This Is Where We Are: Tiny House for Sale

painting also for sale (-;

The Present

Duchamp: Everyone is an artist

Warhol: In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes

Me: We're finally all stars of our own phones instantly.

Reaping what one sows

I am not taking sides here because it is all such a fucking mess that  I can't find a side to take other than we should scrap everything and start from scratch.  But as to the title of my blog, I remember how Obama Care passed:

http://www.briansussman.com/politics/how-obamacare-became-law/

This, meaning the then and the now, is no way to govern.

ugh

Chance Encounter with Art in Phoenix

A Less Than Satisfying Exchange

Dear Senator Scott,

I have been wanting to write to your office since President Trump was elected, but there is so much wrong with his presidency that I just haven’t had the strength.  However, the firing of Director Comey at this juncture is the last straw and I feel compelled to finally communicate my displeasure. 

Time has come for congress to appoint an independent prosecutor, not only to investigate the Russian connection to President Trump, but to look into all the president’s dealings.  The “Trump people” are using the office of the President of the United States of America to make all kinds of personal deals and this country is looking more like a Banana Republic every day; it’s not only embarrassing, it is dangerous. Honestly, I am not even certain what it is the man knows and doesn’t, he appears totally clueless to me, which is plenty scary in itself, but the people around him aren’t, and they are using their position to enrich themselves; they use the White House as a marketing tool.

Senator Scott, I have no clue what our foreign policy is: very very scary (double adverb like the president likes to use either for emphasis or because his vocabulary is limited, mine isn’t), our environmental policies are a disaster, this medical bill fiasco solves absolutely nothing, and as long as “the optics” look like they do, you legislators will not be able to do anything concrete for the foreseeable future (not that your track record has been very good for, oohhhh the past 8 years).  We will soon be hankering for the 2% growth rate of the Obama years.  I did not think President Obama was a very good president; but President Trump will make him look like Lincoln.

In conclusion: I, your constituent who did vote for you, want you to call for an independent prosecutor to investigate this very dangerous White House.

Sincerely,

Katya Cohen

Dear Ms. Cohen,

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on former FBI Director James Comey’s dismissal by President Trump. I value your opinion on this important issue and firmly believe that I cannot perform my responsibilities efficiently without having the benefit of the views of my constituents. I thank you for the opportunity to respond.

As head of the executive branch, it is entirely constitutional for President Trump to exercise his discretion regarding who leads executive branch departments. It must be remembered that every employee of the executive branch works for the president.  As with previous administrations, there will continue to be no tolerance for excessive over-reach by the executive branch. I will continue to push for accountability and transparency at all levels of government.

I thank former Director Comey for his work and service to our nation. Leading the bureau responsible for upholding our nation’s laws and integrity is no simple task.  As per the powers vested in the Senate by Article Two, Section Two of the constitution, my role in the Senate will be that of appropriate consideration and review of the new FBI Director nominee.  As such, I look forward to focusing on reviewing President Trump’s pick for FBI Director.

I do not believe that the Director’s dismissal will affect how the FBI carries out its investigations, and I have full confidence in the brave men and women serving our nation every day at the FBI. Multiple federal entities are currently and independently conducting Russia investigations, including the Senate Intelligence Committee. Chairman Burr and Ranking Member Warner have repeatedly demonstrated they are working together to uncover all of the facts, and I have no reason to believe they will not.

I look forward to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report, and to reviewing that and any findings made by the FBI at the conclusion of their investigations.

Again, thank you for sharing your perspective with me; I hope that you will continue to do so in the future. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff.

For more information, please visit my website at www.scott.senate.gov and subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SenatorTimScott and Twitter:www.twitter.com/SenatorTimScott for daily updates.

Sincerely,

Tim Scott

Dear Senator Scott, 

Thank you for your predictable response.  I understand the constitutionality of Director Comey's dismissal and understand the Congress' willingness to see how this all shakes out before committing yourselves to anything; we will all have to wait and see.  However, apart from this matter, my concerns also have more to do with the overall ethical environment within the White House, and honestly, with the president's mental health.  It's going to be a long four years....

Sincerely,

Katya Cohen

Like an Oasis

Artforum May 2017  Tobi Haslett on the Whitney Biennial

Like an oasis in a desert, finally an art review with meaty content.  It’s been so many years since I’ve read one that I forgot how pleasant it is be informed by one.  I almost forgot what it is like to read a well written, formed, and formulated opinion that actually imparts information.  

  

wow

Earth Day, March for Science, and the Stickiness of Alternative Facts

After years of the intellectual contingency of the far left beating the drum to the sound of “Science is just White Man’s mythology used to oppress the masses,” all of a sudden science seems to matter to progressives. These are ironic times indeed....

I listen to the news while I am working in the studio until the news depresses me too much and I switch to jazz.  This past Friday leading to a weekend of protests for science all over the world, the news was full of reports about it.  It was interesting to listen to and to find out about the different flavors the international marches were going to come in.  

I listen to the news on National Public Radio which is progressively bent, and so it was doubly interesting to listen to them interview a Nigerian organizer who was telling the reporter that in Nigeria they were marching for GMO’s.  Yes, I said FOR GMO’s. Usually on NPR one only hears about the ill effects of GMO’s on food production and how the E.U bans such products in their sphere of influence; and if NPR listeners hear about a protest, it is usually anti-GMO.  Well, here was a person from a developing nation clamoring for GMO’s, or what in Europe is known as "white man’s tools of oppression".  Weeelllll, it seems like scientific fact might actually be local (-;

I have a friend who used to do some landscaping for us and his father worked in the AG School at the university in town.  He told me we would never be able to feed the world population had we not engineered food and used all the chemistry we have done…  These are scientific facts, that is, facts supported by data that progressives don’t usually like to hear.  Honestly, I like my food organic and grass fed, but "facts be facts"… or are they?  

Today, facts be damned, let’s march for science no matter what's what!