pianogonzology: public

Showing posts with label public. Show all posts

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Worry? . . .

Norman Mingo

(from https://www.newsweek.com/why-does-president-trump-get-away-lying-opinion-1222478?utm_campaign=NewsweekFacebookSF&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2TG5CfwwGXFOcVizXhnCoKrqevy0P9xcMqxNqKzb9m2NJRUUMkfhENmOo)

". . . Should we be worried about this flight from mere lying to post-truth? . . . Even if all politicians lie, I believe that post-truth foreshadows something more sinister. In his powerful book On Tyranny, historian Timothy Snyder writes that “post-truth is pre-fascism.” It is a tactic seen in “electoral dictatorships”—where a society retains the facade of voting without the institutions or trust to ensure that it is an actual democracy, like those in Putin’s Russia or Erdogan’s Turkey. . . In this, Trump is following the authoritarian playbook, characterized by leaders lying, the erosion of public institutions and the consolidation of power. You do not need to convince someone that you are telling the truth when you can simply assert your will over them and dominate their reality. . ."

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Sunday, October 21, 2018

Your . . .

. . . 'public servants' at work . . .

(from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/republicans-tried-kill-obamacare-now-they-re-embracing-its-most-n921561)
". . . GOP Senate candidate Josh Hawley in Missouri: “We've got two perfect little boys. Earlier this year, we learned that our oldest has a rare chronic disease. Pre-existing condition – we know what that means,” he says to camera in a TV ad. “I support forcing insurance companies to cover ALL pre-existing conditions. And Claire McCaskill knows it. You deserve a senator who’s driven to fix this mess – not one just trying to hang on to her office.” . . . But as attorney general of Missouri, Hawley signed on to a conservative lawsuit in February 2018 arguing that Obamacare – and everything in it, including protections for pre-existing conditions – is unconstitutional. “Once the heart of the ACA—the individual mandate—is declared unconstitutional, the remainder of the ACA must also fall,” the lawsuit states. . . "

Epilog
©2005 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Some Things . . .

(from The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles)
". . . The (New York) Times editorial (defending Cornelius Vanderbilt and the question of railroad monopolies) introduces the second current of anxiety surrounding railroads: the corruption of government. The tales of bribery that flowed out of Albany reinforced stereotypes of public officials on the take, acting as if they were retainers of wealthy corporations, not representatives of the people. After Jay Gould took over as president of the Erie, he allied the railroad explicitly with the Tweed ring, naming 'Boss" Tweed himself to the board, along with his close associate Peter Sweeney. . ."

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Saturday, December 16, 2017

Words. . .

(from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-cdc-forbidden-words-20171215-story.html)
". . . Trump administration officials are forbidding officials at the nation's top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases - including "fetus" and "transgender" - in any official documents being prepared for next year's budget. . . Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden words at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden words are: "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based." . . . The longtime CDC analyst, whose job includes writing descriptions of the CDC's work for the administration's annual spending blueprint, could not recall a previous time when words were banned from budget documents because they were considered controversial. . . The reaction of people in the meeting was "incredulous," the analyst said. "It was very much, 'Are you serious? Are you kidding?' " . . . "In my experience, we've never had any pushback from an ideological standpoint," the analyst said. . . News of the ban on certain words hasn't yet spread to the broader group of scientists at the CDC, but it's likely to provoke a backlash, the analyst said. "Our subject matter experts will not lay down quietly - this hasn't trickled down to them yet.". . . "

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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Public . . .

. . . servants aren't serving the public anymore . . .

. . . there is turmoil and terrorism at home and abroad
. . . education's not available to everyone
. . . guns meant for war are now found on our streets
. . . no one can afford to get sick anymore
. . . people are working hard but can't feed their families
. . . politicians distract us with bigotry disguised as religion
. . . we don't treat each other like we're human anymore
. . . money is more valued than peace and kindness. . .

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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Desperate . . .

(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/bernie-sanders-will-become-president_b_8780730.html)
". . .The American political establishment is trying desperately to shift public opinion towards the belief that voters will elect a person they don't trust and don't like. It's not a conspiracy, however, it's simply the same dynamics that allowed Enron to seduce financial markets before its epic collapse. BusinessWeek wrote a glowing cover story on Enron in February of 2001, stating "Enron's success has not gone unnoticed, but it has a few advantages that competitors would be hard pressed to match." Ten months after this glowing review of Enron's prominence within the energy field, it went bankrupt. . . The same dynamics are at play with Hillary Clinton and poll numbers, as well as Clinton's "inevitability." Conventional logic is often rooted in a herd mentality . . ."

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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
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Monday, June 8, 2015

Citizens . . .

. . . United . . .

(from http://reclaimdemocracy.org/who-are-citizens-united/)
The Court majority (Justices Kennedy, Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Thomas) argued:
1. barring independent political spending amounts to squelching free speech protected by the First Amendment.
2. the First Amendment protects not just a person’s right to speak, but the act of speech itself, regardless of the speaker. Therefore the First Amendment protects the speech of corporations and unions, whether we consider them people or not.
3. although government has the authority to prevent corruption or “the appearance of corruption,” it has no place in determining whether large political expenditures are either of those things, so it may not impose spending limits on that basis.
4. the public has the right to hear all available information, and spending limits prevent information from reaching the public.

The Court minority (Justices Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor) argued:
1. the First Amendment protects only individual speech, not speech by associations of individuals.
2. government may prevent corruption, and campaign spending can be corrupt when it buys influence over legislators. Therefore government may impose spending limits on corporations and unions.
3. government may prevent the appearance of corruption, which undermines public confidence in democracy. Limits on corporate and union political spending are an expression of that authority.
4. the public has the right to hear all available information, and when corporations spend money individuals can’t match, messages from corporations drown out messages from others, and that information fails to reach the public.

What do you think?
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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

Friday, January 2, 2015

Attention . . .

The attention span of the U.S. press helps to keep the attention span of the public very short, or is it vice versa? . . .

Attention Span Statistics | Statistic Brain
www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, The Associated Press. Research Date: 1.1.2014. Attention span is the amount of concentrated time on a task without becoming distracted.

8-Second Attention Span? | Ken McCall | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/.../20140418171300-15742110-writi...
LinkedIn Apr 18, 2014 - Online references abound about the human attention span being 8 seconds, ... Compared to us humans and the goldfish, the snail would appear to be the ... is being accused of such a short attention span (knowing his friend the snail is so ... Information · U.S. National Library of Medicine · Associated Press.

The 8-second attention span? Don't bother - Official Samuel
www.officialsamuel.com/blog/attention-span/
Oct 28, 2012 - Web surfers have a painfully short attention span, one that matches the goldfish's 9 ... According to the latest statistics verified by The Associated Press, I am ... Yes, it matters but only up to the point where it reminds us, brand ...

the attention span of a modern internet consumer
www.theguardian.com/.../attention-span-internet-consumer
The Guardian
Feb 28, 2014 - short attention span ... A recent Pew Internet study in the US suggests that while students coming through the schools system in this always on ...

Our Attention Spans Are Getting Shorter, And It's A Big ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../attention-span-book_n...
The Huffington Post Oct 23, 2013 - Then there are the basics of attention, the cognitive muscle that lets us follow a story, see a task through to the end, learn or create. In some ...

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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:
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Monday, December 15, 2014

Scrooge . . .

. . . in real life . . .

(from http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/americas-working-poor-face-pervasive-wage-theft-report-n261546)
". . . Between 3.5 percent and 6.5 percent of workers in New York and California — and between 11 percent and 12 percent of low-wage workers — are victims of wage theft when employers violate minimum wage laws, a newreport commissioned by the Department of Labor says. Workers in service industries fare the worst, and the report calls the problem "pervasive." The report estimates that violations cost workers in these two states between $20 million and $29 million in lost weekly income. This missing money makes a big difference in the lives and finances of workers, pushing 15,000 families below the poverty line. These findings come on the heels of a study conducted by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which found that lawyers and regulators recovered nearly $1 billion that workers never received because of wage and hour violations in 2012. American taxpayers also pay the price, since wages that aren't paid don't contribute to tax revenues, and cheated workers rely more heavily on public assistance like food stamps. The report comes as union-backed protesters are staging strikes and rallies in 190 cities to advocate for a $15 hourly wage for fast food workers. . . "

What do you think?
Tell me at
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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

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Lie To Me. . .

(from www.npr.org)
'. . . There is statistical data that showed that news shows outstripped even popular soap operas on the Russian television, around the time of the annexation of Crimea. But there's another effect that a steady diet of government-controlled news has had on the public. A major Russian pollster recently asked people whether it would be acceptable for the news media to withhold information in the government's interest. And it turned out that with the vast majority, withholding was OK. And with slightly over half, even distorting was OK. So people were totally into this propaganda and, in a sense, asked to be lied to. . .'

What do you think?
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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', 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

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Randomness. . .

Everyone has been, at one time or another, out in public in a place such as the mall, a concert or show, the grocery store, a public park or even (if you're so inclined) church, and have seen a person that so closely resembles someone you know, that you're tempted to walk directly over to them and inform them of this remarkable phenomenon. But you don't. An that's probably just as well. Because for all the joy and amusement it brings to you to have had the keen observational skills to detect this wonderful resemblance, the act of sharing it with them actually brings them nothing. I don't, and I hope it's because I have never done it, recall ever having confronted a perceptive double with such edifying news. But it just so happens that as I write, in a public eating area, a lady at another table has an uncanny resemblance to an aunt of mine, who by the way, has been deceased for several years now. And maybe it's only her profile from the left but so much about her is all Aunt Helen. But, as I said, for all the joy and amusement it brings to you to have had the keen observational skills to detect this wonderful resemblance, the act of sharing it with them actually brings them nothing. It's a remarkable likeness. Excuse me . . .

No! I didn't actually go over to her. Now there's another guy with a librarian-type lady, spouting off about spiritual, spirituality, share, sharing. . . I keep hearing these words. She looks enthralled though.

The local newspaper's weekend special section mentioned the Baltimore Orioles and how, just like the last two years, they will NOT win the world series. Now I'm no sports fan for sure. But I know how I feel about my efforts, dedication, fortune (or lack thereof) and if this reporter only considered the dismal condition of the Baltimore Orioles BEFORE THAT, he/she should well give credit to the current lineup/management for being contenders these past three seasons. It's just so easy to criticize. As they say, "Those who can do. Those who can't become critics."

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