Archive for June, 2008
Knocking on Heaven’s Door The American antiques history of song and expression to signify an era is well established. From Yankee Doodle Dandy, to John Brown’s Body, It’s a Long Way to Tipperarry, Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime, Hey Hey the Gang’s all Here, When Johnnie Comes Marching Home Again, Hurrah, Hurrah, the phrase reminds of the times. After listening to Knock, Knock Knocking on Heaven’s Door, one is reminded of the folly of the decade and more of the Vietnam War, the change for better and worse brought on by the resulting youth revolt.
The thousands of young men killed, mutilated, minds driven to breaking points, called killer back home on leave. Even after having served, on relief in San Francisco; at some point, time’s up. Into the 1970’s, young men found themselves on a bus to Canada and some safe house haven in civilization outside America. Each newly arrived American soon made it known to friends in San Francisco those they met in Canada who were sympathetic to their plight and walked in anti war protests arm in arm, even if only once on campus.
And even a working parent as myself would find himself preparing a cot in the basement for an overnight stay by a young man who knocked at my door and said he had been given my address at a cafe in San Francisco. He understood that he could be gratified with a cot for an overnight stay, as he had just come from the bus depot. I at first would stand astounded that this total stranger had seen my address on a bulletin board in a cafe, under “Overnight Safe Haven- Victoria Canada, an island in Canada just over the border”.
At first it frightened me, but as there was nothing I could do, I simply continued my first night safe haven reputation that my trust with some struggling folks in San Francisco would not let me betray. And how those young American people changed my Victoria and Canada for the better is a from tragic to magic story that can be told thousands of times. Young Americans on campus with us locals even in Canada renounced the war and the profiteering that saw wealth pour to the corporations that produced the chemicals and bombs.
This became a focus that brought environmental concerns along with a growing American feeling the war was not really essential to America’s primary security. Yet, for years the war dragged on and denuded portions of Vietnam and the lives of millions of Viet and American people. The war in Iraq has not yet to my awareness created more than a trickle of moral objectors, but this time it is a volunteer army, so the frustration is more economic as war spending and subsidies to convert corn to drive vehicles has doubled the price of essential corn as food for the poor of the world.
America’s recent folly among a long list is to redirect inefficient corn from food to fuel, creating a doubling of corn prices to the poor of the world. Blissfully unaware, this Pesident seems to float in his own dream world with his visions bubble, and we hear John McCain curry up to favor these Bush policies to world wide fear or more of the same which will inevitably lead to disaster. A logic and solution based policy must reverse this, and many other Bush follies, to attain a balanced budget, a balance world.
Rather than using the most efficient non-essential “food”- sugar, which in a vehicle is a powerfully efficient sugar to convert for fuel, as Brazil has mastered, is increasing worldwide hunger. Follies upon folly are mounting to create a very unstable base to build forward, until we stabilize the platform that we now balance like a bear on a board on a barrel with no end in sight, considering the blinkered vision that brought us to 1990’s prosperity and general isolated battles in concert with our friends.
And, no small challenge, in 2009 we must see a more logical budget. Such as in place under Clinton and Congress in a strong economy that for the first time in American history was going to be paid off by the end of this decade. Instead America is now trapped in a trillion dollar deficit that mounts daily. As well, it’s “my way or the highway” attitude has increased hatred by others in faraway lands that we bomb, and their surviving young boys and girls learn to strap bombs around their waists to reply back for relatives killed.
Oh, America! God must weep: To consider that true American antiques personalities as Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson, the practical achiever and the idealistic philosopher seeking an idealized America worthy of the finest instincts of the best of ancient Greece. A Socrates, Plato, Jefferson or Franklin could not have conceived of approving a Guantanamo based approach to the British and even more the Germans, mostly who came back as settlers after the necessary War for Independence.
They had found America was filled with good patriots who were deeply fine people, and wanted to be a part of it. We need that now. “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” when spoken in a teen song in the 60’s meant escape to Canada, Sweden, or die. America is again at a serious crossroads. And as Churchill might have said, America is as sound as democracy, which after it tries every possible solution, will finally get on and do the right thing. We can hqardly wait. The renewing roar and smile of the Eagle will right itself, adapting to a quickly changing world.
The great news is, America will find many friends wanting to mend and fix. Europe, the British, their Canadian, Australian and New Zealander soul mates are there, with the same values and beliefs America has so wisely adapted from its British roots. And to now, a attacked America arose as one and forced upon evil empires at that time, Japan and Germany,to accept solid core values of modern democracy and capitalism. Both nations are now core members of the cilization standards club of the world thanks to the sacrifice of American blood.
Job well done, time to come home. It is time to stop the bleeding, and commence with the healing. Time for America to step up to the plate and play ball! Many nations of the world are in line to feel they can again be trusted friends of an America that has had a series of setbacks and actions that need major adjusting, and as America always does, comes around to again. The future has more than a silver lining.
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American Antique Heroic Efforts
American antiques heroic figures stand out in our hearts and minds: from brave Pochantas befriending a foe, a Benjamin Franklin making a hurried sea voyage to try to fend off a revolution over taxes as Post master General of British North America (Canada and the 13 Colonies), a recurring American antiques battle whether over tea then, or oil benefits now; the fight goes on. And polls show that we mostly feel that wistful hope for a regular home spun boy of the land, who has struggled to not only survive but thrive when all convention is against him.
This is a wonderful and consistently uniquie American theme. And after the war of words that will be soon filling our screens, we shall see this fall: is this change or renewal perhaps happening again in the person of Barack Obama? Or will it bring somewhat less change, but at least sustained policies soon to be shown whether as renewal or not? We shall soon see. Only, incredibly now, a century and more after our first Mark Twain inspired Tom or Huck, is really closer in blood to Black Slave Jim on that same raft with the boys.
And this incredible rise of the black people in power and status in mighty America, from slave until Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, to President in 2008, is rare in history. If John McCain wins and displays his natural centrist positions and leads more like Eisenhower, or George Bush One, America’s position in the world will begin to again draw friends and alliances badly belittled or ignored much of this past decade under the current administration, from the top down.
As Bill and Al were referred to as Tom and Huck, so Barack is as one of those on that raft. Even if in the case of Barack he is seen in the person of black slave Jim, whose cries for his wife and child, sold separately from him, caused the boys to wonder if their minister was right when he said it was a mortal sin not to return a runaway slave to his white master. It was well known that a black man was not fully human and could not understand deeper feelings such as love and loss.
It is truly inspiring that America has led the world from black slave Jim, to Uncle Remus, boxer Joe Louis, baseball legend Jackie Robinson in less than a century, and now half a century later, to Barack vs John as heavyweight champion of the world. Or that is, President of the United States of America. The greatest show on earth will decide which of many pressing issues facing America are dealt with first, and the world community is watching, hoping for the best.
It has been a rough ride much of this past decade, and most polls suggest that a more rebuilding and less bombing presidency is hoped for from the American people. The world agrees that a change is in order, to get us all more back to traditional American antiques virtues and values we all know and love.
Derek Dashwood
http://www.americanantiqueshop.com
American Antiques
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American Antiques, American Rebirth - Another Roosevelt Era Coming?
We watch historical moments when a woman of power and personal following has found herself sincerely urging her devoted followers to work to elect the first black man in American history to be their President, if Barack Obama defeats John McCain in the general election coming. Observers note that not since the electoral defeat of the Republicans during the midst of the Great Depression, has the opinion polls indicating such dismal approval ratings of a right wing convservative Republican Presidency as now.
Barack Obama brings the great hope of change, not only to America but to a worried world. John McCain has been seen generally to be supportive of the Bush policies, although distancing himself most recently. There has been such an outpouring of need, as eloquently stated by Hilary Clinton in her gracious speech in support of Barack, even to the frustrated boos of some. Hilary made the point that for any of her supporters to vote for McCain would be a denial of all they had worked to try to achieve, and civil wrongs they want changed.
The possibility looms high that this built up frustration of the American voters will create a sea change in American domestic, as well as foreign policy. The likelihood of a common universal health care system, as is in most of the civilized world, is much greater under a Democrat than under the leave things much as they are attiude of the right, and John McCain. Again, not since Roosevelt when human degradation had reached such lows, and a barrage of social security for those most in need began a proud tradition in America.
This social security safety net so proudly placed in position by Frank Roosevelt’s Democrats has been allowed to unravel so extensively for tax cuts to the rich, America finds itself far behind most European and other western level of civilization nations. It is the shame of a great nation that America finds itself with more than 40 million people without medical attention. Hilary Clinton’s touching example of the single mother holding three jobs and who cannot afford medical care for herself or her children.
Few civilized nations turn their back on so many of their own people as America in this way, and the need has become more than apparent. A likely Democratic Congress, Senate and President has the potential of seeing a renewal of social security network safety net tightening for those most in need, again. The Economist magazine estimated that a two percent tax increase on the two percent highest tax brackets could right the American budget. It could be that simple, yet right wing water muddying implies the Democrats need to tax those already struggling.
And, John, it ain’t necessarily so. In fact, it is just not factual to imply that, as the right always does. America could again enjoy the prosperity of the Bill Clinton era, and his wise use of implied power, rather than the hasty use of it, as when he paraded the leaders of the mid east past hundreds of the mighiest fleet of aircraft bombers on earth at Akron. after seeing the power that America might feel itself required to use, all signatures were on the Akron Agreement.
We suspect also the bathrooms were quite busy after that raw roar of power not used, but wisely displayed, did occur. With such wiser tactical military use, funds could flow to do as Roosevelt and Eisenhower did, fund social equity and rebuild the road and communication systems to make a modern nation more efficient with its freeways, as had the Romans, to carry goods and troops quickly anywhere in the empire. The collapsing bridges and lungs of America need attention. The world does have a fever, and serious care is long overdue.
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Japanese Antiques History - Shoguns, Swords to Now
We all came out of Africa, and modern worldwide DNA take all women back, and all men, to a man and woman in central east Africa near the Oldavai Gorge and the eternal eden of tropical weather. This has only recently been confirmed. As we poured out of Africa at that narrow stretch into Asia minor, those who went east branched into two main and separate family groups. Those whose black skins moderated to golden went north of the Himalaya Mountains, across the Gobi desert and into the lush lands of coastal China, where they thrived into one billion, three hundred million people.These golden people pushed on to the off islands of Taiwan and particularly to Japan, where by then even the beginnings of a very simple language style was taking form, very different from those who had gone south east into India, and it was they who later moved west through Persia into Europe. The golden people extended north to the Arctic sea and it was they who crossed into America and skipped down coastal routes, science now believes, bypassing the retreating ice age glaciers some 30,000 years ago.In Asia, while Chinese peoples swept down through south Asia, China became the isolated yet highly civilized Middle Kingdom for thousands of years undisturbed. And off shore Japan followed this cultural model, including Buddhism, while adapting to a fierce feudal system that involved Samurai soldiers, swords, barbarity and noble acts, but little of the democracy of today. But for early Christian missionaries, to witness roadways of impaled people dying slow deaths seemed to speak of a hellish nightmare of a place, red ant madness, death to all black ants and make it slow.
And the Samurai soldier who could best defend the Shogun was mighty indeed, and welcomed into the inner court at will. For the swordsman, and the Shogun, both lived in such an untrustworthy world of their own father’s creation, clung to each other while they inflicted more pain on others. Those magnificent swords parted many a black ant head from it’s body. And if the swordsman did fail, himself would impale. A bloody history, magnificent swords. They did save Japan from the Great Khan of China. Twice.
Worth respect these Japanese swords; we know how the Great Khan greeted his new subjects. It usually involved pain, then death. So, progress. You can have the keys to the warehouse vault, no Shogun or Samurai on duty with sword, just for you to view. You could buy one, put up a photo of your worst Khan on a thick block of foam, and defend the homeland!
Japanese history involves warlords, two fearful Mongol attempts to invade, fearful and inward until Admiral Perry’s fleet forced open trade. From 1854 to now has been quite a ride, swords, bombs, now prosperity, peace.
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Tribal Jewelry, Exquisite Historical Relics - Under The Parking Lot
It is happening now as it always has, even more so; the destruction of tribal jewelry and artifacts from a previous era whose time is now taken with the modern modern, powerful, civilized. In the way that a bulldozer moves more ancient bones, artifacts, jewelry out of the path of a new project much quicker than could the small spades and dusting brushes that an archeologist would appply until the site was cleared, often down through a series of layers of civilizations, particularly in east Africa and the middle east, or in ancient China or India.In such excavations, the lower the layer, the more rudimentary the clay pots or artifacts or jewelry adorning a loved one, and thus the more likely it would be classified as tribal jewelry, rather than say as in Egypt where the later evolved artifacts rose to an ultimate majesty and quality before some great invasion or plague or famine bought them down. Some as China simply kept rebuilding upon it’s past, and now perhaps seeing it’s Mings and antique things as proof of the glory of China, then and again now.
And so with India, and within limits of mutual human dignity and respect for the rights for all, restricted still in China today, progress yet is being made. And this comes to the point on whether you choose to be a victim or a fellow rider on your golden pony to riches. So take a new plan, Stan. Skip the traffic to the mall, leave the huge buggy of fakes from China to lead head Paul, and get on the net. Check out what is still left over from the precious past, where they are not making any more.
And crunching under dozers the little still out there. For the world needs resources, out where people used to live. And we’re grinding into ashes, history and artifacts. Buy old, not new, cut down a coal burning CO2 emission or two. Win, and later win win, retirement mantle filled with items that will not end up at the garage sale down the block. Years ago I listened to the words of Will Rogers who said buy land, they ain’t making any more. Well, even better is to buy some of the artifacts and native jewelry as it is still surviving, those are getting less.
Land can only hold it’s own; these ancient native jewelry items should only go up if they also aren’t making any more, and keep losing a few. Since Will said his ancestors met the boat of those snooty Boston types who came over on the Mayflower, I bet he would love to walk in some of those mocassins again. You would be best to have them in a glass case, appreciating daily.
Description
As progress often gets ahead of our understanding of what was there before, much is lost daily in our plunge to the future, blind to the vanishing past.
About the Author (text)
Derek Dashwood notices how science measures politics to happiness; some that make us more loving savior of motherland,less warrior, and how to best show that at
http://www.tribaljewelryshop.com
About the Author (HTML)
Derek Dashwood enjoys noticing positive ways we progress, the combining of science into the humanities to measure politics, wise use and mis use of power and protective love at
http://www.tribaljewelryshop.com
<a href=”http://www.tribaljewelryshop.com” mce_href=”http://www.tribaljewelryshop.com”>Tribal Jewelry</a>
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Chinese antiques, Modern China - Savior to Africa?
The China of Chinese antiques during the time of Marco Polo holds our fascination, as it should. Explaining a Confucian mind set that exists to this day, China remained a mystery, and very inward until the west blasted their gunboats along the coast, taking control of Hong Kong and Shanghai by British, Macao by Portugese, and a difference in coastal and inland awareness of western influence. And to some extent, so this exists to now, which China is attempting to change. China studies Chicago as the major reason America became so great, and is building a network of rail and roads to connect China, as has America.
And this system shows such promise that we now watch in some amazement at a British television crew in the Africa western nation of Congo, that fabled darkest Africa in century old novels. Joseph Conrad had his ship to hell travel up the Congo River to the hellish conditions that the King of Belgium really allowed during this time of enslavement of the people of the Belgian Congo as property of the king of Belgium. A very, perhaps worst, case of shame by white over black during a long litany of such cruelty.
And in this case, golden people are going to show the world that they will bring in their own contractors and employees to avoid the local corruption, employ and buld homes for the locals, in this plan schools and hospitals will dot the nation, and road builders and trains will soon encircle Congo, also making quick export possible of the copper and cobalt left, after the Belgians and others have stripped the diamonds and gold.
The Congolese and Chinese governments, we learn, employed a Canadian lawyer as a middle man to protect the interests of each, and we see him involved in the plans with representatives of each side. This is historic, and the west should wake up to this, as China has begun in several other African nations. But never so boldly, and so complete in using the old Roman, 30’s Germany, and modern American model of a complete roadway for the army through the empire, as India is trying.
This is shown to greatly expand trade and increase efficiency, standards of living improve, more schools, more hospitals possible. This, if China does not renege on the spirit of this historic new agreement between donor and recipient, with essential copper and cobalt to China. Wise use of power, and the honest meeting of a need on both sides, sharing, not enslaving. Now if that principle is shown happening in Tibet, we will feel the world is becoming a better place, and we do pray for those in suffering and need in those earthquakes areas, everywhere.
Description
Ancient China until now has been very inward, but the need for raw materials to feed the expanding economy has China outwit the west, winning hearts in Africa.
About the Author (text)
Derek Dashwood notices how science measures politics to happiness; some that make us more loving savior of motherland,less warrior, and how to best show that at
http://www.chineseantiqueshop.com
About the Author (HTML)
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American Antiques, New York City - Historical Quirks, NYC Is World City
Who could have imagined what, when Dutch settlers traded those guilders for Manhattan Island, naming it after home, Nieuw Amsterdam. And so it remained for a few decades, bringing in colonists, slaves, merchants, traders,settlers who made homes and towns up the river named and chartered by Henry Hudson(just before his ill fated journey up into Canada’s artic, mutinied against and set adrift among icebergs in Hudsons Bay). Back on the Hudson River, Dutch settlers created Fort Orange at navigable head water up from Nieuw Amsterdam. Then came British control, finally America.It was at this point several centuries later that the British taken and renamed Fort Albany became the eastern terminus for the nation making Erie Canal to bypass Niagara falls to the Great Lakes, entering Lake Erie just miles up from Niagara Falls, creating Rochester and Buffalo, and navigation all the way through to Chicago. And during the 1840’s now named New York City finally bypassed Philadelphia in population; it became the seaport to unload ocean cargo destined for inner America.It could only happen at New York City before railroads, and even by then, New York City became by distribution center, hub, and by far the largest, and most diverse in it’s population seeming to live together in relative harmony. And this explains why there is such a concentration of ship harbor locations all around Manhattan Island, and the concentration of high towers to accomodate this nerve center of America, right down to busy Fulton’s Fish Market: life moves quickly when there are so many people in line, lunch time, create a specialty and they will come.
And I just spent an hour with a BBC reporter, a tall lovely black woman with an English accent, who took us on a tour of areas she has delighted in, during the short time since she moved from London to New York City. And while London is likely the only other competitor in the world as world city, she feels New York City is it: it’s acceptance of anything, now much more friendly and a large home after everyone was brought more together after 9/11. These are just high steel buildings, we are the people who must be here for each other.
So this is to say, how interesting from this BBC black woman with an Oxford English accent, so different from me, likely you, and how easily she and we related as we watched an artist near the Brooklyn Bridge sketching downtown Manhattan, in neighborhoods, much time on the streets, squares, places where people are, and it all seemed like a pretty nice place. That terrorist attack made it seem more like a place you would want to visit, but you could also happily live there.
We show many American antiques and artifacts, originals, that as American right values show the light again, these arise as well.
There is no place like home, if you live in New York City, which after 9/11 seems to be more civil, fun, busy lives in your center of the universe still.
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Roman Swords, Greek Heroes, How America Comes Back Every Time
As well as the pressures and stresses in all our lives these days, it seems, we see news of worse elsewhere. Floods in Burma, millions displaced, aid refused, control by generals; in China, millions displaced, each mountain ringing some valleys collapsed. Central America sees GI American aid workers on their way home from war torn Iraq. Hurricane and tornado alleys in America on cue, destroying homes, towns, lives. And the sea is rising, with every photo of another massive iceberg meltdown, good bye polar bears and many ways of life.To maintain our sanity, our health and a sense of a brighter tommorrow even as a faint hope; to mentally survive through these, we must deal with each as it is blasted unwanted slam into our lives. It is in such moments that it is our inner good that surges us forward to help, as you can see in spontaneous actions as a man jumping into an iceflow river to get a safety rope to a drowning man, or a woman desparately reaching for her child under rubble; we want to help. And it has been shown to be highly beneficial to those who help, as well as those they help.
We all have a mom created little inner cub scout in us that was cheered when we helped, knows love: and something kicks in when we see a total stranger in dire stress, in any way. People are innately good, unless trained to hate and kill, as in Taliban schools in Afghanistan, where they planned and carried out the aircraft bombing of the world trade centers, and Osama We almost Forget His Bin Name carries on with impunity and a smirk at his fool for a foe. I do feel it a shame that we have a President who seems to me to possess the attention span of a squirrel, and the aim of Elmer Fudd.
When we finally just say no, and actually leave Iraq, it will raise an army and learn to take care of itself as it has done well since the days of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the present ones who were allowed to steal the most historical precious artifacts of the Sumerian civilization. Shame, that collateral damage, and the deaths. No weapons of mass destruction, but we did create hell on earth through the region and are damned if we can figure a way out: let the next guy or gal deal with that. We understand, President Fudd.
Once that massive financial drain tap of spending is cut down, more Peace Corp, bring back the just retired mighiest aircraft carrier in tandem with the USS Abraham Lincoln, is bring us back his twin, BIG JOHN, the USS John F. Kennedy, and make it America’s new statement to earth, is that this Peace Corp ship will tend to follow the scientifically base of where and when often season related floods, typhoons, of pre earthquake warnings, lava blasts, danger villages. And how that would play well around the world.
This would overlap gradually the unfavorable outside press habits as America of the Roman Sword, not America, the Greek hero, defending the right, the weak, the tired, the….is that only America Past? No, by darn. It is again to be America’s future. On that newly commissioned USS Jon Fitzgerald Kennedy, BIG JOHN to his revential proud crew. We could well give an Admiral’s Cap to the wife of the Governor of California, her husband Arnold Schwartzenagger,the Governator, as good will ambassador.
And like that seniors ad about health care, a donkey and an elephant would be as one kicking and trumpeting against misfortune and need: good America together. Nice start, great symbolism.
Derek dashwood
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Tribal Jewelry, Declining Artifacts - Under Hungry Resource Machinery
Tribal jewelry and artifacts are being ground into dust, turned over, looted when intact, and disappearing from humanity at an unprecedented pace, in our headlong rush to exploit every available resource out there. And the further we go out there, the less explored, and therefore more easily plundered before science has had an opportunity to sift and search in their careful ways to uncover secrets from the past. We have no idea of what we have lost, in various corners of our good earth, or what we will lose tomorrow.
While this is happening, we should be aware that at least when an ancient product is not being made any more, and they seem to be destroying much of it, a wise investment might be to begin a collection of some favorite item that you would enjoy having around. While it rises in value. Skip the line of huge buggy buyers at the discount stores, and find some net bid auction sites that would have your purchase become an investment, rather than junk you consumed, got bored with, and found all the other lead copies are at garage sales up and down the blocks.
Leave that to the block heads, see that you acquired wisely, in a theme that some rich buyer in a decade sees what you had seen. Only now, it may be rich Chinese buyer. Be inscrutable, you kowtow which is to bow low like Confious to the Emperor. He or she must now cut off your head or pay you too much. Whose investment was there right under our native feet, and you will wish you had bought more. Imagine a decade from now, the demand, the supply.
Whether in Wyoming or Alberta or Peru or Angola or Mongolia scientists and archeologists are trying to keep ahead of the machinery and extract bones or artifacts as the mining begins. Every heavy rainfall in desert areas often strips sand away and offer up another ancient artifact, natural or man made, that may have been buried and exposed over the eons. However, since the rise of China and India and lesser tigers in the past decades the demand rises each year, chasing supply to expand relentlessly.
And as the earth heats up, and we fill our homes with modern fakes, we need to slow back, slim back, go back and reflect on how less was more. Have some retirement hobby mantles of tribal artifacts that are going, going. Your grand children will marvel; your appraiser will admire your vision.
Derek Dashwood
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