My
portfolio is separated into thirteen groups: Aviation art, Synesthetic art,
Abstract derivatives, Scientific derivatives, Mathematical derivative,Surrealistic derivatives, Realism, Surrealism, Art Deco, Neuroscience Humor,
Car designs, Satire and Quasi-Religious Art.
My art is very eclectic. I explore
subjects as varied as aviation, neuroscience, abstract art, subatomic particle
physics, mathematics, surrealistic art, quantum mechanics, cars and
metaphysics.
[Please send inquiries
about my art to Po Box 815 Coraopolis, PA 15108.]
Aviation Art
My
aviation art is inspired by my thirty-nine year involvement with aviation. I served four years in
U.
S. Naval aviation and thirty-five years as an airline maintenance
technician. The A-4E Skyhawk shown in
the upper left painting is one of the aircraft that I worked on when I served
in Attack Squadron VA-12 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1965.
Synesthetic Art
My
synesthetic art is the result of my experience with the rare neural phenomenon
known as non-idiopathic synesthesia. The
paintings are accurate representations of sensory induced visualizations known
technically as photisms. The image
depicted in each painting was caused by a specific auditory or tactile sensory
input. The specific sensory input is the
title of the painting. My visualizations
are not caused by drug or alcohol use or abuse as is sometimes the case with
non-idiopathic synesthesia. Drug/alcohol
synesthesia is the result of a different neural mechanism than that which caused
the images in the paintings. Apparently,
my synesthesia is a result of an on the job head injury. I distinctly remember a nasty collision with
a propeller, stationary, of course. It
was shortly after this impact that I began “seeing” the photisms. It was only many years later, after much
research, that I made the connection between the head injury and non-idiopathic
synesthesia.
The
synesthetic paintings are not abstract art.
Paradoxically, the paintings are actually realistic art in the sense
that they accurately represent the subject.
My synesthetic art is unique even in the arcane realm of synesthesia
because my photisms consistently represent specific sensory inputs and they are
devoid of colors. The photisms always
appear only for an instant.
The photisms graphically display neural
signals the way an oscillograph displays electrical signals. The photism images are analogous to an
oscillogram in that they visually illustrate and produce a record of specific
neural activity. According to my theory,
each individual photism represents the smallest unit of the encoded neural
signal language that the brain uses for internal communication and to direct
the functions of the nervous system. I
believe this neural signal language is the substratum of which or upon which
all neural signaling is constructed.
A
comprehensive explanation of the neural mechanism responsible for
non-idiopathic synesthesia would be lengthy.
And it would be beyond the scope of this brief article. I suggest an Internet search of titles like
“auditory-visual synesthesia: sound-induced photisms” and “acquired
auditory-tactile synesthesia.” This
search will result in several thousand articles relevant to this fascinating
neural phenomenon.
“Slam”
(upper left) may be considered historic in that it is probably the first ever
finished oil painting of this type of synesthetic photism. The sensory input that produced the image was
the sound of a metal locker door being slammed.
The
“Click” photism image (upper right) was produced by the sound of a small
plastic card flipping over as the time changed on an old fashioned digital
alarm clock (very similar to the clock in the movie “Groundhog Day.” The image was always the same and aligned
horizontally. However, once, for some
unknown reason, the image was canted as is shown in the painting. I decided to paint that photism because it
was different from all the other click images.
The
“Bang photism image (lower left) represents the sound of a loud Fourth of July
firework. The fact that it is an
explosion pattern may be coincidental because several other photisms are
radiating images. Radiating patterns, spirals, lattices and
various geometric shapes are among the most common synesthetic images. These patterns and shapes are referred to
scientifically, as Kluver’s “form constants.”
The
image in the painting “Thunder” is a very accurate representation of the actual
photism. Getting the circles reasonably
round was extremely difficult. I’m
amazed that this painting came out so well.
The
“Clang” photism (left) represents the sound of a metal pipe dropped on a paved
driveway.
The
“Patty’s Embrace” photism (right) represents the only tactile sensory input
that I recorded with a painting.
I
believe the image in the painting “Pop” (upper left) represents a partially
formed photism. Some of the spikes are
squared off at the ends. I think the
fully formed photism would have had all squared spikes. I’m not sure what sound caused this photism
“Bang no. 2” (upper
right) is the exact same photism
image as in “Bang.” The smaller canvas
does not reflect the synesthetic experience as well as “Bang.” Imagine “seeing” this image for an instant at
distance of about one foot. The image
and the black background depicted in “Bang” accurately reflect the actual
synesthetic experience to a remarkable degree.
The
“Clunk” photism represents the sound of the T handle of a large metal shop vise
dropping forcefully on the jack screw of the vice. This is the sound of a heavy metal to metal
impact.
Abstract Derivatives
The
abstract derivatives use the synesthetic images as a starting point. Color is added arbitrarily to create an art
work of line and color. In the case of
the synesthetic painting, “Pop,” a simple image is transformed into the highly
complex abstract composition, “Pop (Blue).”
The colors in some of the photos do not accurately represent the colors
of the paintings.
“Creation (Blue)” (upper left) is a colorized abstract derivative of the
scientific derivative painting titled “Creation.” The dots are solid color with the subatomic particle symbols of
“Creation” deleted. The “Creation
(Blue)” image is a modified “Bang” image.
The size of the canvas is
reduced, but the image size is the same as “Bang” and the other “Bang”
derivatives except “Mathematical Metaphor for Creation”.
“Slam
Five (Violet)” (upper right) is a colorized version of the “Slam” photism
image. Five indicates that this is the
fifth derivative of the slam photism.
The color of the painting is monochromatic violet. The pattern of the dots was changed to be
symmetrical because I think that works better for this abstract
composition.
“Blue
Thunder” (bottom left and detail bottom right) is an enlarged, colorized
version of the “Thunder” photism. This
painting can be considered expressionist in the sense that I used colors to
express my startled reaction to a loud peal of thunder just as I was about to
fall asleep. The colors exactly conform
to the intensity pattern of the original “Thunder” photism painting.
“Pop
(Blue)” (left) is a colorized, highly modified, derivative of the relatively
simple “Pop” photism.
“Clunk
(blue)” (right) is the result of an artistic mistake. After I finished “Clunk,” I realized that the
background was too dark. The background
when some of the photisms occur is dark gray rather than black, probably
because of bright ambient light. After I
repainted “Clunk” correctly, it was obvious that I should turn the incorrect
painting into an abstract composition.
Abstract
paintings aren’t supposed to represent any actual object. Technically, this is true for “Clunk
(blue).” However, I wanted to produce an
image that looked like some strange interference or malfunction on an old fashioned
television screen or a computer monitor.
I personally like the interplay between the blue streaks and the broken
gray lines. Looking at the painting can
be disorienting, like listening to someone trying to explain Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity.
“Patty’s
Embrace (Red)” is an enlarged, modified and colorized version of the “Patty’s
Embrace” photism image. The complex
background of this painting is monochromatic red madder.
“Red
White and Blue” (left) is an enlarged colorized version of the “Clunk” photism
painting. Unfortunately, the exposure of
this photo is very uneven. The
background is actually pure white. This
painting contains a cryptically hidden patriotic message. It can’t be seen in the photo. It can only be seen if the viewer knows where
and how to look for it.
“Clang
no. 2” (right) is another abstract that resulted from an artistic mistake. When I realized the background of “Clang” was
too dark, I decided to continue and make the painting an abstract
composition. The black hole in the
center of the painting is a bit of artistic license as is the number and shapes
of the radials.
Scientific Derivatives
The
scientific derivatives reflect my interest in subatomic particle physics. As the term implies, these paintings are
derived from a synesthetic image, namely “Bang,” and they utilize scientific
concepts for inspiration. Einstein’s
famous equation E = mc2
pointed me toward the subatomic particle physics that is the basis of my
scientific and mathematical derivatives.
E = mc2 is reversed
in my symbolically colorized painting “E/c2 = m.” This same equation is the basic concept for the painting
“Creation” and the collage “Mathematical Metaphor for Creation.” The logic of these paintings is this: E = mc2 represents
destruction, matter to energy (nuclear weapons), conversely, E/c2
= m can represent creation,
energy to matter, as in the Big Bang theory creation model. E/c2 = m can also mathematically represent the Biblical creation concept,
“Let there be light” because light, the first thing created, is electromagnetic
energy. Matter, the material universe, according
to both the Bible and the Big Bang came later.
The E/c2 = m
equation, energy to matter, works perfectly in both cases. Particles of electromagnetic energy (photons)
are represented by the white dots in the center of both paintings. In the “Creation” painting, the dots contain
the symbol for a photon. It is an
interesting coincidence that both paintings were derived from the “Bang”
photism image.
The painting “E/c2 = m” (upper left) is a colorized version
of the radiating explosion pattern of the “Bang” photism image. However, it is not a work of abstract
art. As with my painting “Creation,”
this image is a loose visual metaphor for the “Big Bang” creation model. The Big Bang is the well-known and generally
accepted scientific theory that attempts to explain the origin of the
universe.
The colors of the painting
represent the temperature component of the Big Bang theory. According
to the Big Bang theory of creation, the universe originated from an
infinitesimal particle of energy (electromagnetic radiation or light). This so-called “singularity” is thought to
have been an immensely powerful burst of radiation that rapidly expanded and cooled into particles of matter:
protons, neutrons and electrons the stable constituents of atoms. In the words of one science writer, “The
material universe condensed out of the radiation.”
The painting shows white-hot
particles of energy (photons) in the center of the image radiating outward as
they become progressively cooler, heavier stable subatomic particles, the
building blocks of the universe. This transformation can be represented mathematically with
the equation E/c2 = m. The four colors, white, yellow, red
and brown at the periphery, indicate a progressive cooling of the
particles. The four-stage pattern of the
“Bang” image is maintained in this painting; however, within each stage the
colors are graduated to indicate a continuous progression from hot to
cold. Subatomic particles radiating
outward from the initial fireball of energy and cooling as a function of
elapsed time generally concurs with the Big Bang model.
The title of the painting, “E/c2 = m,”
is the reverse of Albert Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc2.
E = mc2 is used to
mathematically represent the conversion of matter to energy, as is the case
with atomic fission or fusion. E
= mc2 represents
a destructive process; matter disappears in a burst of energy. The E/c2 = m equation, being the reverse of E = mc2, could represent creation, energy to matter. In other words, matter is created from the
burst of energy. This is the essence of
the Big Bang theory.
The arrangement of the
particles in the painting reflects the idea of the material universe
miraculously, spontaneously, appearing out of seemingly dead, empty space. This painting does not endorse any particular
religious, scientific or “theist evolutionist” position. This painting is not a visual restatement of
the Big Bang theory nor is it an attempt to explain how God created the
universe; rather, it is an abstract look (while keeping a scientific point of
view) at the idea of creation.
The painting “Creation” (upper
right and details lower left and right) is a derivative of the “Bang” photism
image. Similar to “E/c2 = m,” the white dots represent subatomic particles. I use the radiating explosion pattern
of “Bang” as a loose, visual metaphor for the “Big Bang” creation model. The Big Bang is the well-known, and generally
accepted scientific theory that attempts to explain the origin of the universe. According
to the Big Bang theory of creation, the universe originated from an
infinitesimal but immensely powerful particle of energy (electromagnetic radiation
or light). This so-called “singularity” rapidly expanded and cooled into
particles of matter. In the words of one
science writer, “the material universe condensed out of the radiation.” This concept is represented
symbolically in this painting and also the painting “E/c2 = m”.
A particle of electromagnetic
radiation is called a photon. The
massless photon is represented scientifically by the symbol “g”. The initial Big Bang radiation
is represented in the central area of the painting by the symbol g inside the smallest white dots.
The painting represents
subatomic particles (identified by the symbol inside the white dots) radiating
outward in imitation of the expanding universe.
The massless photons at the center become the “almost massless”
neutrinos: n.
The dots/particles continue to radiate outward through progressively
heavier, unstable subatomic particles. The pion plus: p+ is one example of these subatomic particles. At the end of each radial, at the periphery
of the image, are the stable constituent particles of the atom: protons,
neutrons and electrons, the building blocks of the universe. Their antimatter particles are also included
in the painting.
The “Bang” image is changed
slightly in that the dots get progressively larger (to indicate the increased
mass of the particle) as they radiate outward toward the periphery of the
image, and metaphorically, away from point of origin of the universe. This concept generally agrees with the Big Bang
theory. To simplify the concept, I took
some artistic license with the arrangement of the particles. The arrangement of the particles shown in the
painting reflects the idea of the material universe miraculously,
spontaneously, appearing out of seemingly dead, empty space. This painting does not endorse any particular
religious, scientific or “theist evolutionist” position.
The
search by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) for the elusive
“God particle,” or Higgs boson, has put subatomic particle physics into the
mainstream news lately. The current
discussions about subatomic particles could make these paintings, completed
many years ago, timely. These two
paintings are not a visual revision of, or an attempt to illustrate, the Big Bang theory. And they are
not an attempt to explain how God created the universe. Rather, they are an artistic look, from a
scientific point of view, at the idea of creation.
The number of dots and the
four stage progression pattern from light to dark of the “Bang” image was fixed
more than ten years before the idea for “Creation” occurred to me. As a result, fitting the fixed number of
subatomic particles (as they appeared in a chart in my encyclopedia) into the
preexisting pattern and limited number of dots of the “Bang” image was an
exercise in patience and determination.
The chart did not specify the sub classifications of the neutrino
particle; this is the reason they don’t appear in this painting. The sub classifications are addressed in a
latter, completely mathematical, version of this concept entitled “Mathematical
Metaphor for Creation.” The “R”
particles: nR and nR (This
symbol should have an overline dash – above the n. This couldn’t be duplicated in the text.) do not exist. Their purpose in the
painting is to indicate the reversal of electric charge when the particle
progresses from neutrino to electron (or positron) and also to fill the left over
dots in the “Bang” image. The number of
dots, and the number of dots in each stage, is identical to “Bang” and all of
the artworks derived from the “Bang” image.
Mathematical Derivative
The
mathematical derivative (upper left and four detail views) is a study for a
larger art work titled “Mathematical Metaphor for Creation.” The E/c2 = m equation is the primary component of this paper composition. The finished collage will be a mathematical
representation of the “Creation” painting.
The completed artwork will be 36in. x 39in. and it will comprise the
entire “Creation” image. Shown here is
only part of the upper left hand quadrant of the image. This composition is partially completed in
order to show some blank circles before I put information inside them.
Inside each circle, in
addition to the symbol that represents the subatomic particles in “Creation,” I
also include the E/c2 = m equation.
Each equation contains the numerical values appropriate for that
subatomic particle. The equation
mathematically illustrates the quantity of energy required to create each
subatomic particle. In other words, the
energy of the particle in joules divided by the square of the speed of light (9
x 1016 meters per
second) gives the weight of the particle in kilograms. For example, the equation for a proton shows
that: 1.5048 x 10-10 joule of
energy divided by 9 x 1016 equals
1.672 x 10-27 kilogram
of matter. For clarity, I also include
the name of the particle inside the circle.
Metaphysically speaking, it can be said that God used 1.5048 x 10-10 joule of
energy to create a proton.
As with “E/c2 = m,” and
“Creation” this artwork represents the idea of the material universe
miraculously, spontaneously appearing out of seemingly dead, empty, space. This concept does not endorse any particular
religious, scientific or “theist evolutionist” position. This artwork is not a mathematical
restatement of the “Big Bang” theory nor is it an attempt to explain how God
created the universe. Rather, it is an
artistic look, from a scientific point of view, at the idea of creation.
Surrealistic Derivatives
The
surrealistic derivatives are surrealistic images developed and expanded from
the synesthetic image, “Slam.” In these
art works, the two dimensional “Slam” image is transposed into three
dimensional settings.
I produced a number of
artworks by juxtaposing photographs, photocopying them and blending them
together with India ink. “Untitled with Anomalous Propagation” (left) is a
photocopy of a photo of the “Slam” photism painting blended with part of a
photo of the road racing circuit at Watkins Glen, New York. Anomalous propagation refers to the strange
malfunction of the photocopy machine (at my local art store) that put anomalous
dots in the photocopies. At first I
complained about it. But I was told that
there was nothing the store could do about the malfunction. So, I accepted the anomalous dots as the
machine’s creative contribution to the finished art work. The anomalous dot can seen be at the bottom
of the guard rail, a little above the center of the right edge of the picture.
“Untitled” (center) is an
overexposed photocopy of a photo of the “Slam” photism painting blended with a
part of a photo of the road racing circuit at Watkins Glen, New York.
The collage photocopy “Secret
Success” (right), although not indicated in the title, also contains copy
machine induced anomalous propagation.
It can be seen about a third of the way up the left edge of the
picture. Incredibly, the anomalous dot added
a narrative to the picture. “Secret
Success” is also an overexposed photocopy of a photo of the “Slam” photism
painting blended with a part of a photo of the road racing circuit at Watkins
Glen, New York.
Anyone who has read my web
site/blog knows that I am patriotic and nationalistic. Thus, I’m a sports car racing enthusiast who
always roots for the American car and or engine. The two race cars pictured in the “Secret
Success” art work were powered by the legendary Chevrolet small block push rod
V8. Their team, Blue Thunder Racing, won
the 1984 IMSA Championship against strong world class competition. The team celebrated the Championship with a
poster that thanked all their supporters.
General Motors and Chevrolet are not included in the list. Strangely, as far as I know, neither GM nor
Chevrolet ever used this remarkable achievement in their advertising. To my dismay, this shining moment disappeared
virtually unnoticed into the historical record.
Thus, the “Secret Success” title of the art work.
The
narrative that I mentioned above is result of the position and shape of the
anomalous propagation. Although it is
difficult to see in this photo, the dot has a comet like tail. The tail indicates that the dot is on a
direct collision course with the race cars.
After the 1984 season, the Chevy engines were overwhelmed by the foreign
competition just like the American auto industry today. Who do I blame for this disastrous decline of
the American auto industry? I blame the
CEOs and their masters on Wall Street (and compliant politicians) who, I
believe, deliberately destroyed the American auto industry so it could be
deunionized and globalized. The actions
of the “American” auto executives from the beginning of the “foreign invasion”
after World War II are obviously incomprehensible within any logical framework. I say the destruction had to be deliberate
because nobody could be that stupid. This
is the “creative destruction” that is imposed on us by the globalist free
market capitalists. Tragically, the city
of Detroit and the people who still live there (and those driven out of the
city), have paid a terrible price for the actions of the capitalists who ran
our auto industry into the ground.
Slam
Four Plus ink and
collage on poster board 20”x30” 1089
Slam
Four Plus (detail)
“Slam Four Plus” is a
surrealistic representation of non-idiopathic
synesthesia. This work on paper takes a
whimsical look at a mental phenomenon that is not completely understood by
neuroscience. I used my extensive
personal experience with synesthesia as inspiration for this composition. This artwork is obviously not a scientific
treatise, but, in a way, it does represent the non-idiopathic
synesthetic experience. The title refers
to the forth derivative of the slam photism image plus an “explanation.”
The seemingly chaotic black
lines represent complex, coherent neural activity compartmentalized to indicate
the separate but related functions of the brain: perception, memory, reasoning,
motor functions, consciousness etc. The
ocean and sky represent the enormous capacity of and knowledge yet to be
discovered about the human brain. The
broad ramp that stops short of access to the non-idiopathic
synesthetic experience represents normal wakeful consciousness. The narrowing ramp leads from wakefulness to
the hypnagogic state of consciousness.
This brief period between wakefulness and sleep is the only “place”
where my non-idiopathic
synesthesia occurs. The hypnagogic state
combines wakeful awareness with memory and the R.E.M. dream circuitry.
I
believe that ignorance and misunderstanding of hypnagogia has led to the myths,
folklore and “paranormal experiences” that have confused and clouded human
minds for thousands of years.
Realism
Surrealism
 |
| Outer Space no. 2 |
 |
| Outer Space no. 1 |
 |
| Outer Space no. 3 |
 |
| Outer Space no. 4 |
 |
| Outer Space no. 5 |
 |
| Outer Space no. 6 |
Outer Space series (all paintings) oil on canvas board 18”x 14” 1977-1978
Unfortunately,
the quality of two of the photos isn’t very good. But, despite this, the narrative of the
paintings can be easily understood. Note
that the story begins somewhere in space, beyond the moon, and ends looking
down on the Earth. These paintings are my
tribute to America’s magnificent Apollo Moon program. The triangular “spacecraft” in the paintings
is a symbol composed of two elements.
The white top component resembles a hang glider. This represents the spirit of adventure,
daring and the tremendous courage of the astronauts. The lower component is a draftsman’s
triangle. This represents the superb
technical and scientific achievement of the Apollo program. Why red?
This just happens to be the color of my triangle, so that’s what I
painted. And the red, white and blue
colors of the paintings are, of course, appropriate for the subject of the
paintings.
I’m
a self taught artist. These paintings
are among my first efforts to learn how to paint with oils. They are my third through eighth paintings,
started in 1977 and finished in 1978.
The sharply focused symbol and blurred moonscape in the first painting
indicates the speed of the symbol. The
second painting shows the disorienting “relativity” of outer space. The sharply focused moonscape in the third
painting shows the symbol at low speed, as if on final approach for a
landing. Outer Space no.4 shows the
symbol flying toward the Earth. Number
five shows how relative distance can distort perceived reality. The final painting, to me, provokes an
overview of the beautiful, but extremely troubled, planet that we live on.
Art Deco
Neuroscience Humor
R.E.M.
Reality oil on canvas 16”x 20” 2004
“REM Reality” may appear to be
a promotional poster for a 1950s science fiction thriller. However, it is
actually an attempt to make a serious point in a humorous way. The REM in the title is a reference to the
REM stage of sleep, the state of consciousness where dreams occur. It is a well-known but rarely mentioned
scientific fact that the dream state can, under certain circumstances, intrude
into wakeful consciousness. The
technical term for this phenomenon is hypnagogic hallucination. This is my explanation for the UFO experience
and other “paranormal” activity. The
title of the painting illustrates my theory.
I do not dismiss the supernatural.
But paranormal claims must be examined with great skepticism. I believe that credulous acceptance of
seemingly “paranormal” phenomena can lead to psychological problem and even
mental illness. On the other hand, the
UFO myth has made a fortune for Hollywood film makers.
When photographed, the
painting looks virtually photorealistic.
I have never claimed to anyone that the image in the photo is a “real”
UFO. But, when I showed the photo to
people, their first reaction was that it was real. Of course, I quickly pointed out that it was
a painting. The scene depicted in the
painting is North Park, a few miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The imaginary person in scene depicted in the
painting is standing on the island in the middle of the duck pond. This is an actual place, and this gives the
painting some drama in the science fiction context. The probably frightened person looking at the
UFO must get across the water in order to get to the road to escape. In accordance with UFO mythology, the UFO is
coming toward the viewer in order to “tap into the power grid” using the
utility pole in the center of the picture.
The power lines are clearly visible in the actual painting.
Car Designs
 |
| Self-charging Electric Vehicle (SEV) pencil 6"x11" 2014 |
 |
| Uhric S Pencil 5”x11” 2014 |
The Uhric S design is a sport derivative of the Uhric SEV above. Although the SEV system would work in the S, the S proposal is for an ultra high speed "hyper car." The 268 mph German/French Bugatti Veyron and several other sorts cars are in this category. In theory, the Uhric S would be powered by a twin turbocharge, ex Can Am big block Chevy V8.
The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport costs $2.7 million. The Uhric S could easily be built for a small fraction of that price. It might even turn a profit. Virtually any American high performance or race car engine could be installed in this car. How about an Indy car turbo Offy? A GM all wheel drive system would be needed for maximum performance. Unlike the now foreign owned Dodge Viper, the all American owned and built Uhric S would not compete in the same market segment as the Corvette. The Uhric S would be aimed at the hyper car market. This car would be an “affordable” track day monster. Why build a hyper car? Why hand another market to the foreign competition?
T The technical details of the SEV and S are proprietary. Inquiries about Uhric cars should be sent to
PO box 815, Coraopolis, PA 15108.
Satire
The American Car ink and collage 18”x28” 1994
I
took the photograph in the center of this collage in New York City. I was there to discuss a group show in which
my art would be displayed (on Broadway in the Soho district of Manhattan). To me, the white car in the photo is the epitome
of everything that was wrong with American car styling. I mean no insult the owner, this styling
appeals to a certain segment of the market.
However, I think I can safely say that this car is totally wrong for the
market segment dominated by foreign cars. In my caption for the collage “Secret
Success,” I said the American auto industry was deliberately destroyed by the
capitalists who ran our auto industry into the ground. This car perfectly illustrates one of several
tactics that they used “foul their nest,” hand the market to the foreign
competition and blame the unions for the disaster. This union busting scam worked perfectly
because it destroyed the auto workers union.
For
years, I have been trying to explain to people the difference between
capitalists and industrialists.
Capitalists are investors, money lenders. J.P. Morgan was a capitalist. Industrialists are builders, creators. Henry Ford was an industrialist who hated
capitalists. From the point of view of
an industrialist, Ford Motor Company’s investment in the Japanese car company
Mazda was stupid. Mazda subsequently ate
the market share that Ford desperately needed.
But, from an investor’s point of view, it made sense to invest in a
growing corporation. It also made sense
for Ford sabotage its products to open up the market so that their investments
in Mazda, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo and Land Rover would pay off. Ford squandered billions of dollars on these
companies and never seriously competed against them. Ford and the other American car companies all
adopted this seemingly incomprehensibly stupid business model. Here are a few of the many examples that I
could list:
General
Motors lost two billion dollars on its “investment” in Fiat, and while they
bankrolled Ferrari’s Formula 1 (F1) racing program. Chrysler squandered hundreds of millions of
dollars bankrolling Lamborghini’s F1 program.
Ford bankrolled British Cosworth’s F1 engine. It is a national disgrace that no “Big three”
American auto company ever fielded a Formula 1 race car or engine. So-called “Ford” F1 engines were
made-in-England Cosworth engines with
a Ford nameplate. The foreigners ate our
lunch because American capitalists served it to them on a silver platter! I would also like to know why American
corporations spent massive amounts of sponsorship money bankrolling the foreign
auto racing programs that crushed the underfunded American racing efforts.
The
capitalists who own and run America decreed that America would offshore our
manufacturing and become a low wage, non union retail economy (70% is
retail). Look at any street where auto
dealers are clustered. Count the number
of foreign brands. The explosion of
foreign car dealers directly matches the decline and death of the U.S. auto
industry. For the retailers and
investors, it doesn’t get any better than this.
But for America, it’s a disaster.
On
this site, I challenged Congress and the Commerce Department to launch an
investigation into the actions of the American auto industry executive’s actions
that destroyed the American auto industry.
Of course, they ignored me. I
would love to debate with Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker the issue of
how taxpayer subsidized foreign auto company transplants (socialism) are
destroying America. The city of Detroit
is a glaring and tragic example of this destruction. But, I assume, like all politicians, Corker doesn’t
have the guts to debate me publicly on this web site/blog. In fact, I would love to discuss, with any
politician, reputable pundit or academic, the “mistakes” that were made by the
American auto industry executives. Those
“mistakes” destroyed our auto industry and gutted a huge part of America’s
manufacturing infrastructure. The
Japanese, Korean, French and German auto makers must think we Americans are
insanely stupid.
There
is a cruel irony in the name of the store in the photo in the center of my
collage. The store is named “USA
Shopping Center” but all of the names on the storefront are Japanese or an
American company that was bought by the Japanese.
In
1995, the Republican Congress, under Democrat President Bill Clinton, shut down
the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).
I am calling for this vitally important government agency to be reopened
in order to assess the extent of the damage done to America by globalization, financialization
and privatization. It was in this same
time frame that Congress, in a monumental act of stupidity, cut off funding for
the construction the Space Shuttle Orbiters. This was done while the orbiters still possessed half their service lives! Congress not only killed the Space Shuttle, they also killed Pittsburgh
based Rockwell International Corporation.
Now, we pay the Russians to put our astronauts and satellites in orbit while we wait
for the private sector to blunder its way to what we already had! I would also like the OTA to investigate the
destruction of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft
Corporation, many other dead American companies and the reason why General
Motors sold Allison Aircraft Engine Corporation to Rolls Royce.
Because
I, like most Americans, don’t trust politicians, I would like to work in the
Office of Technology Assessment to keep the politicians honest. And, to counter the complaints of the “budget
hawks” who would rather spend the OTA funding on unnecessary wars, the funding
for the OTA would be in the form of U.S. Treasury issued, debt-free United
States Notes. No tax dollars or
borrowing from the private sector debt markets would be required. This legal and practicable government funding
method (that was instituted under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F.
Kennedy – and killed by Congress after they were assassinated), is explained in
detail elsewhere on this web site/blog.
Temptation ink and
collage 30”x20” 1988
Temptation (detail)
Temptation (detail)
Quasi-Religious Art
The God Equation oil on canvas 18”x 24” 2013
The God Equation – How science proves the existence of
God
On
July 4, 2012, scientists announced that they may have found the elusive Higgs
boson, jokingly referred to as the “God Particle.” I think it is referred to as the God Particle
because, in theory, this particle is responsible for the existence of the
material universe. In this context, the
nickname seems appropriate. However, the
responsibility for the existence of the material universe is a power that non
atheists (including me) believe resides with God. Even if you don’t believe in religion, the
existence of the material universe indicates that something is responsible for
the existence of the universe. Down
through the ages, that something is referred to as God (or, more recently, the
First Cause).
The
existence of God seems self evident to me.
But, is there something in a non religious context that positively shows
“the hand of God” in our daily lives? I
believe there is, and that something is the equation that I have nicknamed the
“God Equation.” The God equation isn’t
something that I dreamed up. It is well
known to anybody who is familiar with quantum mechanics (or quantum
physics). The equation is the famous
Schrodinger equation proposed by Erwin Schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg in
1926. But, you don’t have to be a
mathematician to understand the concept of the God Equation. The Schrodinger equation can be stated in
many different forms, depending on the application. For my painting, I chose the simplest
form. The equation illustrated in the
painting is the one used for the simplest atom, the hydrogen atom.
With
the discovery of quantum mechanics, we learned that atoms can only exist in
discrete energy levels or quantum states.
This sounds, and is, very complicated.
But, for the purpose of this discussion, we don’t have to understand how
or why atoms work this way. We just have
to know that atoms have a ground state (or ground energy level), and when an
atom is heated, it jumps to a higher energy state, and when it cools, it drops
to a lower energy state. These energy
states can be calculated with the Schrodinger equation. Why do I call it the God Equation? I call it that because something, God, has to
constantly do that calculation for every atom, molecule, subatomic and
macroscopic system in the entire universe in order for the universe to be
stable. If those quantum energy states
weren’t perfectly calculated 24/7, the entire universe would disintegrate in a
gigantic burst of electromagnetic energy.
I
have a quantum mechanics joke that I have been telling for years: “I think I
know how God spends His (Her or Its) time.
God is sitting around, in another dimension, with a calculator,
constantly figuring out the quantum energy states for every atom in the
universe. Somebody has to do it.” I think my little joke gives an easily
comprehensible insight into the awesome power and intelligence of the entity
that we call God.
This
brief essay explains why I say the Schrodinger equation, or “The God Equation”
illustrated in my painting, proves the existence of God.
Ray
Uhric January
13, 2013
