pianogonzology: american

Showing posts with label american. Show all posts

Friday, July 22, 2016

Listen . . .

T - the number of police officers killed in the line of duty has risen by almost 50 percent in one year
Fact - the number of law enforcement officers killed on the job has increased 8 percent, compared to this point in 2015.

T - homicides last year increased by 17 percent in America's 50 largest cities. That's the largest increase in 25 years. In our nation's capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. They are up nearly 60 percent in nearby Baltimore."
Fact - the percentage increase was large because the number of homicides in 2014 was relatively small. Meanwhile, homicide trends have been split in the major cities so far this year: Out of 63 agencies reporting to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, 32 cities saw a decrease in homicides in the first quarter of 2016, and 31 cities saw an increase.

T - Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens.
Fact - in fiscal 2015, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported nearly 140,000 convicted criminals, but ICE has estimated that nearly 1 million noncitizens with final deportation orders remain in the United States. Crimes committed by this group are not documented. A significant percentage of their crimes involve immigration violations and nonviolent offenses, according to historical records.

T - The number of new illegal immigrant families who have crossed the border so far this year already exceeds the entire total from 2015. They are being released by the tens of thousands into our communities with no regard for the impact on public safety or resources.
Fact - From October to June, just over 50,000 families were apprehended at the southwestern border, up from about 40,000 in all of the previous fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But overall apprehensions, including of unaccompanied minors, are running only slightly higher than in 2015 and remain far less than in 2014, 2013 and 2012.

T - Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African -American and Latino workers.
Fact - Distinction must be made between legal and illegal immigration. The flow of legal immigrants has increased over the past four decades, stabilizing at roughly 1 million people obtaining lawful permanent resident status every year since 2001. The unauthorized immigrant population increased from about 4 million in 1990 to about 12 million in 2007. But researchers estimate that the number of illegal immigrants has been essentially stable since then because of the large number of unauthorized immigrants who left the country during and after the Great Recession.

T - 2 million more Latinos are in poverty today than when the president took his oath of office."
Fact - From March 2009 to March 2014, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the number of Latinos in poverty increased by 750,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the overall number of the Latinos grew by nearly 7 million. So the percent of Latinos living in poverty declined from 25.3 percent to 23.6 percent.

T - Household incomes are down more than $4,000 since the year 2000 - 16 years ago.
Fact - Median annual household income was $57,206 in June, down slightly from January 2000, when it was $57,826 in 2016 dollars. So household income is essentially flat, not down $4,000.

T - Forty-three million Americans are on food stamps.
Fact - This is the lowest number of people receiving food stamps since the program reached its peak in 2013, a sign that the economy is finally improving enough to help the desperately poor families who depend on it.

T - Fifty-eight percent of African American youth are not employed.
Fact - According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among blacks 16 to 19 years old was 31.2 percent in June. This official unemployment rate refers to people who are actively looking for work, as a percentage of the total available workforce.

T - Another 14 million people have left the workforce entirely.
Fact - Half of the decline in the labor participation rate since 1999 is due to the retirement of the baby boomers. Economists estimate just 15 percent of the drop in the labor force involves people who want a job and are of prime working age (25 to 54).

T - America has lost nearly one-third of its manufacturing jobs since 1997, following the enactment of disastrous trade deals (by previous administrations)
Fact - The economy has added nearly 1 million manufacturing jobs since 2010, the low point after the Great Recession.

It is simplistic to pin blame for the decline in manufacturing jobs on trade agreements. Increased efficiency and technological advancement have also played a major role.
(thanks to http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-donald-trump-convention-speech-fact-check-20160721-story.html)

What do you think?
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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
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Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!
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Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

One . . .

. . . of MANY sources for you to read . . . (Donald et al)

(http://www.globalresearch.ca/non-muslims-carried-out-more-than-90-of-all-terrorist-attacks-in-america/5333619)
". . . U.S. News and World Report noted in February of this year: Of the more than 300 American deaths from political violence and mass shootings since 9/11, only 33 have come at the hands of Muslim-Americans, according to the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. The Muslim-American suspects or perpetrators in these or other attempted attacks fit no demographic profile—only 51 of more than 200 are of Arabic ethnicity. In 2012, all but one of the nine Muslim-American terrorism plots uncovered were halted in early stages. That one, an attempted bombing of a Social Security office in Arizona, caused no casualties. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
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My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Monday, February 29, 2016

Sarcasm . . .

. . . can frequently say it BEST . . .

(from http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/02/bernie-sanders-is-the-worst-presidential-candidate.html)
". . . One thing you should never do is to vote for the candidate who represents what you want the country to become, in the hope that it’s the start of a process that leads to an America we can be proud of—one which protects and supports all its people. That would be exactly the kind of naive, starry-eyed mistake you and your stupid Sanders comrades are dumb enough to make. What you would do, if you had any brains, is to forget the big picture entirely, ask reductive questions like, “can Bernie Sanders immediately pass universal health care?” and, if the answer is no, throw your vote to whichever compromised puppet the establishment shoves down your throat. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!

The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube

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)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Monday, February 1, 2016

Exaggerated?. . .

(from http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/most-americans-think-hillary-clinton-is-going-to-be-the-next-president/ar-BBoOuYU?ocid=iehp)
"Most Americans think Hillary Clinton is going to be the next president"

Does MSN REALLY know what MOST Americans think??? I doubt it.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Only Missing . . .

. . . the violins . . .

(from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/14/chelsea-clinton/chelsea-clinton-mischaracterizes-bernie-sanders-he/)
". . . Hitting the campaign trail on her mother’s behalf, Chelsea Clinton attacked Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders’ universal health care plan. . . "Sen. Sanders wants to dismantle Obamacare, dismantle the CHIP program, dismantle Medicare, and dismantle private insurance. . . I don't want to empower Republican governors to take away Medicaid, to take away health insurance for low-income and middle-income working Americans. And I think very much that's what Sen. Sanders' plan would do.". . . we decided to look into them (her claims) ourselves — in particular, her claim that Sanders’ plan would "empower" governors "to take away health insurance for low-income and middle-income working Americans.". . . Given that Sanders’ proposed plan specifically calls health insurance an entitlement for all, we found that this is a mischaracteriza- tion at best. . . Sanders has called the [his] plan "Medicare for all," referring to the the health safety net that covers those over 65. . . she is . . . right that states would be the primary administrators of the system. The bill calls it a "state-based American Health Security Program." However, the assertion that it would empower Republican governors to take away individual’s health insurance is misleading. . .Clinton’s statement makes it sound like Sanders’ plan would leave many people uninsured, which is antithetical to the goal of Sanders’ proposal: universal health care. . . We rate her claim Mostly False."

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Happy . . .

. . . hour . . .

(from http://mentalfloss.com/article/54050/where-did-term-happy-hour-come)
". . . the term itself comes from American Naval slang in the 1920s following the First World War. A “Happy Hour” was an allotted period of time on a ship where sailors engaged in various forms of entertainment to relieve the monotonies of the seafaring life. Most of the time, this meant wrestling or boxing matches, but it still could include other athletic activities intending to boost morale. . . At the same time, the U.S. was going through t. . . Prohibition, the failed experiment given legal standing by the infamous Volstead Act. From 1920 to 1933, the manufacture, transport, and sale of certain intoxicating beverages was prohibited. (Sacramental wines and cider fermented by farmers were given exemptions.) But instead of abiding by the newly enacted teetotal tenet, Americans became as alcoholic as ever, and would gather together in secret speakeasies or at home to consume some tantalizingly illegal cocktails to wet their whistle before dinner. “Happy Hour” as an expression was soon picked up, either directly or secondhand, from the Naval slang and merged to describe these outlawed gatherings. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

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

Monday, July 27, 2015

Help . . .

(from http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obamas-real-record-poverty)
". . . Obama expanded the safety net through his 2009 stimulus, but the legislation actually prevented even more Americans from falling into poverty through larger tax credits, emergency unemployment benefits, and expanded food assistance. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) estimates that the recovery act ultimately kept about 7 million people above the poverty line. . .

. . . The more important question to ask is whether Obama could have done more to alleviate poverty during the worst of the recession. . . the president was hardly the only one at the helm: It wasn’t the Republicans’ priority either. “Both the president and the Republican party really weren’t focused on jobs.". . . ”

Friday, March 27, 2015

Informed . . .

(from http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/23/news/economy/ted-cruz-economy-6-talking-points/index.html?iid=SF_E_River)
". . . 1. Cruz: We have a 'job problem': Cruz claims the economic recovery has been lackluster, especially for jobs. "We should have been focusing on jobs and economic growth and opportunity," Cruz told Fox News after President Obama's State of the Union address in January.
BUT: America just had its best year of job growth since 1999. Hiring so far in 2015 has well exceeded expectations. Economic growth last year hit its highest point since 2010.
While Europe stagnates and China slows, many economists say the U.S. economy is the bright spot on the global stage. Even the unemployment rate is down to 5.5% -- its lowest point since May 2008.

2. Americans are dropping out of the workforce: "The reason the unemployment rate keeps falling is millions of people keep dropping out of the work force altogether," Cruz told Fox.
Cruz is correct that the percent of Americans in the workforce today is at its lowest point in the past three decades, but he's muddling that statistic with unemployment.
BUT: Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age. There are about 77 million Baby Boomers -- people born between 1946 and 1964 -- in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. That's almost a quarter of the U.S. population. The percent of Americans at work was going to drop no matter who was president right now and the trend is likely to carry over to the next president. U.S. unemployment is falling for two major reasons: Baby Boomers are retiring and millions of jobs have been added over the past few years.

3. Implement a flat tax and 'abolish the IRS': Cruz wants a flat tax system -- where all taxpayers pay the same income tax rate. He also wants to get rid of the IRS.
"Imagine a simple flat tax. ... Imagine abolishing the IRS," Cruz said Monday when he announced his candidacy at Liberty University. Many of his Republican predecessors have called for a flat tax system in past elections without any success. His plans aren't detailed enough yet to really assess what their impact would be on the economy or government revenues.
BUT: While Cruz talks about wanting to help America's most needy, there are concerns that a flat tax could hurt the poor the most. Under the current tax system, many low-income Americans don't pay much, if anything, in federal income taxes. Moving to a flat tax could mean their income taxes would rise. As for the IRS, it's unclear how Cruz would collect taxes without the agency.

4. Inequality is rising: "We're facing right now a divided America when it comes to the economy," Cruz told Fox recently. Cruz hammers home valid points about rising inequality and stagnating wages. By some calculations, inequality is at its worst point since the 1920s. The wealthy have benefited from a six-year rise in the stock market, while the working class has barely seen any increase in household income since 1995. Wages grew only 2% in February, well below the Federal Reserve's 3.5% goal. As costs rise, that 2% wage growth leaves people barely any better off, if at all.
BUT: Big box employers led by Walmart (WMT) are raising wages while other CEOs say they're competing to retain workers. There's a widely-held expectation that wage growth could pick up in 2015, since wages are usually the last thing to rebound in a recovery. Of course, even wage growth may not be enough to bridge the inequality gap. That's been expanding for decades and no president has reversed its course.

5. Build an energy economy: In perhaps his most concrete proposal at this stage, Cruz wants Congress to approve the building of the Keystone XL pipeline and allow more drilling offshore. He says that will offer Americans jobs and improve infrastructure. "A Republican Congress should immediately help Americans get more jobs by embracing America's energy renaissance," Cruz wrote in the op-ed last year.
BUT: Cruz's main plan to spur the economy and jobs right now is energy centric -- a tough strategy to pursue when energy companies are actually laying off workers. The price of oil has fallen dramatically from over $100 last summer to under $50 today. Energy companies are hurting right now. That makes it harder to justify the Keystone XL pipeline, since the world currently has too much oil.

6. Time to 'Audit the Fed': Cruz and other Republicans believe the central bank isn't transparent enough and he wants it to be audited."Enough is enough, the Federal Reserve needs to open its books -- Americans deserve a sound and stable dollar," Cruz wrote in an Op-Ed in USA Today late last year.
BUT: The Fed is already audited twice a year. The Republicans' "Audit the Fed" call is viewed by many as an attempt to meddle with monetary policy. It's unclear what a third audit would achieve.
Currencies are known to be unpredictable, but the dollar is having a pretty good ride. It has rallied for the past year against the euro and the world's other major currencies. In fact, it's at its highest level in over a decade and some people now worry dollar is actually too valuable. . ."

What do you think?

Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

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 will be released April 7, 2014 Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Greedy. . .

. . . Bastards Prevail . . .

I understand the principle of compromise and the importance of it in the contact of the legislative branch of government. And I understand that if this bill does not pass it will be more difficult to arrive at a reasonable one with the new congress as it tilts further to the right. But politicians who are in the pockets of giant banks (or other corporations) have absolutely NO right to talk about the lack of compromise in our current congress when the only compromise they want to see is one that succumbs to the well-heeled lobbyists working for those banks and corporations. Compromise is, and will always be necessary in the process of making laws. But the laws should be of benefit to all the people and not just to a privileged, monied few.

(from NBCNews.com)
". . . Taking to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts urged those in her party to oppose the spending bill because of the financial policy language, calling it "a giveaway to most powerful banks in this country." "This is a democracy, and the American people didn't elect us to stand up for Citigroup, they elected us to stand up for all the people," she said. . . "

This bill is dangerous in loosening up on the giant Banks. Have we all forgotten 2007-2008? Our banks managed to bring down the entire global economy. Do we want to see that AGAIN??!!

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

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 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)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Friday, July 25, 2014

Party . . .

. . . yes Virginia, there ARE more that TWO!!! . . .

Justice Party
The Justice Party is committed to eliminate the systemic corruption in government caused by the undue influence of concentrated sources of wealth (both corporate and individual), which has led to many serious ills in our society, including widespread poverty, infant and maternal mortality, expensive and inaccessible healthcare, record incarceration rates, and environmental destruction.

Green Party
Vote Green Party. We understand that it IS hard to believe anyone who wants to run for office, because we have been in this corrupt system for SO LONG. But there is a way out. Keep the faith … we have. Register Green as a commitment to your own best interest.

Libertarian
Libertarians believe in the American heritage of liberty, enterprise, and personal responsibility. Libertarians recognize the responsibility we all share to preserve this precious heritage for our children and grandchildren.Libertarians believe that being free and independent is a great way to live. We want a system which encourages all people to choose what they want from life; that lets them live, love, work, play, and dream their own way. The Libertarian way is a caring, people-centered approach to politics. We believe each individual is unique. We want a system which respects the individual and encourages us to discover the best within ourselves and develop our full potential. The Libertarian way is a logically consistent approach to politics based on the moral principle of self-ownership. Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech, and property. Government's only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud. The Libertarian Party is for all who don't want to push other people around and don't want to be pushed around themselves. Live and let live is the Libertarian way.

Americans Elect
Politics aren’t working for people. This problem must be addressed at the root by fixing the way we elect our leaders. Changing the system by creating the first nonpartisan, national online presidential primary is a daunting task—changing history usually is. Millions of people now support Americans Elect, and we are humbled by that. We are confident that our founding idea can lead to the change Americans are seeking. There is much more to do.

Citizens Party of the United States
Do you think that both major parties are excessively dominated by money and overly influenced by lobbyists and single-issue groups? Are you concerned about the continued assault on the American middle class by the failed policies of both major parties? Do you feel that neither of the two major parties truly reflect the aspirations or will of most Americans? Do the two party career politicians appear unwilling or unable to address the many issues and challenges facing our nation? Have you grown tired of the polarization and alienation created by the two major parties?

The Communist Party
Founded in 1919, the Communist Party USA has championed the struggles for democracy, labor rights, women’s equality, racial justice and peace for ninety years. The Communist Party has an unparalleled history in the progressive movement of the United States, from the struggle against Jim Crow segregation, the organizing of the industrial unions, from the canneries of California, to the sweatshops ...

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

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)

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)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Thursday, May 15, 2014

American. . .

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McLean)
(Don) McLean's other well-known songs include: "And I Love You So" was covered by Elvis Presley, Helen Reddy, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, Engelbert Humperdinck, Howard Keel and a 1973 hit for Perry Como. "Vincent", a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. Although it only reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, it proved to be a huge hit worldwide.[citation needed] It was a No. 1 hit single in the UK Singles Chart. This song was covered by NOFX on their album titled 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records, and also appears on the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Survival of the Fattest. "Vincent" was also covered by Josh Groban on his 2001 debut album. "Castles in the Air", which McLean recorded twice. His 1981 re-recording was a top-40 hit, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1981. Wonderful Baby", a tribute to Fred Astaire that Astaire himself recorded. Primarily rejected by pop stations, it reached #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening survey. "Superman's Ghost", a tribute to George Reeves, who portrayed Superman on television in the 1950. "The Grave", a song that McLean had written about the Vietnam War, was covered by George Michael in 2003 in protest against the Iraq War.

The American Pie album features a version of Psalm 137, entitled "Babylon". The song is based on a canon by Philip Hayes and was arranged by McLean and Lee Hays (of The Weavers). "Babylon" was performed in the Mad Men episode of the same name despite the fact that the song would not be released until 10 years after the time in which the episode is set.

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com