Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, January 21, 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 21, 2017 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown


Washington’s Farewell: 
The Founding Father’s 
Warning to Future 
Generations by John 
Avlon 

 “A vivid portrait…A 
thoughtful consideration of 
Washington’s wisdom that 
couldn’t be timelier.” —Kirkus 
Reviews 

 George Washington’s 
Farewell Address was a 
prophetic letter from a “parting 
friend” to his fellow citizens 
about the forces he feared 
could destroy our democracy: 
hyper-partisanship, excessive 
debt, and foreign wars.Once 
celebrated as civic scripture, 
more widely reprinted than the 
Declaration of Independence, 
the Farewell Address is now 
almost forgotten. Its message 
remains starkly relevant. In 
Washington’s Farewell, John 
Avlon offers a stunning portrait 
of our first president and his 
battle to save America from 
self-destruction.At the end of 
his second term, Washington 
surprised Americans by 
publishing his Farewell 
message in a newspaper. The 
President called for unity 
among “citizens by birth or 
choice,” advocated moderation, 
defended religious pluralism, 
proposed a foreign policy of 
independence (not isolation), 
and proposed that education 
is essential to democracy. He 
established the precedent for 
the peaceful transfer of power. 
Washington’s urgent message 
was adopted by Jefferson 
after years of opposition and 
quoted by Lincoln in defense of the Union. 
Woodrow Wilson invoked it for nation-building; 
Eisenhower for Cold War; 
Reagan for religion. Now the 
Farewell Address may inspire 
a new generation to re-center 
our politics and reunite our 
nation through the lessons 
rooted in Washington’s 
experience.As John Avlon 
describes the perilous state 
of the new nation that 
Washington was preparing 
to leave as its leader, with 
enduring wisdom, he reveals 
him to be the indispensable 
Founding Father.

The Three-Body Problem 
by Cixin Liu and Ken Liu

 The Three-Body Problem is 
the first chance for English-
speaking readers to experience 
this multiple award winning 
phenomenon(Hugo Award 
is one) from China’s most 
beloved science fiction 
author, Liu Cixin.Set against 
the backdrop of China’s 
Cultural Revolution, a 
secret military project sends 
signals into space to establish 
contact with aliens. An alien 
civilization on the brink of 
destruction captures the 
signal and plans to invade 
Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, 
different camps start forming, 
planning to either welcome 
the superior beings and help 
them take over a world seen 
as corrupt, or to fight against 
the invasion. The result is a 
science fiction masterpiece of 
enormous scope and vision.
uring wisdom, he reveals 
him to be the indispensable 
Founding Father.This is the 
first book in a trilogy the next 2 are Death’s End 
and The Dark Forest.


SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 


By Sean Kayden

The most anticipated 
album to kick off 2017 is 
indisputably “I See You” 
from The xx. The core group 
consists of Romy Madley 
Croft and Oliver Sim 
alongside their producer 
Jamie Smith aka Jamie xx. The band has already had 
two critically acclaimed records, 2009’s self-titled 
and 2012’s “Coexist.” However, after years of silence, 
possibly drifting apart, the band is now stronger 
and more connected than ever. The xx may just be 
the biggest “band” of 2017, with already performing 
live on SNL (a rarity of such an act of this nature) 
and scheduled to headline or co-headline some of 
the biggest music festivals of 2017. So does the album 
live up to expectations? What were the expectations 
to even begin with? Despite all that, the trio’s junior 
album, which is their first record in five years, is bold, 
daring, and sultry. It’s still filled with Croft and Sim’s 
terrified anxieties and insecurities, but that’s always 
been what The xx were made of. There’s this innate 
disquietude to the entire record, which spans the 
course of ten beautifully crafted snyth-pop jams. 
The difference this time around is how the band is 
utterly comfortable within their own skin. While on 
the topic, I’m not even sure if snyth-pop is a genre 
to describe The xx anymore. The music goes beyond 
any confined labels at this point and the feeling the 
listener endures goes beyond any “expectations” they 
might have had going into this album.

 The record begins with “Dangerous.” It’s got an 
infectious beat and falls under the dance-worthy 
category. Sim sings the indelible line, “You were 
my favorite mistake,” with poise and newfound 
confidence. Jamie xx does a fine job crafting some 
deeply effective beats that begs to be played loud, a 
departure of The xx’s usual quiet rapturous style. 
The shimmering “Say Something Loving” samples 
the Alessi Brothers’ 1978 track “Do You Feel It?” 
and highlights the vocal chemistry of singers Sim 
and Croft, as well as Croft’s scant yet signature 
guitar playing. There’s a growing sense of tension in 
this one and boosted by a different kind of energy 
from the band. “A Violent Noise” is one the more 
harrowing renditions found off the record. Deeply 
sentimental, the track is about Sim’s alcoholism 
that he’s fought off. The lyrics, never heavy-handed, 
are poetry with such a line, “every beat is a violent 
noise.” Croft throws her vocals into the ring and as 
usual, provides great balance and symmetry to Sim’s 
slightly deeper delivery. This one is a true highpoint 
for a record filled with gleaming gems from start to 
finish.

 The best track here is “Replica.” The most 
emotionally occupied track, “Replica” features 
sprightly vocals from both vocalists. However, Sim 
is in full pilot mode here. He steers this song to the 
masterpiece that it is and with my favorite line off 
the record, “Do I chase the night, or does the night 
chase me?” I am floored with emotions and my own 
complex thoughts. It’s a “chill-worthy” song with 
beauty found every step along the way. On the other 
side of the spectrum, Croft is featured more so in 
“Brave For You. With delicate arrangements and 
only escalating in volume when need be, “Brave For 
You” touches upon an intricate relationship, finding 
strength and courage in another. “On Hold” is the 
first single from the record and the one that debuted 
several months ago. It’s still one of the finest tracks off 
the album with excellent production values, EDM-
themed beats and sorrowful warmth to it. The xx 
are storytellers and they may find themselves always 
on a serious note, but they never come off facetious 
or disingenuous. There’s not a single knock I can 
convey about this album other than how I yearn for 
more than just ten tracks. “I See You” is undoubtedly 
going to be the best record of 2017 and we’re only 
in January. This is The xx at their finest, at the top 
of their game, and proof guitars mix very well with 
snyth beats. If anyone was worried about the long-
awaited release from The xx, well, you can throw all 
fears and reservations out the window because this 
is the album that surpasses what you wanted and 
hoped for all along.

All Things By Jeff Brown

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL 

ADDRESS QUOTES

Below Washington is warning the American people 
against the negative impact that opposing political 
parties could have on the country. During his 
presidency he witnessed the rise of the Democratic-
Republican party in opposition to the Federalists 
and worried that future political squabbles would 
undermine the concept of popular sovereignty in 
the United States.

 1.“However [political parties] may now and then 
answer popular ends, they are likely in the course 
of time and things, to become potent engines, by 
which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men 
will be enabled to subvert the power of the people 
and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, 
destroying afterwards the very engines which have 
lifted them to unjust dominion.”

 2.“The alternate domination of one faction 
over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, 
natural to party dissension, which in different ages 
and countries has perpetrated the most horrid 
enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this 
leads at length to a more formal and permanent 
despotism. The disorders and miseries, which 
result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek 
security and repose in the absolute power of an 
individual; and sooner or later the chief of some 
prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate 
than his competitors, turns this disposition to 
the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of 
Public Liberty.” 

 3.“The common and continual mischief’s of the 
spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest 
and the duty of a wise people to discourage and 
restrain it. It serves always to distract the public 
councils and enfeeble the public administration. It 
agitates the community with ill founded jealousies 
and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part 
against another, foments occasionally riot and 
insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence 
and corruption, which find a facilitated access to 
the government itself through the channels of party 
passion.”

Artist: The xx

Album: I See You

Label: Young Turks Recording

Release Date: January 13, 2017

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


THREE HEALTH CARE 
DOCUMENTS YOU NEED 
TO INCLUDE IN YOUR 
ESTATE PLAN

Decisions about your health care are some of the 
most important you will ever make.

 

Unfortunately, too many people put off making health 
care plans, often until they are no longer able to assert 
their wishes. At that point, it becomes too late and they 
have forfeited their right to make their own health care 
choices.

 Including health care documents in your estate plan 
can ensure your decisions are always your choice, even 
if you cannot speak for yourself. Health care documents 
that clearly state your wishes should be included in your 
comprehensive estate plan. Here are three documents 
you need to include in your estate plan to ensure your 
wishes are respected:

 

Health Care Directive

This document allows you to name a health care agent. 
This will be the individual who you grant the authority 
to make certain decisions on your behalf. A health care 
agent may also be called a health care surrogate or a 
personal representative.

 In your directive, you can include specific instructions 
on the health care measures you desire if you are unable 
to make decisions for yourself. These are life and death 
decisions; make sure your agent is someone you trust. 
Work closely with a trusted estate planning lawyer to 
ensure your directive provides clear guidelines for your 
agent to follow.

 

HIPAA Authorization

Your health care agent or personal representative will 
need access to your medical records to make educated 
decisions about your care. To do this, your agent will 
need a HIPAA authorization. This will ensure he or she 
has access to your medical records from HIPAA-covered 
health care providers.

 

Living Will Declaration 

A living will provides specific guidelines for your end of 
life care. While your health care directive can include 
provisions for your agent to make certain decisions 
about your ongoing health care, a living will tells your 
agent how you would like those decisions made, such 
as if and when you want life support to be removed, 
whether you would want hydration and nutrition and 
what kind of care choices should be made for you, if you 
cannot make them for yourself. These types of absolute 
decisions about your life should be included in a living 
will for extra protection and assurance your desires will 
be known and honored.

 These documents, if carefully crafted, will help you 
express and enforce your healthcare wishes, even if you 
cannot speak for yourself. If you want to ensure your 
preferences for your ongoing and end of life care are 
respected, these are the documents you need to have in 
place. 

 Dedicated to empowering your family, increasing 
your wealth and building 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