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It took 75 years for this country to be able to look closely at the Tulsa race riot of 1921. If it takes China less than 75 years to look at Tienanmen, they'll be doing better than we did.

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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re: leaving pets (or children) in well ventilated cars, is it regulated, is it safe?

re: the presence of companion pets in grocery stores and social places, and the laws or ordinances governing this and how they are made,
how they are enforced,

re: the roles of service animals

re hand washing: its history, its role in public health, do doctors/other personell do it in hospitals? and hospital induced infections, use of antibacterial soaps in homes and in workplaces, is hot water necessary? does a handwipe or alcohol wipe do the job? what germs do we get at checkout counters?

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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re: analgesics--aspirin vs. acetominophen vs. ibuprofen--are these the only pain meds available? what about the use of arnica? and Traumeel? and what are the analgesics most often used for? headache or backache? what are other ways to deal with these problems in addition to analgesics? use of coffee, electrolytes, hot and cold packs, cranial sacral therapy (a technique of osteopathy) use of the mind, acupuncture, specifically applied muscle contraction

Here's my new topic: what are all the things you can do with toothpaste? I use it to polish silver.

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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I am so glad there are self supporting types of artists in the discussion. In my understanding of the role of the arts, I see that art reflects the interests of the artists or it reflects what they can sell. So in the USA art is generally appealing to the collective mindset (middle class and higher) while in some other countries the arts are devoted to the needs of the poor or to politics. It takes courage to speak your mind. It takes courage to be an artist. I am not suggesting that people take unreasonable risks. On principle, I give spiritual support to each person in developing their artistic talents. I freely teach others to do the kind of art that I do (bargello tapestry).

I am hoping for more art that is relevant to me. The simplist responce to that is for me to become an artist. BUT am I the only woman who wants art to deal with health issues, to deal with disability, to deal with aging, to deal with domestic abuse of children, to deal with sexual abuse of children, to deal with the loss of songbirds here, to deal with the ivy taking over the forests?????????? I think the arts don't get many of my dollars because the arts aren't reflecting what I am think and feeling.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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Does this mean that native North Portlander's are not in the creative class and are not in the bike culture? Are you saying that these two groups are living in 'faux' poverty while you are living in 'real' poverty? So there is competition for resources and the creative class is out competing you? Are you also saying you are excluded from the creative class? Would adopting creative class ideas benefit you? Your reference to diversity, suggests that this is about class and RACE. It is true that there has been systematic economic suppression of non-whites in housing and jobs. In my understanding of how cities work, this means that not only the arts but also the other missing elements of the community have to be taught in the schools. On a school by school basis, people have to come in to teach how to own a house and who owns the houses in the neighborhood around the school. In a generation those children will own a lot more houses than they will otherwise.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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So you are saying that people value the arts for little children. Since we don't provide relevant art education to older children they stop identifying with the natural artist in each of them. Of course communication is political. So ART is political. Until we widen our point of view about who we are and what we approve of, we will continue to shut down the arts to shut each other out. From this perspective, what "we" mostly agree on is grade school art. When we can agree on something more grown up we will feel a lot better about about teaching art in the higher grades. Until then on a school by school basis, the community has to supplement art education IN the schools in order to grow a new generation with more inclusive values. For people in general and children in particular, art and self esteem are positively related.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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In my understanding of cities, the regenerating process starts with the schools. This means that public funding for the arts is necessary at all grades. It also means that the community has to supplement the government effort by coming into the schools to add arts experiences. A generation of children who receive this complete art education will be a generation who change government policy to reproduce more graduates like them. That is exactly what is happening now. The government is reproducing a generation of students like them.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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