QandO
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August 11, 2004 Quick Hits A few assorted things kicking around..... *** Is everybody checking the right-hand sidebar? We've installed four things over there....
 Sweet. Some of the others are pretty funny, too. (credit to Rusty Shackleford from MyPetJawa for the creations)
I'll (pretty much) repeat what I wrote there: They don’t. Or, at least, they don’t do so in a provable, consistent fashion. Radio stations aren’t run by morons. Those little annoying quirks-–playlists too small, out-of-era music, etc–-those are all heavily researched, and designed to appeal to the station's core listeners. Listeners think they understand something the radio station doesn’t, but radio does’t spend millions of dollars on research to help out their brother-in-law at “The Brother-In-Law Research Firm". I understand why it’s annoying, but McDonalds doesn't carry the same small menu for nothing. The lesson is applicable in radio, too.
What!?!?! No US representation at the 2005 Venice Biennale! How ever can US artists create their art unless they are fully subsidized by the taxpayers, who have never even heard of the 2005 Venice Biennale! At least, I haven't heard of it. Perhaps I'm just a crude neanderthal. However, before somebody points out that I just "don't like art", let me point out....I really have no use for art. Music, paintings, sculpture, poetry....just tolerated graffiti, as far as I'm concerned. Meanwhile, there remains the question of whether it is really the role of the US government to pay for art shows, or subsidize artists. And if so, why not authors? Or basketball players? Or rock bands? Or the makers of really cool PS2 games? Re: the "no national cultural agenda".....an ObWi commenter writes.... Heck, we don't even have a National Agenda Agenda. How are we going to know what should be on our agenda! I'd point out that we have no national sexual agenda, either, but we seem to be getting along just fine. Or not. Individual cases may vary, but few--I expect--want government intervention. (you think the DMV is bad...) |
Still say the Quick Links should have an RSS feed, but ah well.
No pressure. Just keeps me returning to the front page. :)
Posted by: Chadster at August 11, 2004 02:16 PM
Thanks for the trackback Jon. Not having heard of the Venice Bienalle if you're in the art world is like not having heard about the Philip K. Dick Awards if you write sci fi. Not all Americans know about the PKD Awards, but ones who take sci fi seriously sure do.
Posted by: Edward at August 11, 2004 02:54 PM
Have you happened to encounter Jerry Pournelle's website and his references to "The Stategy of Technology" ?
He proposes (and defends, and promotes) the notion that military deterrence of our potential adversaries is enhanced by establishing a continuing improvement to -- everything. Faster vehicles, higher orbits, more bandwidth, cheaper computers, bigger bombs, more effective vaccines ... If we openly show an adversary that we will have, say, a radar-proof bomber in the air before he can finish deploying his new coastal radar system, the bombs may never need be dropped.
Now, it seems to me we might likewise go about deterring European competitors by, for instance, making better, and cheaper, wine -- in stay-fresh air-resistant gallon bag-in-box dispensers rather than bottles. By offering better tomatos -- grape tomatoes, not just cherry. Niacin-enhanced Golden Rice. Better cartoons, more movies, cooler software, hipper clothes, and funkier music.
But if we did that -- we might make some of them dislike us ...
Posted by: Pouncer at August 11, 2004 03:49 PM
Edward: hey, I'm a huge sci-fi fan, but I've only heard of the Nebula and the Hugo. Either you're making it up, or I really need to read something written after 1970. :)
I'm sure artists care about that show. Perhaps they even care enough to spend their own money to get there. Or maybe another art lover cares enough to sponsor them.
I'd certainly love to write a book on somebody elses dime, but I doubt you think it's the governments (read: your) role to pay for it.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 11, 2004 04:39 PM
And the discussion goes on. If I'd compiled a truly exhaustive list of what we don't have a national agenda for, though, I'd still be writing.
Posted by: Slartibartfast at August 12, 2004 11:15 AM
I'm sure artists care about that show. Perhaps they even care enough to spend their own money to get there. Or maybe another art lover cares enough to sponsor them.
Jon, it costs $1million. The artists and their friends normally raise 3/4 of that. The US gets its share of the glory if they win, with regards to international prestige and press. It's not a bad investment in PR terms.
If I'd compiled a truly exhaustive list of what we don't have a national agenda for, though, I'd still be writing.
Hey, maybe you could ghostwrite Jon's book. That way he'd get what he wants, you'd get what you want, and the taxpayers can continue to send all their hard earned money to the Pentagon.
Posted by: Edward at August 12, 2004 04:49 PM
Not a bad investment? Compared to what? What's the return?
Look, I know artists find their work incredibly valuable, but if it's that valuable, somebody will pay for it. And if nobody will pay for it, it's really not that valuable.
I'm not interested in the US engaging in speculative art investment, though.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 13, 2004 05:20 AM