Is the US the BEST Place to Live?

When I went to grad school in Savannah, Georgia I got into a conversation with a mix of people. One thing I loved about Savannah College of Art and Design is that they recruit from all over the place. I quickly learned that not all of my friends thought the US was the best place to live. It was just a place to live. Savannah is beautiful. I wonder what they'd think of the midwest?!

I watched a show this weekend that made me think about that conversation I had many moons ago with friends from all over once again. In the show many countries were interviewed about their thoughts on the US. Many said that if we could just get past the fact that we think we're so great, open our eyes to other countries and what they're doing; we'd do better. I could see their point.

I was discussing the movie I saw with a group of people. The majority of the people I work with are fairly closed minded. They know what they know, and they don't want to talk about it. Very opposite to most artist types. A few of them told me that the US is the best place to live. Keep in mind that they've never been outside the US, except for one that I know of; she lived on a military base as a child.

I believe that there is yin and yang everywhere. Even here. Where there's good - there's also bad. There is no perfect place. I'm not saying that the US is bad. I just don't believe that it's the BEST place. In my mind there isn't a BEST place. I believe that every place has it's ups and downs. When you go up a slide you have to go down one somehow.

The Washington Post - if you want to call that real news had an article about Germany being the best place to live. The US was ranked 4th. Again I feel like most places have their ups and downs.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the US is the best place to live? Do you think we have ups and downs just like everywhere else?

Out of the Box Saturday

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.

This week I'm covering something called Playing For Change. 

Playing for Change is a multimedia music project, created by the American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. Playing For Change also created a separate non-profit organization called the Playing For Change Foundation, which builds music schools for children around the world. 

Source

People from around the world play famous songs. 

Gimme Shelter

War

Stand By Me

Like Playing for Change's Website.
Like their facebook page.
Follow their twitter page.
Subscribe to their YouTube page.

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY, and more.

Last week I was introduced to an instrument that I have never seen before called a Hammered Dulcimer over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

Source

The artist I'm featuring this week is Jamie Janover. He plays the Hammered Dulcimer by himself and with other bands.

He layers sounds together using the Hamered Dulcimer, mini drum kit, and adds technology. He started as a drummer. Much of his music is approached by thinking of rhythm first. Then he adds different sounds on top of that.

He's played in the US, Africa and Canada.

Source

Read more about Jamie Janover here.
Here is his website.
Here is Jamie Janover on Twitter.
Here is Jamie Janover on Facebook.

Deep Thinker

Last week Mica was asking about gravity. He just couldn't understand why we don't walk sideways. Looking at the globe, it's only logical to our 7 year old that we'd walk along it and everyone would be sideways.

This week he came in our room and said, "I'm deeply concerned about the ice melting too fast in Antarctica! Where will the penguins live if all the ice caps melt?"

Daddy told him, "Yes ice is melting, but it's no where near being all gone."


Here's a penguin that Mica made around Christmas time.  They studied different types of penguins in school.
It reads:

Penguins, 

Penguins, 

Penguins

Black White Furry

Penguins,

Penguins, 

Penguins

Emperor Little Blue

Macaroni 

They toboggan to get 

Out of the water.

He's a deep thinker. I see a lot of conversations in our future.