1963 Children's Crusade
Courtesy National Archives, College Park, MD, USA
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put out a call for people to go to jail in the fight against segregation (he himself was jailed for a period of time), much to his disappointment no adults responded—it was the high school students who volunteered and stood up, willing to go to jail in the fight for freedom. There was much controversy around that and protest from many of the parents but the children were unstoppable and the movement grew secretly and almost overnight. When King was confronted about allowing children in this role, he stood his ground and calmly spoke: “Don’t worry about your children. They are going to be alright. Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail for they are doing a job for all America and all of mankind…”
about the Birmingham Alabama civil rights marches in the 1960s, highlighting the bravery of young activists involved in the 1963 Children’s Crusade. The film won an Academy Award in 2005 in the category of Documentary Short Subject. This is a chapter in American history that many of us might have heard about but without being aware of its extraordinary details.
Know Your Rights
from former law enforcement officer, Kramer Hammy):
"It is clear that US citizens' ignorance of federal laws and law enforcement duties, procedures, and limits of authority is getting to the point where it is deadly. I spent probably 3 hours watching and re-watching, and finding every single video and angle I could of the situation in Minnesota yesterday and came to one immovable conclusion based off of what I saw and what I know from a professional standpoint. This is long, but please give it a read.
"As a former officer, let me make something clear: ICE agents ARE NOT police officers, deputy sheriffs, or troopers. They are not local/state law enforcement. They are not federal criminal law enforcement. They have an INCREDIBLY limited scope of authority, and that scope of authority exists in detaining and arresting with probable cause and/or SIGNED WARRANTS those investigated and suspected of being in the US illegally.
"They cannot just pull anyone over for a traffic violation or because their car is in a place they don't want it. They have NO authority to pull people over for ANYTHING other than immigration enforcement- and even then that involves probable cause, such as a known vehicle of someone they have been tracking, or a warrant. On very rare occasions they have the legal authority to pull someone over if they are threatening the lives of others, but that was not happening in this case. They do not have the training nor the authority to pull ANYONE else over. They cannot arrest legal citizens. They cannot detain legal citizens without probable cause to believe they might not be legal. They have ZERO authority to be attempting to force entry into a vehicle- without even identifying themselves, without a warrant, without exigent circumstances such as a life being directly threatened- that is trying to drive down the street without probable cause in relation to IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. "This ENTIRE situation in Minnesota was outside of the scope of legal authority from the get go. None of it was done within the scope of authority of ICE. Every single behavior those agents made was procedurally incorrect, done without proper authority, and was based off of intimidation and the assumption that people do not understand the law and their rights in regards to interactions with ICE.
"On no planet should an officer, agent, or any human being ever step in front of a car in 'drive' that is actively trying to leave and use their body as a shield to prevent a person from LEGALLY LEAVING a situation in which they are not legally being detained. It takes maybe a week of any kind of actual law enforcement training to understand that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do you ever place yourself in front of a vehicle in 'drive.' That agent had every single opportunity to simply take two steps to the right and not be standing directly in front of a vehicle attempting to conduct their legal right to drive away. "You can see the wheels are turned, [Renee] backed up and turned them to the right, moved forward a bit to leave, couldn't because an agent was standing in front of her, and continued to try to leave by TURNING HER WHEELS TO THE RIGHT and moving forward. He continually chose to stand there and not allow her to legally leave as she had every single right to do.
The officer pulling on her door and banging on her window and swearing at her had ZERO authority to order her out of her vehicle or attempt to make entry into her vehicle. NONE. A single day of actual training of the legal scope of authority and the LAW would've prevented that from happening.
"You now have a frightened citizen being blockaded by immigration agents (with another person in her vehicle) who had zero obligation to follow legally invalid orders from that agent, being blocked in and having a fully grown, masked man attempting to make entry into her car. If this were reversed, every single person would immediately feel she had every reasonable expectation to fear for her safety. It doesn't matter if she knew it was ICE because the agents weren't even acting in their scope of authority anyway.
"Whether or not she made the right decision by very CLEARLY- based off of how hard her wheels were turned and how low and to the driver corner windshield that shot was fired- trying to drive to the left of that agent is IRRELEVANT in the picture as a whole. None of this would have happened if those agents had done even one single thing correctly. Not just correctly, but within their legal scope of authority. Every single moment of that interaction was escalated by untrained, unprofessional, procedurally inept "agents" who not only had zero control of themselves but everything around them. And not because they are helpless, but because their actions that did not fall under their scope of power CAUSED this. Their tempers, lack of training, and the knowledge that they can get away with violating their own scope of authority caused this.
"I will always be the first to defend law enforcement when lethal force very clearly is required. But this was not even remotely the case, and as an actual TRAINED professional in that field with experience and understanding of both the law and procedures, there is no justification for this- and it would benefit EVERYONE to actually read up on the laws, scope of authority, and use a single shred of common sense to see that this situation was started, escalated, and caused by the ICE agents involved. I have zero respect for those in power who are ignorant of the scope of their authority and abuse it at the cost of lives around them." (courtesy Tom Hoefling's substack)
To make a Know Your Rights zine to distribute, click here
A Wonderful
History Teacher
In clear, succinct, and simple terms, she walks us through the history of Venezuela and shows the role of the world and most specifically the United States' role in that country. Needless to say, the picture is not pretty.
She has produced many more history lessons on video--go find her on tiktok.
Here is another of her teaching sessions--her lesson on inflation that I found very informative...
Jumpstart Your Creativity
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 264: Nuremberg the Film, Poem by Fatimah Asghar, Eggplant Recipe
Nuremberg
Courtesy National Archives, College Park, MD, USA
Based on the the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, NUREMBERG is centered on the army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley who was hired to evaluate the characters of the top ranking Nazis in order to gauge their competency for trial and gain insights into their personalities in preparation before and during the trials. One leaves with a robust portrait of these characters, especially Herman Goering (played brilliantly by Russell Crowe). In addition, we gain a broad picture of the messy ins and outs of the international negotiations that led up to the trials, and insight into the key American and European figures who played the role of prosecutors. Douglas Kelley, played beautifully by Rami Malek, is a particularly poignant figure.
The film serves as a warning against those whose psychological tendencies mirror the Nazis in our world today. Perhaps this knowledge, seen through the lens of history, will enable us to do something about the current actors before it is too late...
NUREMBERG is available on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube Movies & TV.
And as an aside and a warning, I never thought I would be quoting Jesse Ventura, ex-governor of Minnesota, but listen to his admonition and urgent call to action.
Poem by
Fatimah Asghar
Photo courtesy Mercedes Zapata
by FATIMAH ASGHAR
these are my people & I find
them on the street & shadow
through any wild all wild
my people my people
a dance of strangers in my blood
the old woman’s sari dissolving to wind
bindi a new moon on her forehead
I claim her my kin & sew
the star of her to my breast
the toddler dangling from stroller
hair a fountain of dandelion seed
at the bakery I claim them too
the sikh uncle at the airport
who apologizes for the pat
down the muslim man who abandons
his car at the traffic light drops
to his knees at the call of the azan
& the muslim man who sips
good whiskey at the start of maghrib
the lone khala at the park
pairing her kurta with crocs
my people my people I can’t be lost
when I see you my compass
is brown & gold & blood
my compass a muslim teenager
snapback & high-tops gracing
the subway platform
mashallah I claim them all
my country is made
in my people’s image
if they come for you they
come for me too in the dead
of winter a flock of
aunties step out on the sand
their dupattas turn to ocean
a colony of uncles grind their palms
& a thousand jasmines bell the air
my people I follow you like constellations
we hear the glass smashing the street
& the nights opening their dark
our names this country’s wood
for the fire my people my people
the long years we’ve survived the long
years yet to come I see you map
my sky the light your lantern long
ahead & I follow I follow
Eggplant Wrap Recipe
VIRAL EGGPLANT WRAP
Preheat oven to 350F.
Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice an eggplant thin (I used one that was on the thinner side).
Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a rectangle, being careful to make sure the ends of each circle are touching.
Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella .
Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
Remove from oven.
Invert it and flip it over.
Fill it with whatever you want! .
Jumpstart Your Creativity
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 263: Zohran Mamdani, Power to the People, American Bald Eagle
Zohran Mamdani
Mayor of NYC
Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City
Zohran Mamdani with his wife, artist Rama Duwaji
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also delivered a beautiful, emotional speech, which is also well worth a listen. And I would like to salute my cousin's son, David Kahn, who works for Jumaane Williams in the capacity of Community Organizer for Environmental Justice and Infrastructure. As a young person, David has a very strong moral code and has worked hard and stayed engaged over the years to promote liberty and justice for all...So proud of him!
People Have The Power
Patti Smith singing People Have the Power Choir Choir Choir
American Bald
Eagle
American Bald Eagle
Here are two stories from the instagram account Haunted Conspiracy, a site full of touching stories about animal rescues.
An eagle asks for help
A friendship between a horse and an Eagle
An interesting fact: The "bald" in bald eagle does not mean hairless in this case. The name derives from the Middle English word "balde" which means shining white, referring to its bright white head and tail.
Paintings of the Week
Pam Smilow Tree Tops, Detail of my Tree of Life Series pieces, each tree measurimg 60” x 22” mixed media on paper
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 262: Architect Frank Gehry, ICE Protests, Roots of the Americas
Architect Frank Gehry
(1929-2025)
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles, CA
I got permission from fellow substacker Cool Stories About Art to include this AI video as normal buildings morph into Gehry's vision, with the help of NASA software.
If you want to dig deeper, here's a piece CBS Sunday Morning produced on the Canadian architect and a great documentary entitled Sketches of Frank Gehry on his life and process.
IAC Media Building, New York, NY
Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris, France
This is the Way to Do It
Priest says No
ICE Out of New York City
Rockland Maine says no to ICE
Ohio's way of doing it
Minneapolis police resistance
Blocking ICE from exiting a parking lot in New York
"To read an article in The New Yorker about how Orange County is resisting, click here
Roots of the Americas
With special thanks to Indigenous Revolution 🎥 TikTok
"We are not the past of this continent—we are its future."
A last minute Hanukkah video (a little late) with Mandy Patinkin and family and our new mayor Zohran Mamdani, who they tried to paint as Anti-Semitic…
Collage of the Week
Pam Smilow Heart and Soul mixed media on handmade paper
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 261: Michelle Obama, Poem by William Carlos Williams, Holiday Songs from the Whitt Brothers
Michelle Obama The Look, Winter Trees by William Carlos Williams, Holiday Songs Playlist by the Whitt Brothers on wrfr.org
Michelle Obama
Full of amazing photos, The Look brings readers behind the scenes not only to reveal how her most memorable looks came together but also to tell a story about how we present ourselves, the values we reflect through the clothes we wear and how as the first black lady in the White House, she was in a race against time to define herself rather than let others, misogyny and racism tell that story....
I get the feeling that part of the reason Michelle wrote the book, in typical modest Obama style, was to celebrate the designers, the dressers, the braiders and hair stylists, the estheticians, the make up artists....voices of the people who have helped make her look possible... She mentions by name Meredith Koop, Obama’s trusted stylist, as well as her makeup artist Carl Ray, hairstylists Yene Damtew, Johnny Wright, and Njeri Radway, and many of the designers who have dressed Obama for notable events over the years.
Michelle Obama is unabashedly a clothes hound with great style and has been ever since she was a young girl. It was so fascinating to hear the story of her navigating the many roles she has had throughout her life: schoolgirl, lawyer and as the most important woman in America, while staying true to herself and her image. I personally had so much fun admiring the myriad of looks illustrated in "The Look. and hearing her thoughts on so many issues related to fashion, hair and identity.
Poem by William Carlos Williams
by William Carlos Williams (1883 –1963)
All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.
Holiday Songs
Brothers Bill and Eddie Holm, The Liner Notes by the Whitt Brothers
And just because Christmas is a season that Jews often feel left out of, I have included two of my favorite
Chanukah songs:
Maoz-Tzur
"Sevivon
The Menorah my Dad, Mel Smilow, made for our family. Simple, elegant, very mid-century!
Painting of the Week
Flower Power Series: Purple mixed media on canvas 55” x 97”
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 260: Costco's Founder Jim Sinegal, Snowy Night by Mary Oliver, Winter Songs Playlist
Snowy Owl in the Maine Woods41.25” x 29.5”, Watercolor, Gouache, Matt Medium, Embroidery on Rives BFK Paper
Costco Co-Founder Jim Sinegal
Jim Sinegal, who co-founded Costco
Sinegal, born in 1936, started at the bottom, beginning as a bagger at a grocery store in San Diego, California. Over the years, he found he loved the retail industry and made his way around it, ending up in 1983 as Costco's president and CEO. Sinegal always had a broad vision and his ideas and innovations created the first big box "warehouse club", selling a large variety of products including clothing, eye glasses, tires, food, electronics, pharmaceuticals, etc. His approach was hands-on, and he made it his business to visit every Costco store across the country in order to stay in touch, ensure good quality control and worker satisfaction. You can kind of tell when people are happy in their jobs and I get that vibe there--when workers feel they are treated respectfully by their employers. Quoting Sinegal from a Wall Street Journal article, "You can't say people are our most important product then treat them like shit...If you don't mean it, it is reflected very quickly. The same thing is true about the quality of the product you are selling. Your customers and your suppliers are going to see you don't really mean it..
For all the reasons above, he is a target for our current president...All the more reason to frequent and support Costco over other big box stores...I hope like me you are trying to avoid Target, Home Depot and Amazon as much as possible.
Snowy Night by Mary Oliver
Diana Arcadipone, mixed media on paper
Photo courtesy Peter Ralson, A Warm and Cozy Winter Break, available on his website www.ralstongallery.com
by Mary Oliver
Last night, an owl
in the blue dark
tossed an indeterminate number
of carefully shaped sounds into
the world, in which,
a quarter of a mile away, I happened
to be standing.
I couldn’t tell
which one it was –
the barred or the great-horned
ship of the air –
it was that distant. But, anyway,
aren’t there moments
that are better than knowing something,
and sweeter? Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness. I suppose
if this were someone else’s story
they would have insisted on knowing
whatever is knowable – would have hurried
over the fields
to name it – the owl, I mean.
But it’s mine, this poem of the night,
and I just stood there, listening and holding out
my hands to the soft glitter
falling through the air. I love this world,
but not for its answers.
And I wish good luck to the owl,
whatever its name –
and I wish great welcome to the snow,
whatever its severe and comfortless
and beautiful meaning.
Courtesy Peter Ralston, Going By, available on his website at www.ralstongallery.com/winter
Winter Songs
Playlist
Photo courtesy Billy Heyman to accompany the song River written by Joni Mitchell
Here goes:
The River Joni Mitchell
Valley Winter Song Fountains of Wayne
Reindeer King Tori Amos
Quiet, The Winter Harbor Mazzy Star
Song for a Winter's Night Gordon Lightfoot
Winter Lady Leonard Cohen
Snowstorm Galaxie 500
Hazy Shade of Winter cover The Bangles
The River (again--I love this version!) cover Robert Downey Jr.
Painting of the Week
House im Snow, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80” $8500
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
Book of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 259: Graham Platner/Mike Herz, Artist Diana Arcadipone, Heated Toilet Seat
Artist
Diana Arcadipone
Fast friends Frenchy and Holly
I feel differently about Arcadipone's work. My criteria for falling in love with art is when I find something that I would have loved to have created myself. And something that sends me right back into my studio all inspired. Diana Arcadipone's art has that effect on me.
She lives deep in the woods of interior Maine with her partner Scott and is content to lead a simple life. She swims twice a week, takes good care of her body with a personal trainer, is an avid cross-country skiier in winter and otherwise produces the most stunning of nature paintings. She has a complex of buildings on her property--one devoted solely for her art, another where they live in a very handmade kind of way, and a hip guest house for when she has visitors...Most of the construction work and interiors she and her husband have put together themselves. So in a way, her life is a piece of art in and of itself. What she produces in the studio reflects her simple life and appreciation for what surrounds her.
Her mixed media Tree Ring pieces, lovingly and painstakenly embroidered by hand, send my heart rate up...each piece more beautiful than the next...Her deer paintings combine a variety of media--gouache, pencil, handwriting, embroidery, beading, the kitchen sink (just kidding)...Enough said: have a look for yourself.
And if you feel so inclined, I would encourage you to visit her website and if you can, support living artists. We exist in the world because of supporters like you.
Graham Platner/Mike Herz
click image to hear Platner speak about his candidacy
The drama of American politics is playing out in Maine right now with the race for U.S. Senate. Graham Platner, an ex-soldier and oyster farmer is trying to take over Susan Collins' seat for the U.S. Senate. Collins, a republican, has been in office for 29 years, much to the chagrin of many. (She is a worm to put it in kind terms.) Platner represents a new generation of Democrats, fighting not only against Trump and the republican establishment but also the ensconced, old school, Democratic leadership.
89-year old Mike Herz, known as a "lifelong leader for change", has been active in democratic politics his whole life, and embodies that fight. Danish TV, as they do, found their way to him and the town hall in my small town of Damariscotta to familiarize themselves with Graham Platner and the American issues of the day...(I make a joke that when I want to hear about what is going on politically in the U.S., I ask my Danish sister-in-law Hanne, who is likely more informed than I am through Danish media!).
He shared this interview they did with him which aired recently on Danish TV (complete with subtitles)--as usual, leave it to the Danes to always be one step ahead of the rest of the world, in seeing a clear picture.
P.S. Mike is a new friend up here--he and his wife Kate live down the street from me and we have been having regular playdates for our dogs: my daughter's dog Frenchy, who is on an extended visit and their newly rescued beautiful, cheerful Holly...
Heated Toilet Seats
Curiously, on my recent trip to the Bay Area, there was one thing I literally found in every house I visited except one: a heated toilet seat/bidet! My guess is that California is ahead of the trend in this case too and pretty soon this will be coming to a town near you.
Sitting on a heated seat, much like the heated seats in cars, was a particularly pleasant experience for me. I never realized the toilet seat was cold until it wasn't and it felt great. Not in a sexual way, just in a cozy, I'm warm way...Here is some info on how to choose one from the Chicago Tribune, complete with a comparison of prices and companies if you want to get on the bandwagon early.
And by the way, if you are interested in the history of the bidet, which originated in France and spread to Japan, click here.
Paintings of the Week
Tree of Life Series I, II, III mixed media on paper 60” x 22” each
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.
Blog No. 258: Dopamine Decor, Story by Rachel Macy Stafford Over A Leaky Toilet, Achievement
Dopamine Decor
When I told people I was going to paint my new kitchen bright yellow, the almost universal reaction was pale yellow, right? When I assured them I was going to go all out with a bright sunshiney lemon yellow, I think most people thought I was kind of crazy and maybe a bit tasteless...And then the next question was, "your landlord is going to allow that?!"
The truth was that I remembered Irmi Selver's Cape Cod kitchen from when I was a little girl and that bright cheery space stuck in my mind for sixty years! Even my Dad, who was Mr. Brown Beige Guy, loved it! So when I dared ask my really nice landlords, and they said "go for it," (the current kitchen was depressing dark navy blue walls and navy blue cabinets), I jumped at the occasion.
Turns out, who knew that the term Dopamine Decor is a current trend. And it is consistent with the theme of this newsletter. Joy! Happiness! Color! Positive Energy! Even Elle Decor has written about how Dopamine Decor can affect your whole being and it is neurological...
The truth was that I remembered Irmi Selver's Cape Cod kitchen from when I was a little girl and that bright cheery space stuck in my mind for sixty years! Even my Dad, who was Mr. Brown Beige Guy, loved it! So when I dared ask my really nice landlords, and they said "go for it," (the current kitchen was depressing dark navy blue walls and navy blue cabinets), I jumped at the occasion.
Turns out, who knew that the term Dopamine Decor is a current trend. And it is consistent with the theme of this newsletter. Joy! Happiness! Color! Positive Energy! Even Elle Decor has written about how Dopamine Decor can affect your whole being and it is neurological...
Story by Rachel Macy Stafford Over a Leaky Toilet
Here the story about a simple every day encounter in its full glory, including the poem inside the story that touched Arthur and prompted their connection:
GET OFF THE SCALE
by Rachel Macy Stafford
Get off the scale. It cannot measure the depths of your heart.
Put down the measuring stick. It is not long enough to assess your worth.
Ignore the score. It does not show your true potential.
Don’t get hung up on the salary. It doesn’t even come close to showing your value.
Ban the mirror. It cannot reflect how much you are loved.
Ignore the critic. It has no idea how far you’ve come.
Instead, look for evidence of a day well lived:
I made someone smile. I gave a tender kiss. I hugged and wasn’t the first to let go.
I encouraged. I laughed. I believed. I forgave. I lived. I loved.
What is most important in life cannot be measured, but instead felt through the hands, heart, and soul of each life we touch.
-Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today, (p. 55)
Simple Lesson re: Achievement from Winnie The Pooh
Painting of the Week
Equinox Health Club, East 61st Street, New York, NY
Charity of the Week:
ACLU
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.