Actually . . .

. . . Murray, about the statues . . .

In rebuttal to https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/aug/19/naked-donald-trump-statue-satire-ageist-body-shaming . . .

Regarding the five Trump statues, so let met get this straight, you feel 'NB' (a genteel designation based upon your own) is not good social critique through art because it gives way to "blind hatred that obscures their intent." Seems to me that any intelligent, fact-respecting citizen who has paid any attention to 'DT' (maintaining the MO), and how could they or any other citizens NOT-  thanks to all the free media attention he has managed,  has formed an opinion of DT that hovers somewhere in the 'don't care-for' range, and hopefully not quite as extreme as true hate. But that opinion is anything but 'blind.'

You say that the work's "slumpy, distended belly, withered buttocks and sagging pectorals, crosses callously into generalized ageism and body-shaming."  I do believe that even DT himself might characterize that description as a bit too "politically correct." My aging, a-Phelpsian body would certainly make a poor cover for Playgirl (does that still exist?), but I am far from offended by, don't forget that DT HIMSELF invited visions of his 'man-parts' into our consciousness at one of the Republican primary debates, the NB sculptures.

Let's face it, this man is seriously (I think) running for the presidency of the United States of America. He is a television 'personality' by definition. He purposely taunts persons and peoples with all the forethought of a corner-bar drunk. He is a free target. He belongs to the public. I, for one, think the sculptures were quite funny and clever.  Maybe the pieces are not Da Vincis, but I truly suspect the artist was never under any such delusion.

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

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)

Get your copy of OHO's  Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

Tweet  

An Offer . . .

(from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/13/pope-francis-mafia-target-corruption)
". . . Prosecutor says pope's attempt to bring transparency to Vatican is making mobsters agitated. Pope Francis's crusade against corruption has made him a target for Italy's all-powerful mafia clans, a leading anti-mob prosecutor has warned.

Nicola Gratteri, who has battled Calabria's shadowy 'Ndrangheta mafia, said on Wednesday that Francis's attempt to bring transparency to the Vatican was making the white collar mobsters who do business with corrupt prelates "nervous and agitated".

He told the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano: "Pope Francis is dismantling centres of economic power in the Vatican.

"If the bosses could trip him up they wouldn't hesitate. I don't know if organised criminals are in a position to do something, but they are certainly thinking about it. They could be dangerous."

Francis, who has called for "a poor church", has backed reform at the Vatican's bank, which has been suspected for years of being a channel for the laundering of mob profits. This week police impounded a luxury hotel on Rome's Janiculum hill – formerly a monastery – which the 'Ndrangheta allegedly purchased from a religious order.

In a fiery sermon on Monday, Francis railed against corruption and quoted the bible's advice that practitioners be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck. . ."

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

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

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

Tweet

Reasons. . .

. . . to own a gun. . .

. . . from a proud gun owner's blog. . . [with my reactions]

Because It's Cool
This is a fairly weak reason in comparison to others. . . Someone goes shooting with a friend, loves it (and/or thinks the gun is just groovy). . .

[GROOVY???]


Family Legacy (Because my Parents Owned Guns)
A family legacy of gun ownership is often a factor in determining whether one will become a gun owner. . . If you have had a bad experience with a gun in the past, that may be a valid reason for you not to own a gun - but probably not. It's more likely that you have an irrational attitude towards guns, and unreasoned bias is never good.

[What IS a valid reason for me to NOT own a gun, in your opinion?]


Just For Hunting
Hunting is a fine reason to own a gun . . . 


[OK]


Target Shooting Only
. . . Shooting accurately is challenging, and many of us feel a sense of achievement from being able to put our shots exactly where we want them to go. . .




[also for sport]


For Social Reasons
Some gun owners may own guns simply so they can take part in social shooting activities, such as sporting clays, cowboy action shooting, and the like. . .

[Is this how Dick Cheney shot his own friend?]


For Self Defense
This one is by far the most powerful, and universal, reason for anyone to own a gun. . . To deny a human the right to defend him- or herself from any threat is the most grievous crime against humanity that I can think of. . .


[read:  Paranoia.   I can think of worse crimes against humanity without much effort.]

 
Because the Founding Fathers Wanted me to
This is another excellent reason to own a gun. . . It's the fear of retaliation that keeps the corruptive (sic) nature of political power from sweeping our land . . .


[Considering the current crop of politicians, this theory has already been proven untrue.]


As an Investment
Guns rarely decline in value. . . 

[Buy real estate]


Historical Reasons
Some gun owners like guns merely for their historical value. . .

[OK. They're not automatic or semi-automatic though.]


Interest in The Mechanics of Firearms
Most firearms are mechanical marvels. . . 

[So are refrigerators.]


My Own Reasons
. . . we Americans are still free to do as we choose, to some extent. Don't let politicians, TV news anchors, me, or anyone else do your thinking for you.

[I won't.  Thanks.]

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

Please visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Yes. . .

. . . we can . . .

(By Martha C. White)
". . . With its “Legalize Love” campaign, Google became the latest in a growing number of companies to publicly take a position in support of gay rights.

Far from being simply feel-good initiatives, these moves are highly calculated, marketing experts say. Companies may be embracing the rainbow, but the motivating color is still green.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is a huge market with buying power of some $790 billion annually in the U.S. alone, according to Witeck Communications. And gays have influence among the straight consumers who are their friends and relatives.

For many marketers, that is too much to leave lying on the table, even if they risk some backlash from consumers opposed to expanding gay rights. Companies “have to satisfy shareholders at the end of the day,” said Bob Witeck, founder and president of Witeck Communications.

Target is selling these T-shirts to raise money for a group working to defeat a gay marriage ban in Minnesota.

Google’s campaign, announced last week, comes on the heels of Mother’s and Father's Day promotions by J.C. Penney featuring same-sex parents, a Gap ad featuring a male Broadway performer and his boyfriend, and Target selling t-shirts as a fundraiser for the Family Equality Council, a group lobbying against a same-sex marriage ban in the retailer’s home state of Minnesota.

Last November, four dozen companies ranging from Nike to Microsoft signed a statement essentially supporting gay marriage by objecting to the Defense of Marriage Act. In February, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein participated in a Human Rights Campaign web video in support of marriage equality. “There’s no doubt that American businesses will be central to the dismantling of DOMA,” Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese told Politico last month. . . ). . . "

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

Please visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Stuxnet. . .

. . . sounds like the name of a new, sci-fi, thriller. Well it IS!!!! Only it's real.

(from Wikipedia.com)
"Stuxnet is a computer worm discovered in June 2010. It targets Siemens industrial software and equipment running Microsoft Windows. While it is not the first time that hackers have targeted industrial systems, it is the first discovered malware that spies on and subverts industrial systems, and the first to include a programmable logic controller (PLC) rootkit.

The worm initially spreads indiscriminately, but includes a highly specialized malware payload that is designed to target only Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Stuxnet infects PLCs by subverting the Step-7 software application that is used to reprogram these devices.

Different variants of Stuxnet targeted five Iranian organizations, with the probable target widely suspected to be uranium enrichment infrastructure in Iran; Symantec noted in August 2010 that 60% of the infected computers worldwide were in Iran.Siemens stated on 29 November that the worm has not caused any damage to its customers,but the Iran nuclear program, which uses embargoed Siemens equipment procured clandestinely, has been damaged by Stuxnet. Russian computer security firm Kaspersky Lab concluded that the sophisticated attack could only have been conducted "with nation-state support", this was further backed up by the Finnish computer security company F-Secure's chief researcher Mikko Hyppönen who commented in a Stuxnet FAQ, "That's what it would look like, yes". It has been speculated that Israel and the United States may have been involved. . . "

Doesn't sound out of the realm of reality, does it?!




What do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html


Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com


Tweet


Top Stories