Edition No. 41
Arts and Culture
We revisit a 2014 report from FiveThirtyEight that analyzes all 381 paintings done by Bob Ross—just in time for Netflix’s new documentary on the painter.
Always Remember
As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we reflect on Garret Graff’s 2019 book, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11.
American Democracy
With federal unemployment benefits running out on September 6, we share a fascinating report from USA Facts about the US “quit rate.”
A Statistical Analysis of the Work of Bob Ross
Recently, Netflix released a new documentary titled Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, & Greed. The film tells the story of the television and art legend, as well as the fallout of his name, brand, and legacy following his death. The documentary itself remains true to what we all know—Bob Ross was an icon. Reveling little that would paint (pun intended) Ross in a bad light, the documentary continues to celebrate the little things that make him such a staple of current pop culture.
“ He didn’t paint oaks or spruces, he painted “happy trees.” He favored “almighty mountains” to peaks. Once he’d painted one tree, he didn’t paint another — he painted a ‘friend.’”
And while we recommend watching the documentary, it did get us to think about the actual pieces of art he created while hosting his show The Joy of Painting. Known for reminding us that there are “no mistakes, just happy accidents,” Ross’ work was defined by consistency and a fundamentally personal ideal.
A 2014 report by Walt Hickey for FiveThirtyEight provides a statistical analysis of the work of Bob Ross. Breaking down the 381 images he painted (Ross painted in 381 episodes of the 403 episode series), Hick provides the reader with a deep analysis of what exactly Ross painted. How many of his paintings featured a tree? A cloud? A cloud and a tree? And while a fascinating analysis, it reminds us of the point that Hick ends his report with—The Joy of Painting was never really about painting. It was about Bob. Hickey’s report provides a statistical overview of the paintings. Click the link below to read the full report.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it’s hard not to feel frozen in time. We often hear how many of us can vividly remember where we were that morning and what exactly we had for breakfast. We know just what we were doing when we saw that first tower strike. Here at The War Memorial, we know that day will be etched in the history of our nation, and we remain committed to honoring and remembering the over 3,000 lives lost that day. We will once again host our 9/11 Service of Remembrance, our yearly time to pause and gather with people of all walks of life as we denounce hatred and come together in solemn remembrance of the lives lost that day.
We’re also deeply moved by the work of journalist and historian Garret Graff. In 2019, Graff published The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. Providing readers with a 360-degree account of that day, Graff pieces together the stories of so many affected that day: first responders, widows, politicians, tourists, and everyday citizens who found themselves stuck in the air begin rerouted to Newfoundland. In 2020, Graff visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to discuss his book, the process of collecting oral histories, and the impact these stories have and will continue to have on our society.
A New Report from USA Facts on “Quit Rates” by Industry Sector and State
With enhanced federal unemployment benefits running out on September 6, unemployment rates and labor shortages are likely to soon start getting a lot more media and public attention. With that in mind, a recent report from USA Facts about the US “quit rate” really caught our attention. (See Inspired Thoughts: Edition No. 27 – April 27, 2021, for more about USA Facts).
In April, the “quit rate” calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) rose to 2.8% - the highest rate since BLS began calculating that statistic in 2002. At the same time, the national unemployment rate (also calculated by BLS) stood at 6.1%—2.6 percentage points above pre-pandemic levels (the national unemployment rate has since fallen to 5.4%).
What makes this interesting is that the US quit rate has historically been low when unemployment was high. The current anomaly led USA Facts to take a deeper dive into the data where they noticed very substantial differences in the quit rates of different industries that led them to bring average hourly wages paid in those industries into the analysis.
Follow the link below to the USA Facts report and an interactive map that will show you the quit rates for any given state when you place your cursor over that state.
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at jkaminski@warmemorial.org.