"A 2018 Gallup survey in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a Miami-based non-profit that supports journalism, reports that 58 percent of respondents say staying well informed is difficult, while only 38 percent say they believe it's easy. . . "We are seeing people pulling back into their own little domains," Busteed says. "Seven out of of 10 Americans share articles only with people that they feel are like-minded. We have all these different sources of information out there but people are retrenching into their own social networks.". . . When it comes to who is responsible for ensuring Americans do get access to an accurate and politically balanced understanding of the news, the public is divided: 48 percent say the news media should be up for this task, while same percentage say the responsibility rests with individuals. . ."
. . . you see a whacked-out meme on FB (or elsewhere on the web), spouting hate or (what seem to be) extremely aggravating 'facts' about a population of which you know very little (or possibly nothing), PLEASE do not post it (or re-tweet, or email all your friends). Instead, do some research.
(One option is https://www.snopes.com/ - but I would recommend looking at two or three in addition). You may just find that the meme that so stirred your emotions actually contained false information. Plus, you may actually learn something.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html?_r=0)
". . . President Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence in a meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week, providing details that could expose the source of the information and the manner in which it was collected, a current and a former American government official said Monday. . . Mr. Trump’s disclosure does not appear to have been illegal — the president has the power to declassify almost anything. But sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it was a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship. . ."
(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/15/trump-reportedly-revealed-classified-info-about-isis-to-russians.html)
"I was in the room," McMaster concluded. "It didn't happen."
Which is true?
The latter, incidentally, from the Administration of a "President" (and I use the term loosely) who gave us:
1. On 9/11, he personally saw thousands of Muslims in Jersey City cheering.
2. There are actually 93 million people not working and the real unemployment rate is about 40 percent.
3. The Obama administration is sending Syrian refugees to red states.
4. Climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese.
5. He opposed the Iraq War and has dozens of news clippings to prove it.
6. Among white homicide victims, 81 percent are killed by blacks.
7. America has the highest tax rate in the world.
8. CNN lied when it reported that a speech he gave in South Carolina was one-third empty.
9. His criticism of Ford prompted the company to move a factory from Mexico to Ohio.
10. Vaccines cause autism.
11. The Obama administration wants to admit 250,000 Syrian refugees.
12. ISIS built a luxury hotel in the Middle East.
13. He was on 60 Minutes with Vladimir Putin and "got to know him very well."
14. He was never interested in opening a casino in Florida.
15. November 17: The United States only started bombing ISIS oil fields "two days ago."
16. His campaign is 100 percent self-funded.
17. Mexico doesn't have birthright citizenship.
18. The Iran deal forces us to "fight with Iran against Israel" if Israel attacks Iran.
19. We still "really don't know" if Barack Obama was born in the United States.
20. More than 300,000 veterans have died waiting for VA care.
21. The Bush White House begged him to tone down his "vocal" opposition to the Iraq War.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/technology/congress-moves-to-strike-internet-privacy-rules-from-obama-era.html?_r=0)
". . . Republican senators moved Thursday to dismantle landmark internet privacy protections for consumers in the first decisive strike against telecommunications and technology regulations created during the Obama administration, and a harbinger of further deregulation. . .The measure passed in a 50-to-48 vote largely along party lines. The House is expected to mirror the Senate’s action next week, followed by a signature from President Trump. . .The move means Verizon, Comcast or AT&T can continue tracking and sharing people’s browsing and app activity without permission, and it alarmed consumer advocates and Democratic lawmakers. They warned that broadband providers have the widest look into Americans’ online habits, and that without the rules, the companies would have more power to collect data on people and sell sensitive information. . ."
“Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.”
My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
(from http://thefreethoughtproject.com/senator-60-minutes-911-attackers-had-support-us/#cUktlMtphzpHXgyt.99)
". . . Whatever is in those 28-pages (Underneath the visitors’ center in the United States Capitol is a secure room where the House Intelligence Committee stores highly classified files. In that room is a file titled “Finding, Discussion and Narrative Regarding Certain Sensitive National Security Matters.” It is twenty-eight pages long and it contains apparently damning information on the events leading up to the attacks on 9/11), the United States government does not want you to know. As is the case most of the time when the government keeps a secret, it’s because they have been doing something they shouldn’t have. It is high time we, as American citizens, demand they release this report. . . "
My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
Why do I have to hear, see, read about Donald Trump every day as if he really is a serious, viable, candidate for president of the United States of America? Because of our wonderful press - gawd bless 'em!
"You can say what you want I have no doubt that it (waterboarding) does work in term of information and other things," Trump told (Jake) Tapper. ["other things"? - my note]
Jacob Paul "Jake" Tapper is an American journalist, cartoonist and author. As of 2016, he is the Chief Washington Correspondent, anchor of the CNN weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper
Did Jake Tapper ask Trump to provide empirical evidence of maybe an example or two of instances where he (Trump) could prove that the statement he had just made was, in fact, accurate?
NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Our dedicated, objective, informative press at work? (Maybe "Jake" is a better cartoonist?)
My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
. . . from Third-Hand Intelligence, a tune on which OHO is diligently working at present, is presented below as performed on solo piano by yours truly. The OHO arrangement of this tune incorporates hard-rock elements while dynamically presenting a torchy story of the ill-effects that can potentially result when less-than reliable information is related between parties who do not necessarily hold any substantial stake in the matters in question. It really has shaped up nicely thanks to Messrs. Graboski and Reeve. It will hopefully appear on the tentatively titled 'Male Pattern Radness' in the not too distant future.
My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
Voted YES on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction.
Vote on an amendment that would transfer $156 million from foreign military financing to the Highly Indebted Poor Countries [HIPC] Trust Fund. The HIPC Trust fund is designed to help debtor countries pay off the money they owe to multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Reference: Amendment sponsored by Waters, D-CA; Bill HR 4811 ; vote number 2000-397 on Jul 13, 2000
Voted NO on cooperating with India as a nuclear power.
Congressional Summary:US-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act:
Approves the US-India Agreement for Cooperation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
Declares that it is US policy to prevent the transfer to India of nuclear equipment, materials, or technology from other participating governments in the Nuclear Suppliers Group or from any other source; and
any nuclear power reactor fuel reserve provided to India for use in safeguarded civilian nuclear facilities should be commensurate with reasonable reactor operating requirements.
Approval of this agreement undermines our efforts to dissuade countries like Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. By approving this agreement, all we are doing is creating incentives for other countries to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Reference: US-India Nuclear Agreement; Bill HR.7081 ; vote number 2008-S211 on Oct 1, 2008
Voted YES on deterring foreign arms transfers to China.
To authorize measures to deter arms transfers by foreign countries to the People's Republic of China, A YES vote would grant the President the ability to place sanctions on any individual or country that violates the arms embargo, including:
Denial of participation in cooperative research and development
Prohibition of ownership and control of any business registered as a manufacturer or exporter of defense articles or services
Removal of all licenses relative to dual-use goods or technology
Prohibition of participation of any foreign military sales
Reference: East Asia Security Act; Bill HR 3100 ; vote number 2005-374 on Jul 14, 2005
(from http://www.vox.com/2015/6/18/8800683/bernie-sanders-foreign-policy)
On this issue, then, Sanders isn't far off from your average liberal Democrat. He's generally skeptical of the use of force, but willing to endorse it in very narrow and limited cases where he thinks it could save lives or advance American interests. That doesn't make him a warmonger who is "to the right of many liberal Democrats," but it is a notable divergence in his reputation as a champion of the left and challenger of the Washington status quo.
Sanders supports a two-state solution, one for Israelis and another for Palestinians. While he can be critical of Israel, he does not refrain from criticizing Palestinians as well.
"The Palestinians must fulfill their responsibilities to end terrorism against Israel and recognize Israel’s right to exist," Sanders said in a 2013 Playboy interview. "In return, the Israelis must end their policy of targeted killings, prevent further Israeli settlements on Palestinian land and prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes, businesses and infrastructure."
OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com
My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
OHO's
"Ocean City Ditty," the
CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if
you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak
My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:
(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)
A
U.S. special operations commander has ordered files about the raid and
assassination of Osama Bin Laden sent to the CIA and purged from Defense
Dept. records appearing to have bypassed federal rules and possibly the
U.S. Freedom of Information Act. A CIA spokesman said it is "absolutely
false" that records were moved to the CIA to avoid the legal
requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. The records transfer was
part of an effort to protect the names of the personnel involved in the
raid, according to the inspector general's draft report. Moving those
records did allow the Pentagon to tell The Associated Press that it
couldn't find any documents inside the Defense Department when the
latter had requested them more than two years ago, and would represent a
new strategy for the U.S. government to shield even its most sensitive
activities from public scrutiny. (Thanks to
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/08/19353473-pentagon-secretly-moved-bin-laden-raid-files-to-keep-them-from-public?lite)
On the ride home from Pam's birthday dinner, we detoured past the apartment complex where we lived when we were first married. Beautiful complex. Well maintained and still very attractive. Neighborhood has evolved. Many drastic changes have taken place while some, small sections still contain the quaint, old houses we so admired and fantasized about possibly buying (if we could have afforded it) way back then. The pleasant drive triggered a litany of old memories from my very limited brain, some of which remain as clear as though they were yesterday. But others come with doubts about many of the details that I am able to recall. Selective memory?? Probably. Nevertheless, I was able to continue the saga until we reached home.
(from wikipedia.com)
". . . Normal aging is associated with a decline in various memory abilities in many cognitive tasks; the phenomenon is known as age-related memory impairment (AMI) or age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). The ability to encode new memories of events or facts and working memory shows decline in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Studies comparing the effects of aging on episodic memory, semantic memory, short-term memory and priming find that episodic memory is especially impaired in normal aging; some types of short-term memory are also impaired. The deficits may be related to impairments seen in the ability to refresh recently processed information. Source information is one type of episodic memory that suffers with old age; this kind of knowledge includes where and when the person learned the information. Knowing the source and context of information can be extremely important in daily decision-making, so this is one way in which memory decline can affect the lives of the elderly. Therefore, reliance on political stereotypes is one way to use their knowledge about the sources when making judgments, and the use of metacognitive knowledge gains importance.[8] This deficit may be related to declines in the ability to bind information together in memory during encoding and retrieve those associations at a later time.
Episodic memory is supported by networks spanning frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. The interconnections in the lobes are presumed to enable distinct aspects of memory, whereas the effects of gray matter lesions have been extensively studied, less is known about the interconnecting fiber tracts. In aging, degradation of white matter structure has emerged as an important general factor, further focusing attention on the critical white matter connections. . . "
What
do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html
You can NOW download
your
very own copy of Ray Jozwiak's
newest release:
AMBIENCE & WINE
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