Las Desnudas de Carlos Paredes

Here are a smattering of Carlos' nudes from the last ten years. I will try to add more as I get digital photos.
If you are new to this blog, look at the article below this one first.

Unfortunately the digital images of Carlos' earlier paintings are not in high resolution, in fact the image quality is really bad. Those pictures were converted into food and firewood for the cookstove a long time before any of us had a decent digital camera.

Comments would be highly appreciated.



La Hija Del Dios Danego c. 2000


Angel Guerrera c. 2000


Top_3.jpg c. 2005


LA CRUZ Y LA MARIPOSA...PARTE 1.jpg c. 2007


Belleza Divina c. 2007


bellezas divinas....parte 1.jpg 2008


Construyendo las nuevas Esfinges...parte 1 2009

El Artista, Carlos Paredes Colín

I am blessed to have a great friend in Puerto Montt Chile who is a true artist. If suffering is a requirement in order to attain the vision and the dissatisfaction with mediocrity that gives a true artist the compulsive need to create, then Carlos has fulfilled the requirement. I have seen him struggle to feed his family for years as his paintings were sold to buy milk and diapers and a chicken for the cazuela. But he hasn't ever given up, he hasn't tossed his brushes and his easel into the trash and taken some mind-numbing job selling cell phones or feeding salmon. He has stuck with it for years and his art has never stultified. It evolves rapidly, organically, shooting off into new directions that Carlos pretends to control, but which surprise him as much as they do anyone else.


Carlos Paredes

I draw and paint because I like to, but I don't pretend to be an artist. Many people learn to paint a certain style that patrons will pay for and they mat consider themselves artists, but their works are only decoration. There are very few artists that actually mix fire and emotions and story and rage into the paints on their palette. But Paredes does, and he even abides by a rule now scoffed at as antiquated and quaint: his paintings are not only powerful and emotive, they are beautiful.

He considers himself a surrealist and can wax eloquent on the theory behind his creations, but I wonder if like many artists, the explanations do not come until after the creation.... Many of his paintings depict dreamings of metaphysical confusion, or the rage of innocent victims at an uncaring and ludicrous divinity. Many of his creations use the visions he has seen in epileptic seizures suffered by him for years. Many paintings are without a direct connection with the reality of the palpable world, but if you stop trying to identify and analyze, you can see the swirling movements and pulsations of the emotions. You can see order strive against chaos and the beauty of both.


Movimiento de la Luz, Primera Parte

Other paintings by Paredes are tremendously realistic, but the other world of mystic chaos always lurks within or around the figures. There is no escape from the dangerous clowns that run the universe that Carlos paints. In all there is lust and riotous life. There is the rapid decay of tropical death with its shiny hues of greens and blues, the recycling of the dead by an explosion of other living matter, be it fungus or bacteria or vines and algae. In Paredes' work nothing is static, nothing is expected to stay as it is, but everything is alive and ready to give birth or to die and transform.


Sirena

I will make a monthly entry of paintings and poetry by Carlos and will post each segment in English and Spanish.
Without much sense of order I am going to present paintings from various periods of Carlos' works. Click here to watch him create the painting "Sirena"


Angel Crucificada

HS 833 - Ron Paul's Bill To Abolish The Federal Reserve

The revocation of the Fed's authority to manage our economy and issue our money will be the first step towards recovering an economy based on production rather than an economy based on Ponzi scemes.
Only through production is wealth created and only with savings is production possible. This bill will set us back on the road to a sustainable economy. If this passes, there will be pain sooner, but it will not last as long nor hit the poor as badly as what will happen if we let the Fed destroy the dollar.

Please contact your Congressman to support this bill in committee, to co-sponsor this bill and to vote for it on the floor of the House. To write your Congressman follow this link and just type in your State and Zip code.

Here is text that you can copy to request that your Congressman supports Dr. Paul's bill:

Dear ___________

I firmly believe that the irresponsible policies of the Federal Reserve Bank have created the economic disaster that we are facing today. I also believe that in our Constitutional Republic, comprised of free men and women, we cannot have a body that sets economic policy but does not answer to the people or the people's representatives in Washington.
It is wrong that a private bank is making life and death decisions for free American men and women in secret. It is time to abolish the Federal Reserve Bank and give the responsibility of coining our money back to the Congress as is stipulated in the Constitution.
Please support HS 833 that was introduced by Congressman Ron Paul on the 3rd of February. Your support will guarantee my vote.

Thank you,


__________________

Following is the body of this overdue bill.


HR 833 IH

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 833

To abolish the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks, to repeal the Federal Reserve Act, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 3, 2009

Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To abolish the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks, to repeal the Federal Reserve Act, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act’.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD ABOLISHED.

(a) In General- Effective at the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and each Federal reserve bank are hereby abolished.

(b) Repeal of Federal Reserve Act- Effective at the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Reserve Act is hereby repealed.

(c) Disposition of Affairs-

(1) MANAGEMENT DURING DISSOLUTION PERIOD- During the 1-year period referred to in subsection (a), the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System--

(A) shall, for the sole purpose of winding up the affairs of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks--

(i) manage the employees of the Board and each such bank and provide for the payment of compensation and benefits of any such employee which accrue before the position of such employee is abolished; and

(ii) manage the assets and liabilities of the Board and each such bank until such assets and liabilities are liquidated or assumed by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with this subsection; and

(B) may take such other action as may be necessary, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to wind up the affairs of the Board and the Federal reserve banks.

(2) LIQUIDATION OF ASSETS-

(A) IN GENERAL- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall liquidate all assets of the Board and the Federal reserve banks in an orderly manner so as to achieve as expeditious a liquidation as may be practical while maximizing the return to the Treasury.

(B) TRANSFER TO TREASURY- After satisfying all claims against the Board and any Federal reserve bank which are accepted by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and redeeming the stock of such banks, the net proceeds of the liquidation under subparagraph (A) shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury and deposited in the General Fund of the Treasury.

(3) ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES- All outstanding liabilities of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks at the time such entities are abolished, including any liability for retirement and other benefits for former officers and employees of the Board or any such bank in accordance with employee retirement and benefit programs of the Board and any such bank, shall become the liability of the Secretary of the Treasury and shall be paid from amounts deposited in the general fund pursuant to paragraph (2) which are hereby appropriated for such purpose until all such liabilities are satisfied.

(d) Report- At the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit a joint report to the Congress containing a detailed description of the actions taken to implement this Act and any actions or issues relating to such implementation that remain uncompleted or unresolved as of the date of the report.

FED UP - The popular uprising against central banking

Ron Paul introduced HS 833 today. This bill is an act to retract Congressional authorization for the existnce of the Federal Reserve Bank.I will post more about that when I get a copy of the bill itself.But in the meantime ¡Halleluyah! Maybe we have reason to hope!Following is an article from the American Conservative about the growing acceptance of the idea that the Federal Reserve Bank has to go. Check it out.“The Fed simply does not care whether its actions are illegal or not. The Fed is operating under the principle that it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission. And forgiveness is just another means to the desired power grab it is seeking.”

read more | digg story

Maybe Its Time To Open The Fed's Books

A Freshman Congressman, Alan Grayson, asks "what has the Fed done with 2 Trillion dollars in the last six months?"
He is told that it is none of our business.
Inform yourself about the Federal Reserve Bank. When you do, you will think that you misunderstand because it seems impossible that:
1.- The Federal Reserve Bank is not part of the US government
2.- Although the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is appointed by the President, he is under no obligation to disclose anything that the Fed does.
3.- The Fedral Reserve is a private corporation, and its ownership is secret. We have no idea who owns the Federal Reserve Bank.
4.- The Federal Reserve Bank has the exclusive authority to create new dollars by loaning them at interest. The Fed pays no taxes on that immense income. Actually the Fed pays no taxes at all.


This man, Andrew Jackson, thought that his greatest accomplishment as President was the deconstruction of the American central bank. In fact he wanted it carved on his gravestone. This great American hero is now suffering in his grave as we allow the Fed to destroy our economy through Keynesian manipulation.

Read Edward Griffin's book, "The Creature From Jekyll Island"
Watch this hour and a half long video about monetary economics and the Federal Reserve.
Read Ron Paul's "The Revoultion: A Manifesto"

CBS 60 Minutes, Time Running Out For A Two-State Solution?

This is an excellent piece of reporting by 60 minutes. This video will help anyone who doesn't understand the Palestinian position learn that there is very good reason to blame Israel for the troubles in this conflict. Watch with an open mind:

Part 1



Part 2

Peace By Theft and Ethnic Cleansing

January 2009
There is a hopeful trend of thought towards peace and fairness for Israel and Palestine, but that trend is NOT happening in Israel. To the contrary, Israel is turning increasingly towards the One-State ethnically cleansed solution to the Palestine-Israel conundrum.

Today it is unclear if the Palestinians will ever have a country of their own, or even be able to live in peace with a little dignity.

Jimmy Carter has been the wisest, most open and humble voice in the Mid East. He is the only President who managed to negotiate a real peace for Israel. That was with Egypt and he had intentions of completing the negotiations with Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the PLO but then he was voted out of office. Now Mr. Carter has laid out the three possible denouements of the tragic situation in Palestine.

1.- The Two State Solution, Being a wise man, Jimmy Carter realizes that it will be impossible to dislodge most of the "stubborn" settlers. So his suggestion is to let the majority of the settlements stay, especially those closest to the Israeli border, and then have Israel trade an equal amount of quality land (such as land around Nazereth) to the Palestinians.
Here is a map for reference

2.- The One State Solution that incorporates the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. The common understanding in the press and the Foreign Service is that this is the outcome that will transpire if #1 is not achieved soon. Many Palestinians who have given up hope for the Two State Solution favor One State in which both Jews and Arabs would have equal rights. The Israelis fear that they would lose their Jewish State.

3.- The third possible outcome of this long struggle is the One State Solution that does not incorporate the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. Personally, I think that this is clearly the goal of the Israeli government and it explains why Israel never really negotiates, but rather just drags things out for years. Years in which the settlements continue to expand ("the number of new structures in the West Bank settlements and outposts increased by 69 percent in 2008, compared to 2007"), years in which more checkpoints are built, more settler only roads cut the West Bank into tiny isolated enclaves.

To achieve this "solution" the Israelis could force a confrontation in the West Bank like what just happened in Gaza, but this time they would force the Palestinians out of the country. The IDF would clean out each Palestinian enclave killing the Palestinians or force-marching them across the river into Jordan. The whole world would scream bloody murder, but by the time anyone would actually organize to do anything the operation would be over. It would be a fait accompli. Once the Palestinians are gone, they will never get back in. Who has the power to force Israel to do what they don’t want to do? Only the United States and the United States won’t do anything. Israel would suffer for a while, but the US will always forgive Israel. The US will pay billions to the homeless Palestinians in Israel's name and gradually the world will forget.

OK, I'm not a mind reader, but I'll bet a month's wages that #3 is the Israeli hard-line plan. They will never accept #1 and certainly not #2

Here’s a little more information that leads me to believe that I am on the right track. Bibi Netanyahu said that he “would let Jewish settlements expand in the West Bank if he’s elected prime minister” will probably win the election. He is definitely not leaning towards peace. In fact today (January 30th) he stated that he would not evacuate any settlers if he is elected next week.

I heard on NPR last week that over a third of the IDF's officer corps now comes from the settler families or the hard-line religious groups. Other articles state that over half of new officers come from the hard-line religious parties. In all probability if the IDF (Israeli “Defense” Force) were to attempt to dislodge a number of settlements, they would see a mutiny in the Officer Corps.

I think that Israel will want to work fast, before Obama can organize world leaders to impose a peace deal. I imagine that they will take advantage of the worldwide economic collapse that will have people’s attention focused away from the Middle East. Expect something very ugly in the next twelve months.

Pray for the Palestinians.

Update March 2010
The Israeli advance towards the third outcome is on schedule. Slowly, inexorably Israel builds more settlements and locks more Palestinians out of their farmland and builds more checkpoints and steals more land.

But what is most shocking to me is that Israel just expropriates land and farms and water rights and homes at gunpoint without even considering paying for what it has taken. That is theft. It is in fact armed robbery.

Israel is rich, partly becuase of its own efforts and partly because of billions in transfer payments from other countries. If the goal is to expropriate all the West Bank and Jerusalem, why don't we ever hear that the Israelis offer to pay for what they grab at gunpoint?

Washington Lobbying Grew to $3.2 Billion Last Year, Despite Economy

WASHINGTON--While companies across the board were losing record amounts of money and laying off employees last year, at least one industry seemed to weather the recession: lobbying. Special interests paid Washington lobbyists $3.2 billion in 2008, more than any other year on record and a 13.7 percent increase from 2007, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has found.

Analyzing 4th Quarter disclosure reports filed Jan. 20, the Center calculated that interest groups spent $17.4 million on lobbying for every day Congress was in session in 2008, or $32,523 per legislator per day.

"In this economy, most industries would have been elated to grow even half as much as the lobbying industry reported growing last year," Center for Responsive Politics Executive Director Sheila Krumholz said. "The federal government is handing out billions of dollars by the day, and that translates into job security for lobbyists who can help companies and industries get a piece of the payout."

Click here to read the rest of this sickening report.

Gaza Horror: Large Photo Gallery of Gaza Massacre

This link goes to a website full of photos of the Gaza massacre. These pictures are graphic and very disturbing, but all Americans should take a look and see what the weapons that we give Israel do to women and children. America, this blood is on your hands.

read more | digg story

Mr. George Galloway in the House of Commons