Friday, May 12, 2006

May 12, 2006

Another perspective on real change in the world

Hello everyone.

"And the beat goes on..............."

Table of Contents:
I. One minute survey on which changes are the most important.
II. Comedian George Carlin reminds us what is important.


Last week the HESSENIUS GROUP began discussing "changes" that will impact the arts in the future - a discussion that will continue at the Americans for the Arts conference on June 3rd in Milwaukee when the group goes live - and hopefully, continue thereafter - on this site and elsewhere.

Click here for information on the Americans for the Arts Conference: http://www.artsusa.org/events/2006/convention/010.asp

I. One Minute Online Survey:
"Talk to me......................."


In preparation for the Americans for the Arts session, please help me by taking a ONE MINUTE (two question)- anonymous survey and rank which issues and which changes the arts are likely to face that you think are the most important.

Click here to take survey

Following the Americans for the Arts convention in early June, I will report back the highlights of the session and the results of the simple survey. I hope we might be able to provide a full (post convention)audio link so that you can, should you want to, listen to the session as it happened. I hope to continue that discussion on this blog over the course of the year.

The broad policy issues the arts face aren't just academic and intellectual fodder - they will impact us in countless ways. Some scenarios may have catastrophic consequences for us, others may present extraordinary opportunities to move forward. As a field, we need to find some way, some mechanisms to consider those challenges and opportunities, what we might do in preparation, and how the national dialogue can be furthered.

I believe Dr. Linus Pauling was right when he observed that "the best way to have a good idea, is to have lots of ideas."

II. Changes inside the self
"Changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes..........."


I got the following - penned by comedian George Carlin - as an email last week and it points out (as art and artists have for a long time) that perhaps the most profound change is the one within each of us and our attitudes towards life and the world. We should bear that in mind when we discuss the other kinds of changes.

Here it is:
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
George Carlin

NOTE: Andrew Taylor informs me that this quote is not attributable to George Carlin, but rather to Dr. Bob Moorehead - click here:
 

http://www.trans4mind.com/counterpoint/moorehead.shtml My apologies to Dr. Moorehead. As I asked Andrew, I wonder how many quotes are mis-attributed every day.

Have a great week.

I hope to see many of you in Milwaukee.

Don't Quit

Barry