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America wastes money; Americans don't?
money on line
Americans think all levels of government waste money, but then they admit they, too, have poor spending habits. - photo by Stock photo

Americans think the federal government wastes 51 cents on the dollar, according to a new Gallup poll, but Americans themselves aren’t guilty of wastefulness — at least according to themselves.
A Gallup survey found that 55 percent of Americans claim to only shop for what they need.
Gallup has been tracking public opinion on government spending for over 30 years. Since 2010, Americans have reported that they feel the federal government wastes more than 50 cents for each dollar it spends. While state and local governments are probably wasteful, Americans feel that their spending is not nearly as bad as the federal government’s.
While Americans may not have much faith in government spending, they are pretty confident in their own. Even though 44 percent reported spending more in July and August of this year than last, 73 percent feel pretty confident that they are careful with their money.
Only 15 percent admitted to spending their money as soon as they got it, but over half reported that they always save at least some of their income. And 55 percent reported only shopping for what was necessary.
Either Americans are much better with their money than the government, there’s some bias playing out across the nation, or times really are so tough that debt can be skyrocketing while most Americans just spend what’s necessary.

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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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