>>>>>>> 'news' you may have missed <<<<<<<
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I limited the 'garbage election punditry' except for cartoons - we're living a cartoon.
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Hope - perspective is important - there are good things happening - good stories from 2011 - power of ordinary people - may they increase for 2012 ---
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Art Diplomacy - art museum exchange in 1981 - tremendous impact on China - would that we would make a modicum of effort and investment to cultural impact instead of just military ---
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"Artists were essentially shamans or priests or seers in the old days and I think art is still the primary focus of looking for ways to deal with the questions of being human. I think you can do that while meditating in your room. OK, so I went to prison, I suffered, but I'm here drinking a three-dollar coffee checking my email on a fancy gadget. The problem is we're looking for something that doesn't exist. We're looking for authenticity. There is no such thing as authenticity. There is either good art or bad art. Art is never about its content. It's about its scaffolding."
--- Chris Abani, Nigeria, The Writer's Almanac
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I thought this was just great - ethnic vs. national 'loyalty' - a really good discussion of the heartfelt 'problem' that people have to go through with making decisions whether one or the other - using young sports players - I thought this is so transferable to the larger global political context that has often led to incredible suffering and violence - the interwoven ethnicities in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and on and on - no problem until someone calls on or forces the ethnic 'loyalty', differences, and then the resulting death and destruction - would that we could move this in a educable manner into the current immigration controversy - I'm sure there are lots of people who cheer the Mexican-American in sports but 'hates' the 'mexicans' - the same happened with Blacks - in sports also - reminds me of James Baldwin's comment years ago how - the South likes the individual but hates the race - the North likes the race but hates the individual - I saw this when living in Mississippi - it continues today ---
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I had to take this one - Joseph Stiglitz - I may not agree with everything he says but it is much more realistic than what we're getting from the economists in Treasury and the FED - invest for people not the 'Casino' - banking is supposed to serve society not the other way around ---
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Dalai Lama
Wealth should serve humanity, not vice versa.
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90 year olds denied voter ID - if you can't win on ideas - use anything else ---
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Guns - once again - 3 year old accidental 'killer' ---
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Character - so sorely missing ---
"No Man ever lived, more deservedly beloved and Respected ... When assailed by faction, when reviled by Party, he suffered with dignity, and Retired from exalted station with a Character which malice could not wound, nor envy tarnish."
--- Abigal Adams on death of George Washington, The Writer's Almanac, Where are the Statespersons today of such character?
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Cartoons:
Exchange ---
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The Wall ---
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The cattle car ---
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Less controversial ---
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Democracy - ooopps! ---
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What fits? ---
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
30s/40s - sunny - have a great weekend - celebrate the coming of a New Year - retain hope
