Watching eight of the sixteen declared Republican presidential candidates in their faux debate in Ames, Iowa last week for some reason reminded me of the children's rhyme Ten Little Indians. You remember, "One little, two little, three little Indians, four little, five little......" with reverse counting back to only "One little Indian boy". The telling moment came when they were all asked if they would reject any proposed compromise on new revenues even if it were a 10 for 1 deal - i.e. $1.00 in new revenue for every $10.00 in spending cuts. True to form they all raised their hands as one would expect, but it was the way in which they did it that caught my attention. After exchanging glances among each other to make sure this was a question they all really wanted to answer, the first to raise his hand was Rick Santorum, followed by Michele Bachmann (who dropped hers only to raise it again later), then Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman (who was more than evasive in explaining his reason for doing so, calling it a "nonsense question" on ABC's This Week program this morning), Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and, finally, Herman Cain. A ten for one deal is one any rational person would take in a heartbeat, but not one came forth in this extraordinary display of group think. With that kind of intransigence, do we really think things will get better? Well, maybe there is a possible solution to our current deadlock.
As you might recall from my post Dysfunction in DC two weeks ago, I raised the question of where is the business community in all of this madness. Well, one of the most powerful single voices in that community finally reiterated his long felt belief that taxes were way too low in a powerful Op-Ed piece in the August 15th issue of the New York Times entitled "Stop Coddling the Super-Rich". In it he lays bare the notion that increased income taxes should be off the table for consideration by the congressional super committee of 12 and argues that they should in fact be raised on those making over $1 million a year including dividends and capital gains. Why? Because, as he further explains, most wealthy people are taxed at a much lower 15% rate (if at all) because of the way in which they earn money. Instead of receiving a payroll check each period that is subject to automatically deducted payroll taxes, they earn it from investments which allow them to qualify for the much lower rate. By contrast most wage earners are subject to those mandated payroll taxes which can drive their tax rates up to above 33% or, in the case of the 20 people he polled in his office, as high as 41%. Read his entire treatise at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion.
In addition I think it is well past time for Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, current head of President Obama's Jobs Council and his liaison to the business community, to follow Mr. Buffett's lead and start beating the drum for the business community to publicly decry all of this talk about no new taxes. (To learn more about the Jobs Council go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/advisory-boards/jobs-council). As head of a multi-national corporation that is hoarding billions of dollars in off-shore profits and paid zero tax in 2010 despite $14.2 billion in worldwide profits, some might argue if he is the right person to persuade other corporate executives to pay more taxes. However, if Mr. Immelt would simply lead by example his would be the perfect voice to call upon others to do the same. Besides paying their fair share of higher personal income taxes, as well as the corporate taxes they are sheltering abroad, these corporate heads should also start spending some of the $2.5 trillion in cash they are collectively sitting on to kick start the economy. And, finally, in that regard Mr. Immelt needs to set another example for corporations by focusing GE's job creation efforts more in America instead of China, another area in which his duel leadership as head of the Jobs Council could be transformational. In other words, it's time for other fat cats, as so graphically depicted on the current cover of The New Yorker to step up to the plate.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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, August 21, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Two Rivers Park
As a relief from all of the turmoil that took place within the past week including starvation in Somalia, riots in London, a raging war in Afghanistan that continues to deteriorate and the wild ride on wall street, my wife and I took advantage of the cooler cloudy day yesterday to try out the newly opened Two Rivers Pedestrian Bridge here in Little Rock.
Officially dedicated on Friday, July 8th, at a cost of $5.3 million, 80% of which was paid by federal tax dollars (more on this later) and 20% by Pulaski County, this is the second such bridge to be constructed over a body of water that opens up a whole new range of recreational possibilities for our citizens. The first, The Big Dam Bridge, completed in October 2006 at a total cost of $ 13 million, again 80% financed with federal tax revenue, was built on top of the existing Murray Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River just east of I-430. It was the final link to a 15 mile circular bike and walking trail that joins Little Rock with our northern neighbor North Little Rock and its expansive Burns Parks. In addition it facilitates access to approximately 70,000 total acres of city, county, state and federal park land.
By contrast, the Two Rivers Bridge spans the Little Maumelle River to connect with Two Rivers Park, a 1,000 acre green space of hiking and riding trails 550 acres of which are owned by Pulaski County and 450 acres of which are owned by the City of Little Rock, including the terminal point. As an added plus, this bridge also opens up connectivity to Pinnacle Mountain and 200 miles of hiking trails in the Ouachita Mountains. This was not our first venture into Two Rivers Park, as we have transported our 1972-vintage matched pair of Raleigh bikes out there before for early morning rides that made you feel like you were pedaling in Provance (re: picture below from June 2009 ).
However, this new access did provide a huge advantage in time and distance in getting there, as it eliminated the need to go all the way out west to Pinnacle Valley Road and then travel back east on County Farm Road. You now just have to go basically beneath the I-440 Bridge and hop on this new bridge.
Being a Saturday morning we expected it to be a popular place but as the day wore on it became more so. In fact by the time we returned from our two hour walk, all parking lots were full, so we were glad we went early. Besides being an easy and pleasing way to knock off a few miles (3.8 to be exact), we encountered many friends along the way, one of whom we had not seen in several years, which is the reason it took two hours. Additionally, we spotted four deer in a field toward the western end of the primary trail at County Farm Road, saw a couple doing their birding thing and heard the sound of some wild creature in the distant woods that was totally unfamiliar to us. All and all it was a most enjoyable and relaxing way to enjoy the outdoors, so kudos to Judge Buddy Villines and all those who made this bridge and park possible, as they are both true assets to our community. Our only complaint, and it's a big one, is that the attractive restroom facility on County Farm Road at our western turn around point was locked up tighter than a drum, so we, as well as a whole slew of bike riders we saw there, were denied access to an essential public facility with no notice or explanation. What's with that? If it is not going to be open for the true "convenience and necessity" of the public for whom it was built, on perhaps one of the most used days of the week, then why even have it?
That issue aside, I also could not help but wonder how many of the throngs of people who were out there yesterday thoroughly enjoying the day harbored the same belief system as that which is currently strangling our political system - i.e. no new taxes! Who do they think financed that very amenity they were enjoying free? Please keep that in mind as this nation struggles to right its financial ship and justify revenue increases. They really do achieve good things for all of us.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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
Officially dedicated on Friday, July 8th, at a cost of $5.3 million, 80% of which was paid by federal tax dollars (more on this later) and 20% by Pulaski County, this is the second such bridge to be constructed over a body of water that opens up a whole new range of recreational possibilities for our citizens. The first, The Big Dam Bridge, completed in October 2006 at a total cost of $ 13 million, again 80% financed with federal tax revenue, was built on top of the existing Murray Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River just east of I-430. It was the final link to a 15 mile circular bike and walking trail that joins Little Rock with our northern neighbor North Little Rock and its expansive Burns Parks. In addition it facilitates access to approximately 70,000 total acres of city, county, state and federal park land.
By contrast, the Two Rivers Bridge spans the Little Maumelle River to connect with Two Rivers Park, a 1,000 acre green space of hiking and riding trails 550 acres of which are owned by Pulaski County and 450 acres of which are owned by the City of Little Rock, including the terminal point. As an added plus, this bridge also opens up connectivity to Pinnacle Mountain and 200 miles of hiking trails in the Ouachita Mountains. This was not our first venture into Two Rivers Park, as we have transported our 1972-vintage matched pair of Raleigh bikes out there before for early morning rides that made you feel like you were pedaling in Provance (re: picture below from June 2009 ).
However, this new access did provide a huge advantage in time and distance in getting there, as it eliminated the need to go all the way out west to Pinnacle Valley Road and then travel back east on County Farm Road. You now just have to go basically beneath the I-440 Bridge and hop on this new bridge.
Being a Saturday morning we expected it to be a popular place but as the day wore on it became more so. In fact by the time we returned from our two hour walk, all parking lots were full, so we were glad we went early. Besides being an easy and pleasing way to knock off a few miles (3.8 to be exact), we encountered many friends along the way, one of whom we had not seen in several years, which is the reason it took two hours. Additionally, we spotted four deer in a field toward the western end of the primary trail at County Farm Road, saw a couple doing their birding thing and heard the sound of some wild creature in the distant woods that was totally unfamiliar to us. All and all it was a most enjoyable and relaxing way to enjoy the outdoors, so kudos to Judge Buddy Villines and all those who made this bridge and park possible, as they are both true assets to our community. Our only complaint, and it's a big one, is that the attractive restroom facility on County Farm Road at our western turn around point was locked up tighter than a drum, so we, as well as a whole slew of bike riders we saw there, were denied access to an essential public facility with no notice or explanation. What's with that? If it is not going to be open for the true "convenience and necessity" of the public for whom it was built, on perhaps one of the most used days of the week, then why even have it?
That issue aside, I also could not help but wonder how many of the throngs of people who were out there yesterday thoroughly enjoying the day harbored the same belief system as that which is currently strangling our political system - i.e. no new taxes! Who do they think financed that very amenity they were enjoying free? Please keep that in mind as this nation struggles to right its financial ship and justify revenue increases. They really do achieve good things for all of us.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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, August 7, 2011
Dysfunction in DC
Having just witnessed the debt ceiling spectacle in Washington over this past few weeks, I hardly know where to begin commenting about what is happening in Washington DC where the political environment has become so rancorous and toxic that the Speaker of the House now ignores phone calls from the President of the United States. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times compared the tactics of the Tea Party and their followers to the horror classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", with a reference to "eating their own party and leaders alive". Nicholas Kristof, also of the New York Times, called it "the warts of democracy". And Robert Draper, who is writing a book on this whole sordid affair, likened it to a "WWE SmackDown" (to hear his entire fascinating interview on NPR go to http://www.npr.org/2011/08/03/138922932/inside-the-tea-partys-rising-influence). With that less than flattering backdrop, consider the following random issues and conclusions that bubbled up as a result of this messy process.
1. There seems to be visceral hatred of President Obama that began almost the day after he was elected for reasons that totally escape me. Is it his education, world view, trying to protect the poor, the color of his skin or his policies? Take your choice, but it is obviously the avowed purpose of many on the far right to paralyze his administration and make him a "one term president" regardless of the ultimate costs to our country, financial or otherwise. How American is that?
2. Then there is the debt limit itself and whether it is even needed. James Surowiecki in an article in the August 1st edition of The New Yorker lays out a compelling argument that it is not, as every other democratic country except Denmark gets along fine without one. But for some reason we still feel the need for a questionable law that was enacted during WW1, according to an editorial the New York Times on August 8th, "to persuade gullible taxpayers that Congress is exercising responsible oversight over borrowing". As we have just experienced, it has just become a foil for a game of chicken to showcase partisan brinkmanship that only adds stress to an already difficult situation, which Mr. Surowiecki argues is absolutely the worst environment in which to make such important decisions. He and the NYT both agree that it is time to remove this self-induced problem of a debt ceiling and deal with the real problems facing this country.
3. What about the far right's refusal to accept the need for increased revenues when almost all of our nation's economists on both sides of the political spectrum agree that they are absolutely essential to a long term fix of our fiscal problems? And then for Congress to leave town for a month before formally approving the FFA budget which cost the government $30 million a day in lost income from passenger fees until it was temporarily restored this past Friday was a total abdication of their responsibilities as strong stewards of the purse which conservatives pretend to be. God help us if this retro starve-the-beast mindset hits the state, county and city levels of our country as they pursue their various tax proposals to make up the loss in federal funds that will result from this by-product legislation. Normally, it's just a routine matter to approve a new debt ceiling to pay existing commitments of the United States, so is it really necessary (see #2 above)?
4. With all due respect for John Brummett, a noted local political analyst who writes a weekly column for the Arkansas Times, I'm not so sure there is that much "good" that came out of that deal. For one thing it seems woefully lacking in size and structure. In the words of David Brooks, a national political analyst for the New York Times, the conservative right let President Obama's "deal of the century", which proposed $4 trillion in cuts and only $1 trillion in revenues, slip away. Obviously, the business and financial communities were not impressed, as evidenced by this past Thursday's collapse of the stock market and Standard and Poor's downgrading yesterday of our credit rating to AA+? Both speak volumes about our true commitment to reduce our debt. And, speaking of the business community, where were they in this process? It's as if they had been muzzled.
5. And while we're on the subject of corporate America, what about the reported $2.5 trillion corporations are hoarding in cash while many multi-nationals pay no corporate income tax at all through various loopholes including sheltering their foreign profits offshore? Yet, they are making no attempt at improving the employment rate in the United States by hiring some of the 9.1% unemployed with some of those trillions. When corporations like Apple supposedly have more cash on hand that the United States Treasury (re: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/07/29/apple.cash.government/index.html), then something is terribly out of whack.
6. Will forming another bi-partisan committee solve anything? We've been down this road before with the Simpson-Bowles Commission which did a terrific job in making some very substantial recommendations, which were summarily ignored, to address our long term financial problems. Even though I seldom agree with Charles Krauthammer, I think his suggestion that this new super committee not "reinvent the wheel" and simply make the hard choices from those outlined in the Simpson-Bowles report is right on target. Furthermore, to quote the co-chairs of that commission, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, "It's time to go big (i.e. in formulating a comprehensive plan) or go home".
7. As recently pointed out by both Paul Krugman and Lawrence Summers, GROWTH rather than worrying about the debt ceiling is what this country really needs. Mr. Krugman proposes a Harry Truman-like campaign to sell a big job creation proposal by President Obama, and Mr. Summers suggests absolutely letting the Bush tax cuts expire next year, extending the payroll tax cuts, adopting an infrastructure maintenance program and continuing unemployment benefits as the easiest ways to achieve badly needed economic growth.
Considering all the misbehavior and sordid politics that have just taken place which have fueled public angst, worry, disgust and an 82% overall disapproval rating of Congress, one wonders if now might be the time to explore other methods of electing public officials as proposed by Americans-ELECT 2011 at https://secure.americanselect.org/, a link sent to me by an old friend from California. While I do not necessarily endorse this approach, given the current sorry state of affairs in Washington, something dramatic needs to be done to reform the existing political system if our elected representatives can't get their act together, leave their ideology at the doorstep and compromise on a genuine bi-partisan long term solution to our financial woes .
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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. There seems to be visceral hatred of President Obama that began almost the day after he was elected for reasons that totally escape me. Is it his education, world view, trying to protect the poor, the color of his skin or his policies? Take your choice, but it is obviously the avowed purpose of many on the far right to paralyze his administration and make him a "one term president" regardless of the ultimate costs to our country, financial or otherwise. How American is that?
2. Then there is the debt limit itself and whether it is even needed. James Surowiecki in an article in the August 1st edition of The New Yorker lays out a compelling argument that it is not, as every other democratic country except Denmark gets along fine without one. But for some reason we still feel the need for a questionable law that was enacted during WW1, according to an editorial the New York Times on August 8th, "to persuade gullible taxpayers that Congress is exercising responsible oversight over borrowing". As we have just experienced, it has just become a foil for a game of chicken to showcase partisan brinkmanship that only adds stress to an already difficult situation, which Mr. Surowiecki argues is absolutely the worst environment in which to make such important decisions. He and the NYT both agree that it is time to remove this self-induced problem of a debt ceiling and deal with the real problems facing this country.
3. What about the far right's refusal to accept the need for increased revenues when almost all of our nation's economists on both sides of the political spectrum agree that they are absolutely essential to a long term fix of our fiscal problems? And then for Congress to leave town for a month before formally approving the FFA budget which cost the government $30 million a day in lost income from passenger fees until it was temporarily restored this past Friday was a total abdication of their responsibilities as strong stewards of the purse which conservatives pretend to be. God help us if this retro starve-the-beast mindset hits the state, county and city levels of our country as they pursue their various tax proposals to make up the loss in federal funds that will result from this by-product legislation. Normally, it's just a routine matter to approve a new debt ceiling to pay existing commitments of the United States, so is it really necessary (see #2 above)?
4. With all due respect for John Brummett, a noted local political analyst who writes a weekly column for the Arkansas Times, I'm not so sure there is that much "good" that came out of that deal. For one thing it seems woefully lacking in size and structure. In the words of David Brooks, a national political analyst for the New York Times, the conservative right let President Obama's "deal of the century", which proposed $4 trillion in cuts and only $1 trillion in revenues, slip away. Obviously, the business and financial communities were not impressed, as evidenced by this past Thursday's collapse of the stock market and Standard and Poor's downgrading yesterday of our credit rating to AA+? Both speak volumes about our true commitment to reduce our debt. And, speaking of the business community, where were they in this process? It's as if they had been muzzled.
5. And while we're on the subject of corporate America, what about the reported $2.5 trillion corporations are hoarding in cash while many multi-nationals pay no corporate income tax at all through various loopholes including sheltering their foreign profits offshore? Yet, they are making no attempt at improving the employment rate in the United States by hiring some of the 9.1% unemployed with some of those trillions. When corporations like Apple supposedly have more cash on hand that the United States Treasury (re: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/07/29/apple.cash.government/index.html), then something is terribly out of whack.
6. Will forming another bi-partisan committee solve anything? We've been down this road before with the Simpson-Bowles Commission which did a terrific job in making some very substantial recommendations, which were summarily ignored, to address our long term financial problems. Even though I seldom agree with Charles Krauthammer, I think his suggestion that this new super committee not "reinvent the wheel" and simply make the hard choices from those outlined in the Simpson-Bowles report is right on target. Furthermore, to quote the co-chairs of that commission, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, "It's time to go big (i.e. in formulating a comprehensive plan) or go home".
7. As recently pointed out by both Paul Krugman and Lawrence Summers, GROWTH rather than worrying about the debt ceiling is what this country really needs. Mr. Krugman proposes a Harry Truman-like campaign to sell a big job creation proposal by President Obama, and Mr. Summers suggests absolutely letting the Bush tax cuts expire next year, extending the payroll tax cuts, adopting an infrastructure maintenance program and continuing unemployment benefits as the easiest ways to achieve badly needed economic growth.
Considering all the misbehavior and sordid politics that have just taken place which have fueled public angst, worry, disgust and an 82% overall disapproval rating of Congress, one wonders if now might be the time to explore other methods of electing public officials as proposed by Americans-ELECT 2011 at https://secure.americanselect.org/, a link sent to me by an old friend from California. While I do not necessarily endorse this approach, given the current sorry state of affairs in Washington, something dramatic needs to be done to reform the existing political system if our elected representatives can't get their act together, leave their ideology at the doorstep and compromise on a genuine bi-partisan long term solution to our financial woes .
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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, July 31, 2011
Rite of Passage
Recently, my wife and I were invited to attend a Quinceanera celebrating the 15th birthday of the daughter of a Hispanic friend. Being our first, we had no idea what to expect and were somewhat apprehensive as to what the exact protocol would be. More on this later, but first let me provide some background and history on this event of which I had very little knowledge.
Many cultures and religions have their own unique way of celebrating the maturation of their young. They include events like Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Debutante Balls, First Haircuts, Sweet Sixteen Parties, Baptisms, Confirmations, Hazings and Circumcision, all known to most of us, but less known are the practices of Breeching (Western European), Dokimasias (Greece), Russ (Norwegian), Scarification (many cultures), as well as a whole host of ceremonies from Hinduism, Buddhism and Native American origins. But it is the Quinceanera from the Hispanic culture that is today's topic. It usually begins with a religious ceremony to honor God and then progresses to a festive social event that involves family, friends, music, food and dance which can last for hours. Our experience began with the reception which began at 4:00pm and was scheduled to end at 1:00am the following morning.
We arrived at 4:30 and were warmly greeted at the front door of the event center where all tables had been elaborately decorated with red and white table cloths, angelic figurines and miscellaneous items which turned out to be favors for attendees. In addition there was a separate table, obviously for the honoree and her court, as well as a table full of ornately decorated cakes. At that early hour there were many empty tables so we chose one in the center of one side of the room. Almost immediately the mother and sister of honoree came over to thank us for coming, after which we were served our own large bottle of soft drink. Shortly thereafter delicious food began arriving starting with a soup, then chips and salsa and ending with a plate of beef, rice and tortillas. As the evening progressed, the room began to fill up with family and friends of all ages in an array of festive dress, even including very young children who added a fun element to the occasion because they seemed to enjoy themselves the most. Throughout the meal soft melodic music played in the background at the direction of the master of ceremonies who manned a very impressive sound system on an elevated stage located at one end of the room.
Sometime around 6:30pm the honoree and her court, which turned out to be four young men, made their entrance to the delight of all who had gathered by then. She was dressed in an ornate full-length ball gown and they in formal attire. At that point the flavor of music changed to Latino, to which they made a grand entrance that was beautifully choreographed with intricate steps and precise movements, ending with her being elevated on the shoulders of two members of the court as confetti inundated the room. At that point she was presented with a large box containing gifts from her many girl friends who were there. Then the honoree was seated in the center of the room where her fraternal grandmother placed a tiara on her head, followed by the gift of her last doll (dressed similar to the honoree) from her maternal grandmother which was then taken away by her maternal great-grandmother all in a very precise and ceremonial fashion. A sparkling beverage was then poured into champagne glasses for everyone to toast the honoree. Her father began to dance with her to the wonderful music which had continued throughout all of these proceedings,
followed by an arranged set of relatives all individually announced as they tagged in (think wedding reception).
After the above dancing segment, the honoree and her court left the room which by now was full of friends and guests. Sometime later they all re-appeared in informal clothing and began another choreographed dance sequence with the honoree dancing separately with each of the members of her court to entirely different music and steps. How she was able to persuade four young teenage boys to master all of the moves they showed beginning with their grand entrance is beyond me, but I do know that they all practiced for many weeks prior to the evening because I asked one of them how they mastered everything. By then the music was getting louder and more youthful, so my wife and I bid our goodbyes and quietly left. I understand that the celebration did in fact continue until 1:00am, but for the four and a half hours we were there we had one of the most fun, entertaining and enlightening evenings we have ever had, including being warmly welcomed by everyone there. It just goes to prove that one should always welcome the opportunity to engage in experiences outside one's culture and comfort zone. To learn more about this amazing celebration in the life of a young Hispanic girl, go to http://www.quinceanera-boutique.com/quinceaneratradition.htm.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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
Many cultures and religions have their own unique way of celebrating the maturation of their young. They include events like Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Debutante Balls, First Haircuts, Sweet Sixteen Parties, Baptisms, Confirmations, Hazings and Circumcision, all known to most of us, but less known are the practices of Breeching (Western European), Dokimasias (Greece), Russ (Norwegian), Scarification (many cultures), as well as a whole host of ceremonies from Hinduism, Buddhism and Native American origins. But it is the Quinceanera from the Hispanic culture that is today's topic. It usually begins with a religious ceremony to honor God and then progresses to a festive social event that involves family, friends, music, food and dance which can last for hours. Our experience began with the reception which began at 4:00pm and was scheduled to end at 1:00am the following morning.
We arrived at 4:30 and were warmly greeted at the front door of the event center where all tables had been elaborately decorated with red and white table cloths, angelic figurines and miscellaneous items which turned out to be favors for attendees. In addition there was a separate table, obviously for the honoree and her court, as well as a table full of ornately decorated cakes. At that early hour there were many empty tables so we chose one in the center of one side of the room. Almost immediately the mother and sister of honoree came over to thank us for coming, after which we were served our own large bottle of soft drink. Shortly thereafter delicious food began arriving starting with a soup, then chips and salsa and ending with a plate of beef, rice and tortillas. As the evening progressed, the room began to fill up with family and friends of all ages in an array of festive dress, even including very young children who added a fun element to the occasion because they seemed to enjoy themselves the most. Throughout the meal soft melodic music played in the background at the direction of the master of ceremonies who manned a very impressive sound system on an elevated stage located at one end of the room.
Sometime around 6:30pm the honoree and her court, which turned out to be four young men, made their entrance to the delight of all who had gathered by then. She was dressed in an ornate full-length ball gown and they in formal attire. At that point the flavor of music changed to Latino, to which they made a grand entrance that was beautifully choreographed with intricate steps and precise movements, ending with her being elevated on the shoulders of two members of the court as confetti inundated the room. At that point she was presented with a large box containing gifts from her many girl friends who were there. Then the honoree was seated in the center of the room where her fraternal grandmother placed a tiara on her head, followed by the gift of her last doll (dressed similar to the honoree) from her maternal grandmother which was then taken away by her maternal great-grandmother all in a very precise and ceremonial fashion. A sparkling beverage was then poured into champagne glasses for everyone to toast the honoree. Her father began to dance with her to the wonderful music which had continued throughout all of these proceedings,
followed by an arranged set of relatives all individually announced as they tagged in (think wedding reception).
After the above dancing segment, the honoree and her court left the room which by now was full of friends and guests. Sometime later they all re-appeared in informal clothing and began another choreographed dance sequence with the honoree dancing separately with each of the members of her court to entirely different music and steps. How she was able to persuade four young teenage boys to master all of the moves they showed beginning with their grand entrance is beyond me, but I do know that they all practiced for many weeks prior to the evening because I asked one of them how they mastered everything. By then the music was getting louder and more youthful, so my wife and I bid our goodbyes and quietly left. I understand that the celebration did in fact continue until 1:00am, but for the four and a half hours we were there we had one of the most fun, entertaining and enlightening evenings we have ever had, including being warmly welcomed by everyone there. It just goes to prove that one should always welcome the opportunity to engage in experiences outside one's culture and comfort zone. To learn more about this amazing celebration in the life of a young Hispanic girl, go to http://www.quinceanera-boutique.com/quinceaneratradition.htm.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
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
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.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
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