It's great for keeping up with favorite bands, teams, and other local  events. Not an ideal medium big ideas.

Appearances are meaningful.

I have always joked that Richard Reed is the Charlie Brown of terrorists. He looked funny. They send out next guy to blow himself up with ..."and don't pull a Reechard Reed". The underwear bomber would be but most people are too tired laugh after pronouncing Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Public art is art by committee, Mollie. It is the worst. In almost every instance you have a group of judges and critics trying to impress each other with how sophisticated they are. They set lousy parameters and play favorites with their pet fashionable BS'ers.  Seldom does anyone in the community have the conviction or knowledge to contradict the appointed cadre of "experts". Occasionally you have the opposite - a group trying to offend no one so you end up with mosaic by 5th graders which looks like - a mosaic by 5th graders. But here is the story of a sculptor whose work you would love, Frederick E Hart, written by Tom Wolfe - who ended up being a major patron.  Also, Allison's work is very good.

I'm thinking most of y'all aren't actually attempting to see much art in person. A wee pic does not count. I'll never forget the first time I saw a few Hudson River School paintings the size of a billboards at the national gallery. I'd observed photos of  some of them a number of times studying art history (some as projected slides) but I immediately realized I had never actually seen them. I'll grant that much of 20th century art is a joke. I have always said art historians will think of Warner Bros. & Disney as the greatest art of that century. Now there are video games that are beautiful environments that one can move around in - Truly awesome. But there is and has been an incredible amount of good work being done concurrent with the crap that gets the headlines. There are ongoing movements back toward craft - and the craft category never vanished. Anyway, there is something for everybody these days and it has all its impact when you're next to it.

Well I'm at work and do not have time to write or debate about it but I might be qualified to speak - as fine art/sculpture was the focus of my degree. I have not worked in about 15 years as I have been busy building an appraisal business and raising a son. About a week ago I initiated a plan to produce 5 pieces by the end of the summer (stonework takes a lot of time). I intend to chronicle the progress in a photos, blog, and twitter. The pieces are to be derivative of the gargoyles and cartoons on the great cathedrals (unless my mind wanders). Any interested parties can follow on twitter @carverspoint. For instance

or

Speaking of global distribution, the one thing almost never mentioned in accounting for the number of jobs lost is the de-immigration of between 10 and 20 million illegal immigrant workers. In 2005 there were so many jobs that all one had to do was stand at the corner near the home depot to employed for the day. There is obvious evidence in this fact for the claim that policy has distorted the labor market but if we are counting jobs lost they ought to count.

Would that I, or anyone really, could bankroll an ad campaign about the sociopathic nature of the Bloomberg impulse.  Sisyphus' idea of using Bloomberg of the star of an anti-Bloomberg campaign is a good one though.

You left Dwight Yoakam off your "Bakersfield" List Dubya. I have to recommend him by name because he is terrific. One of the reasons country is so big right now is that the fans still don't mind buying CD's.  And to begin your collection Matthew, start with the Derailers' "Genuine" and Dwight's "There was a Way". I always thought the ironic turn of phrase was the strong suit of good country writing. Emmylou Harris' "Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town" is another favorite. Both Dwight and the Derailers have loving tribute albums to Buck Owens which are worth having. But for a crash course in real honest to god essential country - with the appropriate flavor. Listen on-line every Wednesday to WEVL Memphis from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (central).

This may be a tactic of downstream media orgs. The Commercial Appeal here in Memphis published such a list a year or so ago. I would be interested  to know if this is occurring all over.

Joined early and am staying late. I do as much recruiting as I can and at least one membership is due to my insistence.

Add that marijuana users seeking legalization through the "medical marijuana" angle was ridiculous. No one sought to repeal prohibition by making it necessary to go sit in a doctors office for half a day, pay for the writ, then go get the bottle. There is just something humiliating and wrong  with pretending to be sick, going though deliberate bureaur0cratic steps to lie about it, and having that lie permanently recorded as a condition to get the weed. It is worse than just breaking the stupid law in terms of its delegitimizing the user.

Oh to be a smoke jumper in Memphis on the third weekend in May. Here your last meal could be three days long and worth dying for. No need to pick one style or meat, just have them all with plenty of cold beer. Anyone visiting any other time of year would be well advised to skip the Rendezvous and Corky's and head to Central BBQ for the triple threat (they do great pulled pork,  better ribs, and fall off the bone juicy chicken). For the record John, I don't eat barbeque outside of Memphis and I don't eat oyster po-boys outside of New Orleans (ok, or Biloxi ), it is always a disappointment. I'm also usually disappointed by anything called a "cheese steak sandwich" outside of eastern Pennsylvania. Go with the local strength. Which in interstate exit world is probably the Burger. One last thought - a grill does not necessarily make it barbeque.

Edit - Caveat: They don't sell the product at the BBQ competition due to health dept. regulations. There's generally plenty for free if you have a friend on a team, or good manners, or a pretty girlfriend...

Well the Ivy League class has certainly got economic sadism down to an art.

Dear American Electorate,

I am bitterly disappointed in you. I am disappointed on so many points it is difficult to know where to begin but several stand-outs come to mind.

First, is it possible that you really do not know enough about economics (that would be the function of money in your life and the lives of people you claim to care about) to understand what represents basic good will towards men? If so, this is much like fish not knowing about water. But the evidence appears to indicate that you are fish that don't know water.

Second...

See the entire satirical thread here...

Mr. Long?