[Charlie Southerland]

Andrew F., Exactly what was it I said that makes you think I'm against funding the NEA? Was it the: Trump's gonna need a food taster quip?

I was responding to Julie's Trump expense account to Mara Lago.

I am a little surprised that he still has it in mind to cut the program, but, if he does, it is a pittance compared to lots of other budgetary items he should cut. I'm thrilled he's made up his mind to cut the IM Ex bank. That's a big deal. My suspicion is that congress will find a new and better way to fund the arts. The congress doesn't wish to be yelled at by the community for the next eight years.

And, for the sake of the silly season argument, Trump isn't taking a salary, for one, for two, we expect to pay for his travels and security, so, you shouldn't really try to make hay with that. It's kind of petty unless it is only used as a comparison. I didn't see Julie's post as merely a comparison. The final tab on the Obama's isn't in yet. Let's wait and see on that one. I hear they're gonna make a lot more money in speaking fees than the Clinton's did. If only a portion of THAT money would go to fund the arts. Nope. That money belongs to the ex-Brother and Sister in Chief. Who among you will bitch about that?

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

I think Andrew Frisardi's post was some pretty cool TimeLord stuff. He was able to go into the future, read your last paragraph here, see the logical fallacies and general seethe of your mind and respond before you actually wrote it. They learn that stuff in Italy.

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

Oh and by Brother and Sister in Chief do you propose a new Southerlandism that suggests the Obamas are incestuous? Or are you still worked up about the Black thing?

[Charlie Southerland]

He's not truly black, Andrew. He wasn't down for the struggle, according to some of the civil rights bro's. It's a black thing with those dudes, not me.

[Max Goodman]

Originally Posted by Julie Steiner

the security expenses alone for the President's three trips to Mar-a-Lago since the inauguration have reportedly cost the American public $10 million.

Originally Posted by Charlie Southerland

The Obama family vacations cost a total of at least 85 million tax-payer smackers in eight years, Julie. Let that sink in for a minute.

Originally Posted by Charlie Southerland

I was responding to Julie's Trump expense account to Mara Lago.

The dollar is a form of currency used in the United States of America.

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

Originally Posted by Charlie Southerland

He's not truly black, Andrew. He wasn't down for the struggle, according to some of the civil rights bro's. It's a black thing with those dudes, not me.

They have a fair point but it sounds different on you. I wonder why.

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

That anyone takes vacations in the millions of dollars while their co-humans are hungry is pretty foul. Just not exactly related to what the NEA does or doesn't do, which I was sorta interested in. Anyone got anything back on that train?

[Michael Cantor]

I noticed Charlie's absurd Post #15 shortly after it went up and started to reply to by citing the fact that Trump has cost us $10 million in the first month; he has taken three golfing Florida golfing weekends in the critical first four weeks of his Presidency after criticizing Obama for playing too much golf; last month our government spent almost $100,000 just on secret service hotel and related expenses to protect Uday (or is it Qusay - I always confuse them - but it's the one also sometimes known as Eric) on a two day personal business trip to Uruguay, etc. and etc.

But then I reminded myself that (a) replying to Charlie's posts is a waste of time and all you're doing is abetting another thread consisting of the Sphere versus Charlie's bizarre world view, and (b) somebody else - many others - will make the same point anyway. And they have. As always.

So what am I doing here. It's time for a periodic reminder that arguing with Charlie is a waste of time, and detracts from the time you could be spending writing poetry, critting poetry, supporting climate change, or just cutting your toe nails. Thanks for reading this, and I'm back to my pedicure.

[Charlie Southerland]

Simply put, Andrew, Obama betrayed the blacks in America. I'm sure you can count the ways, can you not?

[R. S. Gwynn]

To get back to the NEA, I'd propose that individual grants to writers/artists be curtailed. I say this as someone who has had a number of friends who have received these grants. I like the idea of giving individual grants to translators; otherwise, the review process for grants to poets and fiction writers is just too subjective.

I once served on a(n) NEH panel giving grants to small presses. I had to fight hard for a grant to a prominent Mexican-American press in Texas because several members of the panel thought the colors of its book covers were "garish." I asked how many members of the panel had ever visited San Antonio. None had. The press did get a grant.

For me, Julie's list of how NEA money can be used in a community is a good one. The problem is that there are thousands of small communities that could use funding for worthwhile arts projects; these needs get lost among applications from cities that already have viable arts structures--museums, symphonies, opera companies. I don't know what the solution is. Block grants to state arts organizations have been proposed, but that still leads to the same inequities.

I do think that NEA-funded programs like Poetry Out Loud are good ones.