Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 18, 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 18, 2017 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown

On the Marquee: 

Notes from the Sierra MadrePlayhouse

The Snow Child: A Novel by Eowyn 
Ivey

Alaska, 1920: a rough place to homestead, 
and especially tough for recent arrivals 
Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are 
drifting apart--he breaking under the 
weight of the work of the farm; she 
crumbling from loneliness and despair. 
In a moment of levity during the season’s 
first snowfall, they build a child out of 
snow. The next morning the snow child is 
gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-
haired girl running through the trees.This 
little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems 
to be a child of the woods. She hunts with 
a red fox at her side, skims lightly across 
the snow, and somehow survives alone 
in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and 
Mabel struggle to understand this child 
who could have stepped from the pages 
of a fairy tale, they come to love her as 
their own daughter. But in this beautiful, 
violent place things are rarely as they 
appear, and what they eventually learn 
about Faina will transform all of the

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk

A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction-
The Great Novel of America’s “Greatest 
Generation” Herman Wouk’s sweeping 
epic of World War II, which begins with 
The Winds of War and continues in War 
and Remembrance, stands as the crowning 
achievement of one of America’s most celebrated 
storytellers. Like no other books about 
the war, Wouk’s spellbinding narrative 
captures the tide of global events-and 
all the drama, romance, heroism, and 
tragedy of World War II-as it immerses 
us in the lives of a single American family 
drawn into the very center of the war’s 
maelstro.

Demian: The Story of a Youth by 
Hermann Hesse 

The main character of this classic novel, 
Emil Sinclair, is a young boy raised 
in a bourgeois home, amidst what is 
described as a Scheinwelt, a play on 
words that means “world of light” as 
well as “world of illusion”. Emil’s entire 
existence can be summarized as a 
struggle between two worlds: the show 
world of illusion (related to the Hindu 
concept of maya) and the real world, the 
world of spiritual truth. In the course of 
the novel, accompanied and prompted 
by his mysterious classmate ‘Max 
Demian’, he detaches from and revolts 
against the superficial ideals of the world 
of appearances and eventually awakens 
into a realization of self. The novel refers 
to the idea of Gnosticism, particularly 
the god Abraxas, showing the influence 
of Carl Jung’s psychology. According to 
Hesse, the novel is a story of Jungian 
individuation, the process of opening up 
to one’s unconsciousness.


All Things By Jeff Brown

MOST US MANUFACTURING JOBS LOST TO 
TECHNOLOGY, NOT TRADE.

Increasing protectionism is unlikely to override 
forces of automation.President Donald Trump’s 
assertion that manufacturing jobs have left the US 
in droves as a result of bad trade deals, could be 
based on a faulty premise.

 “America has lost nearly one-third of its 
manufacturing jobs since Nafta and 50,000 
factories since China joined the World Trade 
Organization,” says Mr Trump’s official site, 
citing research from 2007 by the Economic Policy 
Institute.According to this narrative, the US’s trade 
policies, growing trade deficits with Mexico and 
Canada, and China’s “unfair subsidy behaviour” 
are to blame for the US’s “deindustrialisation” and 
its disappearing middle class.The US did indeed 
lose about 5.6m manufacturing jobs between 2000 
and 2010. But according to a study by the Center 
for Business and Economic Research at Ball State 
University, 85 per cent of these jobs losses are 
actually attributable to technological change — 
largely automation — rather than international 
trade.The think-tank found that although there 
has been a steep decline in factory jobs, the 
manufacturing sector has become more productive 
and industrial output has been growing.“Simply 
put, we are producing more with fewer people,” 
notes Mireya Solís, a senior fellow at Brookings.
US factories have been achieving this by gradually 
replacing human labour with robots.“Automation 
has transformed the American factory, rendering 
millions of low-skilled jobs redundant. Fast-
spreading technologies like robotics and 3D 
printing will exacerbate this trend,” says Ms 
Solís. This process, as many have pointed out, 
is irreversible.This is not to say that trade with 
China and other countries has not contributed to 
job losses. Research by the Ball State University 
found that 13 per cent of the overall job losses in 
manufacturing had resulted from trade. Another, 
more recent, MIT study estimated that rising 
Chinese imports from 1999 to 2011 cost up to 2.4m 
American jobs.Overall though, what this suggests 
is that one of the new administration’s main policy 
aims, increasing trade protectionism, is unlikely 
to override the larger forces of automation and the 
transition to a digital economy.

SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 


By Sean Kayden

HIPPO CAMPUS – “LANDMARK”

With more indelible hooks 
that would make Vampire 
Weekend stunned and a 
sound palette that meets 
the earlier days of Two Days 
Cinema Club, Hippo Campus 
is already making a name 
for themselves before their first LP even hits the streets. 
The Minnesota indie rock quartet had an impressive 2015 
and 2016 outing with addictive singles such as “Suicide 
Saturday” and “South” carrying them through the 
excitement. While barely in their early 20s, Jake Luppen 
(vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar), Zach Sutton (bass), 
and Whistler Allen (drums) are poised to release their 
debut record, “Landmark” on February 24th via Grand 
Jury Records. Introducing 13 brand tracks (including an 
intro and interlude), Hippo Campus is prepared to make 
2017 their biggest year yet. If it happens, as it should, it 
will be deservingly so. While the group’s first EPs 2014’s 
“Bashful Creatures” and 2015’s “South” were playful, hip, 
and carefree, the band hasn’t lost touch with their early 
upbringing, but they have definitely demonstrated a keen 
sense of maturity. As usual while Hippo Campus’ efforts 
always come off so effortlessly with vivacious synths, ample 
optimism, and infectious hooks at every chance, the rookie 
act illustrate great strides in becoming an elite rock act with 
their promising debut, landmark.

 The album “landmark” gets underway with “way it goes,” 
the sunny, energetic single that precedes the instrumental 
intro (“sun veins”). It’s the type of tune you can find 
yourself getting lost to while driving down the highway 
headed toward a beach-y surrounding. This special kind of 
song breathes fresh air into your lungs as it has rejuvenating 
attributes attached to it. If you’re new to Hippo Campus, 
this is the one that will get you initially started as you 
make your way to the unquestionable beauty that follows 
soon afterward. Next “vines” is a silky smooth exertion 
with catchy guitars riffs, Luppen’s charming vocals, and 
dynamic drums. It’s a head-bobbing song that is brimming 
with excitement for sure. My dark horse pick for one of the 
best songs off the record is “epitaph.” It starts off like a slow 
Vampire Weekend tune before blossoming into this deep 
original endeavor from Hippo Campus. The gorgeous, 
warm effort is a daydream at any part of the day. Filled with 
nostalgia, clear, crisp guitars, and a deep yearning, Hippo 
Campus doesn’t rely on tricks or the manipulative power of 
thinking about yesteryear. They are inclined to touch upon 
yesterday, remind you it’s not always about tomorrow, and 
have your sights set on today because that’s all you really 
have.

 Moving on to “simple season,” Hippo Campus has 
indeed constructed a simply good track. It floats above the 
sounds of something like Bombay Bicycle Club yet finds 
its own voice through the process. It’s another one with a 
memorable melody overflowing with pleasurable echoes 
from beginning to end. On “tuesday,” the stark beauty 
Hippo Campus puts on display once again enamors 
the listener. It will lend a helping hand in escaping your 
temporary plight, confusion, or uncertainty as you decide 
your next move. Trust me when I say, “landmark” provides 
better escapism than any recent sounds or summer movie 
blockbusters have had to offer in a minute. In addition, 
“monsoon” is a towering, but subtle contribution to 
landmark. Reminiscent of Broken Social Scene with 
the occasional distorted vocals/sounds making brief 
appearances, “monsoon” is the most peaceful composition 
sonically wise that landed on the record. However, not to 
be outdone, follow-up track, “vacation” is a contemplative 
song that expands the horizons of Hippo Campus. Here 
we have a deeper emphasis on storytelling, an exhibit 
of newfound wisdom, and this pure validation that the 
band, despite how young they may be, go beyond any 
one-dimensional sounds usually associated with debut 
records from newer acts. Then there’s “boyish,” which 
debuted a couple months back when they announced this 
LP. It’s a feverishly ambitious song that is teeming with 
zest, immaculate arrangements, and unyielding verve. 

 Finally, “landmark” is a forty-five minute assortment 
of tunes that should appeal to a wide, eclectic audience. 
The energy is in abundance, the soulfulness is evident, 
the youthful charm is ever so clear and the positivity is 
real. Hippo Campus has crafted a memorable experience 
with sonically pleasing melodies, lustrous guitars, and 
bold vocals. The entire record touches upon the days of 
how teenagehood is now in the past and the transition into 
adulthood is arriving. While it may certainly be for the 
greater good, Hippo Campus does a find job reminding 
us all that growing up may never stop occurring yet some 
point, you’ll have to start doing so sooner than later.

Grade: 9 out of 10

Hippo Campus – “Landmark”

Artist: Hippo Campus

Album: Landmark

Label: Grand Jury Music

Release Date: February 24th, 2017

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


PLANNING FOR THE 
CARE OF YOUR PET: 
HOW TO INCLUDE YOUR 
PET IN YOUR ESTATE 
PLAN

 

If your pet is beloved as a family member, you likely 
want to ensure that he or she will be well cared for in 
the event of your incapacity or death. 

 Without explicitly stated wishes, these furry 
family members could end up without a home of 
their own, if you die or become unable to care for 
them.

 To prevent this tragic outcome, you can include 
planning for your pet in your estate plan. Here are 
three important issues to consider when planning 
your estate with your beloved pet in mind.

 

Who will get ownership of your pet?

Pets are property and not people. Because of this 
legal distinction, an agent must be named in your 
estate plan to take ownership of your pet or arrange 
for your pet to have a loving home. In absence of 
a legally enforceable document stating your wishes, 
your pet could suffer the fate of many when their 
owners pass on: an animal shelter.

 

How will that person provide for your pet?

Pets require food and medical care. These costs can 
be significant if your pet has a health condition or 
is aging. Money can be set aside for your pet with 
specific directions about how those funds can be 
used and by whom.

 

How will your pet be cared for?

You may want to consider leaving instructions on 
how your pet should be cared for, as well as consider 
financial incentives for the person you’ve named 
to care for your pet pursuant to your wishes. This 
is especially important if your pet has any health 
conditions, is aging or is an exotic animal. Detailed 
instructions (and the money to carry them out) 
will ensure your pet’s new guardian can provide the 
same quality of care you provide now.

 To ensure your loved ones – which includes your 
pets, too - are cared for when you die, it is necessary 
to create a comprehensive estate plan that will 
ensure all your wishes are carried out, even if you 
don’t consider yourself financially wealthy. 

 Dedicated to empowering your family, building 
your wealth and delivering your legacy,

A local attorney, father, and CASA volunteer (Court 
Appointed Special Advocate for Children), Marc 
Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect what 
they love most. His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin 
Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an 
appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a 
legacy of love and financial security for your family 
by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.GarlettLaw.
com for more information.


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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com