Chris Van Etten appears in the new Jockey campaign What’s Underneath (PRNewsFoto/Jockey)
Chris Van Etten symbolizes the American Can-Do Spirit or did he do it in vain because we are too lazy to protect Democracy?
Marine Chris Van Etten, who lost both legs in Afghanistan in July 2012, returned to his family’s Illinois home for the holidays, after spending half a year at a Californian rehabilitation center. He was met with racist graffiti on his family home which was particularly strange as he is Caucasian. Someone spray-painted racial slurs on and threw raw eggs at the Van Etten’s house, likely as the family slept. Van Etten was critically injured from a roadside bomb explosion, which killed his best friend. Lance Cpl. T.J. Baune from Minnesota while on night patrol June 13. Full Article
Chris Van Etten, a Marine fought for America, presumably to spread Democracy to Afghanistan. He fought to stop Al-Qaeda from spreading their terror attacks to the West. He fought to uphold our freedom that began on July 4th of 1776 when Americans declared their independence from the British Tax System which they perceived as a yoke.
A few weeks ago the British Population declared that they wish to be freed from the yoke of the EU. In a recent podcast, Mr. Krugman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics in 2008, says that “Brexit” was “a terrible blow to the elite leadership in Europe,” explains how the people who are most likely to emerge on top as a result of the move are “the Donald Trumps of England” and talks about the way in which the E.U. is fundamentally at odds with democracy and the idea of a democratically elected government. Full article and podcast
The world is once again at a cross road.
Shall a few rule over the many and subjugate them or shall the many fight for freedom of information which demands the protection of freedom of speech? In the EU a few bureaucrats rule over the many without regards for their opinion, wishes, preferences. The European Parliament gave them the power to do so, without any recourse but extreme measures for the pubic. Is the Brexit a good idea? Many agree that it is not and that it is based on misinformation presented by the originally Australian Rupert Murdoch’s news empire. He also is working on his fascists aims in breaking Democracy in the US using Fox TV and since a few years the Wall Street Journal.
A book by Larry Bartels promoted by Princeton University explains what is going on in a succinct way:
“Unequal Democracy debunks many myths about politics in contemporary America, using the widening gap between the rich and the poor to shed disturbing light on the workings of American democracy. Larry Bartels shows the gap between the rich and poor has increased greatly under Republican administrations and decreased slightly under Democrats, leaving America grossly unequal.” The review goes on to say: “Bartels demonstrates that elected officials respond to the views of affluent constituents but ignore the views of poor people. He shows that Republican presidents in particular have consistently produced much less income growth for middle-class and working-poor families than for affluent families, greatly increasing inequality.”
All of us have to choose whether the Independence our forefathers fought for should regress because we are too passive and allow the fascists and hyper-wealthy, uncaring people to repurchase yokes that make our lives miserable. The Brexit shows what dis-information can do to a civilized country. Will it happen here in the US?
Edgar Cambon joins Rolando Morales tonight at The Vine at Bridges
Thursday July 14, Vine at Bridges, 480 Hartz Avenue, Danville, approx. 7-10pm.After 2 months away, The Rolando Morales Duet returns to this cool winery and nightspot for its only Thursday night appearance, coinciding with the Danville Car Show. Enjoy a wonderful selection of wines, superb dinners and munchies while enjoying this powerful duet. Tonight Rolando reunites with the Latin percussionist/vocalist from Uruguay, the leader of Candela,Edgardo Cambón; and on guitar, voice and his pedal board of magic, the passionate Rolando Morales.Latin Jazz at its best. Don’t miss it! www.thevineatbridges.com, (925) 820-7210.
Ehud Asherie, “a master of swing and stride” (The New Yorker), is a jazz pianist who integrates the venerable New York piano tradition into his inventive style. Born in Israel in 1979, Asherie lived in Italy for six years before his family moved to New York.
Though he began playing piano as a child, his passion for jazz came later—with a Thelonious Monk cassette tape—and his first visit to Smalls Jazz club in Greenwich Village. Largely self-taught, or rather, “old-schooled,” Asherie learned the ropes at Smalls, spending the wee small hours of his early teens becoming a fixture of the late-night jam sessions.
Mentored by the late Frank Hewitt, Asherie began to develop “his virtuosity and his ear for clean, crisp lines“ (The Star-Ledger). From Smalls to the Rainbow Room, from Lincoln Center to The Village Vanguard, Asherie has since worked with a broad range of musicians including:
Eric Alexander, Roy Ayers, Peter Bernstein, Jesse Davis, Bobby Durham, Vince Giordano, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Hamilton, Ryan Kisor, Jane Monheit, Catherine Russell, Ken Peplowski and Clark Terry.
Beyond his dedication to jazz music, Ehud Asherie has also developed a passion for traditional Brazilian music. His appreciation and profound knowledge of the music, language and culture are the foundation of Asherie’s project entitled Bina & Ehud, a duo formed in 2003, with Brazilian guitarist, Bina Coquet.
Asherie has toured clubs and festivals around the world, including South America, Europe and Asia. Asherie’s playing can be heard on countless recordings, including the 2010 Grammy Award winning soundtrack of HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire’. He recently released his twelfth album as leader entitled Shuffle Along (Blue Heron Records), a solo
piano performance.
Published on Feb 21, 2015
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Perry Tannenbaum in Jazz Times praises Ehud Asherie
“After three releases on Posi-Tone leading small combos from the piano, 31-year-old Israeli native Ehud Asherie switches over to Hammond organ for his latest quartet outing, Organic. Fats Waller and Count Basie come readily to mind as jazz immortals who doubled on the two instruments. While their piano styles were more individualized than Asherie’s at this stage of his career, their doubling is reduced to dabbling when compared to Asherie’s imposing proficiency at the organ, which instantly catapults him to the front ranks of current B3 practitioners and invites comparisons with the greats of the past.” See full article
Thank you Tom O’Neil for introducing this to www.riovida.net. We hope to learn about the rest of your favorites.
The right to self determination has been attacked by European Bureaucrats and regular people are fighting back.
After the first and second world war the concept of political self determination has been touted all over Europe.
A wonderful site from Princeton University explains:
“At its most basic, the principle of self-determination can be defined as a community’s right to choose its political destiny. This can include choices regarding the exercise of sovereignty and independent external relations (external self-determination) or it can refer to the selection of forms of government (internal self-determination). The fundamental concept of self-determination-the right to choose-has its roots in the American and French revolutions in the eighteenth century with their emphasis on justice, liberty, and freedom from authoritarian rule. It found its most prominent expressions following World Wars I and II. In the aftermath of the First World War, self-determination was perceived to be Woodrow Wilson’s guiding principle for redrawing European and world maps to establish a new, just order. Following World War II, self-determination was enshrined in the United Nations Charter, initiating its transformation into a legal right under international law. In practice, this notion provided the justification and impetus for de-colonization and is often conflated with independence. More recently, the term is associated with struggles by groups within a state for greater autonomy or independence-primarily ethno-nationalist claims or counter-reactions to oppression or authoritarianism.” The report ends with this astute suggestion: “The key to resolving self-determination claims is to understand and address multiple layers of conflict in ways that promote the ideals of self-determination (the right to choose) as well as the related norms of human rights and territorial integrity. This necessitates accounting for the emotional appeal of national and local identity while avoiding oppressive political actions that foment violence and instability.” Full text go to: Princeton Edu
While freedom, whether political or economic, is closely tied with the concepts of self determination the EU and government officials around the world has been largely tone-deaf to the concerns of individual native groups of people during the past 20 years, as big business has pushed for ever more globalization. Uniform Rules and Regulations are definitely practical when expanding a business around the world. It is not convenient to have a companies march toward global success impeded upon by regional preferences, likes, and dislikes.
Older people are much more in tune with “the way things were.” And, when the world around them changes at ever increasing speed and they feel that their expectations are no longer fulfilled and they feel “left behind” they don’t like it. Older people are more inclined to vote than younger people.
During an interview with the BBC in November 2014, Merkel was clear about the fact that she didn’t really care about the internal rumblings in Britain. She explained her disregard for the internal issues inside England that she ignored the internal concerns of native Germans as well. She wanted to uphold her “European Ideals” at all cost. The English people were concerned about having their island flooded with refugees and the associated costs of social benefits paid out. Germans were concerned about that as well. The BBC wrote:
“At the European summit on 25 October Angela Merkel was asked about a possible UK move to change the treaties to reduce the number of migrants. “We have the basic principle of free movement,” said the German chancellor, “and we won’t meddle with that.” It was her way of saying free movement was not up for negotiation.” Full BBC Article
She pointed out that she had given the decision as to how to deal with the social benefits issues to an appointed group of the European courts. The refugees would swamp villages all over Germany based on her rulings, bureaucrats in Brussels would decide that the locals had to take in the refugees and that they needed to pay for their housing, food, education and safety at a local level. As it turns out this insensitivity toward locals has extreme consequences for Europe.
“And from that point on it will be more important for the German government to save these European fundamentals in comparison with keeping the United Kingdom inside.” An article in Der Spiegel stated on November 2, 2014. David Cameron was under extreme pressure within Britain, but when he asked for assistance on working on a compromise, Merkel thought it was better for Europe that Britain exits rather than for Europeans to change their regulations to deal with the refugee crisis. Back then Merkel decided that keeping the Schengen Agreement alive was worth the price to push Britain out of the EU. Full Article
A local newspaper reported: “The report, presented on Thursday by the Association of German Cities, found that a total number of 500,000 new arrivals would cost €7 billion overall, while 1.2 million refugees would cost €16 billion. That adds up to a maximum of €5.5 billion more than has already been promised to local governments by Chancellor Angela Merkel from federal funds, the association’s finance chief told reporters in Berlin. Merkel had promised €670 per month per refugee to Germany’s 16 states.” Full Article
Merkel’s eagerness to live up to Time Magazine’s image of her as the most powerful woman in the world seemed more important than keeping the European populations’ belief in the EU alive. Time naively encouraged her to ignore Europeans’ wishes. While Obama had trouble bringing 25,000 or 40,000 refugees into the US. Germany was swamped by 1,500,000 million. Full Article
The key to solving the problems of the Brexit, Grexit, and Europe and the never-ending refugee crisis is to find a healthy balance between protecting the freedoms of multi national mega companies with those of “Self Determination on a local level.”
Whenever the middle class was eroded due to financial hardships as it has been over the past 30 years in most Western Countries, super powers fell apart. The masses need to benefit in order for them to support a governmental structure. Rude suppression of their needs and especially ignoring their concerns, lack of communication with the masses through out history has resulted in chaos. Government officials are ever more reliant on corporate donations instead of the middle class and it shows. (Pew Study on Middle Income Trends.)
Is it true that economically free movement is beneficial, of course, especially if it pertains to a young and highly trained workforce. However this point has not been explained well to the local populations, financially and culturally burdened with the influx of refugees.
The Brexit would not have happened if people knew that there is a clear benefit to them. And the bureaucrats would have done better if instead of ignoring the natives with sweeping statements that had no relation to the individual lives of regular people would have studied the issues more carefully, and made adjustment that would have allowed regular people to benefit more obviously from the global economy they aim to support.
Putting an appointed governmental body above self determination of local neighborhoods, without providing any recourse and participation in the conversations is perceived as dictatorship. No matter how beneficial the bureaucrats think is is, and most importantly no matter how beneficial it actually is. Communication that goes both ways is a must for a stable government. Whenever “outsiders” gain too much power things fall apart. Big business unless it creates local jobs is considered an “outsider.” Education about how the economies work and related in simple language is the only way empires stay intact.
As we all know, of you don’t study history you are destined to repeat it.
In 476 C.E. Romulus Augustus, the last of the Roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. The order that the Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1000 years was no more. Really really fun full article here. When local people have to pay too much out to support foreigners and outsiders they tend to rebel.
Merkel now has put the faith of refugees into the hands of a Turk who wants to bring back the Ottoman Empire. Earlier this year death rates of refugees drowning in the Mediterranean again have surpassed 2,500 since people no longer want to risk being captured by the un-democratic Turk, Erdogan. This has not worked out very well and the Schengen Agreement that was so important to her when dealing with David Cameron’s attempt to actually listen to the British people has fallen by the way side anyway. Two years into the refugee crisis European Borders are being checked again anyway. The Guardian
German people are increasingly disgusted with the way the government ignores their “internal” needs and they are leaving the ruling parties in droves. In May 2016 Bloomberg reported: “Last week, the assembly held a debate in which Erdogan was labeled a “dictator” and Turkish threats to back out of the refugee accord should the EU refuse Turks visa-free travel were called blackmail.” Maybe Merkel and her EU bureaucrats would have done better if they had started to work through life changing issues with their people.
Unless the bureaucrats in Brussels wake up and start listening to their people and are working on dealing with the local people’s concerns, instead of working on the concerns of multi-national corporations without regard for the local countries Europe will go the way of the Roman Empire. The British people have spoken. Merkel’s lack of support of David Cameron and his need to deal with the internal issues of “Self Determination” had dire consequences. Big business would do well to start urging politicians to do their job. After all isn’t that what they pay them for?
Saturday June 25, Wente Vineyards, Estate Winery and Tasting Room Patio, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore CA 94550, 1-5pm. Rolando does his first public Wente appearance. Enjoy a superb wine tasting on the lovely Wente Estate and enjoy Rolando on solo guitar and voice out on the patio among the lush grounds of the Estate Winery. www.wentevineyards.com/tasting-rooms/estate-winery-tasting-room.
Doug MacLeod enchants audiences around the world. Photo by Jeff Fasano
"Like all great blues men, MacLeod lives his music, and the songs are not just on the tips of his fingers and tongue, they are one with his being. Blues Music Magazine
Doug MacLeod is celebrated all around the world. Heaven ,a Dutch pop magazine writes that Rock It Till The Cows Come Home was a nice song, inspired by Louis Jordan, whose music MacLeod already encountered early in his childhood. It reminded us a little of the also extremely catchy Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley.
The very talented Eva Cassidy sang his song Nightbird so beautifully that he decided never to perform it live again, since any version compared to hers, would feel empty. Fortunately for us and the audience at the concert in Eindhoven, Doug MacLeod changed his mind and performed Nightbird.
This should be great fun. Doug is not only an amazing musicians he also is a true philosopher. 🙂
If you are vacationing in Portugal be sure to catch the show:
Doug MacLeod
Baixa de Banheira near Lisbon
Forum Cultural Jose Manuel Figueiredo
June 25, 2016 – 10:00 pm
"They see the possibility of a black president as natural as Tiger Woods winning the Masters"
Noah Griffin (talking about his children)
Noah Griffin regularly performs in San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris. Noah Griffin’s Tribute to Cole Porter took the world by storm and he regularly sells out at such classical venues as Birdland in NY. He sang with Duke Ellington, Nat Cole and has appeared in New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris.
Noah, since the age of 7, has delighted audiences with his marvelous voice. From 1953 to 1958 he sang as a soloist with the San Francisco Boys Chorus under the direction of the late Madi Bacon, performing in Carmen, Boris Gudenov, Turandot, and soloing in La Boheme with the San Francisco Cosmopolitan Opera Company. The Boys Choir performed at the 1956 Republican convention in San Francisco, sharing the stage with Nat King Cole, Johnny Ray, Leontyne Price and Paul Robeson all legends with whom the Boys Choir collaborated.
In the late 50?s Noah helped formed a Rock group called the Kings covering Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” on a USO recording which played overseas to our troops stationed in Europe. By 1960 he was off on his own singing at various local venues, teen dances and school rallies. He began study with the respected Judy Davis. The highlight of his high school career was winning a coveted opportunity to audition at the world renowned “hungri i” nightclub. It was also during those years he was signed to a minor record label and performed on the bill with the “Shirelles.” College years at Fisk University began more intense voice study under James Van Lowe and an association with the Fisk University Choir and the famed Jubilee Singers.
While attending Harvard Law, Noah nurtured his singing career performing regularly in and around the Boston area at the “Point After,” the “Ramada Inn on the Charles” and various other venues. It was during that period he was selected to solo with Duke Ellington in his Boston for debut of his “Sacred Concert.” Returning to San Francisco Noah was a regular at the “Sea Witch”, “Cobb’s Pub”, the “Plantation Inn”, “Roland’s” the “Forbidden City” and other night spots. For ten years Noah was the soloist for the Walt Tolleson Big Band. In addition to singing, Noah hosted a talk show for many years on KGO radio as well as a television appearances and wrote a syndicated column for the Hearst Examiner and newspaper chain. A fan favorite at Giants games, Noah along with collaborator Bob Voss, wrote the opening day song for the Giants at the former PacBell Park. The two collaborated for the dreamy anthem and official Ballad of the Golden Gate Bridge re-released for the Bridge’s 70th anniversary in May 2007. This version is produced by former Motown producer and writer Michael B. Sutton. Noah and Bob collaborated on a highly popular Christmas CD with two original songs Noah wrote for the production which merit annual local airplay.
Eddie Fisher has called him a “great singer” and George Shearing “loves his work.”
After graduating from Harvard Law School in Boston, Noah Griffin returned to the San Francisco Bay Area where he has lived ever since. While raising his children, Noah Griffin had an illustrious career as a syndicated newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, singer and songwriter.
Noah Griffin has been hosted by the Nations of Great Britain, Nassau, Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan. He has met six United States Presidents and several World Leaders — all from whom he has been fortunate to learn.
Noah Griffin’s vast range of experience uniquely qualifies him to speak on a wide range of topics. Educated at Harvard Law, Yale and Fisk University in history, he’s been the recipient of two Fellowships: CORO Foundation Public Affairs and Phelps-Stokes History Fellowship. He has spent 35 years in government, politics, media and journalism. In those capacities he served on statewide staff in two Presidential Campaigns, as an administrative aide to Dianne Feinstein and Press Secretary to San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan. He served as Director of Public Affairs at Charles Schwab Company and was Public Information Officer at San Francisco City College under Chancellor Evan Dobelle.
He was an on air Disc Jockey at the old KFOG in San Francisco and WJIB in Boston. He produced and hosted weekly interview shows on K-101 and KFRC radio. Griffin hosted Public Affairs Interview Program on San Francisco TV Stations KMPT Channel 32 and KTSF Channel 26.
Noah Griffin writes for the Marin IJ. He wrote for 5 years for the Hearst Examiner and was nationally syndicated with Scripps Howard. In that capacity he appeared twice on the PBS News hour with Jim Lehrer. He has been featured in the Boston Globe, the NAACP Crisis Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The Saint Petersburg Times, and Jet Magazine. He’s appeared on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning and Talk of the Nation. He has been written about and or covered in the New York Times Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Magazine.
Noah Griffin has worked with George Lucas. Griffin also worked alongside the late Bernie Averbuch to establish the Court of Historical Review and Appeals in which capacity he brought Anna Hauptman to San Francisco to retry the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case in a moot court setting. He’s dined with Lauren Bacall, shared the stage with Nat Cole, Leontyne Price, and Johnny Ray. He has interviewed notables from Gore Vidal, Louis L’Amour, Milton Berle, Peggy Lee, John Huston, Paul Henried, Howard Koch, the Smothers Brothers, Cesar Chavez Peter, Paul and Mary. He’s opened in song parody for the Capitol Steps. He’s been blessed to have counted William Warfield, George Shearing and Eddie Fisher among his musical admirers. California Historian Kevin Starr has praised the work he has done on the documentary on the Golden Gate Bridge. He wrote the preface for the book on “Who Killed Martin Luther King”, is cited in 10 books and is a student of the Kennedy Assassination. He is a published poet and has committed more than 50 poems to memory. He has written and recorded the official ballad of the Golden Gate Bridge and the College of Marin Anthem.
Marmalade Skies by artist, designer and photographer Kalervo Karlsson
"Northern light and its transparency is very important for the soul and art." Kalervo Karlsson
Marmalade skies of Åland Archipelago
Kalervo Karlsson shares his amazingly artistic photographs. “Nice to share with anyone who wish to see . ” He points out that you can see swans swimming if you look closely.
The artist and his beautiful wife Niina Karlsson of Fikorus.com fame, are on their yearly holiday to the northern lights where they restore their souls.
How quickly the summer sky changes in Åland – a special place in Finland.
The Karlsson family summer in Byholmsviken, one of the few inhabited islands in Åland. It is easy to see how rooted their artistic inspiration is in their natural habitat.
Åland is located in the Baltic Sea, at the southern end of the Gulf of Bothnia between mainland Finland and Sweden. The Åland archipelago consists of around 6 500 islands, but only more than 60 are inhabited. Åland has its own taxation system, its own postage stamps, its own flag and Swedish as its only official language. For travelers, the Åland islands offer activities from adventurous island-hopping to boating, fishing, golfing and lots more. It’s easy to get from one island to another thanks to the many bridges and ferries, and Åland’s roads are terrific for cycling holidays.
If you wish to experience the Viking Country you can plan and book your own trip by here. Visit Finland
Modeling Agencies and News Agencies reach out to Stillmann Photography for quality photographs.
Stillman’s interest in photography dates back to his early childhood. At age 10 he recalls helping his granddad, Edgar Rogers, process film and produce black and white enlargements in an improvised home darkroom in back of a ranch house on Central Ridge above Peck, Id. on land that had been homesteaded by his great great grandfather.
After graduating from Lewiston High School, he moved to Tacoma, WA where he attained his BS Degree in communications and broadcast journalism from Pacific Lutheran University. Most of his early images were taken in Hawaii while on assignments for radio and television stations. During his US Navy tour of duty in DaNang, Vietnam, he was seldom without his camera. He also anchored three nightly television broadcasts and traveled to Saigon for temporary network assignments. Upon completion of his military obligation he returned to Oahu, HI, where he continued to enhance his photography skills.
Stillman later traveled extensively throughout the mainland in a career change into management and marketing of regional shopping centers for major developers. He has working knowledge of locations in every mainland state and Hawaii which has helped him in scouting appropriate locations for photo shoots.
Stillman has an affinity for black and white images and still keeps an extra camera loaded with black and white film because, “some images were just meant to be captured on black and white film. Even in our digital age there is still drama in black and white film that just can’t be replicated.”
Using outdoor lighting Roger Stillman captures moments of introspection
Stillman’s studio is virtual and all his work is outdoors utilizing natural light. He has recently expanded into Wedding Photography. Photoshop is seldom used to matriculate any of his images.
He is a model agency approved photographer.
Roger’s online site showcases both his artistic and commercial images.
Heather Thayer Photography takes special moments and turns them into portraits that capture personalities
Heather Thayer-Taylor has been serving Southern California’s Photography needs for over 35 years. Heather, the owner of Heather Thayer Photography, has a great eye to capture expressions and bring out personalities. She works with clients to get them comfortable in front of the camera when doing portraits. Her candid action photographs aim to capture her subjects being themselves and often times doing what they love; especially when photographing performing musicians. Her artistic eye for light in combination with expressions make her work stand out, and exemplifies the art of photography.
Earth Wind Band by Heather Thayer Photography
“I have a lot of fun doing what I do and strive to make my clients comfortable in front of the camera and enjoy being photographed.” -Heather
Heather Thayer Photography provides corporate services as well.
Her local Orange County studio set up also allows for head shots, groups, products, fine art objects, paintings and much more. She has a variety of backgrounds to choose from in the studio. The park and beach are also places where she likes to photograph her clients when a more natural setting is desired.
Heather believes that quality images for businesses to use on their websites, social media and printed promotional material, gives a business a quality business image. So much marketing has moved to the web that the demand for fresh content is greater than ever. Heather offers businesses a reasonable way to acquire fresh and appealing images to accompany their text for social media posts and online advertising. You have just a few seconds to make a good impression and as the saying goes; “a pictures is worth a thousand words”.
The firm’s current focus is corporate events, business portraits, business promotional photography, fine art prints, products, custom stock photography for websites and print. Portrait session are done in studio or she brings the studio to your office or home. Both studio backgrounds and a background at the location are used depending on the size of the group and the end use for the photos.
Join Mazella Houston with her 17-piece World Class Pearl Band as they sing and dance music from the fabulous 30’s and 40’s Big Band Era!!! With guest: guitar/vocalist Larrie Noble, Sr., the “San Francisco Jitterbugs” and other special suprise guest!!! Tickets are going fast!!! Get you tickets here: https://californiatheatre.secure.force.com/ticket/
Sunday June 19, Belvedere Concerts-in-the-Park Presents: “Carlos Reyes and Friends,” the park adjacent to City Hall, City of Belvedere, approx 4-5:30pm. Rolando joins with his dear friend, the great Paraguayan harpist/violinist Carlos Reyes for a fun outdoor concert of Latin-Groove music featuring from Gregg Rolie and Dianne Reeves, the amazing bassist Gary Brown; from Brazil, the exciting drummer from Steve Winwood, Celso Alberti; from Venezuela, the Grammy-winning Latin percussionist/vocalist Omar Ledezma; from Paraguay, the thrilling violinist and harpist Carlos Reyes; and the powerful Rolando Morales on guitar, guitar synthesizer and vocals. Free! www.belvedereconcerts.org.
World Class musician Carlos ReyesGrammy Award Winning Omar Ledezma
Would TTIP have passed during the times of the Declaration of Independence?
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
TTIP is against democracy and it creates a framework for oligarchy to reign supreme. Read this article for details.
Ray Arata, UN Women’s HeForShe Champion For Change describes The Power of The Heart for Inclusionary Leaders as he shares his vision for gender equality and gender partnership within our personal and professional lives along with other closing statements at the inaugural Better Man Conference 2016 by Gender Leadership Group.
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Marketing partners include: Lean In, The Bay Area Council, The Representation Project, Anita Borg Institute, WiRL, Institute For Women’s Leadership, Institute For Gender Partnership, Griggs Productions, Women In Technology International.
. ” He points out that you can see swans swimming if you look closely.
