Michael Henson is up for an award…and you can help him win it!
I know my readers would love nothing more than to honor Mr. Henson with the prize. Think of how lovely the title will look on his resume. So go rouse yourselves and click. Don’t let Dr. Stanley Romanstein, PhD, or a nebulous “Other” run away with the prize. We’re the world-class orchestra; we’re the ones with the world-class managerial incompetence. For God’s sake, this is the man who told state representatives: “Um, first of all, we are in a stage of negotiations that whatever the cuts that we actually finally agree, we’ve not agreed, as part of that negotiation process with, uh, the musicians.” In what world is that sentence not eligible for some kind of award? So go vote! go vote! Help Henson run away this. I want to see that thing framed and hung in Hall, dammit. Perhaps outside the ladies’ bathroom, which is the same place where the Minnesota Orchestra previously displayed its ASCAP adventurous programming awards. (Actually not joking about that one, by the way…)
Behold the power of social media! You’re welcome, Michael Henson!
I will, however, forgive you if you see Henson forty points ahead of everyone else, and cast a sympathy vote for Dobby. Poor guy.
Song of the Lark 
I don’t think Dobby is used to coming in second . . .
Oh good Lord, that means all three candidates have a Minnesota connection… Mr. Stanley Romanstein used to be with the Minnesota Chorale.
Something in the water here, apparently.
Knowing Henson, he’ll just think this is another feather in his cap, and will add it to his resume! After all, he is an “extraordinary ability” alien, if that’s the immigration status they used to bring him to the U.S., and there was nobody else in America who could possibly do the job he’s doing. Sadly, that’s probably correct — nobody else could (or would, for any amount of money) mess things up like he’s done. They had to import him to achieve their nefarious goal of destroying the orchestra.
Somewhere I read that Michael Henson was working in the U.S. on a o-1 genius visa. I don’t know if that’s true, and can’t seem to find the orgianal source.
Random Brainstorming – – In light of this award (and the thoughts of other industry experts) wonder if it is possible to have Dept of Homeland Security take a second look at Our Dear Mr. Henson’s visa? He is certainly NOT doing good things for America – and there is no shortage of experts saying the same thing.
Playing dirty? Perhaps.
Do I care? No
That is so wrong — an O-1 visa? His only genius is in being a card-carrying Thatcherite union-buster. Who wrote the letters attesting to his supposed genius? That would be a place to start the investigation.
On a related topic, my favorite webpage from the MN State Attorney General’s FRAUD page:
http://www.ag.state.mn.us/Charities/PhonyCharityVsReal.asp
FRAUD
Phony Charities vs. Real Ones: How to Tell the Difference
“In other cases, nonprofit organizations may solicit donations for a charitable purpose [such as classical music concerts?], when little of the donated funds are actually used for that purpose. … Upon closer review, however, most of the funds may actually be used to pay for high fundraising costs or executive compensation.”
Which pretty much describes the MOA this 2012-2013 non-season: Lots of season-subscriptions and individual tickets sold, and thousands of dollars in donations accepted, but no concerts presented. Most of the funds and donations have gone to fundraising and executive compensation, it would seem. Phony Charity or Real One? We can tell the difference!