Category: Culture

  • A spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. Thank you, Colbert.

    Just in case …

    On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations  was ratified by five permanent members of the Security Council which consisted – right after WWII – of the United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the Republic of China and was able to secure  46 other members.   It was originally conceived in San Francisco and the charter was created in April and signed into being by the people who conceived it on June 26, 1945.

    The United Nations charter back then was described as being created  to maintain international peace and security and to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems that are derived  from economic, social, cultural, issued or are the result of problems with  humanitarian character – namely it’s lack.  Hitler, and Mussolini to a lesser extent, had shown clearly how devastating the lack of humanity and a humanitarian culture that cared about social and economic issues of the mass population could be on the entire world.

    The goals were noble and as always when dealing with large groups of people problems started immediately.  For instance:  May 14, 1948, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed as British rule in Palestine came to an end.  The next day NYT reported: “The declaration of the new state by David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the National Council and the first Premier of reborn Israel, was delivered during a simple and solemn ceremony at 4 p.m., and new life was instilled into his people, but from without there was the rumbling of guns, a flashback to other declarations of independence that had not been easily achieved.”  The goal was to give a sense of permanency to the many Jews who were transported to  or had fled to Palestine, while it was under British rule.  The  United Nations  partitioned Palestine into Arab and Jewish sections. in November 1947.  Naturally we all know about the many humanitarian issues that evolved from this decision and especially how it was implemented.  Arab Nations are still today upset about it and they often use it as an explanation for their own inhumane behavior.  Naturally Israelis now live in a nation that legitimately needs defend itself.  When they are ruled by someone who doesn’t really care about economic, social and humanitarian issues in the West Bank or Palestine ever more problems are created.

    The original purpose of the United Nations was good.  The way it has been run since Kofi Annan tried to get fairness and attention for African Nations has been pretty awful.  He wanted justice for the African Nations since they often were used and abused by business interests who didn’t care about the population at large.  Unfortunately, a lot of the African leaders are incredibly corrupt and self serving, often killing entire villages to allow international business to “license” the right to excavate property stolen from these villages. Are there problems? Yes.

    Does the current US administration help solve any of the issues?   According to the recent US speeches it seems they want to become one of the top problems in the world.  Declaring Nuclear War as an option is hardly in line with the UN Charter.  Perhaps it is a good thing.  Maybe now leaders will finally realize they are equal. Now we live in an equal opportunity world. The world needs leaders who want to create peace and social and economic justice for all in a democratic and humanitarian way.  Maybe now countries from all around the world will create their own versions of world peace.  Clearly at this moment in history, the US has lost its way as a peace loving nation.  Trump’s speech is undeniably and very clearly proof that there is no US commitment nor interest in world peace.  The truth is out.  It is time for new peace loving leaders. no matter where they come from.

    It is most  heartening that more and more Americans who are listening to the current chosen American leaders like Pence,  Sessions,  Cruz, McConnell, McConnell,  who clearly want Americans to die in the street, and their chosen “education leader” DuBois – ever more people are wondering whether it is time to improve education in the US.  It is finally becoming clear to more and more people , that after 40 years of hoping the various States will educate kids on their own volition has left a country where there is much room for improvement. 

  • Are Facebook and Twitter becoming a bit more conscious and aware? Maybe!

    Facebook in their media relations page claimed this:

    “Over the past few months, we have taken action against fake accounts in France, Germany, and other countries, and we recently stated that we will no longer allow Pages that repeatedly share false news to advertise on Facebook.”

    I rejoice since I think at last the manipulations of nefarious activities manipulating the public, whether it is Russians getting conservatives hyped up into a mob mentality against the LGBT community, or having an unqualified real estate maven,  who seemed surprised  that he was chosen to be president, or providing a platform for hate speech for German Nazi’s, which happened to be against the law.

    I followed the development of the extreme right groups who are often sponsored and supported by Russia – take hold in Western Europe and I was surprised since it used to be against the law to even whisper the word “Nazi”  in Germany.   The punishment in the 1980s was severe – over $1000 in fines or 2 weeks in prison.

    How the world has changed since the Reagan era when we become “one world.”  Germans seem to have forgotten their history and now Neo Nazis are running around demonstrating and promoting their hate freely in public, protected by the free speech laws.  Erdogan’s dictator supporting Turkish soldiers are running around Germany turning in ex-soldiers, if they practice German free speech, and Erdogan tried to shut up a, perhaps a bit tasteless, German comedian.  He launched lawsuits in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerlands.  Only in Germany he received an audience by politicians who pushed for silencing their own citizens in support of the dictator.

    Facebook and Twitter helped these trends, there is no doubt about it.  No matter how much they wanted to deny it or ignore it initially.  They forbade pictures of classic Greek statues and paintings from the Renaissance if they offended some religious desire – but hate speech,  even illegal hate speech was entirely ok to them.  We now know that it was because they made good money with it.  The bot factories paid precious advertising dollars.  Art lovers who shared a beautiful Botticelli painting could not compete with the foreign dictators’ budgets. People who portrayed rape scenes were okay, women’s nipples were not.  When questioned in Germany, they arrogantly proclaimed that the Facebook police were run out of India, thus not subject to German law. Only when Merkel got so frustrated by the public furor that she promised to shut the site down altogether,  was she able to get Zuckerberg’s attention.

    Now in Germany they are working on a “Facebook-Gesetz” – a law that is targeting social media companies. the law is meant to stop social media companies from spreading illegal hate speech.  The German press is concerned that while there is an attempt to create such a law, it is far from certain that there will be such a law. Political infighting points that in Germany freedom of speech and the fight against hate speech vs. mob rule attitudes are literally at odds.

    While politicians are discussing the pros and cons of the formulation it is up to Facebook to keep order “voluntarily.”  In German fashion, they don’t seem to care if they tacitly allow hate speech free reign while they fight about the way the law is worded.

    Thankfully, there definitely have been some improvements as the top management of Facebook finally is starting to become aware that they may be destroying Western Civilization by allowing “free speech” to extremists, while being responsive to complaints by extremists whose goal is quite literally to abolish the Freedoms of  Western Culture as we know it.

    Facebook informs us:  “We are also experimenting with changes to help us more efficiently detect and stop inauthentic accounts at the time they are being created.”  

    Hopefully this is a priority and completed before the next elections.  Trump fans are right that Western Civilization is under attack, mostly by ourselves.  Business leaders will ultimately decide whether democracy will survive. Business leaders are pro democracy and those who are against democracy will decide our future as they deploy artificial intelligence who write programs which determine how we will be able perceive our world now and in the future.

  • Joyce Gordon Gallery presents Art by Chukes and music by Miguel Y Los Buenos Ensemble

    Join art and music lovers on Friday, September 29th 6-9pm for the Closing Reception of “Identity Theft” featuring live music by Miguel Y Los Buenos Ensemble.

    “IDENTITY THEFT” 
    featuring new works by Chukes
    August 4 – September 30, 2017
    Closing Reception: Friday, September 29th 
    6-9pm

    Joyce Gordon Gallery is a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland, California. It exhibits art that reflects the social and cultural diversity of the Bay Area and international artists. The aim of the gallery is to respect the creative pursuits of the individual and seeks to make such work accessible to a broad audience.

     Gallery Hours:
    Wed – Fri: 11-6pm | Sat:  1-5pm Sun: by appointment

  • Rolando Morales Update for September 2017

    ¡Hola, Mi Gente!

    I’ve been working day and night putting tech and everything else together for some big private and public shows throughout the Bay Area and beyond.  Thursday we’re doing a big private show up in St. Helena.  Then a couple days up near Lake Tahoe for more private shows.  Then all the way down again to Woodside for yet another private event.  It’s good to be in demand!  I put on four new tires on my car to ensure a safer week.

    I broke up the intense prep work with a couple short but majestic hikes through the Oakland Hills near my house.  It’s nice to see Oakland continue to reveal her surprises.  Redwoods, eucalyptus, lakes…  Am I in the Sierras?  Naw, it’s just Oakland.

    The public shows won’t begin until next week when I do my first Friday night Danville show at Maria, Maria in almost half a year on September 8.

    But the noteworthy show is a great little festival happening on September 9, 2-6pm.  My friends at the Women Entrepreneurs of Los Altos invited my band to play for the WE Vibe Block Party on the 100 Block of First Street in Los Altos.  I’ll be there with my All-Star Quintet putting on two shows.  We’ll also have my favorite flamenco troop “Caminos Flamencos” putting on a passionate show.  Details.

    Other highlights this month include my duet on Mexican Independence Day, 16 de Septiembre with my Latin percussionist-vocalist and Sista-From-Anotha-Mista, Estaire Godinez at the Pairings Cellars in Pleasanton.  This will be the first time I do a duet at this venue and you know we’ll light it up.

    I’ll also be doing a special duet on Saturday September 23 at The Vine at Bridges with the great violinist Carlos Reyes.  This will be the first time we’re able to do this together here in 2 years, so don’t miss it!  Details below.

    Last, be informed that I’m debuting on Fridays September 22 AND 29 at Havana in Walnut Creek, a fine Cuban restaurant, bar and now, Live Music venue.  I’ve only done private off-site work for them in the past, and this will mark the first public in-house appearances in our history.  Swing by!  Details below.

    And speaking of Walnut Creek, Maria, Maria has abruptly ended their Sunday afternoon shows about 5 weeks earlier than usual.  This year’s strange weather, alternating between unusually cold and windy to intolerably hot has kept patrons off the patio, hurting their sales, so I’ll just do occasional weekends at both their restaurants depending on our schedules.  No more Sundays this season.  So now you know.

    See you at the show!

    Ciao,

    Rolando