Happy New Years Everyone!
Happy I made it this far. I had a terrible fall, no not that kind, I am not hurt. I am well, just life. Now I am excited about the new year and possibilities. There are about 13 paintings on the way and 2 short books I am working on. No one ever said I wasn't ambitious! Industrious or just an idiot. Only time will tell. Either way, with the 17 degree weather today, on the East Coast! Things are working out, moving forward, I welcome the Light back into the world, as far as the days getting longer. Excited to also post that I will be facilitating an Artist Way group at the center city Unitarian Universalist Church from January 6th-April 1st. Should be a terrific 12 weeks, come down and join the class on Sunday afternoons if you'd like. It is donation only and with the people requesting to join already, should be fabulous. Life is good, if we just look around a bit, has been my thinking lately. Well, happy new year to all!

-Joshua 2008

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Hello, it has been a while. Had a busy summer, battling hatred or whatever it was. I am now settling into Philly and loving it. People love it or hate it here. It is my hometown and I just love it, seeing all the diversity and people playing on the city. I also see love everyday here, just like in NYC. That is the best thing about living on the East Coast! Now about Columbus.
Visited friends in the beginning of this month. Nothing changes your friendships, but that city has gone through changes in the 6 months I have left. So many buildings were boarded up, so many gay people and artists had left, it was depressing. It hurts my heart to see something so beautiful destroyed from the fundamentalists and redneck America rising. Used to be so diverse and friendly, still is to a point, but, i can't go back to it. It felt like going to another country. One woman joked here, that you need a passport to go the red states, and now I can see it. Our country is so polarized. I met a lot of angry people there, calling for Civil War or Revolution, because of the changes that the Bush Era has brought in. Hatred, intolerance, one way thinking, poverty, loss of jobs, with the end of objectivity and democracy. Homeland security was all over town and even had bomb sniffing dogs on the buses. It truly is another world now, and not one I want to be part of. I grieve for the loss of something so playful and open minded, now it is just part of the rust belt, crumbling and rusting...
-Joshua 2007

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"Third Time Is A Charm"

Liked it better than the rest,
#1 was my favorite,
#2 dragged too much,
But one thing was different,
It was a fable,
"A man is defined by his choices,
You can always make the right choice."
Felt it was a slap in the face
To Bush and Co.
And the sound needed to wake people up from their sleep,
To do the right thing,
Exposing both sides of the story,
Why Evil ways are futile and die, eventually,
Why Good can change and grow,
Instead of this time of corruption and greed,
Hope; for a minute like a spring breeze,
Whispered in my ear,
"There goes... the Spider...man..."

-Joshua 2007

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Since I don't have the studio set up to paint, it has been a time of writing lately. I have been very concerned about global warming and climate change lately. Feel we are sitting on a time bomb and people aren't trying to look at it yet. Beyond frustrating, we only have one bubble of air to breathe and we are filling it with CO2.

"1990-2007: My Adulthood"

Dealing with real issues...
Remembered how in 1994,
Before AIDS had the cocktail,
WE didn't know if everyone was
Going to die in 10 years,
From that or the urban violence,
The Crack, The L.A. Riots,
Luckily, we didn't,
But I wonder if the movie, " Children of Men"
Was right at saying, "WE were dead a long time ago."
Because were not taking the precautions,
To stop Chrystal Meth, another Katrina,
Terrorism, Fascism, and Iraq,
To create and sustain our future,

Now we have 8 years until 2016,
When 1/2 of NYC will be underwater from
The north pole, melting;
Then maybe we'll see that there is a
Problem;
But the funny thing is with my generation,
That is all we've been raised with,
Handed down to U.S. to fix,
Problems...

-Joshua 2007

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Okay, have been getting info on the environmental problems we are facing that my generation will have to deal with. Sometimes I get so angry that the generation before me even though started the environmental movement, hasn't really gotten serious to change things. Unfortunately, we all know it is more about greed and money than reality with the big corporations and guess we really can't blame each other, individually.
I was an environmental planner in college and what is about to happen between now and 2016 will be life changing for everyone, and then by 2030, our U.S. weather will be unrecognizable to what we have now. God forbid, if the water from the melting ice caps changes the Gulf Stream
by 2050 which I can still be alive for, then we have a 2-10 year ice age on our hands which will stop the food chain, temporarily. I don't know anyone who can't eat for 2-10 years. Sorry I have to be so grim, but there is a balance to nature and our sustainability as animals on this planet. Not only are we messing with our own future but also with all the plants, animals, and insects that live PEACEFULLY here. It is such a CRIME that because of our individual egos, our desire to be number one, our competition with each other, that we feel it is okay to destroy everything around U.S. for an ego trip. What will future generations say about U.S.? They were such a selfish bunch and even when they had the signs and facts of change, they decided to ignore them?
Another Fact is that repairing and cleaning up the environment could be the next multi-billion dollar market and would do U.S. some good. Using all natural cleaning agents in the house and for laundry, use of more electric cars and trains, bicycles, anything that will stop the pollution of the air and water supplies is the FUTURE. We don't need to use the chemicals and add all the CO2 into the air anymore, we have the technologies and products available. It is time to start using these alternatives.
-Joshua2007

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