Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Rightly, They Are 'Outraged And Deeply Offended!'

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein, ZOA Chairman Mark Levenson, Esq., ZOA Vice Chairperson Dr. Alan Mazurek, M.D., and ZOA Director of Special Projects Elizabeth Berney, Esq. released the following statement:

The Zionist Organization of America urges the U.S. Department of Defense to fire Office of the Secretary of Defense Cyber-Policy spokesperson Elissa Smith for retweeting an outrageous, offensive, absurd tweet likening U.S. border policy to Auschwitz. 

 Ms. Smith wrongly likened the humane U.S. government – which is trying to deal with a border crisis not of its making – to the genocidal Nazi regime. Ms. Smith’s retweet shows a picture of the Auschwitz death camp, and says “other governments have separated mothers and children.” (A screenshot of Ms. Smith’s retweet is at “Department of Defense Spokeswomen Under Fire for Criticism of Trump,” by Kyle Morris, Breitbart, July 30, 2019.)

Many ZOA members (including the persons releasing this statement) had family members murdered by the Nazis, at Auschwitz and/or other death camps. We also view all of the 6 million martyred Jews as our family. Many of us also had family members who bravely served in the U.S. Armed Forces, fighting against the Nazis in World War II. Whatever one’s position is on the U.S. border situation, it is beyond offensive to compare U.S. border policy to the Nazis’ cold-blooded genocide of half the world’s Jewish people, gays, gypsies, and others. It is particularly abhorrent that a DOD spokesperson would make such an offensive analogy. ZOA accordingly urges the DOD to immediately fire Ms. Smith.

ZOA President Morton Klein added:
“As a child of Jewish Holocaust survivors who were imprisoned and enslaved in Auschwitz, and who had numerous family members murdered by the Nazis there, and as a proud American, I am outraged and deeply offended that Ms. Smith would analogize dedicated U.S. border personnel’s attempts to protect children voluntarily brought by their parents to the U.S. border to illegally enter the United States, to the Nazis dragging millions of Jewish families out of their homes to murder them in death camps.”

“The Nazis slaughtered one million Jewish children. The U.S. government protects children coming across the border – including many children who are trafficked into the United States by persons who are not their parents. After Ms. Smith publicized such a repugnant analogy, it would be a grave insult to allow her to continue in a position where she speaks on behalf of the U.S. Defense Department.”
ZOA Vice Chairperson Dr. Alan Mazurek, M.D., added:
“My father was also a Holocaust survivor. I am appalled that a Department of Defense spokesperson would compare the well-meaning efforts of U.S. border personnel to Nazi death camps.”
Ms. Berney stated:
“My grandfather was imprisoned and suffered in Dachau; other relatives were murdered in Nazi death camps; and after my father escaped to America from Germany, my father went back to Europe with the U.S. Army to combat the Nazis. As an American Jew, I too am deeply offended by Ms. Smith’s absurd, grotesque, untrue analogy.”
ZOA Chairman Mark Levenson, Esq. stated:
“I was horrified to see Ms. Smith’s tweet. The tragedy of the Holocaust was a unique stain on humanity. The murder of six million Jews should not be compared to the U.S. border situation or any other events. It is extraordinarily offensive that a DOD spokesperson published such a reprehensible false analogy.”

The Staggering Success Of A True Impresario!



The list is nothing short of staggering!
“The Pajama Game,” ″Damn Yankees,” ″West Side Story,” ″A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Cabaret,” ″Company,” ″Follies,” ″Sweeney Todd,” ″Evita” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
And that's just part of the story of the legendary Harold (Hal) Prince, the ubiquitous producer/director who came to be known as The Prince of Broadway.
Prince died earlier today after a brief illness in Reykjavik, Iceland.
All Broadway theater lights will be dimmed tonight in his memory.
This man won an unprecedented 21 Tony Awards! 
He was a theatrical pioneer who was known to chose innovative, groundbreaking and often offbeat works that charted new artistic ground. He was demanding and exacting but also generous to and supportive of the countless artists he worked with, many of them creative geniuses such as Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. 
He like to push the envelope and take Broadway into new directions: introducing controversial themes and topics; developing new formats for plays and musicals; encouraging audacious young talent and refusing to stick to the tried and true. In short, he was a relentless rule breaker who still never forgot the fundamental keys that more often than not defined a hit show.
Not all his shows were hits. But those that succeeded did so in such a big way, with such a definitive flourish and with such dynamism that they became theatrical (and sometimes cinematic) landmarks. For example: Phantom is still running on Broadway; Fiddler is almost always being performed somewhere in the world and can now be experienced in Yiddish; West Side Story is about to be revived on Broadway and will soon become a Steven Spielberg film and Evita will be revived in the fall by New York's City Center. 
Among our favorite Prince shows: "On The Twentieth Century," "Follies," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," and "Cabaret." Of course, Prince's artistic partners were top notch: Kander and Ebb; Comden and Green; Bernstein; Lloyd Webber, Fosse and Prince's mentor George Abbott. But Prince is perhaps best known for his longtime collaborations with  Stephen Sondheim as they sent Broadway into bold, new directions with the concept musical "Company," the elaborate, pastiche-driven "Follies," the sweeping, historical "Pacific Overtures" and the grizzly, macabre "Sweeney Todd."
But even beyond all these, Prince had a miraculous touch with classic Broadway shows, too as he proved  when he revived the granddaddy of them all, "Show Boat," giving it new meaning and bringing it to life for modern audiences. It proved once again that Hal Prince never forgot his roots.
Prince was born in Manhattan, the son of Blanche (Stern) and Harold Smith. He was adopted by his stepfather, Milton A. Prince, a stockbroker. His family was of German Jewish descent. Following his graduation from the Dwight School in New York, he entered the University of Pennsylvania, where he followed a liberal arts curriculum and graduated three years later at age 19. He later served two years with the United States Army in post-World War II Germany.
In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
In 2006, Prince was awarded a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. The Harold Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center of the University of Pennsylvania is named in his honor.
Harold Prince was one of the last links to the Golden Age of Broadway: the glorious days of great, riveting theater; rapturous music; broad comedy and enduring themes which peaked in the 1950s. Prince brought all that he learned from the masters of that era along with him and, teaming with his fellow native New Yorker, Sondheim, he helped to keep Broadway's lights bright by bringing it into a new era. At 89, Sondheim survives Prince and remains perhaps the last towering connection to an era that defined Broadway as we now know it.
As the old country music standard goes: Who's gonna fill their shoes?

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Ten Wonderful Reason To LOVE Summer!



You may think that summer is nearing an end.
You're wrong, wrong, wrong! We've got the entire month of August ahead of us and much more.
But more on that later.
For now, let's continue to savor summer and dwell on the great reasons to cultivate our love for this wonderful season:

1) Summer clothing. It's minimalist, to say the least. Shorts, a tee, sandals and you're ready to go. Hooray!

2) Hot dogs. They just taste better in the summer, don't they? And burgers, too -- and just about anything on the grill.

3) The seashore. Philly calls it "downashore" (all one word). No matter what you call it, this is the time of the year for catching the waves and enjoying ocean breezes.

4) Outdoor entertainment. Concerts, comedy, theater -- you name it. It's great fun outdoors and/or under the stars.

5) Baseball. Whether you're a fan or not, it's intertwined with summer. From sandlot to stadium, it spells America!

7) Fireworks. They're not just for the 4th or July. They're part of lighting up any summer night.

8) Road trips. Summer is the season for adventures on wheels. Head out there!

9) The mountains. Refreshing breezes. Cooler nights. Open skies and fresh air. Delightful!

10) Doin nothin! Resting in a hammock, under a tree. Gazing across a pond. Gone fishin! THAT'S what summer is all about!

Do YOU have a special reason why you love summer? Let's hear about it!

Stage To Screen? Here Are A Dozen That Worked!



Broadway now seems addicted to turning movies into musicals.
But what about the other way around? How successful has Hollywood been at turning musicals into movies? To be sure, some non-musical movies became Broadway musicals and then their musical versions later became movies again. 
In any event, for a musical, the transition from stage to film has never been easy. But when it works, the movie can become a blockbuster hit. In fact, some of these have not only become some of the biggest grossers of all time but have also garnered scads of Oscars.
In no particular order, here are a dozen of the best:

Chicago
The longest-running American musical of all time became a dazzlingly memorable movie with the twist of major characters imagining some of their musical numbers. It worked!

Sweeney Todd
The movie was way, way better than its reviews and it should have garnered more traffic and a fair number of awards. But, the subject matter was difficult, to be sure.

The Sound of Music
A instant classic, it endures because the timing was right, the story remains inspiring and its big screen debut was nothing less than breathtaking.

West Side Story
Not a particular favorite of ours but the transition to the screen seemed seamless and the show never seems to lose its appeal. In fact, it's headed back to Broadway and a new screen version is in the works.

Dream Girls
In many ways the screen version was a bigger hit than the stage musical. The story just seemed right for the screen and the cast was splendid.

Grease
Another example where stage and screen versions seem to actually feed off one another. Without Grease, where would the 50s be?

Fiddler on the Roof
Yes, we missed Zero Mostel. But could the big screen really contain him? In any event, the story adapted beautifully and proved universal.

Les Miserables
This was a huge challenge. And there were many naysayers right from the start. But Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne exceeded all expectations.

My Fair Lady
Positively sumptuous! Sure, Audrey Hepburn wasn't really singing but Julie Andrews still got the Oscar so it all worked out in the end -- and so did he movie.

Cabaret
Under the able direction of the quirky, manic, difficult, demanding Bob Fosse, this became an updated classic. And Liza Minelli was nothing less than stratospheric. It's still compelling!

Oliver!
It literally pops off the screen with musical numbers that envelop the audience and a classic (though nonetheless complicated) story that touches the heart. Added plus: a powerful social message.

Little Shop of Horrors
What is it about this show? We don't know. Maybe it's just the allure of the nerd. A "small" story with a big impact. It's the exception to the rule, we suppose.

Now, go ahead -- add and subtract to and from the list at your leisure.
All ideas and suggestions welcomed!

A Powerful Video Message For AOC, Others!

These Figures May Surprise You -- Or Maybe Not!



Two cities, about the same size.
But just look at the difference. Wonder why? Take a real close look at the figures IF you haven't already figured it out.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Well, Let's Just Take A Moment To Savor It All!

She Was Right, Then . . . But, What Happened?



This was Senator Dianne Feinstein during the Clinton Administration.
If the problem was THAT bad then (when we had two million illegal immigrants here) how much worse is it now when the number is as much as SIX TIMES what it was then, if not more?
And yet Feinstein and the otherDemocrats in Congress have basically done a 180 and now not only refuse do anything about the illegal immigrants but actually welcome and encourage these lawbreakers!

AWFUL! . . . And It's Not Just Baltimore!

Saturday, July 27, 2019

You Don't Want To Miss These Stories . . .

The Do-Over Delusion
-The Washington Times
“Beating a dead horse is an exercise in futility. Hammering on Robert Mueller, author of the vaunted Mueller Report, has proved no more productive,” The Washington Timeseditorial board writes. “No matter how many times Democrats demand a do-over, the results won’t change . . . Each copy [of the report] spells out in black and white the failure to find that Mr. Trump committed a crime.”

 While Democrats wasted 2 years, President Trump delivered REAL results
Death of the Impeachment Dream
-The Wall Street Journal
“House Democrats hoped that Wednesday’s hearings would allow them to highlight their favorite portions of the Mueller report for people who haven’t read it. Democrats didn’t expect this segment of Americans to include the author,” James Freeman writes. Regarding “a document with which he seemed strangely unfamiliar, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller let stand the report’s finding of no Trump-Russia collusion.”

Rep. John Ratcliffe: The bedrock of justice is presumption of innocence
Trump’s Workforce Initiative to Provide Skills Training for 12 Million Americans
-The Epoch Times
On Thursday, company executives and workers joined President Trump at the White House “to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the ‘Pledge to America’s Workers,’ an initiative to address the workforce skills shortage problem in the country,” Emel Akan reports. “The president’s call to action for the pledge has become a full-blown national movement,” Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump said.

🎬 Ivanka Trump: This Pledge means 12 million American lives improved
Trump Hails New Defense Secretary Mark Esper
-New York Post
“President Trump took part in the swearing-in ceremony for new Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday — hailing his experience in the military and defense industry,” Bob Fredericks reports. “I have absolute confidence that Mark will ensure that our incredible military is fully prepared to deter conflict and defeat any foe,” the President said at the Pentagon. Esper was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday by a 90-8 vote. 
Mentions of Immigration as Top Problem Surpass Record High
-Gallup
Jeffrey Jones writes that “after hitting a new high last month, mentions of immigration as the most important problem facing the U.S. increased further to 27% in July.” As Jones explains, that number is historically significant. “Gallup has asked the ‘most important problem’ question since 1939 . . . Over the past 19 years, only five other issues have been mentioned at some point by at least the 27% who named immigration this month.” 
Deregulation Explodes Under Trump, 13 Regulations Killed for Every New One, $33B Saved
-Washington Examiner
“When Donald Trump in 2016 pledged to kill two Obama-era regulations for every new one, crowds went wild,” Paul Bedard writes. The Trump Administration has blown that goal out of the water. “We’ve hit 13 to 1,” acting White House Budget Director Russ Vought says—leading to a $33 billion in total savings for taxpayers to date.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Time To Send These Two On Their Way!


Well, This Pretty Much Sums It Up . . .

WOW! The Mueller Hearing On The Big Screen!



Art imitates life.
Or is it via-versa? 😊

Most Feel PC Has Curtailed Free Speech . . .

President Trump and others are routinely accused of hate speech by political opponents, but for a sizable majority of Americans, political correctness remains the bigger problem.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 26% of American Adults believe Americans have true freedom of speech today. Sixty-eight percent (68%) disagree and say Americans have to be careful not to say something politically incorrect to avoid getting in trouble. These findings have changed little in surveying for the past several years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in Rasmussen polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on July 15-16, 2019 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

We Couldn't Say It Any Better Ourselves . . .

'Disaster' Would Be Too Kind A Word For THIS!

Why Should Police Have To Put Up With THIS?



In Atlanta and New York City police have been subject to attacks this summer (in the form of water dousing, etc.) at the hands of "community residents" and "activists".
And, apparently, the police have been instructed to do nothing about it. They simply have to stand there and take it.
Look at these videos. This is more than abuse.This is a form of assault.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Right Now, Prayers Are All He's Got Left!



And as for the Democrats, they're pretty much in the same boat -- or worse!

First The Book, And Now -- The Kuderna Podcast!

What can Yogi Berra teach you about finances?
Can Confucius be your guide to the stock market?
What insight can you draw from Robert Frost or Plato or Mark Twain?
Well, you'd be surprised. 
Bryan M. Kuderna
Enter Bryan M. Kuderna, founder of the Kuderna Financial Team.
Bryan is a Certified Financial Planner™, Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow, and an Investment Adviser Representative. He holds the following professional licenses: Life and Health Insurance in multiple states, FINRA Series 7, FINRA Series 65, FINRA Series 63, and FINRA Series 6.
That's a lot of professional bric a brac.
But don't let the titles and the licenses scare you away.
Because Bryan's knows how to make wealth and finances understandable In fact, he's written a book and just started a new podcast as well -- The Kuderna Podcast
It wasn't very long ago that Bryan was a student at The College of New Jersey where he received his Bachelor of Science degree.
Bryan seems to have been a typical college student except that by applying himself early on, he appears to have gotten a jumpstart in his quest for financial freedom. 
And he has a great way of explaining it all to you which you'll discover if you listen to his podcast. 
Plus, his book is called Millennial Millionaire, A Guide to Becoming A Millionaire by 30. This guy has a passion  for smart investing and success!
If your eyes roll back into your head as soon as you begin to hear or read financial terminology, you're gonna be pleasantly surprised once you begin to peruse Bryan's concise guide. That's because it's simply written in plain language and chock full of straightforward tips on how to make money, retain it, manage it, make the most of it and be sure that it's around for your retirement sooner, rather than later. And if you think a million bucks is a staggering amount of money that will take you eons to accumulate (if at all) then you haven't acquainted yourself with Millennial Millionaire
Because in quick, easy chapters (the book is less than 150 pages) Bryan shows you how common financial instruments and practical strategies can help you reach your goals sooner than you might think.
But what about Yogi and Plato and Confucius and Mark Twain and all the rest? Where do they fit in?
Funny you should ask.
Bryan's book is peppered with entertaining and insightful observations from all of these and many others -- pithy quotes that conveniently link to the helpful points the author is making throughout. And you'll also find anecdotes in the book that will make you nod your head in recognition. Plus, there's that straightforward approach of his new podcasts!
Click here for more information about Bryan and his team.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The New Look Of World Leadership! BRAVO!

A Devastating Answer To The Squad, The Media!

New Minimum Wage? Nothing 'Progressive' About It!


NJ CD-1 GOP candidate Josh Duvall released the following statement:

“Donald Norcross joined ‘The Squad’ (far-left congresswomen Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Tlaib) by voting for the ‘Raise the Wage Act’, which aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. The independent Congressional Budget Office estimates this law will kill between 1.3 and 3.7 million jobs by 2025 (source: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55410).”

“That doesn’t sound very ‘progressive’ to me.”

“Is Norcross just playing politics, knowing this bill is dead-on-arrival in the Senate? Or does he truly not understand the economic implications artificially increasing wages will have on employers and employees alike?”

“The results of this laughable legislation are predictably disappointing. Small businesses will cut hours, cut staff, raise prices and/or close down all together. Some workers will see their federal and state taxes go up, leading to a net decrease in actual take home pay. How do we know this will happen? Because we have the data to prove it from past failed policy experiments - like what transpired in Seattle (source: https://evans.uw.edu/sites/default/files/NBER%20Working%20Paper.pdf).”

“If these far-left ideologues would take off their battle helmets and put on their thinking caps, maybe we could find a solution that works for everyone - employers and employees alike.” “Instead of legislating our way to failure, maybe we should focus on the things that actually create jobs. Things like increased access to relevant job training, decreasing burdensome regulations that hinder entrepreneurship, and creating a tax system that makes it easier for small businesses to start and grow.” “If today’s Democrats view themselves as the defender of working people and the fighter of corporate greed, they sure have a funny way of showing it. In response to this law, large corporations will just automate low-skilled jobs out of existence. It’s already happening with self-checkout and aisle cleaning robots. Is that progress?”

“To me ‘progressive’ means broadening the middle class, lifting people out of poverty, and creating good jobs for hard-working people. Government isn’t very good at that. Thankfully America’s small business owners are.”

ABOUT: Duvall received his bachelors in Management, concentrating in Finance and Marketing from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and his Executive Degree in Financial Planning from the Fischer School of Business at The Ohio State University. Duvall currently runs his own financial planning and accounting business, and works with other organizations managing their marketing and online content. He also works with several non-profits, sits on the Cherry Hill GOP committee, volunteers with youth sports, and is actively involved in his local church. Duvall is a cancer survivor and is married with two young children.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoshDuvallNJ

Twitter: www.twitter.com/JoshDuvallNJ

For more information visit www.duvallforcongress.com

Condemnation For Anti-Semitic Flyer In NJ!

New Jersey State Senator Kip Bateman (R-16) condemned an anti-Semitic flyer that was posted by an unknown person on the Peter J. Biondi Municipal Building in Hillsborough.

“New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation, and we are stronger as a result,” said Bateman. “Our communities are filled with a rich tapestry of people who represent a variety of religious and spiritual beliefs and ethnic backgrounds from all over the world. All deserve to be respected and to feel safe here in the Garden State.”

“I know that the hateful flyer that was found in Hillsborough is not in any way representative of the community,” Bateman concluded. “I condemn the content of the flyer and the intolerance that led to its creation, and I stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters who only want the opportunity to live peaceful lives free of harassment.”

WOW! Don't Miss This 'Video Of The Day' . . .

Video of the day: ICE agents capture criminal fugitives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently apprehended 605 criminals—illegal aliens convicted of theft, weapons possession, assault, domestic violence, strangulation, drunk driving, and drug dealing—through its Operation Cross Check.

ICE also announced today that nearly 3,300 employers have been targeted for inspection of worksite immigration violations in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico. These actions put corporations on notice: Anyone who exploits illegal workers to break Federal laws on wages, child labor, and health and safety will be held accountable.

These actions are crucial for upholding the rule of law, but ICE’s work would be much easier, safer, and more effective if the problems with America’s broken immigration system were addressed head-on by Congress. Where gaps exist—both literally in the form of inadequate border security and figuratively in the form of asylum loopholes—the most vulnerable always pay the price.

The list of victims grows each day: migrants exploited and often assaulted by human smugglers; children kidnapped or sold into horrific trafficking rings; American citizens victimized in communities where crime has spilled across the border; and law enforcement officers struggling each day to maintain order despite inadequate resources.

America can do better. And it must.

 Behind the scenes: ICE Operation apprehends criminals in California

Gallup: Mentions of Immigration as Top Problem Surpass Record High

Meet America’s new Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper


In the Oval Office this afternoonPresident Donald J. Trump participated in the swearing-in ceremony for his new Secretary of Defense. Dr. Mark Esper was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate earlier today in a 90-8 vote.

Dr. Esper’s life has been marked by a devotion to America’s safety and security, making his nomination an easy decision for President Trump. The call to service began early on in Esper’s career, from his days at West Point to deployment with the “Screaming Eagles” in the Gulf War.

He served our nation in uniform for more than two decades in total, with 10 years on active duty in the Army and 11 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve.

Prior to his nomination, Esper built a career with leadership positions that gave him a deep understanding of our national security needs. With key roles in the Defense Department, on Capitol Hill, and in the private sector, Esper is without a doubt one of the most capable people in America to execute the President’s National Defense Strategy.

With Esper, our servicemen and women will have someone uniquely qualified to ensure they have all the resources needed to do their jobs. In his new role, Esper will prioritize both defense modernization and accountability to U.S. taxpayers through tough budget decisions.

Most important, he wants to make sure that America’s military members receive the respect and consideration they deserve.

“I am truly honored to be part of the greatest military in the world,” he said.  

Vice President Mike Pence: “Mark Esper is a fierce defender of our country.”

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead 
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is sworn-in by United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the Oval Office | July 23, 2019