The Promise of World Peace

The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable.

From  The Promise of World Peace, Universal House of Justice, October, 1985

The Ceanothus in my backyard is beautiful this year.

The bumblebees dig it, too.

 Mediterranean Market, Carmel ---S.C. Yuan

I drove down to the Port of Tacoma this morning and found the scene I had been looking for.  It was easy to concentrate on the subject, as it was before 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and there was only the barest of activity.  I had complete privacy, and as far as I know,  nobody saw me clamoring  around looking like an idiot as I sized up the scene.

 I'm not particularly happy with the sketch.  There are errors that I could have easily avoided if I took more time to choose the right technique to avoid obliterating important detail (for example, Vashon Island in the distance, the shadow patterns in the water, and the chain, which needed to be absolutely vertical to anchor the ship to the bottom of the page).  However, I'm purposely putting down what I see as fast as I can, and the more I practice, the more I'll be able to make good decisions on the fly.

There are a lot of dramatic views in the port. I've driven around down there quite a bit and thought about the opportunities, but until I recently christened my new sketchbook with my East Coast trip, I was stymied.  On my list is to capture the crazy semi truck activity, which should be challenging due to the noise and congestion.  I really don't like getting in anyone's way.

Jeffrey Cobb's graduation from Mission Hill Junior High in Santa Cruz, California in 1987.


It was a great afternoon, with many happy kids and proud parents, including this one.
 

Marching up to receive his diploma.

Marching back with diploma in hand.

With his dad.

With his friend and fellow alumnus Jesse Martin.

Normandy, June 6, 1945.  My grandmother Frances, a Major in the  Army Nurse Corp, was on the beach sewing up the wounded.

Makapu'u Point Lighthouse is located on the extreme southeast tip of the island of Oahu.

The lighthouse is operated by the Coast Guard, and access is limited.

It's great having a son with the keys.

The Coast Guard uses these dummies for training. It's interesting to witness the postures those two fellas can assume.

The view of the Windward side.

This is looking back (through a fisheye lens) at the point.

Flying home to the Northwest, I got a good view of Makapu'u Point and the lighthouse (the tiny white spot at the bottom right).

Thanks, son, for one the most fun things I've ever done.

This has to be one of the most dramatic scenes in the history of film.

 Unfortunately, the audio isn't in sync in the clip, and that's a big part of the scene.

Pictures from my recent trip the Bahá'i House of Worship near Chicago.

I planned for my visit to the House of Worship to coincide with the centenary of the laying of the cornerstone by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and I was there within the hour if not the minute.

A Beautiful Watercolor

The Holy Land

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The Holy Land-- the land "promised by God to Abraham, sanctified by the revelation of Moses, honored by the lives and labors of the Hebrew patriarchs, judges, kings and Prophets, revered as the cradle of Christianity, and as the place where Zoroaster...had 'held converse with some of the Prophets of Israel, and associated by Islam with the Apostle's night-journey, through the seven heavens, to the throne of the Almighty." --Shoghi Effendi

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An unforgettable ending to the anti-war movie "Paths of Glory". In the final scene, French soldiers, who have been engaged in horrific trench warfare against the Germans for years in the early 20th Century, are presented with a Fraulein as entertainment in a tavern.



A bit of trivia: Director Stanley Kubrick married the German singer, Christiane Harlan, whom he met during the filming of the movie, and they remained husband and wife until his death in 1999.

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