WHO SHOULD WE FEAR??
“We must keep our country safe”, says Donald Trump at a campaign-style rally in Florida yesterday. BUT HOW??? That’s really the question we all need to ponder. It’s best to look at the facts, the statistics and then make a rational decision as to who or what you really need to fear. Here are the FACTS:
Falling Off A Ladder Is Not Fun
- MEXICAN DRUG DEALERS, MURDERERS AND RAPISTS: That sounds quite ominous, however, that statement wasn’t backed up with any facts or statistics. I have a cottage on the Jersey Shore in an area heavily populated with Mexicans. I see them carrying vacuum cleaners and buckets into homes they are cleaning. I see them bussing tables at all of the restaurants all over the shore. And at 5:00pm when they are finished working and the beach is free, I see whole families walking to the beach past my porch. So I for one, am not going to put Mexicans, illegal or otherwise, on my fear list. NO FEAR
- TERRORISM: Isis is a heinous organization. Are most of their members Muslim? Yes! Do all Muslims belong to Isis? No! I am very concerned about our national security and especially my own since I live in New York City which is, a) the Financial Capital of the world, b) a coastal city, and c) densely populated. BUT here are some interesting points;
- Between 1975-2015, terrorists born in the 7 countries designated by the Trump Ban have killed ZERO people. Yes, ZERO according the to Cato Institute.* NO FEAR
- GUNS: In the same period, GUNS killed 1,340,000 people including murders, suicides and accidents.* 1.34M that’s a lot of people! A whole lot of people! FEAR
- It’s TRUE that MUSLIM AMERICANS both born in the U.S. and immigrants from countries other than those subject to the Trump travel ban, have carried out deadly terrorism in America. There has been 123 such murders since the 9/11 attack and 230,000 other murders.* NO FEAR
- Last year Americans were less likely to be killed by Muslim terrorists than being one. That risk is approximately one in a million! * NO FEAR
- LADDERS, STAIRS, BATHTUBS AND LIGHTNING kill more Americans than Muslim terrorists. FEAR
- HUSBANDS: are scary because in America, they can have guns. In other countries, brutal husbands put wives in the hospital. In America, they put them in the grave.* FEAR
- “I will get rid of GUN-FREE ZONES ON SCHOOLS”, Trump said last year. “My first day, it gets signed, OK, my first day.”* He hasn’t yet…. FEAR
- The House of Representatives voted last month to end the restriction on people with severe psychiatric disorders buying guns.* FEAR
- SILENCERS: “It’s about hearing protection,” Donald Jr. (Trump) explained in a video made for SilencerCo. , A Utah company that makes silencers. “It’s a health issue, frankly.”*… FEAR
In this case Silence is NOT Golden
**Information derived and quoted from the New York Times article by Nicholas Kristof.
The only fear we have to fear is fear itself.
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
The Russians Are Here!
Posted in BY THE WAY, From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, Uncategorized, tagged Dima Tkachenko, Firebird Suite, Lehman Arts Center, Myroslav Skoryk, Rachmoninoff, Russian composers, Tchaikovsky, Ukraine, violin virtuouso on February 13, 2017| 2 Comments »
Well they’re not really here, in fact they were Ukrainians. Yesterday afternoon, we went to The Lehman Arts Center and watched the most amazing performance of Russian classical music expertly performed by The National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine.
The land of the Czars and Tzars has given us some of the greatest composers in the 19th and 20th Centuries. To name a few and some of their more well known concertos and symphonies: Pyotr Iliyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, 1812 Overture. Igor Stravinsky – Rite of Spring, The Firebird, Petrushka. Dmitri Shostokovich – Suite on Finnish Themes, Sergei Rachmaninoff -Rhapsody on a Theme of Pagagnini, Monna Vanna, Piano Concerto I and II, Sergei Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf, Romeo and Juliet, The Love of Three Oranges, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsokov-Capriccio Espagnol, and my favorite Scherherazade. So much talent!
The first piece was Rachmoninoff’s Symphony No.3 and it was an elaborate production with full orchestra and three movements. From where we were seated, I had a full-on view of the whole orchestra. Besides the usual violins, violas, cellos, oboes, French horns, clarinets and bass fiddle, Rachmoninoff included a harp, a triangle, symbals, a tambourine, and percussion. Most of Sergei Rachmoninoff’s work is complex, especially his piano concertos, and in this Symphony it was quite evident.
Dima Tkachenko – Violin Virtuouso
The real highlight of the concert was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with soloist Dima Tkachenko. He was a child prodigy playing the piano and the violin before he was six!! He has won numerous competitions and was awarded the Guildhall School Concert Recital Diploma (Premier Prix). I was overwhelmed and swept away by his mastery of his instrument. Like most virtuosos, in his hands the violin becomes an extension of himself. Pure genius. Under his expert manipulation, the violin sang, I mean really sang. In his intensity, he broke at least 8 strings on the bow. The violin is a wondrous instrument capable of producing an unbelievable number of sounds and notes in rapid succession. The standing ovation lasted long enough to convince Dima to give us an encore. And OMG, he played for at least another 10 minutes. I don’t know what he was performing but it seemed to incorporate every nuance of sound and technique known to man and violin.
The Firebird Suite is one of Stravinsky’s better known compositions. I have heard it many times however, the technical proficiency and emotional commitment of this orchestra is quite extraordinary.
Lastly, we were treated to a brief and informative talk by the conductor, Theodore Kuchar, who gave us some history of the conflicts his country has undergone for 100 years. He explained that pure Ukranian music existed outside of better known Russian composers and proceeded to introduce a famous Ukranian piece. We also were treated to a beautiful excerpt from a movie soundtrack created by Ukranian born Myroslav Skoryk.
All in all, I can’t think of a better way to have spent this gray, rainy and chilly Sunday afternoon. It was a peaceful and joyful break from the daily stress of the political shenanigans going on.
Rate this:
Read Full Post »