Cranmer says it best.
The Celtic Tiger must be very sick indeed.
But it is the karmically inevitable contagion which follows Brian Cowan’s lies and deceit about the Lisbon Treaty.
If you recall, the wise and proud people of Ireland rejected the Treaty, and so they were ordered to vote again until they gave the right answer. It shows a marked lack of political discernment that the Irish Times didn’t realise at that point that Irish sovereignty had ceased to be.
For the UK, this bail-out is about assisting a long-time friend and trading partner whose history, culture and traditions are tied to our own: for the EU, this bail-out is about saving the euro, and so saving ‘Europe’.
Are Ireland’s politicians so incompetent and obtuse that they could not grasp that the abolition of the punt heralded the end of national sovereignty? Did they not understand that there can be no ‘pooling’ of the essential sovereignty by which the independence of the state is defined?
Why were they not honest about the euro and Lisbon being concerned with the depriving the Dáil of the right to make its own decisions on behalf of the Irish people? Why would the people who still talk of the potato famine as though it were yesterday and of Cromwell as though he were a demon from hell ever wish to surrender their right to the ‘self-determination’ which has been on the lips of Irishmen for centuries?
The control of money is at the core of politics, self-government and sovereignty itself. The monarch’s head upon a nation’s currency is a symbol of that sovereignty: the denarius that bore the head of Caesar belonged to Caesar; the sterling that bears the head of the Queen means that her authority in Parliament is absolute; the euro that bears the insignia of the European Union shall be rendered unto the European government because it belongs to the European government. The introduction of the euro was not only the crowning of economic integration, it was a profoundly political act, because a currency is not just another economic factor but also symbolises the power of the sovereign who guarantees it. Since this power is guaranteed by the European Central Bank, the ECB is Europe’s Caesar. Whatever other token national symbols the currency displays, they are as nothing compared to the supra-national power and authority of Caesar’s European Bank.
And, from Germany, Weimar Ben now speaks openly of global coordination of currencies and economies, which also means nations and cultures. Of course, it would all be run by people like him, and Little Timmy, and Tony Blair, and...fill in the blank.
It is not yet too late, but the danger approaches.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Timmy Through The Looking Glass: Geithner's Interview On Bloomberg
File this under: YouJustCan'tMakeThisStuffUp...
Or: WhatPlanetIsHeFrom?
Or: WhatIsHeSmoking?
Words fail, so OS will just lift a couple of the more prominent quotes, but providing appropriate local translation, since Timmy insists on employing JargonSpeak in lieu of English.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner warned Republicans against politicizing the Federal Reserve and said the Obama administration would oppose any effort to strip the central bank of its mandate to pursue full employment.
“It is very important to keep politics out of monetary policy,” Geithner said in an interview airing on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt” this weekend. “You want to be very careful not to take steps that hurt our
credibility.”
Translation: Yew! Yeah, Yew Bubbah! You just gotta sit yer behonkus down and shut up!
We're busy printing money here, and saving the world in the process. If you start complaining, why that'll just mess everthing up! And if thangs go south on us, it'll aaaallll be yer dam' fault! Instead of George Bush's fault...
Geithner, 49, declined to say what compromise the Obama administration would be willing to consider on extending Bush- era tax cuts, while ruling out making permanent the reductions for the wealthiest Americans.
“It is not responsible, and I could not recommend to the president in good conscience, that we go out and borrow $700 billion to make those high-end tax cuts permanent,” Geithner said.
Shoot-fahr, ya'll! we're borry'in that 700 large for our pet projects and vote buyin'. We gotta keep Kuhlifornia, YewNork and Illinoiz from rolling over and dyin' on us, gotta keep the borders open to let all those new voters in for 2012, keep all the Gulf states from drilling for oil and gettin' prosperous and uppity on us again, pay for all them civilian trials so we can cut them jihadists loose; and when that GM trash starts headin' for 20, we gotta have us some cash on hand to keep the UAW happy. Hell, I won't even START to tell you how much we gotta funnel to the NEA to keep them girls quiet! Whoo-wee, they jest won't let up!
On Europe, Geithner said a financial rescue of Ireland could mark an end to the continent’s sovereign debt crisis.
That's 'cuz we're just gunna pretend Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy don't exist no moh'! That'll fix that problem, once and fer all! And we'll just ignore all those bad loans to Poland and parts east. They don't exist no more, neither!
“It is very important that we respect and honor what the Congress did when it set up our independent central bank with a mandate to keep prices low and stable over time and to make sure” it promotes “sustainable economic growth,” said Geithner, who was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before taking over as Treasury secretary last year.
Whut'sThatChewSay? You disagree? Then you be politicizin' that great American institution, The Fed'ral Reserve. Them's the folks that have done us the favor of lowering the value of the dollar 90% since they set up shop in 1913. Yew jest sitcherselfdown now, and keep quiet.
People might suspect we don't know whut weeze doin'. That would erode people's confidence in us...and we gots us lots of that theze daze. Hell, they might even start thankin' that it looks funny to have a revolving door between the Fed and the Treasury, like there might be some, you know, undisclosed conflicts of interest stuck away in the broom closet.
And, no, you ain't allowed to ask about them, neither.
Or: WhatPlanetIsHeFrom?
Or: WhatIsHeSmoking?
Words fail, so OS will just lift a couple of the more prominent quotes, but providing appropriate local translation, since Timmy insists on employing JargonSpeak in lieu of English.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner warned Republicans against politicizing the Federal Reserve and said the Obama administration would oppose any effort to strip the central bank of its mandate to pursue full employment.
“It is very important to keep politics out of monetary policy,” Geithner said in an interview airing on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt” this weekend. “You want to be very careful not to take steps that hurt our
credibility.”
Translation: Yew! Yeah, Yew Bubbah! You just gotta sit yer behonkus down and shut up!
We're busy printing money here, and saving the world in the process. If you start complaining, why that'll just mess everthing up! And if thangs go south on us, it'll aaaallll be yer dam' fault! Instead of George Bush's fault...
Geithner, 49, declined to say what compromise the Obama administration would be willing to consider on extending Bush- era tax cuts, while ruling out making permanent the reductions for the wealthiest Americans.
“It is not responsible, and I could not recommend to the president in good conscience, that we go out and borrow $700 billion to make those high-end tax cuts permanent,” Geithner said.
Shoot-fahr, ya'll! we're borry'in that 700 large for our pet projects and vote buyin'. We gotta keep Kuhlifornia, YewNork and Illinoiz from rolling over and dyin' on us, gotta keep the borders open to let all those new voters in for 2012, keep all the Gulf states from drilling for oil and gettin' prosperous and uppity on us again, pay for all them civilian trials so we can cut them jihadists loose; and when that GM trash starts headin' for 20, we gotta have us some cash on hand to keep the UAW happy. Hell, I won't even START to tell you how much we gotta funnel to the NEA to keep them girls quiet! Whoo-wee, they jest won't let up!
On Europe, Geithner said a financial rescue of Ireland could mark an end to the continent’s sovereign debt crisis.
That's 'cuz we're just gunna pretend Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy don't exist no moh'! That'll fix that problem, once and fer all! And we'll just ignore all those bad loans to Poland and parts east. They don't exist no more, neither!
“It is very important that we respect and honor what the Congress did when it set up our independent central bank with a mandate to keep prices low and stable over time and to make sure” it promotes “sustainable economic growth,” said Geithner, who was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before taking over as Treasury secretary last year.
Whut'sThatChewSay? You disagree? Then you be politicizin' that great American institution, The Fed'ral Reserve. Them's the folks that have done us the favor of lowering the value of the dollar 90% since they set up shop in 1913. Yew jest sitcherselfdown now, and keep quiet.
People might suspect we don't know whut weeze doin'. That would erode people's confidence in us...and we gots us lots of that theze daze. Hell, they might even start thankin' that it looks funny to have a revolving door between the Fed and the Treasury, like there might be some, you know, undisclosed conflicts of interest stuck away in the broom closet.
And, no, you ain't allowed to ask about them, neither.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Chinstraps On, Ya'll: Here Comes Harry Potter At Well Over 100 Million Sales This Weekend
Just perusing a bit late night, to see how the opening is going, with Eastern and Central time zones now past midnight.
Holy-Moly.
It's on 9K screens in the US, and blowing the doors down.
Holy-Moly.
It's on 9K screens in the US, and blowing the doors down.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The GM IPO: Let The Best Car Win
For all those getting all lathered up about the GM IPO today, let's look at one number in particular:
1. Range 34.65 - 35.99
2. 52 week 0.27 - 35.99
3. Open 35.00
4. Vol / Avg. 240.63M/76.62M
5. Mkt cap 21.58B
6. P/E -
7. Div/yield 0.25
8. EPS -58.56
9. Shares 610.56M
10. Beta 1.37
Number 8: Earnings per share. -58.56.
Who in their right mind offers a stock to the public with that number? Who in their right mind buys it? Fraudsters require willing marks, willing to be defrauded. It isn't like they haven't been warned...
And, as for that slogan, Let The Best Car Win, well, they really mean that, ya'll. 'Cuz they have learned, that no matter how badly they behave, the taxpayers at the state and federal level will simply be handed the bill when 'The Best Cars', made by Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota, win.
1. Range 34.65 - 35.99
2. 52 week 0.27 - 35.99
3. Open 35.00
4. Vol / Avg. 240.63M/76.62M
5. Mkt cap 21.58B
6. P/E -
7. Div/yield 0.25
8. EPS -58.56
9. Shares 610.56M
10. Beta 1.37
Number 8: Earnings per share. -58.56.
Who in their right mind offers a stock to the public with that number? Who in their right mind buys it? Fraudsters require willing marks, willing to be defrauded. It isn't like they haven't been warned...
And, as for that slogan, Let The Best Car Win, well, they really mean that, ya'll. 'Cuz they have learned, that no matter how badly they behave, the taxpayers at the state and federal level will simply be handed the bill when 'The Best Cars', made by Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota, win.
Harry Potter: What's Possible?
Last night, Mr. and Mrs. OS stumbled upon the Biography Channel's airing of two one-hour profiles of the people who make the Harry Potter movies the wonderful things they are. They show again Sunday afternoon in the US, a far better investment of time than any of the NFL offerings routinely dished up this time of year.
Another Potter installment opens this weekend, and OS suspects it will do hugely well. We are being treated to a complex morality play on a grand scale. Rowling's genius is her understanding of evil: It so often walks into the room disguised as virtue, or necessity, or 'the greater good', or 'order', like the anal headmistress in Order of the Phoenix. More brazenly, it shows up to suck the very joy of life from anyone within range, like the Dementors. (OS used to be married to one of those, but that's another story...) She also reminds us that what we can see, touch, hear, feel, produce and consume is not all there is, that we live in a moral universe, even if it is hidden from the Muggles.
But, back to the profiles seen last night. What a great film, or any other enduring piece of art, reminds us of is this: It poses the question of 'What's Possible?'. All these uniquely gifted individuals, from the tuba player in the orchestra to the actors to the designers of the puppets and sets, to the editor, to the producers--all pulled in one direction to tell these wonderful tales for all time, and to reap the rewards for doing so. What they created seems impossible, and yet, here it is, undeniably here. It can be derided, or even dismissed, but its existence can't be denied. The profiles also document the people who devoted their energies to the creation--their existence and contribution can't be stuffed down the Memory Hole, either.
The nihilists, like the YewNorkTimes reviewer types who think that a crucifix suspended upside-down in urine is 'art', sneer at this sort of thing, especially the morality tale aspect of it. The materialists only see the dollar signs, and wonder why anyone would bother doing art. Let's see some more football, and let's jest order up another round of wings at Hooters! The intellectuals want to analyze it to death, in order to avoid feeling anything or grappling with the ethics. The fundamentalists condemn it because it challenges them to think.
Still, here it is, and it won't go away. What's Possible? How hard are we willing to work, how big are we willing to dream?
The fair city of Louisville is deciding whether it will have an orchestra, and what shape it will take. OS thinks they need to think of a good reason to have one, and build from there. The example of 80-100 people each doing something completely different from one another, live in front of an audience, and creating something utterly transcendent in the process, like performing the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, is a powerful example of What's Possible. If the transcendent is removed from the occasion, it's just another bit of amusement for the audience, just another 'gig' for the musicians. It's not worth saving.
The final scene from Order of the Phoenix, as the students leave school, is tremendously moving. Young Harry knows he cannot avoid a direct showdown with evil, and that it will come down to kill-or-be-killed, and that he cannot shield his friends from the dangers, as much as he has tried. His final line goes something like this: We have the advantage. We have something to fight for. That's something he'll never have.
We have the advantage, if we're willing to work for What's Possible.
Another Potter installment opens this weekend, and OS suspects it will do hugely well. We are being treated to a complex morality play on a grand scale. Rowling's genius is her understanding of evil: It so often walks into the room disguised as virtue, or necessity, or 'the greater good', or 'order', like the anal headmistress in Order of the Phoenix. More brazenly, it shows up to suck the very joy of life from anyone within range, like the Dementors. (OS used to be married to one of those, but that's another story...) She also reminds us that what we can see, touch, hear, feel, produce and consume is not all there is, that we live in a moral universe, even if it is hidden from the Muggles.
But, back to the profiles seen last night. What a great film, or any other enduring piece of art, reminds us of is this: It poses the question of 'What's Possible?'. All these uniquely gifted individuals, from the tuba player in the orchestra to the actors to the designers of the puppets and sets, to the editor, to the producers--all pulled in one direction to tell these wonderful tales for all time, and to reap the rewards for doing so. What they created seems impossible, and yet, here it is, undeniably here. It can be derided, or even dismissed, but its existence can't be denied. The profiles also document the people who devoted their energies to the creation--their existence and contribution can't be stuffed down the Memory Hole, either.
The nihilists, like the YewNorkTimes reviewer types who think that a crucifix suspended upside-down in urine is 'art', sneer at this sort of thing, especially the morality tale aspect of it. The materialists only see the dollar signs, and wonder why anyone would bother doing art. Let's see some more football, and let's jest order up another round of wings at Hooters! The intellectuals want to analyze it to death, in order to avoid feeling anything or grappling with the ethics. The fundamentalists condemn it because it challenges them to think.
Still, here it is, and it won't go away. What's Possible? How hard are we willing to work, how big are we willing to dream?
The fair city of Louisville is deciding whether it will have an orchestra, and what shape it will take. OS thinks they need to think of a good reason to have one, and build from there. The example of 80-100 people each doing something completely different from one another, live in front of an audience, and creating something utterly transcendent in the process, like performing the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, is a powerful example of What's Possible. If the transcendent is removed from the occasion, it's just another bit of amusement for the audience, just another 'gig' for the musicians. It's not worth saving.
The final scene from Order of the Phoenix, as the students leave school, is tremendously moving. Young Harry knows he cannot avoid a direct showdown with evil, and that it will come down to kill-or-be-killed, and that he cannot shield his friends from the dangers, as much as he has tried. His final line goes something like this: We have the advantage. We have something to fight for. That's something he'll never have.
We have the advantage, if we're willing to work for What's Possible.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
What Part Of NO Do The Dems Not Understand: The DREAM Act That Will Not Die
Or, OS concludes, Obama's paying off old markers for keeping Mr. Harry alive or prepping 2012 by attempting to manufacture a bunch of potential voters, whether they be legal or not?
What's unemployment now? In reality about 18%? No word on what the tax code will look like next year, so biz plans are stuck in the deep water.
We're heading toward another financial meltdown, unless the grownups take the credit card away from Barry.
So Himself is going to concentrate on passing a backdoor amnesty for illegal aliens.
Breathtaking, but not surprising, because these folks are about one thing, and one thing only: Seizing and wielding power, even if they burn down the culture around us.
What's unemployment now? In reality about 18%? No word on what the tax code will look like next year, so biz plans are stuck in the deep water.
We're heading toward another financial meltdown, unless the grownups take the credit card away from Barry.
So Himself is going to concentrate on passing a backdoor amnesty for illegal aliens.
Breathtaking, but not surprising, because these folks are about one thing, and one thing only: Seizing and wielding power, even if they burn down the culture around us.
A Canadian Military Physician Offers Insight On Our Culture: Diseases Of Affluence
The coming days will be extraordinarily busy, so for that loyal handful that check in on OS's scribblings, rest assured he's ok, just up to his ears in his professional life.
A Canadian military physician, Kevin Patterson, offers up a long (sometimes wandering) but insightful article about our North American/Northern European culture. While serving in Afghanistan, the contrast between the physical condition of the Canadians who arrived for treatment of wounds and their Afghan counterparts was striking.
For someone used to the life and the pathologies of the rich and settled, much about practicing medicine in Afghanistan felt unfamiliar. One of the striking differences was the way gunshot victims’ abdomens looked in CT scans. Back home, I was used to seeing organs stand out with some prominence from the abdominal fat. In fact, in Canadians, the state of the kidneys can be partly assessed by the degree of inflammation in the perinephric fat that envelops them. It’s the same with the pancreas, and the liver often looks like it belonged to a French goose fattened for foie gras. Indeed, the idea of “normal” in a Canadian body proceeds from the assumption that it might be normal to spend one’s days tied to a grain spout, beak pried open, being filled with cracked corn.
Not the Afghans. The surgeons, in fact, often commented on how the abdominal contents spilled out once the abdominal wall was opened; every loop of bowel immediately visible, unobscured by mesenteric fat, which, in Canadians, would cling to every organ like yellow oily cake. Excessive fattiness is precisely why, when caring for the critically ill in North America, glucose levels are tightly controlled with insulin—a procedure necessary even for those not thought to be diabetic. Stressed by the infection, or the operation that has brought us to the intensive care unit, our sugar levels rise, paralyzing our white blood cells and nourishing the bacteria chewing upon them. But it was never necessary to give the Afghans insulin, no matter how shattered they were.
...and, later...
Afghans die through causes that are widely considered avoidable—war being chief among those, but also tuberculosis, complications of childbirth, measles, meningococcus and polio. This fact is revealed conclusively by the life expectancy in Afghanistan, the lowest in the world: thirty-nine. Westerners are made ill by diseases the Afghans avoid—even among the very elderly, traditional peoples do not suffer cardiovascular disease—while the Afghans perish from diseases we are too rich to tolerate.
This is sobering--and the article goes on to discuss other parallel situations around the world. We've accomplished so much, and have created this fabulous free and prosperous life. We're in danger of self-destructing from our own self-indulgence. It need not be this way, really. We need not immediately don hair shirts and cover ourselves in ashes, but we need to take heed, and repent while there is yet time.
The old theological term repent is much misused and disrespected. At bottom, it means 'turn around and walk the other direction', back toward what is right, even if it feels uncomfortable. Because the path we're on leads straight over the cliff onto the rocks below.
It's well worth a read, and a ponder. The quote of the article is:
Every generation sees itself as a decadent, diminished version of its predecessors. What is different is the extent to which we actually are.
A Canadian military physician, Kevin Patterson, offers up a long (sometimes wandering) but insightful article about our North American/Northern European culture. While serving in Afghanistan, the contrast between the physical condition of the Canadians who arrived for treatment of wounds and their Afghan counterparts was striking.
For someone used to the life and the pathologies of the rich and settled, much about practicing medicine in Afghanistan felt unfamiliar. One of the striking differences was the way gunshot victims’ abdomens looked in CT scans. Back home, I was used to seeing organs stand out with some prominence from the abdominal fat. In fact, in Canadians, the state of the kidneys can be partly assessed by the degree of inflammation in the perinephric fat that envelops them. It’s the same with the pancreas, and the liver often looks like it belonged to a French goose fattened for foie gras. Indeed, the idea of “normal” in a Canadian body proceeds from the assumption that it might be normal to spend one’s days tied to a grain spout, beak pried open, being filled with cracked corn.
Not the Afghans. The surgeons, in fact, often commented on how the abdominal contents spilled out once the abdominal wall was opened; every loop of bowel immediately visible, unobscured by mesenteric fat, which, in Canadians, would cling to every organ like yellow oily cake. Excessive fattiness is precisely why, when caring for the critically ill in North America, glucose levels are tightly controlled with insulin—a procedure necessary even for those not thought to be diabetic. Stressed by the infection, or the operation that has brought us to the intensive care unit, our sugar levels rise, paralyzing our white blood cells and nourishing the bacteria chewing upon them. But it was never necessary to give the Afghans insulin, no matter how shattered they were.
...and, later...
Afghans die through causes that are widely considered avoidable—war being chief among those, but also tuberculosis, complications of childbirth, measles, meningococcus and polio. This fact is revealed conclusively by the life expectancy in Afghanistan, the lowest in the world: thirty-nine. Westerners are made ill by diseases the Afghans avoid—even among the very elderly, traditional peoples do not suffer cardiovascular disease—while the Afghans perish from diseases we are too rich to tolerate.
This is sobering--and the article goes on to discuss other parallel situations around the world. We've accomplished so much, and have created this fabulous free and prosperous life. We're in danger of self-destructing from our own self-indulgence. It need not be this way, really. We need not immediately don hair shirts and cover ourselves in ashes, but we need to take heed, and repent while there is yet time.
The old theological term repent is much misused and disrespected. At bottom, it means 'turn around and walk the other direction', back toward what is right, even if it feels uncomfortable. Because the path we're on leads straight over the cliff onto the rocks below.
It's well worth a read, and a ponder. The quote of the article is:
Every generation sees itself as a decadent, diminished version of its predecessors. What is different is the extent to which we actually are.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Interlude, Kentucky Travels, And The Louisville Orchestra
The last several days have been a bit of a hiatus, one final deep breath before the end-of-term/holiday rush.
This autumn has been glorious in Tennessee, and Kentucky as well, where Mr. and Mrs. OS visited friends yesterday. The Bradford pear trees have turned bright red, and the oaks, which turned orange (instead of brown) have been breathtaking. On Saturday afternoon the setting sun caught the foliage at just the right angle, and our world glowed orange for five extraordinary minutes. OS ran outside with a camera, but no camera does this justice.
The visit to Kentucky was inspirational, as always, when visiting these friends. They met and fell in love in their late 30's, and married, the first marriage for each. Both fabulously creative and entreprenurial. They live across the road from the husband's childhood family farm, and have transformed a 1940's farmhouse into a showplace--not a hint of over-the-top display, but every detail just perfect, all designed to make the house a liveable haven. The recently completed 'man-cave' in the attic area is a delightful example of design genius, created by the husband, a self-taught renaissance man.
Quietly, quietly, they have built this life together, that touches so many other lives. They stood firm when the state and an industrial firm joined forces to push them and their mother and siblings off the family farms, and spared the county the fate suffered by so many others who were seduced by the prospect of easy money, only to have the plant close or move overseas once all the tax advantages had expired. Spring Hill/Maury County Tennessee should be an object lesson to all--the Saturn Parkway, connecting I-65 to the now abandoned GM facility, not yet 30 years old. A road to nowhere, with so much promised, and so very little delivered.
Over the weekend, the TV stayed with ABC family as the Harry Potter movies were replayed. Fundies who rail against these books and films rob their children of the opportunity to experience these morality plays, stories of good and evil (where it's sometimes hard to know who the good guys are), stories of friendship and growing up together. Plus, some of the best music of the past one hundred years is heard here as well.
On the drive home, Mrs. OS bought the Louisville paper, and read the tale of the latest woes of the Louisville Orchestra.
It's not an uncommon tale, with Detroit on strike, NY Phil in deficit, St. Louis going through troubles in recent years.
OS dearly loves this music, but thinks the business models are terribly skewed. One question needs to be answered by the musicians first, with one following upon it:
'Articulate why this music is essential to the culture--why is it important that it should be performed in this city? What are you doing, and what would you be willing to do, past showing up to rehearsals and concerts well-prepared, to make certain it lives in the minds and hearts of the people around you, your neighbors?'
To management: 'This orchestra used to be an integral part of life in this city. What was the business model that worked, and how can it be applied now?'
With a good grasp of those in hand, solutions can be found. Whining about 'those nasty people in management just victimizing us' gets no one anywhere. Donors don't open checkbooks when people whine, or when there isn't a clear plan to move forward.
Nor should they.
This autumn has been glorious in Tennessee, and Kentucky as well, where Mr. and Mrs. OS visited friends yesterday. The Bradford pear trees have turned bright red, and the oaks, which turned orange (instead of brown) have been breathtaking. On Saturday afternoon the setting sun caught the foliage at just the right angle, and our world glowed orange for five extraordinary minutes. OS ran outside with a camera, but no camera does this justice.
The visit to Kentucky was inspirational, as always, when visiting these friends. They met and fell in love in their late 30's, and married, the first marriage for each. Both fabulously creative and entreprenurial. They live across the road from the husband's childhood family farm, and have transformed a 1940's farmhouse into a showplace--not a hint of over-the-top display, but every detail just perfect, all designed to make the house a liveable haven. The recently completed 'man-cave' in the attic area is a delightful example of design genius, created by the husband, a self-taught renaissance man.
Quietly, quietly, they have built this life together, that touches so many other lives. They stood firm when the state and an industrial firm joined forces to push them and their mother and siblings off the family farms, and spared the county the fate suffered by so many others who were seduced by the prospect of easy money, only to have the plant close or move overseas once all the tax advantages had expired. Spring Hill/Maury County Tennessee should be an object lesson to all--the Saturn Parkway, connecting I-65 to the now abandoned GM facility, not yet 30 years old. A road to nowhere, with so much promised, and so very little delivered.
Over the weekend, the TV stayed with ABC family as the Harry Potter movies were replayed. Fundies who rail against these books and films rob their children of the opportunity to experience these morality plays, stories of good and evil (where it's sometimes hard to know who the good guys are), stories of friendship and growing up together. Plus, some of the best music of the past one hundred years is heard here as well.
On the drive home, Mrs. OS bought the Louisville paper, and read the tale of the latest woes of the Louisville Orchestra.
It's not an uncommon tale, with Detroit on strike, NY Phil in deficit, St. Louis going through troubles in recent years.
OS dearly loves this music, but thinks the business models are terribly skewed. One question needs to be answered by the musicians first, with one following upon it:
'Articulate why this music is essential to the culture--why is it important that it should be performed in this city? What are you doing, and what would you be willing to do, past showing up to rehearsals and concerts well-prepared, to make certain it lives in the minds and hearts of the people around you, your neighbors?'
To management: 'This orchestra used to be an integral part of life in this city. What was the business model that worked, and how can it be applied now?'
With a good grasp of those in hand, solutions can be found. Whining about 'those nasty people in management just victimizing us' gets no one anywhere. Donors don't open checkbooks when people whine, or when there isn't a clear plan to move forward.
Nor should they.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Why Quantitative Easing Is A Really, Really, Really Bad Idea
However, he is chasing one final detail--the identity and contact info for the photographer who took this photo in Zimbabwe, the 21st century's most audacious example of what Ben Bernanke and Da'Fed are subjecting us to in the United States.
Given the chaos and violence that overtook Zimbabwe, formerly that idyllic gem of Africa known as Rhodesia, this photographer may well be, well...dead.
It can happen anywhere, even in highly organized and cultured societies like Germany--the place that gave us Bach, Luther, Goethe, Schumann, Brahms--the list stretches on through all the arts and sciences, ended up with everyone wiped out and hauling wheelbarrows of notes to the market for a loaf of bread. Then someone came along and 'solved the problem'--little short guy with a moustache and a lot of pent-up hostility toward anyone who wasn't his kind of Aryan. You know, that guy...
Just because we're American, don't mean we're bulletproof. This really can happen here, and in his grumpier moments, OS suspects that TheClownCircus and WeimarBen are working toward that day. Just sayin'.
OS wishes Prof. Mankiw good fortune on his search.
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