Rise of the Creative Class
Wes Rolley
<http://creativeclass.com/>, Richard Florida argues that (1) creative
people fuel the global economy and (2) regions that actively encourage
the "creative class" will have the best economic development. Examples:
the beginning of the Silicon Valley Boom Times; the fact that both
Seattle and Austin had a growing, active music / arts community before
they had Microsoft and Dell.
His best predictor for the success of a community in establishing the
creative class was the presence and acceptance of an active gay
community... which can probably be expanded to GLBT.
Wes
--
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente
Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
http://www.refpub.com/ -- Tel: 408.778.3024
James and Sherron Bowen
before they decide to relocate or open up a new operation. Another area of
consideration is educational opportunities for their employees and their
families. A third consideration is transportation. Such issues generally
are more important than the tax rates imposed on the corporation.
JB
Lee
I have been thinking about something related. I have been
reading Donald Richie's latest book on Japanese aesthetics. I always
hear folks say that mingei is irrelevant because a modern person can't
think like a peasant. But the rustic tea ceramics we all admire were
all recognized by educated tea masters. What we have for the first
time in history, is a large educated middle class and an economy
strong enough, to allow educated people make pottery for a living.
Rarely existed in the past, but now, the maker and the appreciator can
exist in the same person.
Those of use from the working class who use their hands to
make a living, whose parents may have been the first college educated
people in their family because of the G.I. Bill (remember, most of us
were on farms before W.W.II) understand the peasant's life better
than tea masters and Diamyo ever could. Want to know the mind of
the peasant potter? Just talk to my uncles who worked on the
assembly line for Ford Motor Company.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Tochigi Japan
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Tea is nought but this: first you heat the water, then you make the
tea. Then you drink it properly. That is all you need to know."
--Sen No Rikyu
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
Lee
<jbow...@prairienetworks.com> wrote:
>
> Many corporations survey an area for the quality of life of its residents
> before they decide to relocate or open up a new operation. Another area of
> consideration is educational opportunities for their employees and their
> families. A third consideration is transportation. Such issues generally
> are more important than the tax rates imposed on the corporation.
I just heard an interview on Air America Minnesota. They say high
tech corporations consider three things in an area:
Education, transportation and health care.
James and Sherron Bowen
living"
That could come to a screeching halt.
JB
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because
of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological
development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of
larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of
these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of
which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized
political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are
selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by
private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate
from the legislature.
Albert Einstein
Lee
<jbow...@prairienetworks.com> wrote:
>
> "..an economy strong enough, to allow educated people make pottery for a
> living"
>
> That could come to a screeching halt.
>
We could say that the peak of this environment was for the G.I.
Bill generation.
hambone
well outlines the challenges we face in our current endeavors. I think
it is a moral dilemma which we should keep foremost in our minds. It
is also worth remembering that material existence is only a perception
we entertain and limiting ourselves to materialistic solutions will
always most certainly fail.
As Rumi says --
"There is another world inside this one --
no words can describe it.
There is a living, but no fear of death;
There is Spring, but never a turn to Autumn.
There are legends and stories
coming from the walls and ceilings.
Even the rocks and trees recite poetry."
This is partly why some people will pay $10 for a $1 item at Whole
Foods store because they believe that they some how participate in
this alternative world. They might be correct in many ways. It is hard
to understand why creative people will sometimes spend all they have
to secure their world - it is like the parable of the parable of great
price; sell all, buy the field. Economic "realities" are driven almost
entirely by emotions and perceptions -- and those who are richer in
this realm are richer indeed.
H A M B O N E ;-)
On Jan 10, 9:14 pm, "James and Sherron Bowen"