This week, economic tremors continued to rattle the world. In Greece, despite ongoing protests, the government passed harsh austerity measures. Closer to home, California passed a budget with deep cuts to social safety net programs and the state's once-vaunted higher education system. And, in Minnesota, a budget impasse forced the government to begin furloughing state workers and shutting down services, including state parks -- just in time for the 4th of July holiday weekend. Minnesota Republicans, who rejected Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton's revenue proposals, are obviously not familiar with the new Harvard study, which found that kids who attend July 4 celebrations are more likely to become Republicans later in life. One less 4th of July picnic in the park; one less future Bachmann voter.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
Minnesota Shutdown 2011: State Government Shuts Down
Minnesota Shutdown Hits Poor; Aid Groups Scramble : NPR
California budget: California Democrats pass budget with taxes ...
California's Brown vetoes fellow Democrats' budget | Reuters
a musical poetic journey for July 4, 2011.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * CONCERT UNDER THE STARS * * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
OVERTURE:
John Philip Sousa - Stars and Stripes forever (New York Philharmonic, Bernstein)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ePaETGQZ0
.
a musical poetic journey.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * CONCERT UNDER THE STARS * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * * *
PASSAGE to REVERIE . . .
Spread joy, share pleasure, with souls that touch . . .
Liszt Liebestraum - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmBeYNcO1o
Beethoven "Fuer Elise" - Valentina Lisitsa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAsDLGjMhFI
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu - Valentina Igoshina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa0Z6g1XJkU
Chopin Andante Spianato Op 22 - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eRBObgOWw4
Chopin Grande Polonaise Brillante Op 22 - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwY0J3ZBLn0
* * * INTERLUDE * * *
Schubert Impromptu Op 90 No 3 - Krystian Zimerman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkqDEh-fXVI
Chopin Grande Valse Brillante Op 34 No 1 - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHg_kIWUeI
Rachmaninoff Prelude Op 23 No 5 - Valentina Lisitsa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QB7ugJnHgs
Chopin Etude Op 25 No 1 "Aeolian Harp" - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRprR_0406E
Liszt Don Juan Paraphrase Part 1 & 2 - Lang Lang (in Carnegie Hall)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8mKzbr33P4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15IonM3w__I
* * * INTERLUDE * * *
a musical poetic journey.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * CONCERT UNDER THE STARS (Part 2 of 3)
* * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * INTERLUDE * * *
Chopin Nocturne Op 27 No 2 - Maksim Mrvica
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9NrQzJCWW8
Carlos Gardel - Tango (from "Scent of a Woman") - Itzhak Perlman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kigoRVhyaf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDlO8HXEuys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib9nuNAQDoo
Chopin Mazurka Op 17 No 2 - Hsia-Jung Chang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apiDmn1cCTw
Chopin Etude Op 10 No 12 - Valentina Lisitsa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi5VTBdKbFM
Chopin Etude Op 25 No 11 - Valentina Lisitsa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx6-Z0nsWnw
Chopin Etude Op 25 No 12 - Valentina Lisitsa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPcy2h-H9E
"Horse Racing" (Chinese folk tune) -- Lang Lang & father, horsing around ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JLvbXGoicw
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 - Lang Lang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-EGKpbIBuw
* * * INTERMISSION * * *
Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa - half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!
Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe-well-developed and open to trade, especially
for something of real value.
Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain- very hot, relaxed, and convinced of her own beauty.
Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece & gently aging, but still a warm and desirable place to visit.
Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain ,with a glorious and all-conquering past..
Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel -has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, and takes care of business.
Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada -cool, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.
After 70, she becomes like Tibet- wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages...an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN
Between 1 and 80, a man is like Iran - ruled by a couple of nuts
As a Brit citizen I can really appreciate the British mindset :-))
Love it or leave it , Republican
Peace, Brother. Democratic.
The better part of the the Billions of Dollars in military spending are redistributed upward in the form of profits. War and war preparations are profitable for the elite class - whose sons do not volunteer for military service - so that the US is encouraged to bomb or invade any country or region because it is basically a profitable endeavor for the controlling class. President Eisenhower understood this when he warned the nation of the “Military Industrial Complex."
Having failed to act appropriately, the fortunes of the nation are now in the hands of the callous greedy. The national legislative branches have been corrupted by well resources special interests; the electoral process has rendered those with few resources voiceless. I'm afraid I must pass on any celebration of the 4th of July.
We are living in sad times in America and watching its decline.
...Now it seems we are on the edge of another one!...a GREATER one!
Because of our upbringing my husband and I have planned all through our married life to keep our family in as safe an economic position as possible.... and up until recently we have felt we've done a pretty good job!
But things now do not look good and we talk about 'why' all the time!
Our opinion is that America's economic conditions are about as they were in the 20's with the rich getting richer and regular folks losing more and more each day! And even those who have tried to prepare for the coming of 'this' day and time are nowhere near having what they are going to need in the future! We have been HAD, folks!
Has anyone else in Americaland noticed that both the Executive and Judicial Branches of the U.S. Government during the last 30 years has increasingly ignored or undermined the authority, laws and oversight duties of the Legislative Branch???!!!
In this war against the needy one would think our wealthy law makers would be satisfied with that , but such is not the case . Now that the law makers have made the needy very needy they have plans to administer the coup de grace to the very needy .
The assault on the social programs will do just that . Most of us know the enormous benefit Medicare and Medicaid is to the very needy but the law makers are attempting to drive a wedge between the seniors and the youth by lying about Social Security .
Social Security helps get the seniors out of the work place , opening opportunities for the emerging youth . That alone enhances the economic stability of any nation . Raising the retirement age decreases those opportunities and so will any of the other proposals made by the law makers . We also know that just one member of Congress can prevent the voting on hundreds of bills . So if you think you are or have been represented by the law maker you voted for you had better give it more thought .
A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy.
Q: What is wrong with conservatism?
A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
Then as long as Americans get their hamburgers and TV Reality shows they stay in the sofa and keep quiet.
That's the way the big corporations that run this country want's it so that they have access to uneducated $8/hour workers and huge profits for the rich. This country is still a country of slavery if you compare to other industrialized countries in Europe. There are Americans working three jobs and still can't make ends meet.
Hopefully Americans will wake up one of these days; see it as it is and do something about it.
The rest of the world certainly seem to take action against unfairness among citizens. Watch and learn.
We the People have not protected our Watchdogs -the Press, the Media, the Internet, from corrupt influence. We the People have not modified our mutable form of governance as originally prescribed in common law. To many, the Constitution remains a hollow shroud that once worked. Even our Supreme Court is defined by undue influence.
Which one of you does NOT realize that hard choices must be made? Which one of you Voters does not understand the dance the Hill is going through with their convoluted spin and indecent voting strategy?
Our system doesn't work, and it is getting worse. The change comes through YOUR vote, some extremely hard choices, a time of great fiscal frugality and one of extreme austerity. It means less spending, more taxes and better accounting It is not what our candidates tell us, because they must shuffle their funding in careful ways.... With bad credit mounting to unheard of levels, you cannot believe that borrowing more and spending more is any realistic answer. You cannot pay off bad credit with more credit.
You cannot claim our Nation remains great, not if you are honest, and certainly not on this Fourth of July.
The deceit and the accumulation of wealth and misuse of that wealth cannot be entirely blamed on ordinary Americans.
We the People are being run by corporations which control irresponsible budgets, demand more 'incentives' which serve only the corporate greed condition, and to abandon their customers as if constituency does not matter. The corporation is an individual entity now and We the People no longer have recourse necessary to change this path we are on. On this Fourth of July do not go out and celebrate our great Nation. Understand this nation, how it operates, and that is in full decline on all fronts. Do not wave those patriotic flags with mottos such as "In God We trust" and "with Liberty and Justice for all" . The rockets red glare has "Made in China" stamped all over it.
Take a real hard look at this country of ours. It is corrupt. It is in decline. It is unrealistic and dedicated to exploitation with the dollar in every venue. The Dollar is more than weak, it is false and many have come outside our influence to address and change this.
1. spending billions on unnecessary wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which continues to this day.
2. Billions in tax cut to the very rich which continues to this day.
3. The Banksters crashing the economy with their incredible greed through sub-prime mortgages, speculation, derivatives, etc;
And by the way this all happen on Presidents Bush watch!
2.We are capitalists...Embrace it or die poor and alone with strangers...
3.Who ran on straightening out the banks and questionable credit in 2000 and won on it Bush, who shrugged it off as all is well, Greenspan and the whiz kids, nothing personal Barney & Chris, but dudes what where you guys thinking??!
Come into the light it ain't that bad...Happy 4th everyone from Kabul I'm talking it up over here, send someone over to rebut...