Monday, May 4, 2009

The Situation

According to the Washington Post, cultural groups have declared a state of emergency:

"I have never seen a situation like this in my 25 years in the business," says Michael M. Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center and a veteran arts administrator. After cutting its own budget by 6.5 percent -- a modest trim by current standards -- the Kennedy Center in February started an Arts in Crisis program to counsel troubled organizations. Some 350 have already sought advice."

Also, President Barack Obama holds a live press conference to mark his first 100 days. I do not think he mentioned the arts, but I may have missed it.


The New York Times speculates that the president will appoint a pragmatist to the supreme court. Sure, that's fine with me.


In a long running conversation in the Sunday magazine, the president talks about how his policies might change everything about American life. He touches on nearly everything and manages to argue that "...young people generally are going to benefit from a good, solid liberal-arts education. That’s what I got."


He continues:

"But, again, I think the big challenge that we’ve got on education is making sure that from kindergarten or prekindergarten through your 14th or 15th year of school, or 16th year of school, or 20th year of school, that you are actually learning the kinds of skills that make you competitive and productive in a modern, technological economy.


That’s why I don’t just want to see more college graduates; I also want to specifically see more math and science graduates, I specifically want to see more folks in engineering."


Also: Aimee Mann - Save Me


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