December 1: Day Of Ukraine Declared In Nation’s Capital Celebrating And Affirming Twenty Years Of Ukrainian Independence

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Ukraine 2020, an initiative of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation in Washington and the Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy in Kyiv, is designed to support Ukraine's European integration which President Yanukovych has declared as a priority goal for Ukraine.

Ukraine 2020 has three important components – Policy Dialogue, Advancing Ukraine’s Image and Competitiveness, and People-to-People Exchanges.

The Ukraine 2020 - Policy Dialogue is a collaborative and integrated action plan that brings together government officials, public policy experts, business groups, non-profit organizations and individuals interested in Ukraine’s European future.

This Policy Dialogue program is modeled after the Foundation’s highly-successful U.S.-Ukraine Policy Dialogue Project which was funded by the U.S. State Department in 2004-2006.... Similar to the previous project, Ukraine 2020 will also be comprised of Task Forces, namely: Business & Economics, Democracy & Governance, Education & Culture, Energy, Foreign Policy & National Security, and Information & Media.

The Task Forces will bring together experts from institutions throughout the world to share their expertise, provide regular commentary and undertake activities that support policy recommendations for Ukraine's European integration. By bringing together the work of these experts, most of whom are already working on Ukraine issues, a stronger cumulative impact in support of Ukraine’s direction toward European integration will occur.

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On December 1, 1991, more than 90 per cent of the people of Ukraine voted for Independence from the Former Soviet Union.

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Ukraine is the first nation in history to voluntarily rid itself of its huge nuclear weapon arsenal.

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"Joint Statement of the Second Session of the United States-Ukraine Partnership Commission." U.S. Department of State (July 3, 2010)

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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski: Ukraine knows what to do to have EU-Ukraine summit on December 19, 2011 (Kyiv Post November 29, 2011)

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Image credits: Worldmap.com and via Wikipedia (Kyiv at dusk). Map is copyright controlled (c) 2011.

The Lost Pleiad -- Lost No More?

The Lost Pleiad by Randolph Rogers under normal light and under UV light. The statue is now on display on the second floor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Antebellum Art galleries.

Image credit: (c) Copyright controlled 2011.

Six major central banks have agreed to lower the pricing on existing temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap arrangements by 50 basis points until 2013

Russian And Swiss Federation Embassies Present Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale; While Swarthmore College Presents Three Tableaux From "Sadko"

Tonight's Stravinsky The Soldier's Tale presentation at the Russian Federation Embassy is sold out; however, the Post-Classical Ensemble will also be staging Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale, expertly paired with Manuel de Falla's El Amore Brujo, this coming Saturday and Sunday at Georgetown University.

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"The Swarthmore College Orchestra and Chorus, under the direction of Alfred J. Swan, presented, this year, three tableaus from the complete Russian Opera " Sadko, " by Rimsky-Korsakow. The performance was given two nights, April 11 and 12, 1931, at Swarthmore, and was acclaimed one of the best productions ever undertaken by the two organizations. It was quite a distinction that the world-famous Kedroff Quartet took part in the opera on April 11, the members singing the roles of the three merchants in the cast. Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra helped with accompaniment, which is always a large factor in operatic production. Part of the proceeds from the performances was turned over to two organizations caring for Russian children, who emigrated from Russia during and after the Revolution of 1917, while the rest was used to defray staging expenses. Such a tremendous undertaking with such a definite purpose other than giving pleasure to Swarthmore audiences, is a credit to the recently developed musical organization, and its success in this third year of existence indicates that it is appreciated and has fulfilled a need in student life."

Alfred Julius Swan and His Contribution to Russian Orthodox Music by Dr. Marina V. Ledkovsky

Alfred J. Swan Musical Manuscript Papers in the Manuscript/Special Collections of the Music Library of the University of Virginia [Guide funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Humanities.]

The Muse and the Fashion: being a defence of the foundations of the art of music by Nikolai Karlovich Medtner. English translation by Alfred J Swan 1951

Image credit: 'All-Sufferers' by Oleg Kudryashov (c) Oleg Kudryashov 1998. Copyright controlled. All rights reserved.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy cancels evening visit to the Phillips Collection citing the deepening crisis in Europe

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LOUIS M. EILSHEMIUS (1864–1941)

Approaching Storm, 1890

American Art at the Phillips Collection: 150 Years of Ameircan Art

Image credit: (c) Phillips Collection 2011. Copyright controlled.

White Friday

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Library of Congress -- American Memory

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Happy pre-Solstice festivities to my faithful readers.

There are over 11,000 children of pre-school age in orphanages in Ukraine

More On Threat Or Intimidation

“The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which advises police agencies and officers statewide, says pepper spray "can have very serious and debilitating consequences," and "should only be generally used as a defensive weapon" and never to intimidate or retaliate. …

"Using pepper spray on persons who are wholly passive seems like excessive force," said Rory Little, a law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco. But if officers testify that they felt threatened, he said, "it's going to be a jury question" as to whether they overreacted.”

Life On Earth At Thanksgiving Time

Photo credits: (c) Associated Press and (c) Donald Donaldson for the San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved.

IMF announces that it is revamping its lending facility to better serve "crisis-bystanders"

My Life As An Economic Dog: From Nixon In China To The Great Chinese Housing Boom Bust (And Clinton In Myanmar)

"People are more negative about economic changes than they have been since our records began in 1946"

Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party to contest future elections

Amnesty International

Photo credit: (c) Karsten Moran for the New York Times 2011. Copyright controlled.

Voices From Beyond Wall Street, The White House, The Pentagon, And West Point: Method In The March Madness?

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"The head of the New York Fed continued his push for more aid for homeowners Thursday, stressing the central bank is not yet "out of ammunition."

"We cannot be satisfied with the current state of the economy or the outlook for the next few years," said William Dudley, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

Dudley stressed that helping the housing market may be the best way for the Federal Reserve to intervene in the economy." ...

Photo credits: Occupy DC tents, July 1932. (c) Copyright controlled.
Occupy march in Los Angeles, November 2011. (c) Associated Press 2011.

“Being part of creating stuff for the universe is awesome”

RIP

On Western Classical Music, The San Francisco Symphony, Chinese New Year, "Día de los Muertos" And Classical Music Education

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"Asked to identify the proudest achievements of his tenure, [retiring San Francisco Symphony President John D.] Goldman cited first the artistic growth of the orchestra - which, he conceded, was the work of Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the musicians.

"My humble opinion is that they can take on anything and do it exceptionally well. And the recognition we're getting, on tours in Europe and elsewhere, confirms that we are now a world-class orchestra and being recognized as such. That goal has always been out there, and now we're there."

The $25 million "Keeping Score" project, which he called a "seminal achievement," remains one of the key initiatives of his presidency. Goldman also pointed to the community outreach programs, including the orchestra's concerts for Chinese New Year and "Día de los Muertos."

Still to do, he said, is the task of "establishing the relevance of classical music to the next generation and the generation after that." ...

Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle Music Critic

Photo credit: Totonac ritual dance. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four fliers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year. SpyridoulaDellaPhotography via Wikipedia. With thanks.

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The Ritual Ceremony of the Voladores of Papantla has been recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by UNESCO in 2009.

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I saw Los Voladores de papantla in the summer of 1968 and the Hopi Snake Dance in the summer of 1969.

On Remembering What It Is That Makes Us Humane And Civilized

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Source: Eurostat.

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My sincere thanks to Google for restoring my blog after its recent outage.

Mornings, Noons, Evenings, And Midnights In America: 1973 to 2011

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"Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?"

Date of...... Right Wrong
Poll........... direction track
11/3/11 22 74
9/1/11 20 77
6/5/11 32 66
1/16/11 38 60
12/12/10 31 67
10/28/10 27 71
6/6/10 37 60
3/26/10 38 60
1/15/10 37 62
11/15/09 44 55
10/18/09 44 54
8/17/09 44 55
6/21/09 47 50
4/24/09 50 48
3/29/09 42 57
2/22/09 31 67
1/16/09 19 78
12/14/08 15 82
10/25/08 13 85
10/11/08 8 90
9/22/08 14 83
8/22/08 19 78
6/15/08 14 84
5/11/08 16 82
1/12/08 21 77
11/1/07 24 74
6/1/07 25 73
1/19/07 26 71
11/4/06 39 59
10/22/06 30 68
10/8/06 32 66
5/15/06 29 69
11/2/05 30 68
10/24/04 41 55
4/18/04 42 57
4/30/03 52 46
9/26/02 43 53
2/21/02 54 42
2/14/99 55 41
11/1/98 55 43
8/21/98 57 40
7/12/98 50 45
4/4/98 55 41
1/31/98 61 34
1/30/98 61 34
1/19/98 44 50
8/27/97 39 57
6/8/97 37 60
3/9/97 34 62
10/17/96 40 55
10/16/96 42 53
10/15/96 43 52
10/14/96 44 51
10/13/96 44 51
9/04/96 40 54
8/21/96 28 67
6/30/96 26 70
3/17/96 27 70
1/21/96 27 66
1/3/96 21 77
4/5/95 23 73
1/4/95 27 68
10/31/94 27 69
7/20/94 26 70
3/27/94 28 69
1/23/94 31 60
11/14/93 25 69
8/8/93 26 71
6/20/93 26 71
4/26/93 27 71
3/11/93 36 57
2/28/93 37 59
1/17/93 31 63
12/14/92 35 60
10/27/92 22 76
10/4/92 18 78
6/7/92 14 83
4/9/92 16 81
3/11/92 18 79
1/15/92 19 78
11/10/91 24 72
10/29/91 26 71
8/27/91 31 60
7/28/91 30 67
6/2/91 39 57
4/9/91 42 51
2/26/91 58 39
1/27/91 49 48
10/14/90 19 79
9/9/90 36 60
8/20/90 35 60
7/24/90 37 60
5/21/90 39 60
3/26/90 44 53
2/4/90 49 48
1/16/90 48 49
5/23/89 42 55
3/16/89 46 52
1/16/89 51 46
10/25/88 49 46
9/27/88 48 44
7/11/88 40 56
5/25/88 35 59
3/21/88 40 56
1/23/88 39 59
12/13/87 49 47
12/2/87 35 61
9/23/87 43 54
6/29/87 35 62
4/13/87 37 60
3/9/87 38 58
1/18/87 39 56
9/8/86 50 48
1/26/86 45 47
7/29/85 52 43
1/16/85 59 36
5/22/84 47 48
12/13/83 43 51
11/7/83 51 44
4/12/83 41 54
3/2/83 43 53
10/11/82 35 57
1/30/82 39 56
2/80 20 70
2/78 34 53
2/77 41 44
10/75 19 71
10/74 15 75
10/73 16 74

Source: Washington Post/ABC News Polls.

Photo credit: Berkeley, California November 9, 2011. (c) Lance Iversen and the San Francisco Chronicle 2011. Copyright controlled.

Turning Free Lunches And Lunch-Hours Into Help For Children, The Poor, And The Homeless

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Hi Pan Cogito,

I am a volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen, a small kitchen for the homeless in DC. I'm reaching out to let you know about a one-day fundraising event taking place in greater Washington DC on November 9, 2011 - Give to the Max Day. This is to support local nonprofits in raising millions in donations and grants in just 24 hours. I'm hoping that you'll share this upcoming event with the readers of Renaissance Research. Miriam's Kitchen is one of the participants in this event so I decided to volunteer to try to get some online support - that's why I'm asking for your help.

I've put together a microsite with information about the Give2Max event, Miriam's Kitchen, Homelessness in DC as well as Homelessness in America, so please feel free to repost any of it:

www.miriamskitchennews.org

Please let me know if you have any questions and if you are able to help. Thank you so much.

Chris Abraham
On behalf of Miriam's Kitchen
www.miriamskitchen.org

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Photo credit: Peter Paul Rubens 'Abundance/Abundantia/Абунданция' [1630] currently in the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, Japan, designed by Le Corbusier.

Variabilità e mutabilità

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Gini coefficients

World Bank Poverty and Inequality databank

John Rawls's social contract account of justice and concept of original position

Source: World Bank and CIA: The World Factbook 2009.

The Charles Ives Project Begins In North Bethesda, Maryland

Post-Classical Ensemble: An experimental musical laboratory

Strathmore: At the Intersection of Art and Life

Featuring American pianist Jeremy Denk performing Beethoven's Hammerklavier and Ives's Concord Piano Sonatas on the same program.

Photo credit: Pumpkin flower. Vishalsh521 via Wikipedia. With thanks.

Wanted: Worldwide Jobs, Economic Development, And Social Fairness

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Image credits: Top. New Lviv Sports Stadium (Lemberg) 2011, Lviv, Ukraine, Future European Union. Bottom. Primorsky (Potemkin) Stairs [1837-41], Odesa, Ukraine, Future European Union.

© 2009–2010 Euro 2012 News; and United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsc.03866.

The Dreaded 'D' Word: Spain's Unemployment Rate Rose To 22.6 Percent in September 2011

Support cultural,ecological, and sustainable tourism.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Photo credit: Lugo Roman Walls, Province of Lugo, Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain, European Union.

© Historvius 2011. Copyright controlled. All rights reserved.