Vote for Joe

Saturday Evening Post photo

I just read an excellent Saturday Evening Post article on the “Federal Art Project,” which was part of Roosevelt’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the Great Depression. Some 7% of the budget for the WPA was allocated to artists across the country to do all sorts of mural projects, and such, in big cities and small towns. Besides helping subsidize “starving artists” (literally) during that time, it gave Americans, across the socio-economic spectrum, access to good art. The most poignant sentence in the article: “Artists painted recognizable subjects — ranging from portraits, to cityscapes, and images of city life, to landscapes and depictions of rural life — that reminded the public of quintessential American values, like hard work, community, and optimism… Our administration would push for a Marshall Plan to rebuild, and rejuvenate, our inner cities, as we would push for downtown revitalization in small towns across America. Creating a similar Federal Art Project, to accentuate this rejuvenation, once again make art accessible to everyone, and give more artists meaningful, creative work, would be an absolutely excellent idea.

Feb. 2024

I just read (…and took some notes) this particular National Geographic cover article on glass. Of note, the UN categorized glass in 2022 “…as the 100 percent recyclable building block most likely to help countries reach sustainable-development goals by 2030.” And with that, notes the article’s author: “Simply put, we’ve entered a new glass age…” Alicia Duran, an actual “glass professor” at the Spanish Research Council, and president of the International Commission on Glass, was quoted: “The main quality of glass is that it can be produced, re-produced, born and reborn — really in the same, or other, applications — forever.” Conversely, we are currently awash in plastic — which is anything but sustainable. As just one, of many, examples: Common sense says we go back to using re-usable glass bottles across the board. I mean, and I’m going to sound like a dinosaur here: But remember the thick glass milk bottles that were delivered to homes? The seas are filling up with this toxic plastic, the landfills are fulling up with these toxic plastics, the air is filling up with the off gassing from making this toxic plastic… What sane parent would want to leave a world of plastic toxicity for their children? Note: Toward the end of the article, it was noted that the giant Magellan Telescope, on top of a mountain in Chile, and with 27.5 foot glass mirrors, when fully functional in 2029: “…will be able to measure distant planets passing in front of stars to a degree never before achieved, allowing scientists to determine temperatures, and whether they contain gasses like methane and oxygen, possible signs of life.” Note 2: Part of space exploration, a big part, is trying to find out if there is: “Anyone one else out there?” Instead of spending the billions/trillions on space exploration with spaceships, why not let these highly advanced telescopes do the initial exploring — taking the savings to help those in dire straits in the Third World on this planet? More common sense.

Joe concedes

Well, that’s right. I have, once again, graciously decided not to ask for a recount — conceding the race. That’s difficult. Not out of misguided hubris, or narcissistic tendencies, or thinking the presidential race was “rigged.” No, it’s hard because I know, really know, that my platform would “Make America Great” — in the eyes of God. And by some measure at that! The “Make America Great Again” paradigm being held out is tremendously shallow, at best. And will, ultimately, continue to be akin to “…rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” Note: Instead of watching the results coming in last night, I covered a village council meeting. It was reported that the Tree Commission had done a village-wide “tree survey,” and determined 15 trees on village property needed to come down. The fiscal officer released a report indicating the village has been operating “…in the black” for yet another year. And the Police Chief reported his officers had all reached the state mandated yearly criteria of 24 seminar/training hours… Frankly, while not riveting, this was a little touch of ‘subsidiarity sanity’ amidst a world going absolutely off the rails. For more of a touch of sanity, see our: position papers.

Bee Home store

I just wrote a story about an Ada, Ohio thrift store that features home decor items. Quality stuff at rock-bottom prices. The store falls under the umbrella of Beatitudes, a non-profit organization in the heart of Ada. Area volunteers collect the donations, clean them up, refurbish some, and so on. One of the volunteers that I interviewed, said that she gets tremendous gratification seeing people “…who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford most of this, be able to afford most of this.” What’s more, in the midst of our current, for the most part, ‘throw-a-way society,’ this is also about: recycling. This Bee Home store is an absolutely excellent model, which could be replicated from town, to town, to town… across America. Also, from a social justice angle, some of these second-hand decor savings could go into outreach funds for Third World home decor. *See my last post.

4/23 edition

I just read an article on China in this edition of National Geographic. That country is in the throes of a “…sharp population drop.” The simplest remedy, according to the author, in the short term at least, is to increase immigration. China currently has one of the lowest immigration rates in the world. However, the country, apparently, wants to keep it that way. Conversely, the article noted that Beijing is pursuing three options: raising the retirement age; raising the birthrate; and raising productivity. The retirement age for women in China is currently 55, and 60 for men. To counteract a dwindling workforce, again according to the article, Beijing is relying on increased education and high technology, including robots eventually stepping in for 240 million workers to counter declining population. What’s more, local governments in China are now pushing for a three-child-policy, and providing incentives for this in the form of tax cuts, housing subsidies, expanded childcare services…