-
Op-Ed Columnist – The Billionaires Bankrolling the Tea Party – NYTimes.com
Yes, how is Obama fighting against these guys?
QUOTE
When wolves of Murdoch’s ingenuity and the Kochs’ stealth have been at the door of our democracy in the past, Democrats have fought back fiercely. Franklin Roosevelt’s triumphant 1936 re-election campaign pummeled the Liberty League as a Republican ally eager to “squeeze the worker dry in his old age and cast him like an orange rind into the refuse pail.” When John Kennedy’s patriotism was assailed by Birchers calling for impeachment, he gave a major speech denouncing their “crusades of suspicion.”And Obama? So far, sadly, this question answers itself.
UNQUOTE -
Great idea:
QUOTE
Have you ever wondered what happens behind closed doors in an executive boardroom? How about that dark street corner after 2:00am?Using these questions as starting points, theater director Melanie St. Ours – who is also an actress and a teacher – is cooking up a long-term theater project to be housed in one of the empty storefronts of the Storefronts Seattle project.
“One Forbidden Thing,” as Melanie’s project is titled, will use community dialogues, story circles, and theater workshops to name places in Pioneer Square that feel unsafe, restricted, or forbidden. Through the process of creating original theater, participants will explore the ways that those forbidden places are tied to the community’s health, identity and future.
UNQUOTE -
Blog4Culture » Blog Archive » letter from the director: storefronts seattle
Great piece by 4culture about storefrontsseattle.com putting artists and art into (currently empty) storefronts downtown. Times are tough and the retail landscape looks sh*tty, but that’s no reason to give in to looking crappy all around. Also, a strong argument here for keeping arts funding where it belongs (with the arts) versus giving everything over to social problems:
QUOTE
…given the current levels of state, city and county spending on the arts, even if every culture dollar was reallocated for housing, we would not end homelessness. One should not be pitted against the other. A civil society is characterized by its ability to adopt policies and make investments that alleviate suffering, while at the same time encouraging activity that breeds increased creativity and economic growth.The arts have long claimed to be an economic engine. There is ample evidence that the arts, heritage and culture spur increased economic activity. Economic impact studies conducted in our region over the past fifteen years quantify the jobs created and spending that results from attendance at festivals and theater, music and dance events, not to mention the inherent personal benefits to be gained by gathering with your friends and neighbors for a shared cultural experience.
UNQUOTE -
Blog4Culture » Blog Archive » pillow field in white center: beauty & challenge
Major earthwork public art project in Seattle and its exposure to (among other things) vandalism…
QUOTE
The vandalism is occurring because we live in difficult times and because, for the very reasons the project was built, the neighborhood has been hit hard by the times. So we take a few steps back, paint out the graffiti, replace the handrails more securely, reconnect the lights. We work with law enforcement and enlist the power of the community through neighborhood watch programming to decrease opportunity for damage. Over the coming months and years Andy Cao’s earthwork landscape will fill out; the thyme will blossom, and a method will emerge that will allow the site to be respected and celebrated. Hopefully, Pillow Field’s abundance will be reflected in the community that surrounds it.
UNQUOTE -
Male bias is alive and well, even in the NYT obituary…
QUOTE
But as the gold standard of American journalism, it should fall to the NYT to aggressively find and chronicle the lives of women who deserve attention in the obituary column right now — women whose rich lives and notable achievements warrant the honor of recognition when they die.
UNQUOTE -
David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization | Video on TED.com
Great video on information design:
QUOTE
David McCandless turns complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut — and it may just change the way we see the world.
UNQUOTE
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.