule for 2011
January 16 - MAHATMA GANDHI: PILGRIM OF PEACE
February 13 - AT THE RIVER I STAND
March 13 - UP TO A CERTAIN POINT (HASTA CIERTO PUNTO)
April 10 - EARTH DAYS
May 15 - COLLAPSE OR PIRATE RADIO (To Be Announced)
June 12 - UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU!
July 10 - CHICAGO 10
August 14 - COUNTDOWN TO ZERO
September 11 - WETBACK: THE UNDOCUMENTED DOCUMENTARY
October 9 - BREAKING ROCKS
November 13 - BONHOEFFER
December 11 - WHERE LOVE IS: THE STORY OF THE CAPUCHIN SOUP KITCHEN

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Times Square Ball Drop from History.com

History of New Year's Eve from History.com

THE AMOS AND ANDY CHRISTMAS SHOW (1952)

The Amos and Andy Christmas Show (1952). This episode has all the elements of the Christmas spirit with one of the most endearing and touching moments as Alvin Childress (Amos) tells his daughter the meaning of the Lord's Prayer. Truly as relevant now as when it was filmed fifty eight years ago.

SIMON'S CAT in 'SANTA CLAWS'

SIMON'S CAT 'SANTA CLAWS'

A WORKING SOLUTION - DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM - PALO ALTO, CA

"For those of you making charitable donations this holiday season, this is my choice for a superbly run, results driven organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please take the time to check it out." - By: Joan Baez
Downtown Streets Team or Downtown Streets Team on Facebook

"Homelessness drags people down. It makes them feel worthless, helpless, hopeless; trapped with no way out. Downtown Streets Team offers help, hope, and a path to a new life. We are changing lives, one job at a time. Downtown Streets Team (DST) is a get back to work program based in Palo Alto, CA that teaches participants successful work habits: getting to work on time, the satisfaction of completing tasks, and communicating effectively with management and co-workers. All with the goal of re-entering the workforce and building self-esteem. Building relationships with local businesses is also a key goal. The participants work for food and shelter while learning job training skills, resume writing and mock interviews. DSt also provides casework, housing placement, transportation assistance, and more!" - Palo Alto Downtown Streets Team

DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM IS A WORKING SOLUTION IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA AND CAN BE A WORKING SOLUTION IN YOUR CITY.

IMPROV EVERYWHERE - GUERRILLA HANDBELL STRIKEFORCE

IMPROV EVERYWHERE sent a 13-member handbell choir to provide some unexpected accompaniment for a Salvation Army bell ringer on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes.

Better To Give Than Receive

When we all give, we all receive. Advent Conspiracy

REQUIRED LISTENING: TOM CHAPIN

NOT ON THE TEST by John Forster & Tom Chapin: Go on to sleep now, third grader of mine. The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine. It's reading and math. Forget all the rest. You don't need to know what is not on the test. Each box that you mark on each test that you take, remember your teachers, their jobs are at stake. Your score is their score, but don't get all stressed, they'd never teach anything not on the test. The School Board is faced with No Child Left Behind, with rules but no funding, they're caught in a bind. So music and art and the things you love best, are not in your school 'cause they're not on the test. Sleep, sleep, and as you progress, you'll learn there's a lot that is not on the test. Debate is a skill that is useful to know, unless you're in Congress or talk radio, where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed 'cause rational discourse was not on the test. Thinking's important, it's good to know how and someday you'll learn to, but someday's not now. Go on to sleep, now, you need your rest. Don't think about thinking, It's not on the test.
From Make A Wish in 1970 through today, Tom Chapin has been an inspiration and motivation to all.