In recent dances he has addressed 9/11, domestic violence, the costs of war, and the vagaries of artistic fame. In his newest work, "The Theatre of Needless Talents," Donald Byrd, artistic director of Seattle's Spectrum Dance Theater, and one of our most fearless choreographers, has taken on the daunting task of addressing the Holocaust. He has succeeded admirably, creating an important new work that is among the finest of his career.
The evening, described as "dance, theatrical vignettes, and cabaret," is homage to the Jewish artists who, though imprisoned in Nazi death camps, managed to create, perform, and bring hope to themselves and to fellow inmates. It is a series of powerful and eloquent sequences, many introduced by brief commentary spoken by individual dancers, and drawn from the words of artists and others of the time.
Flimsy allegations of hanky-panky aside, the probing into Sen. John McCain's background and associates is continuing, and it's starting to go to the heart of his claim for being above reproach. He clearly swims in a sea of lobbyists for large corporations, even if he also can be the lonely foe of some corporations such as Boeing. Also, the corrupt Arizona milieu is also starting to catch up with him.
The Arizona story took a turn with the indictment of Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi, who also happens to be the honorary co-chair of McCain's Arizona presidential campaign. McCain was quoted as saying he expected Renzi to leave that post: "He's obviously going to be very busy," was his only comment. Renzi was charged in a 35-count grand jury indictment with pressuring people to buy land in connection with federal land swaps, with Renzi allegedly getting kickbacks and providing favorable legislation
Seattle and Portland have a good rivalry in many regards, mostly liveability contests. But how's it going in terms of donability? Who gives the most in the presidential races, and to whom?
Thanks to Opensecrets.org's website, here are the most recent figures (as of January) for the respective Metro areas. Seattle is miles ahead, no doubt largely owing to the timing of the Washington caucus earlier this month and the Oregon primary, not til May. Portland is apparently not catching Obamamania yet, though it does beat Seattle in Kucinich donations. And in both metro regions, McCain is doing very poorly, far behind Mitt Romney (remember him?) and slightly behind Ron Paul.
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