The economy..repost

This is from a dear friend. Makes SO much sense!!

Why is the us economy so f’ed up?

So, I hate HATE HATE HATE not to blame this all on bush and move on. But not even he could have done this in eight years. truth is... it all started nine years ago. in 1999. Congress (the branch of Government who is actually supposed to make laws) Repealed the Glass-Steagall Act which was enacted in 1933, this act established the FDIC and gave the federal government power to segregate banking. It regulated investment banks and consumer banks (making it illegal to be both at the same time). This was to protect the civilians of the United States, basically putting insurance on their bank accounts up to 500,000 to ensure the banks weren't going to screw up and cause another depression. In 1999, this act was repealed by a rare alliance from both democrats and republicans. It was replaced with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, this act allowed one stop shopping at all local banks that wanted to offer it, insurance, investment, and commercial banking. The problem with this is that you have too much money and not enough regulation. They were taking commercial banking money and using it to back high risk mortgages(only come around when times are good in the economy) and for some reason, the Clinton administration had the viewpoint of "every american should own a home if they want to, even if they can't afford it quite yet." We as a nation were fiscally amazing, it was a big ole party in the white house...

Then, we went to war. A price tag that is going to make this $700 billion dollar bail out look like candy-store money. When the U.S. is at war so is our economy. The American Dollar went down, and the banks fell flat on there asses. Outsourcing of Jobs to other countries, tied in with huge natural disasters on American Soil have cause another depression (yes, we are sinking quickly). And all the government wants to do is throw $700 into the fire and see if it puts it out (what happens when you put paper on fire.. oh yea IT CATCHES FIRE!).

Here's a much simpler solution. I heard on NPR the other day this person talking about bail out plans and the establishment of regulations boards being a barn with no door, and men standing outside, waiting to catch the horses when they run out. Why not put a door back on the barn? I am begging each person that reads this, to email, snail mail, call, scream at and talk with their national representatives, and tell them that the Glass-Steagall Act needs, has to, MUST BE re-enacted if we are to save the american economy. The repeal of this act was a short term boost with a long term fall that no one can see the end of. Re-enacting the Glass-Steagall Act will at least put some sort of support under the falling crippled man our economy has become. It will cause huge mayhem in the fiscal world and of big business, but they aren't really looking out for us now anyway. They need to split these banks up so that they aren't using our money to provide loans to other people.

Bail out, and we'll have to deal with it again down the road.

Re-enact a law, and we'll be safer in the long run.

You decide. this is America's Decision, not Congresses. The people who use the power get the power. We each have power to change this country, but no one is using it, so the big corporations are using it for us. Capitalism is sinking faster than the titanic, and if it falls, there will be no survivors. thanks for listening to my rant, and if it makes sense to you, please PLEASE contact your National Congressmen and women. They can make this change, they just need the mandate behind it, or else nothing gets heard.

I really don't care if you copy and paste this blog into bulletins, emails, other blogs, on billboards, or anything else, just make sure to give me credit! And do something to make change for this country! that's how it was designed to work!!!! If you don't speak, you won't be heard.

Nathan R. Abbott

How and when

Please don't misrepresent this as being ungrateful or hateful. It's more of a vent than anything else.

Last year I had what I thought was a good audition for La Danse. In the first audition round I wasn't cast in anything, which disappointed me greatly. There were people who were cast who I felt were weaker technicians than I, much less performance experience, yet they were cast. I got over it. Luckily I was chosen for another piece in round 2, which was a blast!
I made sure to meet with my professors and ask for feedback on my audition. And I took those to heart.

Here we are a year later. I've worked hard, I've lost a little weight, though still injured I am able to work a little better through it since I know what triggers worse pain for me. I felt good for the past few weeks of the auditions (including last night). Results were posted today...out of 4 pieces and 2 auditions, I was chosen for 1.

Though VERY grateful for that, I'm still pretty damned disappointed in myself. So do I set my goals too high for myself? There are those few who amazingly were cast in all sorts of pieces. I'm trying to see what they do to get seen and have attention drawn to them, but I just don't see it,
and what I do see I don't like, so I refuse to go that road.

When does one become the performer they wish to be? HOW does one achieve that status? After years of hard work, I am still plagued with injuries. And though I'm working through them, they're still there. Hindering me. Was I not picked because of those injuries? Am I too heavy in their eyes? Do I really need to be where I'm at? Is this the path for me, when I can't seem to impress the local faculty?

These are very real questions that go through my head. Being a performing artist is hard. SOMEONE has to like what you do in order to get work. If you're a choreographer, and someone in the venue doesn't like your work (or in my case, school) then guess what..that piece is not seen. I am living proof of that from this past school year. My piece was viewed as too controversial, etc., so therefore it was not allowed to be shown. And a grade I need to graduate is dependant upon this piece and a rework of it.

If someone doesn't like the way I look that day, or perhaps they can't get past the weight issues (though i'm well past getting over it..as it's FINALLY starting to come off...slowly but surely), I don't get work.

So what is to be done? Continue the hard work and just accept things like they are? Continue the hard work and hope it's recognized? Fuck the hard work and just give up? Well the last isn't an option for me.

I've earned the grades in my classes to get this degree, so there has to be SOMETHING there that I'm contributing, but what exactly? If I'm not good enough to make these pieces, then why am I given A's in my dance classes?

I want to leave a legacy. I want to be needed. I want to have something that a choreographer needs and wants in their work, and I just don't feel I fit that bill, yet I don't know how to achieve it.

To make matters worse, the one piece I was selected for conflicts with my one teaching job. Do I accept the piece and forget about the teaching job, when it's much needed money and a commitment I've already made? Do I decline the role, continue the job, and hope I'm not chastized later on in the department because of it?

So how does one surpass feeling good about an audition, without being cast, and continuing on? I want a long career in this, and believe me I know I won't be picked for everything. But how do I become, at the very least, a contender?

All people, but especiall artists, go through these slumps and boy i'm in a big one. I just don't feel like my choreographic work is good, and I feel like my body is in a war with itself. I'm tired of hearing the excuses,"well melinda you're injured...that's why blah blah blah." Well let ME deal with my fucking injuries as I have to do on a daily basis. i know the day is coming to where hopefully my foot will be healed, but until then it's BEYOND Frustrating. I'm still performing and jumping and turning despite the pain, and doing my best to hide it. So continue to let ME deal with it. If I'm good at anything, it's learning how to deal with injuries in a profession that is dependent on my body.

I'm also not looking for any sympathy or pats on the back. I just want to be a good, successful artist. But not only good in my eyes, but good in the artistic communities eyes. I want to contribute to it. I want to make work that moves people. I want to perform and be considered a strong dancer with a strong foundation. How do I contribute and achieve these things, AND become successful? How do I climb the ladder when I feel like I'm giving it all that I have?

This rock and a hard place is giving me a severe headache. Any feedback is welcomed.

My turn...

So I happily stumbled upon (not really..I'm a subscriber) a blog that was obviously written about me. I won't use any names, as it seems fair to do that in this sort of situation, but being it was all brought up all over again, I will comment a little further.

Like i've said numerous times before, I appreciate you looking out for me.

But a) I don't understand why you even care?and b) do you even know this person?

I am fully capable of understanding and comprehending the impact something can have on the world wide web. I also understand that it's called the world wide web for a reason. I ALSO understand what the word publish means. I don't do anything with regret, hence me thinking about my actions and what can entail. I am only a year or so younger than yourself, not an uninformed 18 year old, as you seem to think I am.

If you were also referring to me as someone who thinks I pay for tuition therefore I think i "own" the people who teach me, then you're terribly wrong. I pay for an education for a reason. TO LEARN. To take responsibility for my work and EARN my grades. Hence why I had such a major issue with this other person. I didn't learn a damned thing. What he taught was wrong, offensive, things he didn't even know anything about. I was also given an unfair grade. I say that because people with the same situation as myself were given an A, yet I was given a much lower grade. And because of that, this year is even harder b/c all of us are pretty much having to start over. It was like going a year without that one class, though we should have made progress and a great amount of headway. After all, it IS What we study!

I pay to become the best student, and hopefully performer, and dancer that i can absolutely become because of the degree that I am earning.

But alas, this isn't really about that. I think what has me fired up the most is that you've put words in my mouth. You've said that I've called him a "fag" which in fact i NEVER did. You also said I'm running around gloating about getting him fired? REALLY?? The last I read, those words NEVER came from my keyboard nor my mouth!! I'm gay bashing. I'm gender identity discriminating. I said I would love to give him this as a gift. I understand how you can misconstrue that, but I really thought you knew me better. THIS is how rumors and gossip get started. FROM NOT KNOWING YOUR FACTS!

Everything I stated was truthful. Anyone who saw "La Danse" knows what his piece was about, and the fact that this dialogue,"A man walks into a ballet class and he's half queer, right?" came out of his mouth. I won't go into this any further as I'm tired of explaining myself about this.
By the time I apply to graduate schools, this blog will probably be lost somewhere in cyber space. Yes it will still exist, but I'm sure someone would have to do some serious digging to find anything they may consider "libelous, whining, bigoted". Will you be calling the schools I apply to and tell them what you think about me? Then perhaps I have a problem. If the school has HIM as an employee, or faculty member, then I have a MAJOR problem. Otherwise my work, and work ethic, which is far from whining, and myself as a person, which is far from being bigoted, will speak for itself.

Next time, with me, feel free to put my name in your blog. It won't offend me. Actually it makes me feel better because at least I know you were directing it to me, instead of coming across like you're speaking about a general population.

And believe it or not, I say this with a lot of love in my heart.

I've also looked at the publish button three times..just for you.

Peace.