(from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fact-checking-trump-no-tariff-man-china-doesn-t-foot-n943686)
"The people who are purchasing foreign goods are paying tariffs," said Columbia Business School professor Amit Khandelwal, who teaches on international trade. . . If you went to an electronics store right now and bought a foreign-made, big screen television hit by tariffs, the sale price will likely include a sizeable price hike thanks to the U.S. tariff — potentially to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
While there is nothing I'd like to see more than our government working properly, resolving issues of importance to the American people, in a non-partisan fashion for the betterment of all, I fear that this is, in actuality, impossible. The partisan divide, which began with the presidency of Barack Obama (read McConnell: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.") and continues today, in an even more toxic fashion (if that is imaginable), with the presidency of Donald J. Trump. The reasons for the current situation's dire prognosis are varied and many, but the point is that we do our country and our population no service by perpetuating the current political situation. Both 'sides' must either work together on government (and not waste precious time choosing sides about petty, superficial topics brought to our attention by small, superficial personality flaws) or we must take necessary action for which provision was made in the U.S. Constitution and simply 'get back to business.'
Ray, do I have permission from you guys to replay your original stuff in the station's playlist? Even possibly even include in an hour special show for new/independent artists?
Yes. You have our permission. Ray Jozwiak on behalf of OHO (Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak)
". . . business career was . . . a long list of bankruptcies, defaults and alleged dalliances with organized crime . . . rebranded as a towering tycoon through his reality TV show . . . could be the person he had always pretended to be: a Manhattan behemoth whose decisions were obeyed and feared without question. . . What was the worst that could happen?. . . went on to parlay his newfound celebrity into becoming America’s most unpopular first-year president ever. . . first State of the Union address. . . bore little resemblance to the reality America has endured over the past year. . . spoke of unity, (yet) there was no mention of last August’s white supremacist rally in Charlottesville . . . later stated that some white supremacists in attendance were “very fine people.” . . . claim(ed) that he was not interested in using nuclear weapons despite threatening North Korea for a year with talk of pre-emptive strikes and “fire and fury”. . . while remaining unaccountable to the American public about his own myriad scandals involving everything from his finances to allegations of sexual misconduct. . . despite steady public condemnation of . . . racism, cruelty and incompetence, conservative politicians and some pundits will likely spend the next few days once again proclaiming that the president has miraculously “pivoted” to become “presidential.” (If and when this temporary delusion occurs, ignore it.). . .Indeed, Republicans have already begun to praise him like apparatchiks of an autocrat. This is not helped by select journalists who have helped perpetuate an echo chamber of his own narcissism. . ."
. . . this songwriting stuff. Well, maybe that's a bit melodramatic. The song Blood Brother was written at a time in my life when I was actually forcing myself to be as prolific as possible. The rationale was to write in as many styles and genre as I could, no matter how good or bad, to build a body of work (again, good or bad) and learn, one-about writing and two-about where my strengths (if I had any) and weaknesses were. Blood Brother was loosely modeled on Dixie Chicken, a composition I always admired for its simple, concise, ironic story and its funky, catchy, swampy, Louisiana-drenched music. It's no Dixie Chicken (by Little Feat), but I learned much about the genre which is still a great favorite of mine. It also reinforced my knowledge that a decent musical composition transcends musical style and can be adapted to multiple arrangements. OHO is currently working towards our next studio album offering which will include our take on this tune. Stay tuned . . . meantime, here is solo piano workout on Blood Brother, just for fun.
. . . of songwriting are like steps of a business decision . . .
(based upon information at http://www.umassd.edu/fycm/decisionmaking/process/)
Step 1: Identify the decision to be made.
In songwriting-do you want to write a cry-in-your-beer-song-about-a-love-gone-wrong . . . or a JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL?
Step 2: Gather relevant information.
In songwriting-if you know nothing about jazz, stick to the first.
Step 3: Identify alternatives.
In songwriting-the beer song should be a 4/4 country-type ballad with a catchy hook, the instrumental could be a modal configuration, a waltz, a swing in 4 or 8, a searing, uptempo hard-bop number?
Step 4: Weigh evidence.
In songwriting-skip this one.
Step 5: Choose among alternatives.
In Songwriting-see 1, 2 and 3.
Step 6: Take action.
In songwriting-sit down and WRITE the sucker.
Step 7: Review decision and consequences.
In songwriting-play it, (sing it), listen to it. Do you like it? Move on to the next one.
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://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-clintons-get-away-with-it-1431035304)
". . . I have read the Peter Schweizer book “ Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich.” . . . By the end I was certain of two things. A formal investigation, from Congress or the Justice Department, is needed to determine if Hillary Clinton’s State Department functioned, at least to some degree and in some cases, as a pay-for-play operation and whether the Clinton Foundation has functioned, at least in part, as a kind of high-class philanthropic slush fund. . . I wonder if any aspirant for the presidency except Hillary Clinton could survive such a book. I suspect she can because the Clintons are unique in the annals of American politics: They are protected from charges of corruption by their reputation for corruption. It’s not news anymore. They’re like . . . Bonnie and Clyde go on a spree, hold up a bunch of banks, it causes a sensation, there’s a trial, and they’re acquitted. They walk out of the courthouse, get in a car, rob a bank, get hauled in, complain they’re being picked on—“Why are you always following us?”—and again, not guilty. . . "
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)
. . . whatever happened to the old business model of find talent, sign to a record company, promote the talent, sell product, etc? . . .
(from http://time.com/money/4228959/kanye-west-gofundme-why-donate/)
". . . Luckily, a fan named Jeremy Piatt came to Ye’s (Kanye West) rescue . . . Piatt created a GoFundMe web page to help fund the rapper’s future music and fashion endeavors, asking for (you guessed it) $53 million in donations. “We must open our hearts and wallets for Kanye today,” he wrote. “Sure he is personally rich and can buy furs and houses for his family, but without our help, the true genius of Kanye West can’t be realized.” . . . As of Thursday at midday, nearly 400 donations had been made to the page, for a total of around $3,800. But who in their right mind would donate to someone like Kanye–a superstar who earns in the neighborhood of $20 million to $30 million a year? . . . In many cases, donors are not concerned about helping out Kanye so much as they’re trying to raise awareness for their businesses and favorite charities. The Kanye charity page has gotten plenty of attention from the media (we’re guilty), and it’s received 99K social media shares, according to GoFundMe. . . "
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)
Cannot get the wall-unit, air conditioner to restart and actually move cool air anymore. Is it worth requesting attention from the front desk for this? We'll only be in this room one more night. It's about 4:45 and rest from the morning's activities is required. But some websites at which I perform routine business don't seem to believe it's really me. Does this mean they can detect from my login that I am physically in an exotic locale and have prohibited me from access for security reasons? I think maybe. Nevertheless, as we power-nap and attempt cyber contact respectively, both windows are open allowing a pleasant, dry afternoo breeze in the room. . . and their is an accordionist on the street below gently serenading us.
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)
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bands)
". . . Third World Games have produced a Battle of the Bands card game, which takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the music business. The object is to recruit members into your band, equip them with instruments, win "gigs" and "hit singles" and earn enough "Superstar Points" to win. The game is also available for play on GameTable Online. There is also a Battle of the Bands video game and TV movie. In the music video game Guitar Hero World Tour and all games that followed, a "battle of the bands" mode is featured as an online gameplay mode. The "battle of the bands" concept has had a heavy influence on reality television. Shows such as the Idol series and The X Factor borrow the basic concept of a "battle of the bands" except with individual singers instead of whole bands, combining the concept with a serial elimination format. There was a brief American series in the vein, The Next Great American Band, that did use whole bands. In the 2011 Australian film Swerve, a battle of the marching bands serves as background to most of the scenes set in the small country town. In the 2014 animated film My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks, the film's storyline centered around a high school Battle of the Bands competition. . ."
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)
(from http://articles.latimes.com/1991-11-05/news/wr-1156_1_ice-cream)
Around 50 years ago . . . ". . . Fidel Castro ordered his ambassador to Canada to ship him 28 containers of Howard Johnson's ice cream, one of each flavor. After tasting them all, Castro declared that his Cuban revolution must produce a quality ice cream of its own. So the Communist government plunged headlong into the helado business. An ice cream factory sprang up on the highway to Havana's airport, while an abandoned hospital in the city's busy Vedado district came down to make way for one of the world's largest ice cream parlors. Cecilia Sanchez, Castro's private secretary and close companion since their guerrilla days, took charge of the enterprise and named it Coppelia, after her favorite ballet. She designed the plaid skirts worn by waitresses at the two-story parlor since its inauguration June 4, 1966. As the revolution matured, Coppelia sprouted scores of branches in cities and towns across the Caribbean island. By 1980, the year Sanchez died, it was serving more than 50 flavors, from almond to walnut. . . "
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)
(from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/9-buzzwords-that-can-make-you-sound-dumb/?extlink=of-syndication-Recommended_Reads-Taboola-109704871-p by Mike Periu
President, Proximo, LLC)
". . ' some (business) buzzwords and overly used terms (phrases, if you will)you should think twice about using:
"Pivot"
A business pivot is a change in business strategy in response to new opportunities or a failure in its current approach. Pivoting is a good thing. . . now everybody wants to pivot everything: When someone changes her mind in a meeting, she is "pivoting from A to B," or your IT person might announce your company “is pivoting from using Microsoft Word to Google Docs.”
"It Is What It Is"
. . .a circular definition, which, as we learned in grade school, should never be used. If you want to tell me something about “it,” please make sure that it’s something valuable, insightful and worth my time.
"Results-Oriented"
. . .gives the impression that you think this is a big deal. Being results-oriented in business is like being “alive” for a human; it’s a given. People who are not results-oriented wouldn’t bother trying to sell themselves to begin with. . .
"Ideation"
This phrase refers to the process of coming up with ideas. It used to be called “brainstorming” or “coming up with ideas,” but apparently that didn’t sound important enough, so ideation was born. . .
"Growth Hacker"
A growth hacker is someone who uses “growth hacks” to grow their business. A growth hack is a creative or otherwise nontraditional method employed to achieve revenue growth. Old people call this “selling.” . . . launching a website or calling a potential customer does not make you a growth hacker.
"Gamification"
Gamification is a fascinating concept. It refers to the use of rules meant to produce gameplay in things other than games. Many successful businesses today use gamification to increase user engagement. . . before you start talking about this, it’s important to know what actually goes into this process.
"Synergy"
Synergy is the buzzword that just won’t die. It keeps coming back decade after decade. . . It’s best to be cautious whenever labeling an idea, transaction or process as synergistic; most aren’t.
"Bandwidth"
In business jargon, this refers to one’s availability. People are not modems. It sounds cheesy. Instead of saying, “I have some bandwidth for your project,” go with the oldie-but-goodie, “I have some time,” or try, “Yes, I can help you with that.”
"Key Takeaways"
. . . typically it’s employed at the end of a PowerPoint presentation—usually as the title of the penultimate slide—to summarize the most important points. It’s important to remember that not all takeaways are “key,” and not everything is worth taking away.
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)
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