Daily Archives: January 21, 2021

As tax season arrives for millions of people, many will receive a W-2 form from an employer and may be ready to file their taxes.

But for those more than 9.3 million self-employed people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, filing is not that straight-forward.

Scott Moses, CEO and vice president of Kelman, Moses, Seifert & Hartstein, and Ken Sable, owner and president of Sable Group, both in Beachwood, said tax planning should start with maintaining clear records of your financial year.

All business owners should be using accounting software to understand what their income and expenses are for the year, Sable began. The importance of staying organized cannot be stressed enough for two reasons. First, the business owner needs to be able to understand his or her net income for the year for taxes and to properly budget. Second, if the owner gets audited, organized accounting records will be needed to support all income and expenses.

Moses said, They have to make sure they get all of the books and records ready for their small business or sole proprietorship and get it to their accountant. That has to be early enough to give them time to get their last installment for 2020 and the first for 2021.

Its also important to understand what goes into their yearly filing.

They should always make sure, with the ever-changing tax laws, that before the end of the year that theyre conversing with their accountants to make sure theyre taking advantage of their deductions or different revenues in a way to help minimize their tax situation, Moses said. Remember, the golden rule is to be proactive rather than reactive. You at least want to have an idea of what your liability is going to be. We want to do the planning in November and December, so we know what we can do to minimize their taxes and exactly what theyre going to need to pay.

Tax planning and filing for self-employed people are very different than what many Americans experience, Sable said.

When youre an employee, you get a paycheck and withholdings are taken out for you, he explained. If youre self-employed, you are responsible for paying your own income taxes via quarterly estimates. But, unlike typical employees, business owners can deduct a lot of additional items like a portion of their home office. They can also deduct miles when they drive from their home or office to a client site. They might be able to expense a portion of their cellphone bill, assuming some of their calls are business-related.

Because of all the differences in the process, Sable placed importance on keeping accurate books.

If they dont do any bookkeeping or accounting for their business until the end of the year, they have no idea how much money they have made, he noted. They dont have an idea if theyre profitable and if they are sticking to their budget. Its also important for business owners, at any point in time, to understand what receivables and payables they may have, and whether their margins are appropriate.

For first-time, self-employed filers, Moses said its key to understand how revenue and expenses work, and how those impact taxes.

The one thing you need to realize is that as you generate revenue for your business, youre also going to generate expenses, he said. Lets say you generate $100,000 of income and $50,000 of expenses. So, you have a profit of $50,000. Besides paying income tax on that $50,000, you also have to pay self-employment tax. A first-time, self-employed filer may not know that because when you work for a company, those taxes get taken out automatically.

Due to all of the intricacies surrounding self-employed taxes, Sable suggested engaging a professional early, as it can make all the difference.

In a perfect world, that doesnt happen in February or March it happens the previous year to give the taxpayer and accountant time to properly plan, like set up the right accounting system and calculate regular tax projections, he noted. You can only do so much after the year as all the planning happens months prior. So, working with your accountant throughout the year is the only way to properly plan, stay organized, and stay profitable.

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Self-employed taxpayers have more to think about - Cleveland Jewish News

Looking for the next hilarious Hulu binge? Check out these amazing comedy series, with a little something for everyone.

Since comedy is so subjective, there are no rules to the genre.That's why the definition of "ideal" in TV comedykeeps drifting back and forth between a myriad of subgenres. From dry to witty, from absurd to provocative, comedy has taken on several shapes and forms. And yet, even with so many new standouts and genre-defying epics, viewers find themselves in a rut when it comes down to choosing one show.

RELATED:The 10 Best New Comedy TV Shows In 2020, According To IMDb

When in a rut, oneshould follow the golden rule of comedy: watch anything that instills a feel-good vibe. After all, that's the only reason why viewers watch comedy in the first place. On that note, here's a rundown of 10 comedy epics on Hulu that can make viewers feel good on even the dullest of days.

FX's Better Things revolves around the day-to-day snags ofSam Fox, a divorced mother who not only looks after her three kids but also balances that with her professional life. Although more relatable for single parents,Better Things'well-written dramedy can be enjoyed by pretty much everyone.

What makes it stand out among other generic comedy shows is its genuineness. No characters initaremere "comic devices." Instead, it's their amusing honesty and warmth that shines right through andgives a viewer a hearty laugh.

Starring Donald Glover and LaKeith Stanfield, Atlantais set in the titular city that accommodates several talented up-and-coming rappers. Among them is Alfred Miles, who's struggling to familiarize himself with the rap scene of the city while balancing it with his personal life.

Soon, Miles is joined byEarn, his cousin who is determined to get him the recognition he deserves. They together form a three men crew whenDarius becomes Miles' right-hand man and helps him rise up the ranks in the rap world. Defying common narrative styles, Atlantajumps from onesituation to another instead of following a sequential storyline. It still manages to be hilarious and equally dramatic throughout its runtime.

From being self-obsessed to being self-actualized, Annie Easton is a young journalist who wants to turn her life around, ensuring that her physical appearance remains the same. Juggling toxic relationships, an annoying boss, and ill parents, she explores the murky waters of life, whilst realizing that she's no different than mostother people.

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Shrill isn't the kind of comedy series that throws punchline after punchline at a viewer. Instead, it balances its comic elements with some intense drama that is relatable for anyone who has felt ostracized because of their appearance.

This one's more of a throwback to the mid-aughts when TeenNick made its young viewers laugh their hearts out with the quirkyshenanigans of stepbrothers Drake & Josh.With contrasting personalities, the brothers struggle to adapt to each other's presence while they live under the same roof and attend the same high school.

Unlike most old teen sitcoms, Drake & Josh isn't weighed down by terrible acting or gross-out-comedy.It simplywins over its viewers with its lighthearted comedy and well-written familial relationships that are both relatable and dorky.

The renowned dynamic duo, Key & Peele, takes viewers on a visual journey through their sketches that blur the lines between absurd comedy and clever social commentary. Although, for the most part, the jokes in the series are hit-or-miss, they hit more than they miss and almost never leave a dull moment.

Sketch comedies may not be for everyone. However, for viewers who are willing to immerse themselves in the gimmicky world of two masterful comedians, this one perfectly fits the bill.

Bringing a comic twist to thepost-apocalyptic genre, The Last Man On Earthchronicles the adventures of a man who's humanity's only hope after adeadly virus has wiped out his entire race. Hoping to find food, shelter, and fellow survivors, Phil aimlessly floats from one place to another.

RELATED:The Last Man On Earth: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Mike

Phil, here, isn't a typical dystopian hero. He's just an average joe who's new to the whole survival thing. And it's this sincerity in his characterization that makes his loneliness andeveryday dilemmas all-the-more relatable and funny.

AtArcher's fore is a master spy named Sterling, who works amidst top-notch international spiesshamelessly backstabbing and screwing each other in the name of global crisis. In its initial few episodes, Archermay not appeal to many, but the longer one sticks to it, the more its gags re-occur and become expansively hilarious.

Although it may not seem like it with its traditional animation style, Archerranks among the best comedy shows on television. Not to mention, its short 30-minute episodes make it perfectly binge-worthy.

Winner of aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Arrested Developmentcenters on the Bluth family. Once well known in the world of business, they have now lost everything after their patriarch was convicted of fraud.

Enter Michael Bluth, the only level-headed member of the family, who has the responsibility of handling the family's affairs. But it doesn't take him too long to realize that managing the highly dysfunctional family won't be as easy it seemed.

Dre Johnson's life is almost perfecthe has a loving wife, kids, and a chic home in a high-end neighborhood. Even so, when he starts learning that his classy neighborhood accommodates a predominantly white population, he wonders if his success is negatively impacting his family's cultural identity. In an attempt to sustaintheir cultural values, he creates an environment that helps them embrace their roots whilst adapting to their new life.

Without getting too preachy, Black-ish addresses its underlying racial themes with both profundity and comedy.

One can argue endlessly about which version of The Office is betterthe original U.K. version or the American one. But regardless of how this debate gets settled, it cannot be denied thatRicky Gervais'sblatantly realistic take on horrible bosses and office dynamics has its own charm.

The ones who took the time to watch the201 episodes of the Americanone should certainly check out the British version as well. And for viewers who haven't seen either now have two great sitcoms on their watch list.

NEXT:10 Great Reality Shows To Binge On Hulu

Next The Office: 5 Ways Jim Was The Real Villain Of The Show (& 5 Ways It Was Pam)

For a long time, Dhruv aimlessly explored the world of things he had no interest in. But when he finally realized that writing was his true calling, he took a leap of faith and decided to follow his dreams. The rest is history. Since then, he has written more than 2K articles online, covering a myriad of topics including fitness, self-improvement, anime, movies, and television. Using Screenrant as a platform, he's now on a mission to learn, grow, and bloom through all things cinema.

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10 Great Comedy Shows To Binge On Hulu Right Now | ScreenRant - Screen Rant

Biden says he'll fire White House staff if they don't treat each other with respect

President Joe Biden listens during a virtual swearing in ceremony of political appointees from the State Dining Room of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington.

President Joe Biden warned new White House employees he would terminate them if he found them trashing one another.

Making explicit he wanted to break with the toxic environment that pervaded the West Wing during the previous administration, Biden said he wanted his staff governed by collegiality and respect.

If youre ever working with me and I hear you treating another colleague with disrespect, talking down to someone, I will fire you on the spot," Biden said in the State Dining Room during a ceremony swearing-in officials.

He said he wanted his staff to treat each other with decency, something he said had "been missing a big way the past four years."

Earlier in the ceremony, Biden said he wanted his staff to treat everyone with "dignity."

"History measures us and our fellow Americansby how decent, honorable and smart we have been in looking out for their interests," he said.

"Oh my god, it was one for the record books," said U.S. Senator tom Carper. "A healing environment, and Joe was at the top of his game...it was just a terrific day."

Carper said Biden's trip to church that morning with Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, and other leaders helped start that healing process, and he hopes that momentum carries on for as long as possible.

"We've been divided for way too long," Carper said. "This is a chance to start building some bridges, and seeing how we can work together. And there's really any number of things we can work on together coming right out of the starting gate."

Carper pointed to transportation and infrastructure works he'd like to see progress, and called Biden a "uniter."

"He's a uniter, not a divider. He treats people with respect, he's what I call a 'golden rule' guy, treat other people where you want to be treated. And he leads by example. He will set a good example of how we can work together, should work together...I think we'll get the right kind of leadership from our new president, and we're anxious to get to work. There is a common agenda with a lot of stuff that we can agree on coming out of the starting gate. And my hope is we'll do that. We'll do that."

President Joe Biden signs his first executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington.

President Joe Biden told reporters he is signing "bold" executive actions during his first appearance in the Oval Office.

"Theres no time to start like today," Biden told reporters.

He said these actions are meant to keep his promises to the American people.

"Were going to need legislation for a lot of the things," Biden said.

Biden planned to take 15 executive actions and two agency actions during his first hours in office, moving faster and more aggressively to dismantle his predecessor's legacy than any other modern president.

Biden will sign a flurry of executive orders, memoranda and directives to agencies, making his first moves to address the coronavirus pandemic and undo some of Donald Trump's signature policies.

"This is going to be the first of many engagements were going to have in here," Biden told reporters, appearing for the first time in the Oval Office. "I thought with the state of the nation today theres no time to waste. Get to work immediately."

Biden signed an order requiring masks on federal property, one meant to ensure racial equality and another rejoining the Paris climate accord.

Biden said they would be the first of many during his first days in office.

"As we indicated earlier were going to be signing a number of executive orders over the next several days to week," he said.

"Some of the executive actions that Im going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis and combat climate change in ways we havent done so far," he went on.

He called the moves "starting points" that fulfilled his promises during the campaign.

"I think some of the things were going to be doing are going to be bold and vital and there's no time to start like today," he said. "Theres a long way to go. These are just executive actions," he went on. "But were going to need legislation for a lot of these were going to do."

Delaware's Governor John Carney describes 'glorious day' for Biden's inauguration

"It was a glorious day for Delaware, and for our country, in Washington today," said Governor John Carney, who was i n attendance in DC for the Biden/Harris inauguration.

"It was amazing today, of course. The last three inaugurations, they're usually very festive. A lot of bipartisanship, there was some of that today, but the outgoing president, the incoming president, are there the transition of power, very symbolic, very triumphant, the survival of our democracy, kind of putting our differences aside for a day. Everybody's hopeful and optimistic," Carney said. "And our own favorite son brought that to the podium today. His speech was--he just killed it. Knocked it out of the park, the themes and the messages of hope, reconciliation, healing the divisions between us. That doesn't say, 'we're going to always agree, but we need to move together as Democrats and Republicans as Americans. it really was very uplifting, and it got a lot better than it did back in 2009."

Carney called a unified approach to politics the "Delaware Way," and was certain that's what Biden would bring to nation's highest office.

"I certainly hope it's a harbinger for the future, a good one. I believe that it is. That's really what Joe represents. He was born for this moment, if you will. That's the way he's always approached politics. It's kind of the Delaware Way. At the end of the day, after elections, we put our differences aside--we don't forget about them, but we come together to find the best solutions for our state," he said. "You could just feel the sincerity in what he was saying to people on both sides of the aisle. Whether you voted for him or you didn't vote for him, he's the president of everybody here in the United States of America. It was just a really powerful, uplifting, hopeful message today. And a dramatic change from what we've seen over the last four years--which frankly, has been, I think, depressing for most of us."

For Delaware, Carney said it just brings an overwhelming sense of pride for the recognition he brings to the First State.

"Everybody recognizes that, when you talk about Wilmington, Delaware, now they know what you're talking about," Carney said. "You're talking about the home of the President of the United States, and that's an important part of it. But it's just an incredibly uplifting thing for all of us, for the stake of our political climate, the way most of us here in Delaware approach governing and certainly, it's the style that Joe brought to the podium today."

President Joe Biden is in the Oval Office for the first time since being sworn in, according to the White House official. One of the first things President Biden will see when he sits down in the Oval Office for the first time today is a letter left there by his predecessor.

A former White House official said former President Trump left his departure note for Biden on the Resolute Desk, given that's the same place Barack Obama had left his.

Kamala Harris left the White House for the Senate floor, visiting for the first time since becoming vice president. She swore in three senators: Georgias Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, as well as Harris replacement in California, Alex Padilla.

The swearing-in of the three new senators will be groundbreaking. Warnock and Ossoff will be the first Black and first Jewish senators, respectively, representing Georgia, while Padilla will be California's first Latino senator.

Ossoff, 33, will also be the youngest senator in the chamber, and the youngest Democrat to serve in the Senate since President Joe Biden, who was sworn into the chamber at the age of 30 in 1973.

After Warnock, Ossoff and Padilla are sworn in, the party breakdown of the Senate will be 50-50. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer will become the first New Yorker and first Jewish lawmaker to become Senate majority leader.

Harris will wield power as the Senate's crucial tie-breaking vote, helping the Biden administration confirm its appointments and giving Democrats the gavels of committees in charge of holding oversight hearings and crafting far-reaching legislation.

President Biden signed three documents while in the Presidents Room at the Capitol.

These are the documents hes signing:

Following this signing ceremony, Biden, hosted by the Commander of Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, will review the readiness of military troops on the East front of the Capitol. Every branch of the military will be represented in this event.

Biden will then travel to Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Bidens will be joined by former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.

"President Joe Biden, grounded by faith and family and love for country, assumes our nation's highest office at a moment of enormous challenge and significant possibility," said Coons, who was in attendance, in a released statement. "President Biden, a man who knows tragedy and pain and how to grieve and mourn and get back up, is the right man to lead us through this moment. All of us here in Delaware, who know him, support him, and believe in him, stand proudly with our president, the favorite son of the First State."

To WDEL Wednesday afternoon, Coons said Biden's visions for the future of this great nation are clear and hopeful.

"It was a glorious day, and Joe Biden gave a stirring inaugural address on a sunny afternoon," he said. "He is clear eyed about just how great the challenges are that he faces from a pandemic--it's ravaging our country and has killed 400,000 people--to the racial divides that led to protests nationwide last summer, to the more than 10 million Americans who are unemployed. But he challenged us to look back at the moments in our history where we had to overcome comparable challenges, and to look forward to how much we could accomplish together if we would move past this moment of national division."

To bring unity to the country, Coons said, would be challenging, but if there's a man with the experience and heart to handle the job, it's Biden.

"It'll be challenging, it will not be easy at all. If there is anyone who can get this done, it's the man who served Delaware for 36 years, and is Barack Obama's vice president," Coons said. "Joe Biden was elected because millions of Americans see in him someone who can deliver a compassionate and competent response to the pandemic...Someone who's never forgotten where he's from, who fights for the middle class, and someone who is an authentic and caring human being capable of bringing people together, by being able to walk a mile in other people's shoes."

"We all know 40 years ago that Delaware sent Joe Biden to the Senate, to Washington. But today America has sent him to the White House," the congresswoman said to WDEL Wednesday. "I am just, first of all, so proud; secondly, overjoyed, particularly to have Kamala Harris as our Vice President, knowing that she represents so much and so many. And I believe they will both do such incredibly great things for our country. We need them now more than ever. So today, I am proud, I am excited. I am overjoyed, and I am ready to get to work with them."

She also celebrated how much this means to the small First State.

"I think all of us thought at that moment, how incredible is that, that the Vice President is from Delaware? But to see the journey, and for so many of us in Delaware to have been on that journey with this entire family--I mean Dr. Jill Biden, the entire family, we know them, we see them in Target. We see them at the beach. We know the Biden family, and we know their legacy of service. And so as the governor said, I think all of us are like, could it get better than that? And today, truly, it did."

She said the most important thing moving forward is Biden's message of coming together for unity, because the challenges faced will require it to be overcome.

"You can't crush a pandemic, you can't get people back to work and help save their businesses, and deal with our racial and justice issues, or the climate, if we don't do it together," Blunt Rochester said. "I think it starts with him setting that tone, as he did. But it requires each and every one of us to play our part in doing that. Even as we go back into session [Thursday] in the House, and we will have to start voting on a package of things such as the President's relief package, to really deal with this pandemic, both the health-side and the economic-side, I think even on issues of infrastructure, you see common ground. But we also have to heal, and that healing comes from also what he mentioned in his speech, which is truth. We have to also have the truth and have accountability. That helps with the healing as well. So I think you always have a honeymoon period. But knowing Joe Biden, knowing Kamala Harris, beyond the honeymoon, they will be working until the last day, eight years from now."

Blunt Rochester, a co-chair of the Inaugural Committee, also said the day went off without a hitch, thanks to some local help.

"Ihave to give great kudos and props to President Tony Allen from Delaware State University, who has been the CEO of the Presidential Inaugural Committee," she said. "Everything from making sure people are safe to ensuring that we uphold the rich traditions about peaceful transfer of power. I really have to give such credit to the staff and the team and Tony Allen, as well as President Biden's vision for what this day could be. And and so far, so good."

There are obvious differences between President Biden and Vice President Harris (race and gender), but its really worth thinking how different they are in terms of their political background.

Biden has waited forever for this moment. He first ran for president more than 30 years ago. He was first elected to the Senate nearly 50 years ago.

Harris trek to the vice presidency was much shorter in political life. She was elected attorney general of California only 10 years ago. Harris came to the Senate just four years ago.

Its one of the most lopsided differences in favor of the president in terms of electoral experience for any president and vice president.

Usually, presidents choose vice presidents who have more experience than they do (e.g. Trump and Pence or Obama and Biden).

You probably have to go all the way back to the Nixon/Agnew administration to see an instance of a president having so much more elected experience than the vice resident.

Itll be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out this time around.

The White House the morning of Joe Biden's Inauguration in Washington, DC on January 20, 2021.

The inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up.

President Joe Biden tweeted from the @POTUS account for the first time following the inauguration ceremony, writing: There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face.

He continued: Thats why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.

There will be an inaugural parade although it will be largely a virtual one. Biden and Harris will have a presidential escort from 15th Street to the White House including the US Army Band, a Joint Service Honor Guard and the commander in chiefs Guard and Fife Drum Corps. The drumlines from the University of Delaware and Howard University will join that event to honor the alma maters of the incoming president and vice president.

The parade will be hosted by Scandal actor Tony Goldwyn and will feature comedian Jon Stewart, New Radicals and DJ Cassidys Pass the Mic with performances by Earth Wind & Fire, Nile Rodgers, Kathy Sledge, The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, The Washington Chorus and The Triumph Baptist Church Choir.

Amanda Gorman, the nations first-ever youth poet laureate, delivered a message of the countrys resilience through her poem at President Bidens inauguration ceremony.

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be, a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will become the future, she continued.

Typically, Gorman, who is 22 years old, said it takes her days to craft a new poem. She finished this one immediately.

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover, Gorman said in the poem.

Gorman is no stranger to grand stages. Shes recited her poetry at the Library of Congress, Bostons Symphony Hall, the Empire State Buildings observation deck and all across the country, performing for such luminaries as Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Gorman started writing poems when she was a child, but found it terrifying to perform due to a speech impediment. Biden has struggled with a stutter, Gorman said, and another inauguration poet Maya Angelou who delivered the poetry reading for Bill Clintons first inauguration was mute for several years when she was a child.

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After taking the oath of office, Joe Biden said that the Inauguration Day was a celebration of democracy and that the the will of the people has been heard.

As Joe Biden is set to officially become President at noon ET, he called today Americas day in his speech at the US Capitol.

This is democracys day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve, Biden said.

America has been tested anew, and America has risen to the challenge, he added.

He said the cause of democracy is celebrated today.

The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded, Biden said.

President Joe Biden thanked his predecessors from both parties in his inauguration remarks to the nation, including those who couldnt be present.

I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom of my heart And I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter, who I spoke with last night, who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime in service, Biden said.

He acknowledged the power that comes with taking the sacred oath that was taken by former presidents.

I have just taken a sacred oath each of those patriots taken. The oath first sworn by Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. On we, the people, who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation. We are good people, Biden said.

Biden offered a forewarning during his inaugural address Wednesday, describing the nation as weathering a winter of peril amid a generational pandemic and other ailments.

Biden said the predicaments currently facing the nation were historic, and said few Americans have found a time more challenging than the time we are in now.

He said coronavirus silently stalks the country and noted more lives have been lost to the disease than were lost in World War I.

He also talked about the importance of unifying the country, saying my whole soul is in this.

The President called on Americans to come together to overcome the extraordinary challenges that face the nation an idea that he often mentioned on the campaign trail

To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words and requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy, unity, Biden said.

Uniting to fight the foes we face. Anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity we can do great things, important things, he added.

He said that through tough times in US history the Civil War, the Great Depression, both world wars and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks our better angels have always prevailed.

Biden said that in every instance, Americans have been able to come together for the greater good.

History, faith and reason show the way, the way of unity, Biden said.

Referencing the current plight of America Biden noted that the country has much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain.

As the coronavirus American death toll surpassed 400,000 this week, Biden noted that few people in our nations history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time were in now.

Speaking specifically of the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden referenced a once-in-a-century virus, that silently stalks the country. Its taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II.

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INAUGURATION DAY | 46th President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr. - WDEL 1150AM

I didn't think I'd ever see a great president like Ronald Reagan again until nonconformist Donald Trump was elected. He left office with a list of achievements from repairing trade agreements and energizing oil and gas development, to rebuilding our economy, and creating historic low unemployment that resulted in wage growth for our working-class families.

From the tax cuts and Jobs Acts to championing the deregulatory effort, President Trump's mastery was notable, as was his foreign policy with China, NATO, the ruination of ISIS and his ability to avoid getting us involved in another pointless war. And I admired that he treated Israel as a friend and not an exile.

Trump's accomplishments took place despite, from day one, a perpetual, sustained and around-the-clock detestation and hostility from, among others, the press, big tech social media, the Russia hoax, the federal bureaucracy, public and higher education, the China lobby and Hollywood, which found his agenda a radical departure from their ideology.

On the one hand, when I consider all his successes, I also see outside contempt, hatred, a killer plague and his own personal defects defeated Trump.

Ronald Reagan, by way of contrast, had charisma, strength of personality and appeal to impart to his opponents such as Tip O'Neill and others who had a much different political agenda. I remember the press also having it in for Reagan, but he handled the hostility much differently. Be that as it may, when Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, he hit a grand slam. I believe one of them was fluent in communicating the golden rule while the other was not.

Ronald Reagan deserves credit for his landslide win, partly based on his down-home, friendly persona. Contrastingly, even with all the animosity he faced daily and all good he did for the American people, Donald Trump's personality flaws warrant proportionate responsibility for his Waterloo.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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Measure of Difference Between Trump and Reagan [PHIL-OSOPHY] - wbsm.com

The divisions in our world are becoming chasms that threaten to swallow all of us in its widening expanse. The root of division is a false sense of superiority the belief that a person is superior to another because of their race, gender, political ideology or any of the other barriers we put up to divide ourselves from one another.

Today is the day we honor a man who sought to break down those barriers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a man of God who preached to the world and sought to open up the eyes of everyone to the injustice that was taking place in our society.

King eloquently spoke against a society that was supposed to be governed under the idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, but clearly was not. He was right and to deny the inequity to which Black Americans have experienced is to deny historical fact.

In the more than 50 years since King was assassinated, our world has gotten closer to his vision. There are no more separate lunch counters or water fountains. There are no more segregated schools or places where Black people can and cant sit on a bus.

Still, there are cretins that want to drag us back into that age, their misaligned superiority showing just how far we still have to come. Thats why it is incumbent on all of us to remember Kings words.

He was a preacher trying to save the soul of a nation. We are all made in Gods image and to treat one of Gods creations harshly based on a persons skin tone goes against the golden rule that God told us to live by.

Our society will be untenable if we allow our divisions to isolate us.

We must all remember that we are all Gods children and that everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect and love that we would want someone to show us.

We encourage everyone to remember Dr. Kings message on this day. We are all in this together. We all have hardships and adversity that we must tackle everyday. We must all work together for the greater good.

Only together, can we make the most of our society.

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Never forget the message that King gave us - Brunswick News

FEATURES The Inventive, Uplifting Jazz of Saxophonist Muriel Grossmann By Marcus J. Moore January 20, 2021

There is perhaps no greater influence in jazz than John Coltrane, the North Carolina-born saxophonist whose pensive style traversed many subgenres. Over the course of his career, which included 25 albums as a bandleader and another 59 as a sideman to Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and others, Coltrane quietly shifted the landscape. His sound rippled across the world; some 50 years after his death, hes on the Mount Rushmore of Black Improvisational Music.

Its not surprising, then, that Coltrane permeates the work of Muriel Grossmann, a Barcelona-based saxophonist whose new album, Quiet Earth, is the latest in a string of impressive records shes released since 2007. The past four years have been especially active: albums Natural Time, Momentum, Golden Rule, and Reverence arrived in quick sequence and seemingly out of nowhere. And each one feels indebted to Coltranes mystical period of the mid-60s, when albums like A Love Supreme, Ascension, and Meditations sought connections with higher powers. I am fascinated by how his energy can flow so freely, his sound is of utmost beauty to me, Grossmann writes in an email. Once you discover John Coltrane, its for life.

The beginnings of Quiet Earth date back to the songs Wien and Peaceful River on 2013s Awakening, a live album recorded at the Eivissa Jazz Festival in Spain. Several years later, in September 2019, the band recorded studio versions of the tracks to give them more punch. And after the COVID-19 pandemic scrapped plans to record the sequel to 2019s Reverence, Grossmann revisited the studio cuts for a replacement album. Compared with the original Wein, a vast 14-minute arrangement with extended solos, the new version is efficient and livelier. Here, Grossmann takes some steam out of her horn to emit a more melodic tone. Peaceful River is just as soothing as the live version, yet the drums are more pronounced. Near the two minute mark, the song moves into a sauntering blend of looping percussion, muted saxophone wails, and fluttering guitar chordsa meditative counter to real-world atrocities. Its no filler, just pure music, Grossmann asserts. The focus of this record is on the fluidity and the way it was played, mastering those little things that encompass the whole. I chose the title appropriate for these times. It gave us a chance to re-question some of the things that are happening around us and gives a more meaningful perspective for the decade ahead.

Before Grossmann was an acclaimed composer in Barcelonas jazz scene, she was a child in Vienna with very musical parents; her father had a massive vinyl collection, and her mother loved going to concerts. They gave Grossmann a flute at age 5, and she was immediately enamored. Just creating sound left me in a state of wonder, she says. Then connecting all those sounds into little melodies gave me freedom and took me into another world.

As a teen, Grossmann got into the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix; at school, she spent time in rehearsal rooms with friends who liked the same music. She fell in love with jazz after taking up the alto saxophone and delving into the work of Charlie Bird Parker. In jazz, she recalls, I found the next stage of freedom in music. I was fascinated by how it sounded, its melodies, rhythms and harmonies, styles, the way the music goes, the interactions and dynamics in the group, the phrasing of the different instruments, the directness of the music, this constant presence of the blues. From the very beginning, she continues, I understood how deep it goes and how open the road really is.

The original versions of Wien and Peaceful River encouraged Grossmann to compose rhythmic jazz with modal harmonies and American blues and gospel influences, much like the Coltranes (both John and Alice), saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and pianist McCoy Tyner. Alongside guitarist Radomir Milojkovic, drummer Uros Stamenkovic, and bassist Gina Schwarz, Grossman has discovered her sound, a groove-oriented mix thats equally brooding and mystical. That Quiet Earth doesnt deviate from her recent albums is intentional; it continues the journey she began on Natural Time when she thought to craft spiritual jazz ahead of other subgenres. It is firmly rooted and its part of my musical journey, Grossmann says. A work that stands by itself, it has a clear focus and it further develops the aspects of my previous work, widening the range of the music.

If nothing else, though, she hopes the album offers some sort of reprieve from the endless deluge of bad news the year has brought already. I like to try to transmit something meaningful and positive for the people, fill them with a good vibe, uplift their spirits, Grossmann says. That is one of the great things about music if used in the right context. I dedicate that the listeners could turn towards wisdom and lead a meaningful, responsible life. That would fulfill my purpose in music.

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The Inventive, Uplifting Jazz of Saxophonist Muriel Grossmann - bandcamp.com