Lobenthal.com

At the very least we will have a Democratic dandidate who is willing to confront the crap head on, no quarter given, no watercress sandwiches offered.

This week, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio revealed the way that, when it comes to TPP, the Democratic caucus has been “talked to, approached, lobbied, and maybe cajoled by more cabinet members on this issue than any [other] issue since Barack Obama has been president. And that’s just sad.”. . . .

“I wish they had put the same effort into the minimum wage. I wish they had put the same effort into Medicare at fifty-five. I wish they had put the same effort into some consumer strengthening on Dodd-Frank.”

George Zornick at TheNation.com is giving a valuable play-by-play on this “unfolding story,” to borrow a phrase from television “newscasters.”

Obama’s outburst today made it clear once again that the issues he will go to the mat for–and will lie recklessly about–are retrograde, repressive, reactionary. Perhaps co-President Jamie Dimon has been applying some pressure.

But Mr. President, spare me the manufactured outrage. If the TPP is right there out in the open, then where exactly is it?

Just asking.

Brittney Cooper in Salon makes the very good point that as the middle class dwindles, the poor must be ever more brutalized–vide Kansas’s new law about how many amusements the most indigent must deny themselves–so as to give the ever-themselves-more beleagured middle class–or remnants thereof–the illusion that they remain in some way privileged–AND THUS KEEP THEM QUIET.

When people say “There will never be another — ,” they’re right, but that’s because there’ll never be another anybody or anything. People are unique, even if we all conform to certain basic patterns.

The University of Alabama’s Center for Public Television and Radio is making a documentary on the Bankhead family. I’m so glad, because the first time I was in their once home-seat of Jasper, most people on the street hadn’t heard of them. Unbelievable. I was looking for the old Bankhead home. I eventually found it, and the next time I was there I was driven by a wonderful woman from the University who most definitely knew where she was going.

The Bankheads lived in a big house in what I call the town’s Gold Coast near downtown, with a yard that was an entire city block. Population was 3,000. You stand in front of that house and think. . . and this little girl went on from here to become the toast of London and New York. But not directly. She and her sister went to schools in the Washington D.C. area, while her father and grandfather served in the Senate and House. Her uncle John would join them.

The deep South + DC + plus so many other elements…no, you can’t repeat Tallulah, but fortunately, you can commemorate her family’s achievements.

I want to read Michael Kaiser’s new book Curtains, which apparently lays it out about the future of non-profit arts organizations in this country.

One of the reasons things like ballet and classical music are fighting for their lives in the U.S. is the absence of music and art instruction in urban public schools. And the situation is not getting better as the teach-to-the-test mania takes over. As special education teacher Jia Lee testified earlier this year (as reported by Democracy Now!), “The great crime is that the focus on testing has taken valuable resources and time away from programming, social studies, arts and physical education, special education services and ELL programs. At my school, we no longer have a librarian, and our Parent Association works full-time to fund the needed arts and music programs that are not covered by our budget any longer.”

Do you believe that National Journal is now pushing something called “Sponsor Content,” which it describes as “made possible by our Sponsor, however it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of National Journal’s editorial staff.”

Then why not call these designed-to-look-like-feature puff pieces for nuclear power, etc, what they in fact are–advertisements?!

Last weekend in Washington, D.C.  the cherry trees, camellias and magnolias were putting on a sumptuous show. At the Kennedy Center, New York City Ballet was also blooming.

I enjoyed seeing Martins’ Symphonic Dances for what I think is the first time. It shows off the company well, seems sometimes to be illustrating the lyrics of a Russian romanza. I HAVE seen Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition frequently over the last six months, but I’ve never experienced it danced with more intensity.

Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth pas de deux and Peck’s big-ensemble Everywhere We Go rounded out the generously-sized program. I like long programs. If you’re going to go to the ballet, why not really go? You can deadhead your camellias the next day.

DC surely got its money’s worth. I hope NYCB dances like this in their spring season, opening here in two weeks.

Mind-boggling but true: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just approved a huge pipeline for highly-pressurized gas to run cheek-by-jowl with the aging, dilapidated Indian Point nuclear plant, thirty miles from Manhattan.

Ellen Canatrow at truthout finds this unthinkable, and with good reason.

I think the new, Spring 2015 Ballet Review is just about the most beautiful we’ve ever done. Amid so much to see and read, don’t forget to go back in time with me to my 1982 meetings with Irina Baronova, and then go back further in time to her recollections of baby ballerinaship in the 1930s.