loveitallabove

O.K., so as THEIR slogan's coming together. The lead line is "Country First." While intended to communicate a unifying principle that nationalism comes before politics, it also recalls a classic fascist tenet better described as something like 'chauvinism before intellectualism.' Here's what Umberto Eco writes about this tact: "In spite of some fuzziness regarding the difference between various historical forms of fascism, I think it is possible to outline a list of features that are typical of what I would like to call Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism. These features cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism..." Further on in this essay by Eco entitled "Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt," (published in 1995) the author lists attribute number seven as "To people who feel deprived of a clear social identity, Ur-Fascism say...

Is History Siding With Obama’s Economic Plan? By ALAN S. BLINDER Published: August 30, 2008 "...The stark contrast between the whiz-bang Clinton years and the dreary Bush years is familiar because it is so recent. But while it is extreme, it is not atypical. Data for the whole period from 1948 to 2007, during which Republicans occupied the White House for 34 years and Democrats for 26, show average annual growth of real gross national product of 1.64 percent per capita under Republican presidents versus 2.78 percent under Democrats. ...The two Great Partisan Divides combine to suggest that, if history is a guide, an Obama victory in November would lead to faster economic growth with less inequality, while a McCain victory would lead to slower economic growth with more inequality. Which part of the Obama menu don’t you like?"

David Rudenstine with Ashton Hawkins, executive vice president, Metropolitan Museum of Art: I was reading the Styles Section in today's New York Times. There was this whole event at Clermont, the country estate established by the Livingston family in 1728. And I didn't seem to know a single name. I usually read through the Style section to get an overview of what's happening with philanthropy in NYC, since it sets the stage for the nation in a lot of ways. There I am scanning along and 'low and behold...' -- #25 reads Ashton Hawkins! And there he is strutting out on the green. Loves me some Ashton. Oh, my aspirations... And right before I was posting this, I came across a death notice for his mother -- just this past January. And at 106?! Paid Notice: Deaths HICKOX, KYRA SCHUTT HAWKINS Published: January 1, 2008 HICKOX--Kyra Schutt Hawkins, age 106, died peacefully at home in Muttontown, Long Island, NY on January 2, 2008. She was born and raised in St. Peter...

Many musicians look on their lyrics as poetry that reveals their inner depths. For Eno, though, the sound of the words in sequence is what matters. He reacts against the idea that the lyrics are the "meaning" of the song: in his view, the lyrics are just another component, along with the sound of the guitar or the rhythm of the piece.

This season on Sesame Street seems to be all the buzz!! My sister called me from Maryland...and here's this wonderful bit of writing from my friend Tom's blog "Chock-a-Blog." Tom's the best. He started recently at Goodby Silverstein in SF and has moved to our 'hood in Oaklyn'. Tom and our Li'l E are dear friends. In fact, Tom was Li'l E's first real friend and I hope they both are able to cherish that for many, many years...Tom made this video for Li'l E. Even if I posted this earlier...I'm posting it again.

wanted to check this myself again later and share in the interim... From the Chronicle of Philanthropy issue dated August 21, 2008 It's Time to Focus on a New Generation By Allison Fine The millennials are coming! The millennials are coming! In hallways, boardrooms, and conference calls across the nonprofit world, this warning cry is ringing out. But too many in the nonprofit world forget that the millennials are already here. They are the people born from 1982 through the late 1990s dominating the world around us. They outnumber the baby boomers who are alive today. Not preparing for and welcoming the millennials is more than a missed opportunity. It is a significant and perhaps devastating error in judgment by traditional organizations because they need millennials more than the millennials need them. If they are unhappy with their reception by nonprofit organizations, they will simply start their own efforts — overnight, online, at almost no cost. Millennials are fascinating fo...