Cuban Music Crisis part II
As I have reported earlier in this editorial column several Cuban musicians were kept from attending the Latin Grammy’s to receive their hard earned awards. For the second year in a row the US State department has stymied the efforts of the Cuban musicians and claiming, much like a spoiled brat, that the musicians simply failed to give ample time to perform ‘proper’ background checks. State Department spokesperson, Richard Boucher, sunk his left foot deeper into his mouth by claiming that the musicians could pose unwanted terrorist threats.
“Am I a threat to U.S. national security?” asked rhetorically Eliades Ochoa, a leading folk singer. “That makes me laugh! I’m only dangerous when I’m holding a guitar, making music.” Read the Full Story HERE
To think that music, our planets precious song in its many forms, can attempt to be squelched by the devious and blatant actions of Governments on either side of the ocean. Terrorist threat? For the love of Moses, did the state department think that one of the musicians was going to detonate his pair of castanets in the middle of a Salsa number? Who in the hell gives these people jobs in our US Government? I guess only the idiotic and the brainwashed are accepted to perform our countries most dirtiest work and to continually fuel the ‘Caribbean Cold War’ with asinine antics that we have seen one to many times. Shame on the State Department for this covert, schoolyard, bratty display of upholding the laws of our wonderful nation.
Hats off to Cuba who had the tenacity to host their OWN concert that night as a dual purpose event to celebrate their own countries musical virtuoso’s and also slap the faces of Castro and the US State Department. I hope that Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club member, had a great time up on stage that night and will have enough kindness in his generous heart to realize that most of the people on this continent do not support the actions carried out by our Government full of witch-hunting, McCarthy pandering, dip-shits.
S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com
9.05.2003
9.03.2003
Labor Daze
I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend whether you were out seeing your favorite band or hanging out at the pool, and a special thanks to those of you who worked over the holiday so I could enjoy mine. I want to mention again that this Blog serves as the ‘Editorial Section’ of PhreshWater.com | Music News & Reviews. This means that your involvement is always welcome in the form of comments, questions, or editorials of your own. Please feel free to use the email below or to your right at any time for your thoughts on my favorite subject; Music!
While enjoying my weekend I took a rare opportunity and indulged in my Father-in-Law’s digital cable or ‘Two-hundred channels of nothing’ as we both decided it should be called. I stopped at CNN for a brief moment to catch up on some blood, gore, and bombs. A news anchor was expounding on the Labor Day weekend and how many Americans were going to be on the road or on vacation. She then said that the USA is lagging behind most countries when it comes to vacation days from work. The UK and Italy topped the chart with 35 average days off per year! The USA had a dismal 10 average days off of work per year only to be beaten by China with 15.
And to think of all the crap I’ve listened to from G.W. Gump and Donald Rumsfeld about China and their deteriorating civil rights! At least the Communists are getting better rest with an additional 5 days of vacation per year. Makes you feel ‘Proud to be an American’ now, huh? You can’t blame me for being a bit shocked at those figures. No wonder our country is stressed to the max and pumping out $300 a month in psychoactive pharmaceuticals! I guess if my US job were only allowing me less than 10 days off a year, no time off for maternity leave, and no promise of a financially stable future or retirement savings then Government authorized drugs might be just what I need. Then again, with no available time off to visit the Psychiatrist, I guess that my hopes of masking this sense of impending doom have been completely deflated.
Coffee anyone?
S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com
I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend whether you were out seeing your favorite band or hanging out at the pool, and a special thanks to those of you who worked over the holiday so I could enjoy mine. I want to mention again that this Blog serves as the ‘Editorial Section’ of PhreshWater.com | Music News & Reviews. This means that your involvement is always welcome in the form of comments, questions, or editorials of your own. Please feel free to use the email below or to your right at any time for your thoughts on my favorite subject; Music!
While enjoying my weekend I took a rare opportunity and indulged in my Father-in-Law’s digital cable or ‘Two-hundred channels of nothing’ as we both decided it should be called. I stopped at CNN for a brief moment to catch up on some blood, gore, and bombs. A news anchor was expounding on the Labor Day weekend and how many Americans were going to be on the road or on vacation. She then said that the USA is lagging behind most countries when it comes to vacation days from work. The UK and Italy topped the chart with 35 average days off per year! The USA had a dismal 10 average days off of work per year only to be beaten by China with 15.
And to think of all the crap I’ve listened to from G.W. Gump and Donald Rumsfeld about China and their deteriorating civil rights! At least the Communists are getting better rest with an additional 5 days of vacation per year. Makes you feel ‘Proud to be an American’ now, huh? You can’t blame me for being a bit shocked at those figures. No wonder our country is stressed to the max and pumping out $300 a month in psychoactive pharmaceuticals! I guess if my US job were only allowing me less than 10 days off a year, no time off for maternity leave, and no promise of a financially stable future or retirement savings then Government authorized drugs might be just what I need. Then again, with no available time off to visit the Psychiatrist, I guess that my hopes of masking this sense of impending doom have been completely deflated.
Coffee anyone?
S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com
8.27.2003
Education without Music?
I find it very disturbing that our public education system in the USA continues to slide deeper and deeper away from the basic rudiments of learning that help children become well-rounded members of our society. As schools frantically try to figure out how to boost ‘Test Scores’ the students get short-changed by having access to the arts almost yanked away completely. Music and the Arts have been forced into the back seat so the US Government can pretend that our children are ‘keeping up’ with other countries academic achievements as our schools turn out under-prepared graduates into a scarce job market.
According to the Music Industry News Network, ‘The nation's leading music advocacy organization today advised parents and local educators that despite good intentions, local interpretation of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) education law is seriously affecting access to music education for America's public school students. "The law clearly identifies the arts as a core academic subject," explains American Music Conference Executive Director Rob Walker. "However, the requirements for standardized testing in literacy, math and science are leading local districts to divert resources away from other subjects. As a result, the arts are truly being left behind. We fear most of all that music, which is a vital learning pathway for children's success in school, is being sacrificed for shorter-term testing results. We're talking about what kids need to be successful learners." Read Full Story HERE
How have we let this happen in the USA? Is the ‘Power of Pride’ so weak that it can’t lift an arm and stop this type of foolishness from happening right under our own noses? You are probably asking yourself ‘What can I do?’ or ‘Where to go from here?’ If you’re not registered to vote then that’s a good place to start. From there you can go to SupportMusic.com and learn more about how to support music education in the United States.
I’m not willing to let our music, art, or heritage to be pushed aside. I’ll even support this issue in a country that’s not my own. Are you satisfied that your children’s education will only prepare them for the time clock? What will you do about it?
S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions and Comments: editor@phreshwater.com
I find it very disturbing that our public education system in the USA continues to slide deeper and deeper away from the basic rudiments of learning that help children become well-rounded members of our society. As schools frantically try to figure out how to boost ‘Test Scores’ the students get short-changed by having access to the arts almost yanked away completely. Music and the Arts have been forced into the back seat so the US Government can pretend that our children are ‘keeping up’ with other countries academic achievements as our schools turn out under-prepared graduates into a scarce job market.
According to the Music Industry News Network, ‘The nation's leading music advocacy organization today advised parents and local educators that despite good intentions, local interpretation of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) education law is seriously affecting access to music education for America's public school students. "The law clearly identifies the arts as a core academic subject," explains American Music Conference Executive Director Rob Walker. "However, the requirements for standardized testing in literacy, math and science are leading local districts to divert resources away from other subjects. As a result, the arts are truly being left behind. We fear most of all that music, which is a vital learning pathway for children's success in school, is being sacrificed for shorter-term testing results. We're talking about what kids need to be successful learners." Read Full Story HERE
How have we let this happen in the USA? Is the ‘Power of Pride’ so weak that it can’t lift an arm and stop this type of foolishness from happening right under our own noses? You are probably asking yourself ‘What can I do?’ or ‘Where to go from here?’ If you’re not registered to vote then that’s a good place to start. From there you can go to SupportMusic.com and learn more about how to support music education in the United States.
I’m not willing to let our music, art, or heritage to be pushed aside. I’ll even support this issue in a country that’s not my own. Are you satisfied that your children’s education will only prepare them for the time clock? What will you do about it?
S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions and Comments: editor@phreshwater.com
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