NSA documents released by Edward Snowden have revealed years of false statements by the government, the capture of calls and emails from every citizen, the monitoring of tens of millions of people globally, the surveillance of world leaders including close allies, and the perjury by National Intelligence Director James Clapper. It has caused the Obama Administration — after denials of violations — to admit violations of U.S. laws and abuse of surveillance powers. Now General Keith Alexander, NSA director, says enough. We simply cannot stand any more disclosures of wrongdoing so Alexander wants to see actions taken against the media to prevent further disclosures.
The NSA surveillance has triggered the greatest diplomatic crisis in decades. The Obama Administration is promising reforms and investigations as if these were acts committed by some alien power. Alexander however has returned to the root of the problem in his view — and that of many politicians. It is the media. They are the ones who are continuing to disclose abuses. Stop the media, stop the disclosures. Stop the disclosures, stop the questions. It is so simple and Alexander cannot understand why we cannot come up with a way to shut the media up. He raised the question in an interview with one of the few remaining media sites viewed as friendly, the Defense Department’s own “Armed With Science” blog:
“I think it’s wrong that that newspaper reporters have all these documents, the 50,000 – whatever they have and are selling them and giving them out as if these – you know it just doesn’t make sense . . .We ought to come up with a way of stopping it. I don’t know how to do that. That’s more of the courts and the policy-makers but, from my perspective, it’s wrong to allow this to go on.”
Alexander’s hostility to the free press is so distortive that he actually views the press as “selling” secrets by informing the public of surveillance abuses by his agency. This would of course mean that the Pentagon Papers were “sold” by the press and should have also been stopped.
Just to be clear, the “wrong” can cannot be allowed to go on is the exercise of a free press. Just as other civil liberties have been discarded by the Obama Administration in the name of fighting terrorism, it is now time to curtail the free press — just another demonstration of loyalty demanded from citizens by their government.
Jeez, Blouisw should be Blouise; disdaid should be disdain.
Time for bed, I would guess.
Blouisw,
BTW, I’m almost finished with the bass clef for the harpi. It’s been difficult for me to write them as the movements tend to want to mirror the cello, and I disdaid parallel movements, simply because.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Blouise,
Yeah, it does sound better with an oboe! Those damn double reed instruments!!
“But, as your comment “I’ve blanked it out.” indicates … openness to new experiences in music can be a challenge.”
That was a comment as to what I’ve wasted over time, assuming everyone heard music in their heads from an early age. I had no idea until the age of thirty-five or so that this was unusual.
Thank you for the encouragement, and the critique. Oboe it is, though that makes me wonder what the comp. would sound like with a bassoon replacing the cello! But I love cello too much to make that leap!
Graci.
Blouise – OK I see that you are musically eclectic. However, I was going to try and spoon with you with Euge Groove’s dulcet Sax in this awesome piece called “Chillaxin” – now you see my genre – despite your admitted Honky Tonk ways: 😆
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8aj7CbyN0I
Otteray Scribe: Oh yeah’ cher’ the Sportsman’s Paradise is quite awesome and only ONE little mountain (Driskill) in the north out of 116 other smaller ones throughout the state. I used to live in Opelousas (just north of Lafayette). But further south into New Iberia and out toward New Orleans there are some really awesome Bayous. I’m actually a “mutt” but I am part Choctaw Nation on my mom’s side. My dad hales from Cincy in Blouise territory. He claimed to be part Cherokee Nation but sometimes I wondered about him 🙂
Have you seen Jabo Texas Prince’s version of Amazing Grace? Search for it at YouTube. It’s very Zydeco in nature with a little Gospel jack-leg thrown in.
GBK – Come to Dr. Butthead (Sotb) 🙂 Ok mon ami… get plenty of rest, lots of fluids (sugar-free flavored water?), cold compress or alcohol wipes to control body temp. Don’t exceed 100+ for too long. See real Dr. if you do.
Breathe-Right strips are good to keep your nasal passages clear as well as Mentholatum. Use proper sanitation for your spent tissues (plastic bag) and bottle of hand sanitizer. Believe it or not hot chicken noodle soup does seem to work.
Also keep the room well ventilated. Change bed linen periodically or at least spray it with Lysol. Sip honey and lemon in a tea to sooth irritated throat, Gargling with lukewarm salt-water can relief really sore throat.
If you really want to speed things along get some Zinc treatment like Zicam but use it early in the incubation period. And lastly, early on take large doses of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Yes you will eliminate (urinate) most of it but keep taking about 1000 mg (Rose Hips) daily until you start to feel better. Vitamin C is more of a prophylactic as it tends to enhance the nitrogen barriers around cells which can reject viruses. However, it’s practically worthless too far into the incubation period.
Try to avoid Dr. given you full-spectrum antibiotics and anti-virals as we tend to build resistance to them if over prescribed. Then when a really bad outbreak occurs you are left defenseless. But take it if you must.
Get well soon! 🙂
gbk,
Nasty virus going around … needs a full week to recover.
OS, I remember this. Lovely.
I’ve been really sick since Friday night. I listened sometime on Saturday but through a haze of fever and coughing. I’ll listen again when I recover and get back to you. I gotta go back to bed right now.
Real quick though, here’s a guitar instumental of Amazing Grace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qm__Em9NRg
I’ll be back. And besides, what’s a whole-step amongst friends!
Blouise, Mike, et al.
When you hear the (probably true) back story of the melody, it may have even more meaning. Wintley Phipps is a Seventh Day Adventist minister. He is also a musician and musical historian with a number of albums to his credit. He has performed at the White House, Kennedy Center and command performances before world leaders.
This is Wintley Phipps understanding of the origins of Amazing Grace. If this does not make the short hairs on the back of your neck stand up, nothing will.
The above Mozart was not only fun to sing but also to play … gbk, did you catch the oboe? 😉 (On a clear day, I did it in F … on a blurry day in Eflat.)
Amazing Grace is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. sung well it brings tears to my eyes and warmth to my chest. Thank you all for those splendid versions.
Now gentlemen, I’m going to give you my signature Christmas piece which took me about 2 years to master. This is Leontyne Price doing the honors as mine is on an 8 track and I have no idea how to format it for this venue.
SOTB … I like most all music but classical was my training.
John Newton’s forerunner to Amazing Grace was “Faith’s Review and Expectation” (Olney Hymns)
1 Chronicles 17:16 – “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”
The melody (suspected to be based on an old American folk song) eventually morphed along with additional verses being added.
SoTB,
I now owe you a cup of Cajun coffee and a beignet if you get over this way. I sit here sipping my Community coffee with chicory and you bring bittersweet memories of my childhood. I can do without some of the Louisiana politics, but love the Cajun (“Coonass”) people and the incomparable landscape. The north part of the state is about as flat as the top of a pool table, but the swamps, waterways and woodlands of the southern part of the state are like noplace else.
Here is a version of the timeless hymn for Blouise as it would have been sung by some of our common ancestors. Karen Matheson in Scots Gaelic. Lyrics are below the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abIYADJQ0pY
I must admit all very beautiful music. I think it’s a coincidence but I was going to ask Blouise what type of music she likes earlier today. I guess I have my answer.
However, I found this version of Amazing Grace (by John Newton – circa 1779 – a song of redemption for him) which may bring geographic-good-memories to Otteray Scribe and Gene H. (et al)
La Grâce du Ciel is a French interpretation of Amazing Grace (literally:The Grace of Heaven) written by David E. Marcantel and performed by the Southwest Louisiana singing group, Les Amies Louisianaises. “Sit down and give a little lissen’ mon cher to a
très belle chanson…Cajun-style”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56LNciQaabw
😥
gbk,
Imagine the oboe doing the decant on top of the mezzo voice and then carrying that voice off into the ether.
Here’s a Master’s recital you should just love.
OS,
And there is this … note the key change after the pipes and then the descant, not to mention the percussion that comes in the middle … a Celt gift!
Blouise,
I got it out of the filter. Your comment resonates with me. Some songs are best when done with minimal accompaniment. One of my favorite versions of Amazing Grace is sung a capella by Alaskan native Susan Aglukark in her native Inuit language.
Thank you