"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one unto his own city.
And Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, unto Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
The Gospel According to LUKE 2:1-14 (Authorized King James Version)
Very best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas 2010 and Happy New Year 2011!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick - NOT!
Having just read a fascinating bestseller account of one of the lesser known chapters in the life of our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, I couldn't help but wonder if Wiki Leaks had existed in 1905 how history might have been changed. To quote its author, James Bradley, who also wrote Flags of Our Fathers, Roosevelt's conduct during this period ".....lit the fuse that would - decades later - result in a number of devastating wars: World War II, the Korean War, and the Communists revolution in China". While definitely a page-turner, it's very difficult to condense this book into a blog-readable synopsis, but I will try.
To better understand what happened, it is important to know that the United States for the most part was unquestionably racist toward people of any color back then whether red, yellow, brown or black. Notwithstanding our own Civil War, there was a very strong feeling in the 1800s and early 1900s to continue the sixteenth century English myth of Anglo-Saxon superiority by pushing westward at all cost, as evidenced by the forced relocation of the many Native Indian tribes to Oklahoma (i.e. the infamous Trail of Tears) beginning in 1838, the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, and the savage 25-year Indian Wars, the longest in American history, which were capped with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Once the Pacific Ocean was reached, those same eyes began looking even farther west to the Philippines and Asia with similar intent, to wit the opening quote in this book from Theodore Roosevelt on October 29, 1900: "I wish to see the United States the dominant power on the shores of the Pacific Ocean". This position was made even clearer by his declaration that "Our future history will be more determined by our position on the Pacific facing China than our position on the Atlantic facing Europe". How prophetic that statement was, but obviously in a much different context than exists today.
So it was into this cauldron of racism and western expansionism that Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was born on October 27, 1858. "Teddy", unlike his later rough and tumble somewhat manufactured persona, was actually a very frail and sickly child who suffered from asthma throughout his life, was raised and educated in a confined environment, read numerous dime novels full of racial stereotypes and had little contact with the outside world. However, he was encouraged by his father to "embrace manhood and thwart overcivilization (sic) with a rigorous bodybuilding program". Later he overcompensated for this upbringing by becoming increasingly more aggressive and ruthless. At his first school, Harvard, he quickly assimilated with the very rich and counted among his favorite professors one Nathaniel Shaler who taught white supremacy based on the same English tradition of the 1500s noted above. I believe both of these life experiences were integral to shaping his philosophy of "Speak softly and carry a big stick" which, even though romanticized in most historical accounts of his life, did not serve this country well, as we shall see.
Fast forward to his first experience on the national political scene. After serving as member on the ill-fated and corrupt New York Police Board, he lobbied hard and finally won an appointment in April 1897 to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley administration where, in his boss's absence, he again put his lobbying skills to work, only this time to start a war to grab the Philippines. In a memo to a West Point professor he put it this way: "In strict confidence...I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one." Well, he got his wish times two. On May 15, 1898, the USS Maine accidentally exploded in Havana Harbor but, fueled by the May 18th edition of the Hearst New York Journal quoting Roosevelt that it was not an accident, resulted in a national drumbeat for war that President McKinley reluctantly answered by signing a declaration of war. "Teddy" volunteered for service and thus the famous Rough Riders, a name taken directly from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, were born. While sold on the theme of "benevolent intentions" ("Speak softly...."), it was anything but. The Platt Amendment was canceled, Cuba was forbidden from making treaties with any other country, we forced them to give us Guantanamo Bay and Cuba lost their independence ("....and carry a big stick"). Then came the Philippines which were tagged as "The Cuba of the Far East" in an 1898 article in the North American Review. Same song, second verse where we offered to help Emilio Aguinaldo, their freedom-fighting first president in his country's fight for independence from Spain, by assuring him that "the United States is a great and rich nation and needs no colonies" ("Speak softly...). After sailing into Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, neutralizing the Spanish Navy and letting the Filipino freedom fighters do the grunt work on land, we did exactly the opposite and began a brutal and vicious campaign to take over the Philippines ("....and carry a big stick"). There is much more to this sad chapter in our history but time and space does not permit a full accounting. At least on June 12, 1898, the Filipinos celebrated their first Independence Day, even though they would not repeat that celebration for another sixty-four years.
Then there is the disastrous diplomacy employed in our dealings with the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese which was further complicated by a secret mission commissioned by President Roosevelt in 1905 on which this book is primarily based. It commenced on July 1st and involved his daughter, Alice, Secretary of War William Taft, seven senators and twenty-three congressmen along with their wives and aides. In effect they were to tour Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, China and Korea while he continued to negotiate various agreements with the leaders of Japan, Korea and China with absolutely no congressional knowledge or authority to do so. Among many other things he befriended the Japanese who were engaged in a conflict with Russia leading them to believe that they should adopt their own version of our Monroe Doctrine for Asia, thinking they could "Americanize" that region; persuaded Korea to sign the U.S-Korea Treaty in which it was declared that there "shall be perpetual peace and friendship" between the two countries, with Korea believing that the United States would protect them from "western predators" when Roosevelt was quoted in 1900 as saying "I should like to see Japan have Korea", ostensibly, to provide a check on Russia; and destroyed a long standing and beneficial commercial relationship with China. In short, there were a series of blunders and mistakes built on ignorance, arrogance, duplicity and imperialism for which we are paying a heavy price to this very day. Since there is absolutely no way I can relate all of the intricacies of what actually transpired and convey the true depth and atmosphere of that period, I strongly suggest that those of you who have any interest in this phase of our history please read this book and decide for yourself whether "Speak softly and carry a big stick" actually worked in our best interests. You will not be disappointed.
Oh yes, its name? THE IMPERIAL CRUISE
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
To better understand what happened, it is important to know that the United States for the most part was unquestionably racist toward people of any color back then whether red, yellow, brown or black. Notwithstanding our own Civil War, there was a very strong feeling in the 1800s and early 1900s to continue the sixteenth century English myth of Anglo-Saxon superiority by pushing westward at all cost, as evidenced by the forced relocation of the many Native Indian tribes to Oklahoma (i.e. the infamous Trail of Tears) beginning in 1838, the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, and the savage 25-year Indian Wars, the longest in American history, which were capped with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Once the Pacific Ocean was reached, those same eyes began looking even farther west to the Philippines and Asia with similar intent, to wit the opening quote in this book from Theodore Roosevelt on October 29, 1900: "I wish to see the United States the dominant power on the shores of the Pacific Ocean". This position was made even clearer by his declaration that "Our future history will be more determined by our position on the Pacific facing China than our position on the Atlantic facing Europe". How prophetic that statement was, but obviously in a much different context than exists today.
So it was into this cauldron of racism and western expansionism that Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was born on October 27, 1858. "Teddy", unlike his later rough and tumble somewhat manufactured persona, was actually a very frail and sickly child who suffered from asthma throughout his life, was raised and educated in a confined environment, read numerous dime novels full of racial stereotypes and had little contact with the outside world. However, he was encouraged by his father to "embrace manhood and thwart overcivilization (sic) with a rigorous bodybuilding program". Later he overcompensated for this upbringing by becoming increasingly more aggressive and ruthless. At his first school, Harvard, he quickly assimilated with the very rich and counted among his favorite professors one Nathaniel Shaler who taught white supremacy based on the same English tradition of the 1500s noted above. I believe both of these life experiences were integral to shaping his philosophy of "Speak softly and carry a big stick" which, even though romanticized in most historical accounts of his life, did not serve this country well, as we shall see.
Fast forward to his first experience on the national political scene. After serving as member on the ill-fated and corrupt New York Police Board, he lobbied hard and finally won an appointment in April 1897 to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley administration where, in his boss's absence, he again put his lobbying skills to work, only this time to start a war to grab the Philippines. In a memo to a West Point professor he put it this way: "In strict confidence...I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one." Well, he got his wish times two. On May 15, 1898, the USS Maine accidentally exploded in Havana Harbor but, fueled by the May 18th edition of the Hearst New York Journal quoting Roosevelt that it was not an accident, resulted in a national drumbeat for war that President McKinley reluctantly answered by signing a declaration of war. "Teddy" volunteered for service and thus the famous Rough Riders, a name taken directly from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, were born. While sold on the theme of "benevolent intentions" ("Speak softly...."), it was anything but. The Platt Amendment was canceled, Cuba was forbidden from making treaties with any other country, we forced them to give us Guantanamo Bay and Cuba lost their independence ("....and carry a big stick"). Then came the Philippines which were tagged as "The Cuba of the Far East" in an 1898 article in the North American Review. Same song, second verse where we offered to help Emilio Aguinaldo, their freedom-fighting first president in his country's fight for independence from Spain, by assuring him that "the United States is a great and rich nation and needs no colonies" ("Speak softly...). After sailing into Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, neutralizing the Spanish Navy and letting the Filipino freedom fighters do the grunt work on land, we did exactly the opposite and began a brutal and vicious campaign to take over the Philippines ("....and carry a big stick"). There is much more to this sad chapter in our history but time and space does not permit a full accounting. At least on June 12, 1898, the Filipinos celebrated their first Independence Day, even though they would not repeat that celebration for another sixty-four years.
Then there is the disastrous diplomacy employed in our dealings with the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese which was further complicated by a secret mission commissioned by President Roosevelt in 1905 on which this book is primarily based. It commenced on July 1st and involved his daughter, Alice, Secretary of War William Taft, seven senators and twenty-three congressmen along with their wives and aides. In effect they were to tour Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, China and Korea while he continued to negotiate various agreements with the leaders of Japan, Korea and China with absolutely no congressional knowledge or authority to do so. Among many other things he befriended the Japanese who were engaged in a conflict with Russia leading them to believe that they should adopt their own version of our Monroe Doctrine for Asia, thinking they could "Americanize" that region; persuaded Korea to sign the U.S-Korea Treaty in which it was declared that there "shall be perpetual peace and friendship" between the two countries, with Korea believing that the United States would protect them from "western predators" when Roosevelt was quoted in 1900 as saying "I should like to see Japan have Korea", ostensibly, to provide a check on Russia; and destroyed a long standing and beneficial commercial relationship with China. In short, there were a series of blunders and mistakes built on ignorance, arrogance, duplicity and imperialism for which we are paying a heavy price to this very day. Since there is absolutely no way I can relate all of the intricacies of what actually transpired and convey the true depth and atmosphere of that period, I strongly suggest that those of you who have any interest in this phase of our history please read this book and decide for yourself whether "Speak softly and carry a big stick" actually worked in our best interests. You will not be disappointed.
Oh yes, its name? THE IMPERIAL CRUISE
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Potpourri IV
Since we are rapidly closing in on the end of this year, now would be the perfect time to once again purge my inbox of carry-over items, and prepare to start 2011 with a new clean slate of issues. So, with your indulgence, here they are.
1. NIMBY - Once again "Not In My Back Yard" raises its ugly head and threatens to kill the latest site for a homeless shelter in Little Rock. What exactly are people afraid of, particularly in an industrial zone across from a scrap yard? Is it better to have our homeless population roam the streets of our city in a scattered fashion and set up shop in their de facto day resource center on the southwest corner of Markham and Cross Streets, or have a clean, sanitary, safe and protected place for them to go? The need is urgent and the time is now, so I trust our city fathers will not once again cave on this issue and instead will do the absolutely right thing and make that proposed 9th Street location the proud new home for our homeless population. And please don't use that tired old excuse of no money. How about re-appropriating that annual $200,000 unaccounted for gift to the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce as start?
2. Vive la France, and Hawaii, Too - Several years ago there was a flap about extensive, and in some cases questionable, travel of some Little Rock City Directors to foreign countries. One of the off-shoots of that issue as I recall was that at the very least the travelers owed the taxpayers a report of what was learned or gained to the benefit of the city as a result of those travels. Has any such reporting of recent foreign travels by city representatives been made to the public?
3. Here We Go Again - Once again it's time for the revolving door of replacing superintendents of the Little Rock School District to start spinning. At least this time it has taken 3.3 years to make another change when the average tenure of a LRSD superintendent since 1978 has been a dismal 1.7 years (yes, we've had 18 during the past 32 years, some of whom were interim, others repeats). By that measure I guess we should rate the current occupant of this office as a major success. Do the names Masem, Kelly, Jones, Williams, Carnine, James, and Brooks, to name just a few, ring a bell? With all of the challenges that this district has gone through during these past three decades, it would seem that the one thing we need more than any other is stability in leadership, including a firm commitment to this community. In that regard is it necessary to again spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to conduct a national search to find another superintendent (see above list for the track record of that method) when, in fact, there may be other excellent candidates within the State of Arkansas, if not Little Rock, who have a deep appreciation of our history, as well as the professional knowledge, to bring that needed stability to our local situation?
4. I've Got Mine, Now You Get Yours - So, let me get this straight. Our congress is now debating the merits of whether to extend unemployment benefits to those in our country who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own during the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression , but only if the top 2% of the richest members of our society get their reduced taxes extended. What's wrong with this picture? Are we so selfish in this country that we would further penalize those who have been impacted the most by this latest recession at the very time they so desperately need help, and add another $700 billion to our $14 trillion debt in the process? Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Ted Turner among others don't think so, and neither do I.
5. Good-By to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - Simply put, it's past time to put this policy of asking many our brave military personnel to live a lie when they are risking their lives daily to defend our freedoms, one of which is to not be persecuted for sexual orientation. I would suspect that among the multitude of young men and women in uniform under 25 years of age this is a non-issue, so it seems to be influenced by demographics with some post-Vietnam generals just not able to face reality. Somehow we have got to purge ourselves of this homophobia not only in the armed forces, but in our society in general.
6. Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil - Listening to and reading about all of the reaction to the Wiki Leaks matter, I must confess some ambiguity. On the one hand, if the release of all of those documents has caused irreparable harm to our national security and diplomatic apparatus and put people's lives at risk, not unlike the Valerie Plame outing in 2003, then it is obviously a bad thing for which appropriate legal measures should be taken against the perpetrator(s). However, if it is a release of information to which the public is entitled anyway, then my reaction is somewhat tempered. Also, it calls into play the question of how the world might have been different had the public been privy to the truth at critical times in our history had we known about them at the time (e.g. our early engagements with Cuba and the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, the truth about the Iraq War, etc.). If nothing else I trust this affair will place all diplomats and others in public service on notice to be much more circumspect in their comments, lest they bear the brunt of them being publicly disclosed.
7. The Last Station - As history marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Leo Tolstoy at the Astapovo train station in the bleak cold winter of 1910, may I recommend the movie "The Last Station" about his life and that event. It's a great story with a cast of marvelous actors.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
1. NIMBY - Once again "Not In My Back Yard" raises its ugly head and threatens to kill the latest site for a homeless shelter in Little Rock. What exactly are people afraid of, particularly in an industrial zone across from a scrap yard? Is it better to have our homeless population roam the streets of our city in a scattered fashion and set up shop in their de facto day resource center on the southwest corner of Markham and Cross Streets, or have a clean, sanitary, safe and protected place for them to go? The need is urgent and the time is now, so I trust our city fathers will not once again cave on this issue and instead will do the absolutely right thing and make that proposed 9th Street location the proud new home for our homeless population. And please don't use that tired old excuse of no money. How about re-appropriating that annual $200,000 unaccounted for gift to the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce as start?
2. Vive la France, and Hawaii, Too - Several years ago there was a flap about extensive, and in some cases questionable, travel of some Little Rock City Directors to foreign countries. One of the off-shoots of that issue as I recall was that at the very least the travelers owed the taxpayers a report of what was learned or gained to the benefit of the city as a result of those travels. Has any such reporting of recent foreign travels by city representatives been made to the public?
3. Here We Go Again - Once again it's time for the revolving door of replacing superintendents of the Little Rock School District to start spinning. At least this time it has taken 3.3 years to make another change when the average tenure of a LRSD superintendent since 1978 has been a dismal 1.7 years (yes, we've had 18 during the past 32 years, some of whom were interim, others repeats). By that measure I guess we should rate the current occupant of this office as a major success. Do the names Masem, Kelly, Jones, Williams, Carnine, James, and Brooks, to name just a few, ring a bell? With all of the challenges that this district has gone through during these past three decades, it would seem that the one thing we need more than any other is stability in leadership, including a firm commitment to this community. In that regard is it necessary to again spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to conduct a national search to find another superintendent (see above list for the track record of that method) when, in fact, there may be other excellent candidates within the State of Arkansas, if not Little Rock, who have a deep appreciation of our history, as well as the professional knowledge, to bring that needed stability to our local situation?
4. I've Got Mine, Now You Get Yours - So, let me get this straight. Our congress is now debating the merits of whether to extend unemployment benefits to those in our country who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own during the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression , but only if the top 2% of the richest members of our society get their reduced taxes extended. What's wrong with this picture? Are we so selfish in this country that we would further penalize those who have been impacted the most by this latest recession at the very time they so desperately need help, and add another $700 billion to our $14 trillion debt in the process? Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Ted Turner among others don't think so, and neither do I.
5. Good-By to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - Simply put, it's past time to put this policy of asking many our brave military personnel to live a lie when they are risking their lives daily to defend our freedoms, one of which is to not be persecuted for sexual orientation. I would suspect that among the multitude of young men and women in uniform under 25 years of age this is a non-issue, so it seems to be influenced by demographics with some post-Vietnam generals just not able to face reality. Somehow we have got to purge ourselves of this homophobia not only in the armed forces, but in our society in general.
6. Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil - Listening to and reading about all of the reaction to the Wiki Leaks matter, I must confess some ambiguity. On the one hand, if the release of all of those documents has caused irreparable harm to our national security and diplomatic apparatus and put people's lives at risk, not unlike the Valerie Plame outing in 2003, then it is obviously a bad thing for which appropriate legal measures should be taken against the perpetrator(s). However, if it is a release of information to which the public is entitled anyway, then my reaction is somewhat tempered. Also, it calls into play the question of how the world might have been different had the public been privy to the truth at critical times in our history had we known about them at the time (e.g. our early engagements with Cuba and the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, the truth about the Iraq War, etc.). If nothing else I trust this affair will place all diplomats and others in public service on notice to be much more circumspect in their comments, lest they bear the brunt of them being publicly disclosed.
7. The Last Station - As history marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Leo Tolstoy at the Astapovo train station in the bleak cold winter of 1910, may I recommend the movie "The Last Station" about his life and that event. It's a great story with a cast of marvelous actors.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Arrogance of Power
Forty-four years ago Arkansas' own Senator J. William Fulbright published The Arrogance of Power which reflected his deep concern over the growing imperial attitude of the United States fueled by our military power as it was specifically applied to the ever expanding Vietnam War. He called it the "fatal impact of the rich and strong on the poor and the weak". Since that time there have been numerous other tomes written on this subject up to and including those dealing with the similarity between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. More recently a different slant on the arrogance of power was written by a Dr. Robert R. Owens just this past March over his belief that "Americans face a naked power grab by those who seek to turn America into a regimented collectivist society", about which you can read more at http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/21252 . Since it is a theme that lives on with many variations, I would like to apply it to some more contemporary examples of "arrogance of power" involving public officials whether elected, appointed or hired.
On the national scene, how many times have we witnessed a fall from grace by members of our congress, as well as their lobbyist cronies, as a result of a blatant abuse of power driven by pure arrogance and, often times, money? Some have even been sent to jail for their misdeeds. Most recently, we have watched a long term veteran of the House of Representatives with a fifty year distinguished career in military and public service to this country, including chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, be convicted and censored by his own peers for his self-inflected mistakes. How sad to witness the picture of a dejected and beaten man, a victim of his own form of arrogance. Ironically, it was our own Wilbur Mills who, as chairman of that same committee, suffered a similar fate many years ago.
Then, we have state-wide examples of that same arrogance in state employees who game the retirement system by entering into brief periods of retirement to, essentially, double dip into the state treasury; state lottery officials who award themselves comp time, pay unsubstantiated and excessive travel expenses, fail to file proper financial reports, enter into unauthorized contracts and hire people without proper background checks (per an article by John Lyon of the Arkansas News Bureau at http://arkansasnews.com/2010/11/21/problem-filled-audit-report-may-lead-to-closer-scrutiny-of-lottery/ ); and then there is the mother of all examples of arrogance of power the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission which wants to write its own set of laws. Thankfully, in every one of these cases it has been that ever present and pesky press which has exposed these practices and, thereby, brought about some correction and needed reform to them.
And, finally, there is the local situation surrounding our Little Rock National Airport's recent experience with inappropriate spending of public funds by its Executive Director. This is an example of what could be best described as "Cookie Jar Arrogance" where responsible parties treat their access to the public treasury as if it were their own private account and spend it accordingly. In this case, thanks to one particularly vigilant Airport Commissioner and, once again, the press, this misdeed was exposed, appropriate contrition expressed by the offender and full restitution made by the recipient of these errant funds.
But the obvious danger in all of this type of misbehavior is that it completely destroys public trust in our political institutions, the people running them and those in oversight positions whose job it is to play watchdog over their activities. Along with that mistrust is the nagging feeling of what other indiscretions these people might be engaged in that we know nothing about. Or, just as disgraceful, will they resume practicing that same exposed "arrogance of power" once the dust settles? The key is to make sure that people of the highest character, ethics and judgment are placed in those positions to begin with and that they are made abundantly aware of what is and is not acceptable conduct.
On a more positive note, as we go into the holiday season, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
On the national scene, how many times have we witnessed a fall from grace by members of our congress, as well as their lobbyist cronies, as a result of a blatant abuse of power driven by pure arrogance and, often times, money? Some have even been sent to jail for their misdeeds. Most recently, we have watched a long term veteran of the House of Representatives with a fifty year distinguished career in military and public service to this country, including chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, be convicted and censored by his own peers for his self-inflected mistakes. How sad to witness the picture of a dejected and beaten man, a victim of his own form of arrogance. Ironically, it was our own Wilbur Mills who, as chairman of that same committee, suffered a similar fate many years ago.
Then, we have state-wide examples of that same arrogance in state employees who game the retirement system by entering into brief periods of retirement to, essentially, double dip into the state treasury; state lottery officials who award themselves comp time, pay unsubstantiated and excessive travel expenses, fail to file proper financial reports, enter into unauthorized contracts and hire people without proper background checks (per an article by John Lyon of the Arkansas News Bureau at http://arkansasnews.com/2010/11/21/problem-filled-audit-report-may-lead-to-closer-scrutiny-of-lottery/ ); and then there is the mother of all examples of arrogance of power the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission which wants to write its own set of laws. Thankfully, in every one of these cases it has been that ever present and pesky press which has exposed these practices and, thereby, brought about some correction and needed reform to them.
And, finally, there is the local situation surrounding our Little Rock National Airport's recent experience with inappropriate spending of public funds by its Executive Director. This is an example of what could be best described as "Cookie Jar Arrogance" where responsible parties treat their access to the public treasury as if it were their own private account and spend it accordingly. In this case, thanks to one particularly vigilant Airport Commissioner and, once again, the press, this misdeed was exposed, appropriate contrition expressed by the offender and full restitution made by the recipient of these errant funds.
But the obvious danger in all of this type of misbehavior is that it completely destroys public trust in our political institutions, the people running them and those in oversight positions whose job it is to play watchdog over their activities. Along with that mistrust is the nagging feeling of what other indiscretions these people might be engaged in that we know nothing about. Or, just as disgraceful, will they resume practicing that same exposed "arrogance of power" once the dust settles? The key is to make sure that people of the highest character, ethics and judgment are placed in those positions to begin with and that they are made abundantly aware of what is and is not acceptable conduct.
On a more positive note, as we go into the holiday season, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Meet the New Alexander Pushkin
As the old saying goes, "Life is full of surprises", and I was richly treated to an extraordinary one this past weekend while visiting my son and his family in California and being his guest at a most unusual and unique event (thus the reason for no new post on Sunday). The occasion was the unveiling of an amazing creation by one of the many brilliant Silicon Valley innovators who, out of respect for his desire to remain nameless shall be referred to as Mr. X, collaborated with Francois Junod, considered one of the world's foremost builders of automates. As defined by Ron Decourte in February 2005, "an automate is a combination of art, sculpture and mechanics used to create articulated, moving models resembling life and fantasy in all its forms". To learn more about Monsieur Junod and his dazzling art form, please go to http://www.francoisjunod.com/index.php?id=539.
Briefly, as I understood from the presentation, Mr. X's idea was to utilize the well-known, old world watch-making skills of the Swiss to construct a mechanical replica of a known poet from history which would be able to compose and illustrate randomly generated short poems. In addition this particular creation would be able to actually hand write multiple variations of these poems in the exact font of the original person, while previous automatons of this type have always been limited to writing just one repetitive sentence over and over in some standard font. To accomplish this feat this automaton would rely totally on a series of intricate gears that would be energized solely by winding mechanisms much like antique wall clocks which would be able, in the exact words of the invitation, "....to implement through purely mechanical means a grammar, a random number generator, a motion memory bank, and a memory address offset calculator". As such, no electrical sources, batteries or microchips of any kind would be used. While seemingly simple in concept, I cannot begin to relay the enormity of the many difficult challenges that were encountered in this project, not the least of which was a communication problem in the beginning between Mr. X and Monsieur Junod. In fact this obstacle was eventually solved by Mr. X writing a complex computer program to generate a rotating three dimensional model of exactly what he wanted. Then there were the added difficulties with physics, mass, size, weight, friction, etc., as well as just the practical aspects of hand crafting every one of the almost 3,500 mainly movable parts. And, finally, the exact physical features and period dress of the chosen poet had to be duplicated. Remarkably, all of this highly technical and complex development was driven strictly out of intellectual curiosity, as no commercial purpose is intended.
The end result of all this effort was the birth of the new Alexander Pushkin who you will meet in a moment. As a point of reference, the original Alexander Pushkin, born in Moscow in 1799, was Russia's premier poet and the first to use everyday speech in his poems. Also, he was one of the founders of modern Russian literature, and died in 1837 (learn more at http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/puskin.htm). The new Mr. Pushkin, conceived in a factory in Switzerland in 2003 but actually born only just this year, is approximately 45% of his namesake's size, has no heart, no brain, no sight, no hearing or other bodily functions whatsoever but can create poetry just the same. I was privileged to watch him do it firsthand, but now thanks to the wonderful world of technology you can also enjoy his marvelous creativity, as well as observe his internal mechanizations, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivIHcHwR6b0. You will be richly rewarded, too, so enjoy!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
NOTE: Regular weekly postings will resume on Sunday, November 21st, with the exception of December 26th following Christmas Day.
Briefly, as I understood from the presentation, Mr. X's idea was to utilize the well-known, old world watch-making skills of the Swiss to construct a mechanical replica of a known poet from history which would be able to compose and illustrate randomly generated short poems. In addition this particular creation would be able to actually hand write multiple variations of these poems in the exact font of the original person, while previous automatons of this type have always been limited to writing just one repetitive sentence over and over in some standard font. To accomplish this feat this automaton would rely totally on a series of intricate gears that would be energized solely by winding mechanisms much like antique wall clocks which would be able, in the exact words of the invitation, "....to implement through purely mechanical means a grammar, a random number generator, a motion memory bank, and a memory address offset calculator". As such, no electrical sources, batteries or microchips of any kind would be used. While seemingly simple in concept, I cannot begin to relay the enormity of the many difficult challenges that were encountered in this project, not the least of which was a communication problem in the beginning between Mr. X and Monsieur Junod. In fact this obstacle was eventually solved by Mr. X writing a complex computer program to generate a rotating three dimensional model of exactly what he wanted. Then there were the added difficulties with physics, mass, size, weight, friction, etc., as well as just the practical aspects of hand crafting every one of the almost 3,500 mainly movable parts. And, finally, the exact physical features and period dress of the chosen poet had to be duplicated. Remarkably, all of this highly technical and complex development was driven strictly out of intellectual curiosity, as no commercial purpose is intended.
The end result of all this effort was the birth of the new Alexander Pushkin who you will meet in a moment. As a point of reference, the original Alexander Pushkin, born in Moscow in 1799, was Russia's premier poet and the first to use everyday speech in his poems. Also, he was one of the founders of modern Russian literature, and died in 1837 (learn more at http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/puskin.htm). The new Mr. Pushkin, conceived in a factory in Switzerland in 2003 but actually born only just this year, is approximately 45% of his namesake's size, has no heart, no brain, no sight, no hearing or other bodily functions whatsoever but can create poetry just the same. I was privileged to watch him do it firsthand, but now thanks to the wonderful world of technology you can also enjoy his marvelous creativity, as well as observe his internal mechanizations, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivIHcHwR6b0. You will be richly rewarded, too, so enjoy!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
NOTE: Regular weekly postings will resume on Sunday, November 21st, with the exception of December 26th following Christmas Day.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
POLITICAL SMACK-DOWN
Thankfully, in approximately 48 hours this crazy and wacky mid-term election cycle will come to an end and not any too soon. It has been a true sight to behold as various campaigns devolve into the political equivalent of a WWE SmackDown or, even worse, extreme cage fighting, to wit:
1. Political operative stomps on the head of a subdued female protester in Kentucky.
2. Private, para-military "security guards" arrest and handcuff a reporter in Alaska.
3. A candidate in New York threatens another reporter to "take you out".
4. A candidate in Nevada recommends a "second amendment solution" to the current political situation.
5. Unauthorized uniformed thugs with batons man a polling precinct in Philadelphia.
6. A candidate in Ohio participates in Nazi war re-enactments, and is endorsed by the potential new Speaker of the House.
7. A candidate in Rhode Island tells the President of the United States to "take his endorsement and shove it".
8. A candidate in Delaware who proudly dabbled in witchcraft in her youthful years, and seems to know very little about the very Constitution she constantly wants to invoke.
And then there is the avalanche of campaign money that is expected to top $3 billion, $250 million of which has been provided by just three candidates to their own respective campaigns, as if personal wealth is all that is required to run for office. By the 2012 cycle it is estimated that the total may exceed $10 billion!
When you have the volatile mixture of anger and endless money, I guess this is what you get. But the truly sad thing is that while candidates beat up on each other in what Tom Friedman terms a "dysfunctional political system", the rest of the industrialized world proceeds to pass us by in education and technological development, as summarized in his column in the New York Times on October 27th. Specifically, he references last month's updated version of a 2005 report from the National Academies that recommended 10 actions our federal government could take to "enhance science and technology so America could successfully compete in the 21st century". Entitled "Rising Above the Gathering Storm Revisited: Rapidly approaching Category 5", this latest report concludes that despite all of the efforts of government and the private sector, America's ability to compete has "further deteriorated over the past five years" ( go to http://www.ucar.edu/oga/pdf/Revisited%20Hearing.pdf and learn more). Here are just some of the rankings to ponder:
1. 6th in global innovation-based competitiveness, but 40th in the rate of change over the past 40 years.
2. 11th in the fraction of 25-34-year-olds who have graduated from high school.
3. 16th in college completion rates.
4. 22nd in broadband Internet access.
5. 27th in the proportion of college graduates with degrees in science or engineering.
6. 48th in the quality of K-12 education in math and science.
Finally, we learn that China has built the world's fastest computer which has enormous implications for our defense, energy, finance, science and mainstream businesses (i.e. our total economy). This is just the latest achievement in China's quest to become a technological superpower, so it comes as no real surprise. When are we going to wake up to the fact that while our politicians engage in all of this outrageous and unacceptable conduct we are slipping from being number one in practically all of these categories? It's almost as if we are watching a combination of the TV reality program SURVIVOR, the movie JACKASS and a national Halloween Party. But the truly scary thing is that next Tuesday's election results will just be a pit stop on the way to 2012!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
1. Political operative stomps on the head of a subdued female protester in Kentucky.
2. Private, para-military "security guards" arrest and handcuff a reporter in Alaska.
3. A candidate in New York threatens another reporter to "take you out".
4. A candidate in Nevada recommends a "second amendment solution" to the current political situation.
5. Unauthorized uniformed thugs with batons man a polling precinct in Philadelphia.
6. A candidate in Ohio participates in Nazi war re-enactments, and is endorsed by the potential new Speaker of the House.
7. A candidate in Rhode Island tells the President of the United States to "take his endorsement and shove it".
8. A candidate in Delaware who proudly dabbled in witchcraft in her youthful years, and seems to know very little about the very Constitution she constantly wants to invoke.
And then there is the avalanche of campaign money that is expected to top $3 billion, $250 million of which has been provided by just three candidates to their own respective campaigns, as if personal wealth is all that is required to run for office. By the 2012 cycle it is estimated that the total may exceed $10 billion!
When you have the volatile mixture of anger and endless money, I guess this is what you get. But the truly sad thing is that while candidates beat up on each other in what Tom Friedman terms a "dysfunctional political system", the rest of the industrialized world proceeds to pass us by in education and technological development, as summarized in his column in the New York Times on October 27th. Specifically, he references last month's updated version of a 2005 report from the National Academies that recommended 10 actions our federal government could take to "enhance science and technology so America could successfully compete in the 21st century". Entitled "Rising Above the Gathering Storm Revisited: Rapidly approaching Category 5", this latest report concludes that despite all of the efforts of government and the private sector, America's ability to compete has "further deteriorated over the past five years" ( go to http://www.ucar.edu/oga/pdf/Revisited%20Hearing.pdf and learn more). Here are just some of the rankings to ponder:
1. 6th in global innovation-based competitiveness, but 40th in the rate of change over the past 40 years.
2. 11th in the fraction of 25-34-year-olds who have graduated from high school.
3. 16th in college completion rates.
4. 22nd in broadband Internet access.
5. 27th in the proportion of college graduates with degrees in science or engineering.
6. 48th in the quality of K-12 education in math and science.
Finally, we learn that China has built the world's fastest computer which has enormous implications for our defense, energy, finance, science and mainstream businesses (i.e. our total economy). This is just the latest achievement in China's quest to become a technological superpower, so it comes as no real surprise. When are we going to wake up to the fact that while our politicians engage in all of this outrageous and unacceptable conduct we are slipping from being number one in practically all of these categories? It's almost as if we are watching a combination of the TV reality program SURVIVOR, the movie JACKASS and a national Halloween Party. But the truly scary thing is that next Tuesday's election results will just be a pit stop on the way to 2012!
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Potpourri III
Once again the in-box is brimming full and needs to be emptied to make room for more directed posts in the future. Included under old business will be the first two which were triggered by last week's FEEDBACK post on health care and taxes.
American Health Care: Thanks to one of my good doctor friends with whom I have an on-going exchange on a variety of subjects, he has provided me with the following statistics compiled by the United Nations International Health Organization which makes one once again ponder the question of whether our health care system is "the finest in the world".
1. Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: U.S. - 65%, England - 46% and Canada - 42%.
2. Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months: U.S. - 93%, England - 15% and Canada 43%.
3. Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: U.S. - 90%, England - 15% and Canada 43%.
4. Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: U.S. - 77%, England - 40% and Canada - 43%.
5. Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people: U.S. 71%, England - 14% and Canada - 18%.
6. Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health": U.S. - 12%, England - 2% and Canada - 6%.
When compared with only two other countries on these six criteria, we obviously rate very high, but what about the rest of the world and the many other factors which need to be considered in making this evaluation?
Taxes and Wealth: I am not sure how many went to the link provided by another good friend who posted his comment, but it has a wealth (no pun intended) of information that I found very interesting, but too lengthy to summarize here. Instead, go read the full report "Who Rules America" at http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html.
Elitism: With all of the anger against what some activists on the right call the "elite" of our society only because of their broad intellect and excellent educations at some of our finest universities, I wonder if they have any problem with a small group of conservatives who come from that wealthiest segment of our society, capsulated in the above referenced report, who supposedly will be meeting in California to decide on the destiny of our country as seen through their gilded prism. How elite is that?
Process: One of the interesting facts about watching Sunday morning news shows is that if you wait long enough someone on one network will eventually say something with which you agree that totally contradicts an earlier comment by someone else on another network with which you disagree. Call it balance. Today's subject was "process" in the context of government operations. One talking head on ABC surmised that "No one cares about process", while another talking head on NBC had a "firm belief in process". With almost fifteen years in public service I can say with a high degree of certitude that "process" does matter. Often times it is the only thing that matters, because if the electorate are part of a well established, open and transparent process to determine public policy, they will more often than not buy into the final decision whether it succeeds or fails. I learned the hard way that those public entities which choose to conduct their affairs in secret among a select few will bear the price of such arrogance. The recent revelations about the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are a case in point.
What Are You?: Thanks again to my good doctor friend mentioned above, I received a link to a really interesting and fun link at http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz where you can take a quick test termed the World's Smallest Political Quiz that helps you determine your political identity if you do not already know it. You might be truly surprised. I was.
Will, I Hardly Knew Ye: Last week while in New York I had the unexpected pleasure of being invited to a screening of a documentary film on Will Barnet, a famous American painter who in 1992 gave 75 pieces of work to the Arkansas Arts Center. The invitation came from my old friend, Tinka, with whom I reconnected in August (re: my post RECONNECTIONS of 08-29-2010), and who was central to its production. While there, I had the added pleasure of meeting Will, who is up in years but still very active, and his lovely and gracious wife, Elena. As a result I have added the following link to his marvelous work at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501 to the list of featured artists below. Please go there and enjoy!
Growing national debt still at http://usdebtclock.org.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
American Health Care: Thanks to one of my good doctor friends with whom I have an on-going exchange on a variety of subjects, he has provided me with the following statistics compiled by the United Nations International Health Organization which makes one once again ponder the question of whether our health care system is "the finest in the world".
1. Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: U.S. - 65%, England - 46% and Canada - 42%.
2. Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months: U.S. - 93%, England - 15% and Canada 43%.
3. Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: U.S. - 90%, England - 15% and Canada 43%.
4. Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: U.S. - 77%, England - 40% and Canada - 43%.
5. Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people: U.S. 71%, England - 14% and Canada - 18%.
6. Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health": U.S. - 12%, England - 2% and Canada - 6%.
When compared with only two other countries on these six criteria, we obviously rate very high, but what about the rest of the world and the many other factors which need to be considered in making this evaluation?
Taxes and Wealth: I am not sure how many went to the link provided by another good friend who posted his comment, but it has a wealth (no pun intended) of information that I found very interesting, but too lengthy to summarize here. Instead, go read the full report "Who Rules America" at http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html.
Elitism: With all of the anger against what some activists on the right call the "elite" of our society only because of their broad intellect and excellent educations at some of our finest universities, I wonder if they have any problem with a small group of conservatives who come from that wealthiest segment of our society, capsulated in the above referenced report, who supposedly will be meeting in California to decide on the destiny of our country as seen through their gilded prism. How elite is that?
Process: One of the interesting facts about watching Sunday morning news shows is that if you wait long enough someone on one network will eventually say something with which you agree that totally contradicts an earlier comment by someone else on another network with which you disagree. Call it balance. Today's subject was "process" in the context of government operations. One talking head on ABC surmised that "No one cares about process", while another talking head on NBC had a "firm belief in process". With almost fifteen years in public service I can say with a high degree of certitude that "process" does matter. Often times it is the only thing that matters, because if the electorate are part of a well established, open and transparent process to determine public policy, they will more often than not buy into the final decision whether it succeeds or fails. I learned the hard way that those public entities which choose to conduct their affairs in secret among a select few will bear the price of such arrogance. The recent revelations about the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are a case in point.
What Are You?: Thanks again to my good doctor friend mentioned above, I received a link to a really interesting and fun link at http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz where you can take a quick test termed the World's Smallest Political Quiz that helps you determine your political identity if you do not already know it. You might be truly surprised. I was.
Will, I Hardly Knew Ye: Last week while in New York I had the unexpected pleasure of being invited to a screening of a documentary film on Will Barnet, a famous American painter who in 1992 gave 75 pieces of work to the Arkansas Arts Center. The invitation came from my old friend, Tinka, with whom I reconnected in August (re: my post RECONNECTIONS of 08-29-2010), and who was central to its production. While there, I had the added pleasure of meeting Will, who is up in years but still very active, and his lovely and gracious wife, Elena. As a result I have added the following link to his marvelous work at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501 to the list of featured artists below. Please go there and enjoy!
Growing national debt still at http://usdebtclock.org.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Feedback
Since one never knows exactly what the general reaction to these weekly posts is, as they may go unread, be quickly discarded or sent to Spam, reply e-mails and published comments are always welcomed and appreciated. However, when readers go to the trouble to mail printed documentation to either support or refute a point made in my postings, it signals that I have hit a nerve. Such was the case recently when issue was taken with my thoughts on heath care ("American Health Care - Laudatory But Extravagant" on 09/06/10) and taxes ("Ironies of Ironies" on 09/26/10).
In the first instance, my dear friend Judy was quick to challenge my statement that our health care system "was the finest in the world". To support her thesis that it is not, she sent me a copy of an article by T.R. Reid from the August 23, 2009, edition of The Washington Post entitled "5 Myths About Health Care Around the World" which are summarized below based on the author's worldly travels, with #5 presenting the most salient argument against the above characterization.
1. It's all socialized medicine out there. Not so.
2. Overseas, care is rationed through limited choices or long lines. Generally no.
3. Foreign health-care systems are inefficient, bloated bureaucracies. Much less so than here.
4. Cost controls stifle innovation. False.
5 Health care has to be cruel. Not really. Here the author concludes that due to the patch-work for profit nature of our health care system in the U.S. compared to others around the world, which are designed "only to pay people's medical bills", we have ended up with a system that "punctures the most persistent myth of all that America has the finest health care in the world". The rationale is that "almost all advanced countries have better national health care statistics than the United States where "700,000 Americans are forced into bankruptcy each year because of medical bills". My definition was more centered on physical facilities, doctors and technology with no consideration as to the cost burden, but you be the judge.
Now to taxes, a more complex and arcane subject to debate. Another old and dear friend, Charlie, sent me a packet of graphs, statistics and newspaper articles that I am still digesting, but I think his main rebuttal is that based on the latest IRS tax data of 2007, which predates the latest economic downtown, the top one percent of taxpayers paid over 40% of the federal income taxes collected, the highest among all groups, even though it was at an average effective tax rate of only 22.45% (see comment on effective versus applied tax rates below). Further, this data also points out that the top 50% of all taxpayers paid over 97% of all taxes collected, with the bottom half paying only 3% of the total taxes at an effective tax rate rate of the same 3%. So what? Isn't that the purpose of a progressive income tax schedule - i.e. for higher income earners to pay a higher rate of tax? That is exactly Warren Buffett's argument which was referenced in the Irony of Ironies blog of September 26th. Also, the above data just confirm another point made in that same blog that the effective tax rate paid by the wealthy is much lower than the applied tax rate because of tax credits and deductions allowable under the tax code. However, if you go to their website at http://taxfoundation.org you will see that based on the most current data of 2008 that previous 40% of total tax paid by the top 1% dropped to 38%.
Another point made by my friend came from an article by Walter Williams in the October 5th issue from I assume the Wall Street Journal, his favorite publication, that makes the case that all corporate tax increases and policies which restrict capital formation ultimately hit the middle class in the form of either increased prices, reduced dividends or layoffs. Consequently, Mr. Williams' opinion is that capital gains taxes, low depreciation and corporate taxes do not "serve the interests of workers, investors and consumers", and, therefore, we might be "much richer" without them. He may be right if getting rich is the main purpose in life, but what's not mentioned in that article are the other alternatives corporations have to the three options he mentions including reducing extraordinarily high executive compensation which is now a reportedly 300 times that of the average worker, curbing extravagant and unnecessary business expenditures and investing some of the trillions of dollars they have now accumulated in R&D and new technologies to enhance productivity.
All of this is to say that health care and taxes are tough issues to get one's head around, and there are many differing opinions as to the best approach for structuring both.
Growing national debt still at http://usdebtclock.org.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
In the first instance, my dear friend Judy was quick to challenge my statement that our health care system "was the finest in the world". To support her thesis that it is not, she sent me a copy of an article by T.R. Reid from the August 23, 2009, edition of The Washington Post entitled "5 Myths About Health Care Around the World" which are summarized below based on the author's worldly travels, with #5 presenting the most salient argument against the above characterization.
1. It's all socialized medicine out there. Not so.
2. Overseas, care is rationed through limited choices or long lines. Generally no.
3. Foreign health-care systems are inefficient, bloated bureaucracies. Much less so than here.
4. Cost controls stifle innovation. False.
5 Health care has to be cruel. Not really. Here the author concludes that due to the patch-work for profit nature of our health care system in the U.S. compared to others around the world, which are designed "only to pay people's medical bills", we have ended up with a system that "punctures the most persistent myth of all that America has the finest health care in the world". The rationale is that "almost all advanced countries have better national health care statistics than the United States where "700,000 Americans are forced into bankruptcy each year because of medical bills". My definition was more centered on physical facilities, doctors and technology with no consideration as to the cost burden, but you be the judge.
Now to taxes, a more complex and arcane subject to debate. Another old and dear friend, Charlie, sent me a packet of graphs, statistics and newspaper articles that I am still digesting, but I think his main rebuttal is that based on the latest IRS tax data of 2007, which predates the latest economic downtown, the top one percent of taxpayers paid over 40% of the federal income taxes collected, the highest among all groups, even though it was at an average effective tax rate of only 22.45% (see comment on effective versus applied tax rates below). Further, this data also points out that the top 50% of all taxpayers paid over 97% of all taxes collected, with the bottom half paying only 3% of the total taxes at an effective tax rate rate of the same 3%. So what? Isn't that the purpose of a progressive income tax schedule - i.e. for higher income earners to pay a higher rate of tax? That is exactly Warren Buffett's argument which was referenced in the Irony of Ironies blog of September 26th. Also, the above data just confirm another point made in that same blog that the effective tax rate paid by the wealthy is much lower than the applied tax rate because of tax credits and deductions allowable under the tax code. However, if you go to their website at http://taxfoundation.org you will see that based on the most current data of 2008 that previous 40% of total tax paid by the top 1% dropped to 38%.
Another point made by my friend came from an article by Walter Williams in the October 5th issue from I assume the Wall Street Journal, his favorite publication, that makes the case that all corporate tax increases and policies which restrict capital formation ultimately hit the middle class in the form of either increased prices, reduced dividends or layoffs. Consequently, Mr. Williams' opinion is that capital gains taxes, low depreciation and corporate taxes do not "serve the interests of workers, investors and consumers", and, therefore, we might be "much richer" without them. He may be right if getting rich is the main purpose in life, but what's not mentioned in that article are the other alternatives corporations have to the three options he mentions including reducing extraordinarily high executive compensation which is now a reportedly 300 times that of the average worker, curbing extravagant and unnecessary business expenditures and investing some of the trillions of dollars they have now accumulated in R&D and new technologies to enhance productivity.
All of this is to say that health care and taxes are tough issues to get one's head around, and there are many differing opinions as to the best approach for structuring both.
Growing national debt still at http://usdebtclock.org.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Reeling in the Big Ones
On November 2nd the voters of Arkansas will once again be asked to address the issue of providing government incentives to attract businesses to our state under the auspices of creating jobs by modifying the existing language of Amendment 82 passed in 2004. The tag line in this morning's ADMZ labeled it "Toss business-lure rules, voters urged". Specifically, under proposed Issue 3, the current requirement that target companies spend at least $500 million in capital expenditures and create at least 500 new jobs would be eliminated, thus allowing greater flexibility in appealing to a wider range of businesses, as few companies can meet the above criteria. The exact language can be found at http://votenaturally.org/2010_elections/hjr1007.html.
While such corporate subsidies have been used successfully in Arkansas, as well as surrounding states, I have always been struck by the irony of how readily corporations are to accept these gifts, more commonly termed "incentives", from the taxpayers while at the same time the business world in general seems to always decry taxes of any kind. In addition some of these arrangements appear to be disproportionate to the size of the investment. For example, it was recently announced that the City of Fort Smith is getting ready to pony up $80 million in incentives including bonds and infrastructure improvements, to attract a $100 million wind turbine plant. Gosh, what business wouldn't love to have that same level of help. And then there is the validity of the impact studies themselves that are made to justify these commitments which, we assume, are based on realistic and supportable data. Since there is virtually no public transparency about these deals, even though public funds are used to finance them, it's impossible to know. (This same argument was made for government contributions to local Chambers of Commerce in great detail in an April 4th article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, but that's a possible issue for another day). The absence of transparency is, in fact, exactly why the Arkansas Public Policy Panel refuses to take a position on Issue 3. And, finally, what follow-up is made after these funds are expended to verify those impact studies, and what happens if the level of job creation on which they were based does not materialize? Or what happens if there are general employment layoffs after the fact as has occurred during this economic downturn? Does the state get its money back? Also, there are the contemporaneous "incentives" from cities and counties which historically are offered, too, which need the same level of scrutiny and safeguards, not to mention the $1.6 trillion in cash corporations are now sitting on which raises the question of why they even need financial help in the first place.
No one, including me, will argue with the need for governments at all level (i.e. city, county and state) to create a business friendly environment to attract companies and create jobs. My only point is that the taxpayers within those government locals need to be assured that the highest level of economic justification is made before doling out those dollars, as well as a continued assessment of that investment to ensure that all job creation benefits actually accrue to the city, county and/or state as proposed. If not, then there should be a mechanism to recoup that taxpayer investment, in my view. That said, I am confident that Issue 3 will no doubt pass, as the need to keep up with the competition and pressure to address employment issues are simply too great.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
While such corporate subsidies have been used successfully in Arkansas, as well as surrounding states, I have always been struck by the irony of how readily corporations are to accept these gifts, more commonly termed "incentives", from the taxpayers while at the same time the business world in general seems to always decry taxes of any kind. In addition some of these arrangements appear to be disproportionate to the size of the investment. For example, it was recently announced that the City of Fort Smith is getting ready to pony up $80 million in incentives including bonds and infrastructure improvements, to attract a $100 million wind turbine plant. Gosh, what business wouldn't love to have that same level of help. And then there is the validity of the impact studies themselves that are made to justify these commitments which, we assume, are based on realistic and supportable data. Since there is virtually no public transparency about these deals, even though public funds are used to finance them, it's impossible to know. (This same argument was made for government contributions to local Chambers of Commerce in great detail in an April 4th article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, but that's a possible issue for another day). The absence of transparency is, in fact, exactly why the Arkansas Public Policy Panel refuses to take a position on Issue 3. And, finally, what follow-up is made after these funds are expended to verify those impact studies, and what happens if the level of job creation on which they were based does not materialize? Or what happens if there are general employment layoffs after the fact as has occurred during this economic downturn? Does the state get its money back? Also, there are the contemporaneous "incentives" from cities and counties which historically are offered, too, which need the same level of scrutiny and safeguards, not to mention the $1.6 trillion in cash corporations are now sitting on which raises the question of why they even need financial help in the first place.
No one, including me, will argue with the need for governments at all level (i.e. city, county and state) to create a business friendly environment to attract companies and create jobs. My only point is that the taxpayers within those government locals need to be assured that the highest level of economic justification is made before doling out those dollars, as well as a continued assessment of that investment to ensure that all job creation benefits actually accrue to the city, county and/or state as proposed. If not, then there should be a mechanism to recoup that taxpayer investment, in my view. That said, I am confident that Issue 3 will no doubt pass, as the need to keep up with the competition and pressure to address employment issues are simply too great.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Monday, October 4, 2010
WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!
"WOW!" That was the expression used by Lesley Stahl in her interview with the departed commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, on 60 MINUTES yesterday when he told her that "it is yet to be determined" whether Iran will become the biggest beneficiary of the Iraq war. This was after it was reported in the New York Times that the newest attempt to form a coalition government in Iraq now includes the supporters of Moktada al-Sadar against whom American and Iraqi troops fought so violently in 2007, and who the current administration feels would have strong ties with Iran, thus increasing their influence in Iraq. So, after seven years, 4,500+ lives lost, no telling how many hundreds of billions of dollars spent and a Middle East now more fragile than ever, we learn that the very country we would least want to rise in influence in that region is now on the verge of doing that very thing. I agree - WOW!
As that conflict supposedly winds down with the largest movement of troops and material since WWII, we find just the reverse in the war de jour - Afghanistan, geographically separated from Iraq by only one country. Guess who? Iran. Just this past weekend I was privileged to hear an officer in our armed forces, who had just returned from Afghanistan, describe first hand what's going on there. Obviously, we all know about the surge which brings with it another significant movement of troops and material, but under much more difficult circumstances than moving out of Iraq including weather, lack of infrastructure in many places, multi-tribalism, corruption and the absence of a strong central government. What was news to me, however, is the apparent fragmentation and friction among our individual "coalition" forces (e.g. Britain, Germany, Italy, etc.), as well as with NATO itself. Much like Berlin after WWII, the country has been divvied up between coalition forces where each force is responsible for its own sector to the extent that there are sometimes even communication problems between these forces, caused not by language barriers but, rather, hardware incompatibility. While hopeful, this young man did not seem very encouraged by his experience. So, at a time we are winding down in one theater where the measure of success is very much in doubt, we're cranking it up in another where there may be even less chance to achieve a meaningful purpose, particularly if we continue to alienate Pakistan. This was another WOW moment for me.
And then there was the report in yesterday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by David Zucchino of the Los Angeles Times that the U.S. military is now going "back to basics" and concentrate on fighting big wars. To quote that article: "Drained of grueling efforts to win over civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is refocusing on fighting and killing the enemy, not nation-building". In the words of Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, "The United States is unlikely to repeat a mission on the scale of those in Iraq or Afghanistan anytime soon. Instead, U.S. forces will probably be called on to help other countries' armies defend themselves, particularly against terrorist attacks, but also against conventional armies". To further quote Lawrence Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense, "We aren't going to be doing counterinsurgency again.... We're not good at it". WOW again! What a great time to figure that out, just as we today absorb the latest travel alert for Americans going anywhere in Europe as a direct result of another more general terrorist threat.
And, finally, while we have been bogged down with these two conflicts for almost a decade, excluding Iraq 1, we now learn that China has cornered the market on rare-earth oxides that are essential in building the very arms necessary for our defense weapons to fight these wars, as well as building electric vehicles and wind turbines, both elements of our transition to a green economy. And this latest revelation is on top of them buying up all of the conventional minerals they can world-wide, purchasing billions of dollars of our debt, manufacturing a slew of our imported products which are apparently subsidized with currency manipulation and more recently slapping a tariff on our poultry exported to China. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! We need to get "back to basics" all right, but in more ways than one, in my view.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
As that conflict supposedly winds down with the largest movement of troops and material since WWII, we find just the reverse in the war de jour - Afghanistan, geographically separated from Iraq by only one country. Guess who? Iran. Just this past weekend I was privileged to hear an officer in our armed forces, who had just returned from Afghanistan, describe first hand what's going on there. Obviously, we all know about the surge which brings with it another significant movement of troops and material, but under much more difficult circumstances than moving out of Iraq including weather, lack of infrastructure in many places, multi-tribalism, corruption and the absence of a strong central government. What was news to me, however, is the apparent fragmentation and friction among our individual "coalition" forces (e.g. Britain, Germany, Italy, etc.), as well as with NATO itself. Much like Berlin after WWII, the country has been divvied up between coalition forces where each force is responsible for its own sector to the extent that there are sometimes even communication problems between these forces, caused not by language barriers but, rather, hardware incompatibility. While hopeful, this young man did not seem very encouraged by his experience. So, at a time we are winding down in one theater where the measure of success is very much in doubt, we're cranking it up in another where there may be even less chance to achieve a meaningful purpose, particularly if we continue to alienate Pakistan. This was another WOW moment for me.
And then there was the report in yesterday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by David Zucchino of the Los Angeles Times that the U.S. military is now going "back to basics" and concentrate on fighting big wars. To quote that article: "Drained of grueling efforts to win over civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is refocusing on fighting and killing the enemy, not nation-building". In the words of Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, "The United States is unlikely to repeat a mission on the scale of those in Iraq or Afghanistan anytime soon. Instead, U.S. forces will probably be called on to help other countries' armies defend themselves, particularly against terrorist attacks, but also against conventional armies". To further quote Lawrence Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense, "We aren't going to be doing counterinsurgency again.... We're not good at it". WOW again! What a great time to figure that out, just as we today absorb the latest travel alert for Americans going anywhere in Europe as a direct result of another more general terrorist threat.
And, finally, while we have been bogged down with these two conflicts for almost a decade, excluding Iraq 1, we now learn that China has cornered the market on rare-earth oxides that are essential in building the very arms necessary for our defense weapons to fight these wars, as well as building electric vehicles and wind turbines, both elements of our transition to a green economy. And this latest revelation is on top of them buying up all of the conventional minerals they can world-wide, purchasing billions of dollars of our debt, manufacturing a slew of our imported products which are apparently subsidized with currency manipulation and more recently slapping a tariff on our poultry exported to China. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! We need to get "back to basics" all right, but in more ways than one, in my view.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Irony of Ironies
Having listened to all of the recent rhetoric about extending tax cuts for the wealthy, downsizing government, repealing the recently passed health care legislation and restoring our "lost freedoms", it occurs to me that all of those proposing these actions might want to assess their positions more carefully.
With our national debt increasing by the day to astronomical levels (see for yourself at http://usdebtclock.org ), how could any fiscally responsible person call for further increasing that debt by granting continuing tax breaks to the wealthiest 1% of our society who on the average actually pay only half of the maximum tax rate of 35%? Their good fortune in a reduced tax bill is due to the nature of our voluminous and complex tax code which contains a whole slew of perfectly legal tax breaks for those who are enterprising enough to take advantage of them. In addition in 2007 this same group shared almost 25% of our total national income for only the second time in our history. The first was 1928 and we all know what followed. While some members of this affluent group like Ben Stein complain about paying any increase in taxes as he did on the CBS Morning Show last Sunday, Warren Buffett summed it up best when he allowed that something is drastically wrong when his secretary pays proportionately more income tax than he. Also, wasn't it Oliver Wendell Holmes who declared that "taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society"? So, if these anti-tax folks get their way, what happens to our infrastructure, defense, education, transportation apparatus, legal system, emergency response capability, parks, homeland security and social services if there is a $700 billion decrease in tax revenue over the next decade as projected due to extending tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of our population?
Presumably, any reduction in the taxes collected would most likely lead to that very downsizing in government most of these same people want, but at the very time when we need it most. In the 80's it was called "starving the beast", but only five years ago the nation was clamoring to know where that "beast" was when the gulf coast was ravaged by hurricane Katrina, and only five months ago when that same coast was dealt another blow with the BP oil spill. And let's not forget how last year the "beast" virtually saved the financial structure and integrity of this nation on which so much of our economy relies, not to mention the plethora of local, county and state grants, concessions and gifts which are given each year to corporations to encourage them to build or expand plants supposedly to create jobs. Where would that pool of money come from if tax revenue is reduced?
Then, we have the clarion call by many to repeal the new health care law right at the very time its benefits are starting to kick in, some just this past week. Who can argue with lifetime caps being banned, not being kicked off of coverage if you get sick, allowing children under 19 with pre-existing conditions to be covered, being able to get emergency coverage outside of one's network, permitting children under 26 years of age to remain on parents' insurance, providing tax credits to small businesses to offset their health insurance costs and providing consumers much more information on health care options at http://HealthCare.org? As stories of those whose lives have been and will be materially improved by this new law are publicized, I suspect any attempt to do away with it will quickly vanish.
And, finally, there are the most bizarre demands of all that call for "taking back our government" and "restoring our freedoms". What does "taking back our government" mean? Does it mean demolishing the institutions of government including congress and all federal agencies which now serve over 300 million people? Or does it mean a complete overhaul of all processes under which these institutions are created and now function? And pray tell what "lost freedoms" are they talking about? Is it the very freedom of speech they now enjoy in espousing their agenda? Is it the right to bear arms which seem to expand every year with additional venues in which people can now carry concealed weapons including of all places churches and national parks? Is it the right to practice one's religion free from interference and being demonized in a country that has one of the most diverse religious populations on earth? It just seems terribly ironic to me that some members of our society who would benefit the most from a strong tolerant government and its well financed and functioning programs are the very ones complaining the loudest about them.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
With our national debt increasing by the day to astronomical levels (see for yourself at http://usdebtclock.org ), how could any fiscally responsible person call for further increasing that debt by granting continuing tax breaks to the wealthiest 1% of our society who on the average actually pay only half of the maximum tax rate of 35%? Their good fortune in a reduced tax bill is due to the nature of our voluminous and complex tax code which contains a whole slew of perfectly legal tax breaks for those who are enterprising enough to take advantage of them. In addition in 2007 this same group shared almost 25% of our total national income for only the second time in our history. The first was 1928 and we all know what followed. While some members of this affluent group like Ben Stein complain about paying any increase in taxes as he did on the CBS Morning Show last Sunday, Warren Buffett summed it up best when he allowed that something is drastically wrong when his secretary pays proportionately more income tax than he. Also, wasn't it Oliver Wendell Holmes who declared that "taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society"? So, if these anti-tax folks get their way, what happens to our infrastructure, defense, education, transportation apparatus, legal system, emergency response capability, parks, homeland security and social services if there is a $700 billion decrease in tax revenue over the next decade as projected due to extending tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of our population?
Presumably, any reduction in the taxes collected would most likely lead to that very downsizing in government most of these same people want, but at the very time when we need it most. In the 80's it was called "starving the beast", but only five years ago the nation was clamoring to know where that "beast" was when the gulf coast was ravaged by hurricane Katrina, and only five months ago when that same coast was dealt another blow with the BP oil spill. And let's not forget how last year the "beast" virtually saved the financial structure and integrity of this nation on which so much of our economy relies, not to mention the plethora of local, county and state grants, concessions and gifts which are given each year to corporations to encourage them to build or expand plants supposedly to create jobs. Where would that pool of money come from if tax revenue is reduced?
Then, we have the clarion call by many to repeal the new health care law right at the very time its benefits are starting to kick in, some just this past week. Who can argue with lifetime caps being banned, not being kicked off of coverage if you get sick, allowing children under 19 with pre-existing conditions to be covered, being able to get emergency coverage outside of one's network, permitting children under 26 years of age to remain on parents' insurance, providing tax credits to small businesses to offset their health insurance costs and providing consumers much more information on health care options at http://HealthCare.org? As stories of those whose lives have been and will be materially improved by this new law are publicized, I suspect any attempt to do away with it will quickly vanish.
And, finally, there are the most bizarre demands of all that call for "taking back our government" and "restoring our freedoms". What does "taking back our government" mean? Does it mean demolishing the institutions of government including congress and all federal agencies which now serve over 300 million people? Or does it mean a complete overhaul of all processes under which these institutions are created and now function? And pray tell what "lost freedoms" are they talking about? Is it the very freedom of speech they now enjoy in espousing their agenda? Is it the right to bear arms which seem to expand every year with additional venues in which people can now carry concealed weapons including of all places churches and national parks? Is it the right to practice one's religion free from interference and being demonized in a country that has one of the most diverse religious populations on earth? It just seems terribly ironic to me that some members of our society who would benefit the most from a strong tolerant government and its well financed and functioning programs are the very ones complaining the loudest about them.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Potpourri II
For a second time I find my "out basket" overflowing with items to the extent that just presenting random topics in shotgun fashion for comment is the most expedient way to purge that list, thus enabling more directed and focused commentary in future blogs. With rapid fire, multi-faceted news cycles being the order of the day, I suspect this will not be the last of my POTPOURRI postings, but here goes.
1. UPDATE OF HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE: One of my readers called me to task for labeling our health care system as "the finest in the world" two weeks ago while relating my personal experience with a cut finger which required four stitches and over four hours to fix. Among other things she cited was the high incidence of staph infection that occurs in our hospitals, as well as the general level of care patients receive while admitted. While I have no statistics on either and additional information would be appreciated, I was mainly referring to the number and quality of the medical facilities themselves.
2. KUDOS TO LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH: Once again Little Rock Central High School led the state in the number of National Merit Semifinalists with 15 out of a total of 142. Congratulations to those students, their teachers, the staff at Central and the Little Rock School District for this stellar achievement.
3. ELECTRIFICATION OF CITY AND STATE: With the advent of electric vehicles the challenge for cities and states across the nation will be to provide a sufficient number of electrical power grids to the many stations that will be required to recharge these vehicles, as revealed in a recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Nationwide we are operating at 50% of generating capacity, and one power plant in the southern part of our state is operating at only 24% capacity (re: ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA dated March 28,2010). Consequently, Arkansas, as well as the City of Little Rock, may well be in a good spot to capitalize on this potential demand.
4. "MEANEST CITY IN AMERICA" TAG AGAIN?: Several years ago Little Rock was labeled as the "Meanest City in America" as a result of its push to shut down all of the homeless camps that existed. Thankfully, after a hue and cry from many homeless service providers in the city, that push was quickly abandoned. But now there seems to be a move afoot to pass a series of controlling ordinances that are directed specifically at the homeless including where they go, whom they encounter, what they drink and how they are fed. The real solution has been, is and always will be providing the much talked about resource center which again is the subject of an article in our local newspaper today. We will soon celebrate the tenth anniversary of the much touted 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness without achieving its main recommendation - that resource center. How much longer is it going to take?
5. WHY CAN'T WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?: As the votes continue to be counted in the recent election in Afghanistan, we learn of increased violence, voting irregularities and prevailing corruption with little assurance that things will markedly improve between now and next year when a proposed draw down may begin. With its many tribes, conflicts, warlords and increased Taliban presence and influence, is it realistic to think that Afghanistan can be converted into a centralized modern democracy from our mold even with the might of our military? I have listened to the many explanations of why our policy there is justified, but I remain unconvinced given the horrendous cost in terms of lives and treasury.
6. MADE IN AMERICA POST SCRIPT: It was with some feeling of validation that I read in the September 10th issue of the New York Times Digest provided daily by a friend (thanks Tom) that President Obama was quoted as saying "We've got to go back to making things" (re: Blogs of 08/01 and 08/20). To that end he has appointed a Harvard MBA, Mr. Ron Bloom, as a special adviser to help address the problem by creating tax credits and subsidies (the subject of a future blog unto itself) to kick-start the private sector to manufacture a wide variety of new clean energy products like wind turbines, solar panels and electric car batteries (see item #3 above). The main obstacle will be to overcome China's alleged practice of illegally subsidizing those very same products to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
7. SUPPLYING SKILLED WORKERS TO MEET DEMAND: In that very same issue of the NYT Digest mentioned above was a column by David Brooks that focused on how we have become what he terms "The Genteel Nation". While 65% of Americans think we are a nation in decline, his take is that it is a structural problem due in large measure to a seismic (my term, not his) shift in our work force leaving industry in favor of the service, professional and financial sectors to find the holy grail. The effect is a large gap in the need for skilled machinists in manufacturing relative to the supply that has exacerbated the unemployment situation. Otherwise, the rate would be 6.5%, not 9.5%, a fact substantiated just this morning by former President Clinton on Meet the Press. This is just another piece of that Made in America puzzle that must be found.
8. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? As I listen to all of this rhetoric and posturing about "taking back our country", "getting government off our backs", "eliminating taxes" and "reclaiming our freedoms", I would just like to know what they are talking about. We live in the most free, affluent, idolized and sought after country on earth, so just exactly how would these angry people change things if they had "our country" back; how would they pay for the many conveniences, necessities and services we all need and enjoy; and just what freedoms have they lost? If we do not represent all of the good that defines us a democratic nation (what Michael Shermer of the Los Angeles Times described back in May as "the best of times"), then why are we trying to impose our model of democracy on other countries at great cost (see item #5 above)? And for one pundit in particular to say we as a people did not vote for the massive programs enacted this year (e.g. bail out, GM take over, health care reform, etc.) as he did on one of this morning's TV programs is somewhat disingenuous. We didn't vote for two wars either.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
1. UPDATE OF HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE: One of my readers called me to task for labeling our health care system as "the finest in the world" two weeks ago while relating my personal experience with a cut finger which required four stitches and over four hours to fix. Among other things she cited was the high incidence of staph infection that occurs in our hospitals, as well as the general level of care patients receive while admitted. While I have no statistics on either and additional information would be appreciated, I was mainly referring to the number and quality of the medical facilities themselves.
2. KUDOS TO LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH: Once again Little Rock Central High School led the state in the number of National Merit Semifinalists with 15 out of a total of 142. Congratulations to those students, their teachers, the staff at Central and the Little Rock School District for this stellar achievement.
3. ELECTRIFICATION OF CITY AND STATE: With the advent of electric vehicles the challenge for cities and states across the nation will be to provide a sufficient number of electrical power grids to the many stations that will be required to recharge these vehicles, as revealed in a recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Nationwide we are operating at 50% of generating capacity, and one power plant in the southern part of our state is operating at only 24% capacity (re: ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA dated March 28,2010). Consequently, Arkansas, as well as the City of Little Rock, may well be in a good spot to capitalize on this potential demand.
4. "MEANEST CITY IN AMERICA" TAG AGAIN?: Several years ago Little Rock was labeled as the "Meanest City in America" as a result of its push to shut down all of the homeless camps that existed. Thankfully, after a hue and cry from many homeless service providers in the city, that push was quickly abandoned. But now there seems to be a move afoot to pass a series of controlling ordinances that are directed specifically at the homeless including where they go, whom they encounter, what they drink and how they are fed. The real solution has been, is and always will be providing the much talked about resource center which again is the subject of an article in our local newspaper today. We will soon celebrate the tenth anniversary of the much touted 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness without achieving its main recommendation - that resource center. How much longer is it going to take?
5. WHY CAN'T WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?: As the votes continue to be counted in the recent election in Afghanistan, we learn of increased violence, voting irregularities and prevailing corruption with little assurance that things will markedly improve between now and next year when a proposed draw down may begin. With its many tribes, conflicts, warlords and increased Taliban presence and influence, is it realistic to think that Afghanistan can be converted into a centralized modern democracy from our mold even with the might of our military? I have listened to the many explanations of why our policy there is justified, but I remain unconvinced given the horrendous cost in terms of lives and treasury.
6. MADE IN AMERICA POST SCRIPT: It was with some feeling of validation that I read in the September 10th issue of the New York Times Digest provided daily by a friend (thanks Tom) that President Obama was quoted as saying "We've got to go back to making things" (re: Blogs of 08/01 and 08/20). To that end he has appointed a Harvard MBA, Mr. Ron Bloom, as a special adviser to help address the problem by creating tax credits and subsidies (the subject of a future blog unto itself) to kick-start the private sector to manufacture a wide variety of new clean energy products like wind turbines, solar panels and electric car batteries (see item #3 above). The main obstacle will be to overcome China's alleged practice of illegally subsidizing those very same products to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
7. SUPPLYING SKILLED WORKERS TO MEET DEMAND: In that very same issue of the NYT Digest mentioned above was a column by David Brooks that focused on how we have become what he terms "The Genteel Nation". While 65% of Americans think we are a nation in decline, his take is that it is a structural problem due in large measure to a seismic (my term, not his) shift in our work force leaving industry in favor of the service, professional and financial sectors to find the holy grail. The effect is a large gap in the need for skilled machinists in manufacturing relative to the supply that has exacerbated the unemployment situation. Otherwise, the rate would be 6.5%, not 9.5%, a fact substantiated just this morning by former President Clinton on Meet the Press. This is just another piece of that Made in America puzzle that must be found.
8. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? As I listen to all of this rhetoric and posturing about "taking back our country", "getting government off our backs", "eliminating taxes" and "reclaiming our freedoms", I would just like to know what they are talking about. We live in the most free, affluent, idolized and sought after country on earth, so just exactly how would these angry people change things if they had "our country" back; how would they pay for the many conveniences, necessities and services we all need and enjoy; and just what freedoms have they lost? If we do not represent all of the good that defines us a democratic nation (what Michael Shermer of the Los Angeles Times described back in May as "the best of times"), then why are we trying to impose our model of democracy on other countries at great cost (see item #5 above)? And for one pundit in particular to say we as a people did not vote for the massive programs enacted this year (e.g. bail out, GM take over, health care reform, etc.) as he did on one of this morning's TV programs is somewhat disingenuous. We didn't vote for two wars either.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Another "Day of Infamy"
Having just passed the ninth anniversary of the tragedy that befell our nation on 09/11/01, it just seems appropriate to dedicate this blog to that event and with minimum comment, as I am sure we all have vivid memories of that modern "day of infamy", where we were at the exact time it occurred and how it has impacted our lives. The full page color pictorial of the twin towers on yesterday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial page was a most vivid reminder of that day, but other moments are captured at http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/gallery/. I just hope we all as Americans can focus on rebuilding the world-wide sympathy and national unity that existed immediately following 09/11 while always remembering the fallen heroes of that fateful day.
In that regard it is encouraging to know that there are citizens out there who are still trying to memorialize that heroism. In particular I received an e-mail from an old friend just yesterday who lives in Dallas informing me that his son is Campaign Manager of the effort to raise funds for a memorial to those on Flight 93 who courageously took matters in their own hands, and thereby prevented an apparent second attack on Washington D.C. To that end a website has been established for those who might like to contribute at http://honorflight93.org.
Peace to all!
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
In that regard it is encouraging to know that there are citizens out there who are still trying to memorialize that heroism. In particular I received an e-mail from an old friend just yesterday who lives in Dallas informing me that his son is Campaign Manager of the effort to raise funds for a memorial to those on Flight 93 who courageously took matters in their own hands, and thereby prevented an apparent second attack on Washington D.C. To that end a website has been established for those who might like to contribute at http://honorflight93.org.
Peace to all!
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Monday, September 6, 2010
American Health Care - Laudatory But Extravagant
As a result of a mindless accident on my part last Saturday while working in the yard, I found it necessary to go to the emergency room of one of our city's magnificent health care institutions to get a cut finger attended to. The idea was that I would go, check in, get it stitched up and be back to my chores in fifteen, maybe thirty minutes at most, to continue enjoying being outside on one of the most glorious days of the year. As you will see that turned out to be wishful thinking on my part.
After being greeted by a lovely and accommodating lady at the receptionist's desk to whom I give the requisite insurance information, I am wrist banded and informed that there was only one person ahead of me. Great, I thought, just as planned, so I take my place in the waiting room, begin watching Georgia beat up on some lesser team and patiently wait to be called. Ten minutes pass that then turn into twenty when I hear my name called by a man dressed in scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. OK, things are on schedule, as he's no doubt the doctor who is going to take me back to his fix-up room, do his thing and I'll be gone in the anticipated maximum thirty minutes. Wrong! His function was to just take my vitals (temperature, blood pressure, heart beat), confirm the information previously provided by the lovely lady, wrap my cut finger, which by then had stopped bleeding, with an entire roll of gauze that looked like a chicken drumstick when he had finished and then usher me back out to the receptionist area. Time continues to tick away, Georgia's lead increases by leaps and bounds and the once virtually empty waiting room is now beginning to fill up.
Thirty minutes becomes an hour which then becomes two hours when I am finally called back behind two closed doors by nurse #1 who escorts me past several rooms filled with patients to a room that is empty. It is complete with bed, television, sink, cabinets and all of those medical gizmos on the wall behind the headboard you see in conventional hospital rooms. She tells me to lie on the bed and wait for one of the doctors on call. Minutes later the door opens and another kind lady from administration comes in to re-confirm my basic information including insurance coverage, and gets me to sign the ever present forms granting the facility the right to treat me, as well as my commitment to pay for any service not covered by Medicare and my supplemental insurance. She leaves and I then start watching the Texas-Rice game, as Georgia had already devoured its opponent. Later nurse #2 comes in to see what my problem is, removes my drumstick bandage, looks at my finger and agrees with me that all that needs to be done is stitch up my finger up, give me a tetanus shot and get me out of there. It is then that I first learn that there is way more than "one person ahead of me", but given the routine and minor procedure required she offers to try and get one of the doctors to handle my case with dispatch.
Over three and a half hours have now passed when the young doctor comes in, agrees with nurse #2 and my assessment of the situation and says he will be right back. Texas and Rice are tied 3 - 3 in the second quarter. When he does return several minutes later, Texas leads Rice 17 - 3. How quickly things change. It's now over four hours by the time he finishes repairing my finger with not quite enough deadening from my perspective, but by then I just want it all to be over. We exchange pleasantries, he leaves and then nurse #3 comes in, finishes the bandaging process, and gives me a handful of band aids, packets of gauze and tape. Then, surprisingly, he offers me the set of instruments just used to perform the stitching procedure, as their policy requires that they otherwise throw everything away when finished. So, four and a half hours after this experience began I am back home with a beautiful afternoon totally ruined, albeit due to my own carelessness.
What's the point of this tale? Well, first, I will tell you what it is not. It is not to ridicule our medical system in the U.S., as no one will argue with the fact that it is the finest in the world. Rather, it is simply to give one small example of how our medical system is seemingly out of whack when it comes to administering medical services commensurate with the actual need. What should have been a very minor procedure that any walk-in medical clinic could have performed in fifteen or twenty minutes turned into something that resembled performing major surgery. Is there no way to balance the two by initially assessing the injury, determine if it is major or minor and treat accordingly? No telling what this half-day ordeal cost, but I've got my suspicions that it isn't going to be cheap, and that's the rub facing any overhaul of our health care system. In that regard one of the real encouraging aspects of this experience was to learn that the nice young doctor who treated me Saturday was, in fact, a primary care specialist, a very rare breed in today's medical world where exotic high-earning specialties seem to be the order of the day. Primary care in my view is going to be one of the essential components of a comprehensive health care system from everything I read and hear on the subject.
Another reason to relate this story on this Labor Day 2010 is to acknowledge and thank the wonderful health care team who treated me, and ask you to please think of the many workers across this land like them with whom we all come in contact every day who tend to our every needs and wants to make our life so much more convenient and pleasant. Please let them all know how much you appreciate what they do for you, and have a safe and happy Labor Day holiday.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
After being greeted by a lovely and accommodating lady at the receptionist's desk to whom I give the requisite insurance information, I am wrist banded and informed that there was only one person ahead of me. Great, I thought, just as planned, so I take my place in the waiting room, begin watching Georgia beat up on some lesser team and patiently wait to be called. Ten minutes pass that then turn into twenty when I hear my name called by a man dressed in scrub bottoms and a T-shirt. OK, things are on schedule, as he's no doubt the doctor who is going to take me back to his fix-up room, do his thing and I'll be gone in the anticipated maximum thirty minutes. Wrong! His function was to just take my vitals (temperature, blood pressure, heart beat), confirm the information previously provided by the lovely lady, wrap my cut finger, which by then had stopped bleeding, with an entire roll of gauze that looked like a chicken drumstick when he had finished and then usher me back out to the receptionist area. Time continues to tick away, Georgia's lead increases by leaps and bounds and the once virtually empty waiting room is now beginning to fill up.
Thirty minutes becomes an hour which then becomes two hours when I am finally called back behind two closed doors by nurse #1 who escorts me past several rooms filled with patients to a room that is empty. It is complete with bed, television, sink, cabinets and all of those medical gizmos on the wall behind the headboard you see in conventional hospital rooms. She tells me to lie on the bed and wait for one of the doctors on call. Minutes later the door opens and another kind lady from administration comes in to re-confirm my basic information including insurance coverage, and gets me to sign the ever present forms granting the facility the right to treat me, as well as my commitment to pay for any service not covered by Medicare and my supplemental insurance. She leaves and I then start watching the Texas-Rice game, as Georgia had already devoured its opponent. Later nurse #2 comes in to see what my problem is, removes my drumstick bandage, looks at my finger and agrees with me that all that needs to be done is stitch up my finger up, give me a tetanus shot and get me out of there. It is then that I first learn that there is way more than "one person ahead of me", but given the routine and minor procedure required she offers to try and get one of the doctors to handle my case with dispatch.
Over three and a half hours have now passed when the young doctor comes in, agrees with nurse #2 and my assessment of the situation and says he will be right back. Texas and Rice are tied 3 - 3 in the second quarter. When he does return several minutes later, Texas leads Rice 17 - 3. How quickly things change. It's now over four hours by the time he finishes repairing my finger with not quite enough deadening from my perspective, but by then I just want it all to be over. We exchange pleasantries, he leaves and then nurse #3 comes in, finishes the bandaging process, and gives me a handful of band aids, packets of gauze and tape. Then, surprisingly, he offers me the set of instruments just used to perform the stitching procedure, as their policy requires that they otherwise throw everything away when finished. So, four and a half hours after this experience began I am back home with a beautiful afternoon totally ruined, albeit due to my own carelessness.
What's the point of this tale? Well, first, I will tell you what it is not. It is not to ridicule our medical system in the U.S., as no one will argue with the fact that it is the finest in the world. Rather, it is simply to give one small example of how our medical system is seemingly out of whack when it comes to administering medical services commensurate with the actual need. What should have been a very minor procedure that any walk-in medical clinic could have performed in fifteen or twenty minutes turned into something that resembled performing major surgery. Is there no way to balance the two by initially assessing the injury, determine if it is major or minor and treat accordingly? No telling what this half-day ordeal cost, but I've got my suspicions that it isn't going to be cheap, and that's the rub facing any overhaul of our health care system. In that regard one of the real encouraging aspects of this experience was to learn that the nice young doctor who treated me Saturday was, in fact, a primary care specialist, a very rare breed in today's medical world where exotic high-earning specialties seem to be the order of the day. Primary care in my view is going to be one of the essential components of a comprehensive health care system from everything I read and hear on the subject.
Another reason to relate this story on this Labor Day 2010 is to acknowledge and thank the wonderful health care team who treated me, and ask you to please think of the many workers across this land like them with whom we all come in contact every day who tend to our every needs and wants to make our life so much more convenient and pleasant. Please let them all know how much you appreciate what they do for you, and have a safe and happy Labor Day holiday.
Current United States Debt still at http://usdebtclock.org
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
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