2010 TED Prize Wish: “I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”

Watch his talk at TED.com: Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, W. Va., TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.

Quite a TED performance. Personal. Political. Passionate. If we’re going to make lasting changes in our society, we HAVE TO directly challenge “conventional wisdom” and those powerful interests who want to keep things exactly as they are. Some of what comes out of a challenge like that is going to be uncomfortable. It’s going to come with ridicule. Probably some ruthless assaults from the “free-marketeers.” But to fix our ills, we’ve got to hit ‘em head on.

One Half

I’m in the process of making my piece for the Manifest Equality gallery in LA coming up this March. I answered these questions for the “meet the artist” blog on their site:

Why have you chosen to participate in Manifest Equality?

Being part of the push for a better, more equal place to live with such an inspiring group of culture creators is one of those things you just have to do.

Manifest Equality? Yes, of course. I’m in.

Describe a bit about your submission to the gallery or the creative process you are putting into it.

I’d say the artwork is bold and light-hearted. It’s called “HALFSIES or Dear Lovers Keep Loving”. At the most basic level, two halves make a whole, no matter what. So just keep lovin’. The art and design work I do always simplifies, is rather direct, and looks at the use of the piece. In this case, my wife and I have 2 other pieces I made hanging above our bed that say “always love.” She said to me the other day, that I’m her half. I totally love that. When it’s about love, that’s how it is. All else collides in a mishmash of politics, religion, prejudice, stereotypes, taboos, and whatever else is used to callously deny the expression of love between people. The process I went through ended on wanting to assure all of us that the issue is so simple we’ll get it sorted out. Until then, just keep loving each other.

Also, I like big type.

What else would you like to manifest?

Things that America doesn’t like to talk about. A couple of examples: A Department of Peace, a humane immigration system, and economic justice. Really, I see the momentum building from Manifest Hope to Manifest Equality as only the beginning. What this can be is a movement of culture creation so powerful it continues to break down walls and helps make the dream of a more fair and just society for ALL increasingly inevitable.

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

Why we like to share.

Howard Zinn, a truly remarkable figure in our society, passed away last week. I have always thought of him as a sense maker and a truth teller. Both those things can certainly get you into trouble in America, especially when those in power are directly in your line of fire. His most well-known work, A People’s History of the United States (history from the view of its unknown participants) has been a trusty companion for my outlook on the world. As has Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice. And now The People Speak brings these ideas to life through wonderfully inspiring performances you can view on the History Channel: “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Democracy NOW!, one fine independent media network, has quite a tribute to this historian/teacher/activist. It’s a look at how he challenged the status quo and the standard myths most Americans are taught in school. But more importantly, it shows his willingness to be a participant in the great movements for change that have shaped our modern world. He was there. On the front lines. In the shit. Raising hell and speaking truth right in the face of power. He was active. And because of his example, his understanding of the world, his ability to move people with his conviction and his humor, he was able to change people’s perspectives and raise their consciousness.

He will certainly be missed. But his view of the world, “the countless small actions of unknown people” that lead to those great moments that enter the historical record, a record that you simply can’t begin to understand unless you look at those countless small actions, will certainly live on in the millions of people who were inspired by his life. You can’t be neutral on a moving train, and because of him, you know the history of those people who stood up on the side of equality, justice and peace, and you know it’s possible to do the same.

A diverse array of hundreds of the nation’s most talented visual artists under one roof to celebrate that role and join with our gay (LGBT) friends, family members and co-workers to demand full and equal rights for all Americans.

We believe in FULL & EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL Americans with no exceptions.

Art plays a pivotal role in creating cultural momentum, and this is your chance to get involved. 

HERE: ManifestEquality.com

DESIGN IN THE DEBATE

Design work in the Health Care and Climate Change debates.

There is certainly a lot of shouting these days. From left, right, above and below. It’s a strange thing, those moments when the white noise nonsense sends you spinning. Duck and run for cover. And please, let’s just talk about the latest blockbuster. And maybe that new tech gadget that will make our lives better. Just not the politics that remind us all of the blowhards and windbags. The pundits and politicians, crooks and liars, droners and deceivers. It’s just too painful. And not that entertaining, no matter how many sound effects a corporate news show adds to the discourse.

America’s great debates we’ve seen in the last year have been heated to be sure. At too many times incomprehensible. For the record, I don’t watch all that much of the cable news networks, but what parts I do pick up on are enough to shock me into a coma. The things people will say, and the volume at which they’ll say it. Everybody is supposed to want to have their say. From the all-powerful on one side to the average citizen on the other. Sloppy democracy at work. But it appears a good majority are opting out. Because the point people on our little operation of representative democracy seem to be crazy. I mean, if you want to get in on this debate, it would appear you have to either be really pissed or have just uncovered something so sinister the only thing that will save us all from it destroying every last man, woman and child is to unearth it in a spectacle of patriotic duty. Plenty of outlets will give you a brief glimpse of stardom for your offering. (more…)