By GrannyMumantoog, a Trail Mix Contributor
I feel compelled to write a piece about the Broadway show Hamilton. The reason is that I just finished watching the PBS special that originally aired on 10/21/2016 called, Hamilton’s America! This is an amazing behind the scenes look at the show, it’s creation and, most importantly, the history of our country.
I was watching the Tony Awards in June and was enthralled watching Hamilton win award after award, totaling 11 by the end of the night. I’ve seen various snippets of the show on YouTube and heard most of the soundtrack. I’ve seen/heard enough about it to know it’s something that I’m interested in. I will definitely see Hamilton the moment any local theater group presents it, as I have done many times in the past for other shows. It won’t be the same cast, but the words and the power of the piece should be transferable to any theater production. It’s tough to be a Broadway lover when you can’t get to Broadway, but we make do.
If there is anyone who, like me, thinks they know about Hamilton, the musical. If you’ve heard anything about Hamilton, seen YouTube videos, think you know what it’s about, even if you were lucky enough to see in live on Broadway you must watch Hamilton’s America!
Not only does it showcase the genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda who is described as a modern Shakespeare, and the other creators and cast, but it’s a history lesson. I would venture to say that it’s one of the best history lessons I’ve ever had about this group of founding fathers.
It was impressive how much the cast had imbued themselves with the history of the characters they were playing. I was blown away by how well they not only knew their characters, but how well they understood them, warts and all. I think what makes Hamilton unique is that they show how human and flawed the most revered people in history can be, but they also show that their flaws don’t cancel out the good that they did.
There are many familiar people in this program talking about our history and Hamilton, the man and the show. You’ll all be happy to see our favorite Senator from Massachusetts 🙂 She’s brilliant, as always. President Obama has a lot of very eloquent things to offer as well.
I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil it. I really want you all to try and watch Hamilton’s America if you can. If you have a Roku, it’s on the PBS station until 11/18/2016, that’s where I watched it. I believe it may also be on the PBS website and may be time limited there as well. It’s runs for 1:22.
I hope you love it as much as I did and I’m looking forward to some discussions about the show, the people involved, the history of our country and how this all still applies today and anything else that it moves you to talk about.
Happy viewing!
More Posts by GrannyMumantoog
Granny, thanks…
Hillary Clinton Is Blazing a Momentous Trail
Eugene Robinson
Not enough has been made of two obvious facts: Hillary Clinton, if she wins, would be the first woman elected to the White House. And it will have been the votes of women who put her there.
Granny, thanks for the Post. Yes I guess I should watch Hamilton’s America, because the likelihood that I’ll ever get a ticket to Hamilton is somewhere between slim and nonexistent.
To another issue, Hillary needs to get out front on this reimbursement that the Pentagon is asking from California National Guard members who were paid bonuses to reenlist to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. She needs to demand the reimbursement stop immediately. And she needs to do it before the idiot drumpf does it.
Florida spirals away from Trump
With the GOP nominee trailing in poll after poll and lacking a ground game, a low turnout may be Trump’s only hope of carrying the state.
By Marc Caputo
Clinton ‘appalled’ by effort to recoup veterans’ bonuses
By Cristiano Lima
#NASTYWOMAN
Samantha Bee Gets ‘Nasty’ for Hillary: Trump ‘Confused Abortions With Bear Attacks’
TheFull Frontalhost put on a ‘Nasty Woman’ T-shirt and tore into Donald Trump for his third debate abortion nonsense.
Wow, this has to be the best one yet!!!
pogo, what’s behind the reneging on bonus, inspector general reports? congressional committee oversight pressure? somebody’s gored ox?
watch how the 2nd part* of Hillary’s statement will no doubt be twisted somehow to accuse her of not backing the military and slamming the guard as a whole.
*”It is unacceptable to now subject them and their families to undue financial burdens thanks to to mismanagement from the California National Guard and rigid bureaucracy on the part of the Pentagon.”
As it turns out, women actually can be president…of other countries. Sam and Madeleine Albright find out more.
Some days I smile.
These students at Liberty U take on Jerry Falwell jr president of the university about his support of Trump in a well reasoned piece in Wapo
Five will get you ten that they knew they were being bad when they took the bonus that is being recouped. Why? Because they had already received one generous bonus covering the same period of service.
The government could forgive the interest that is being charged, and make the repayment terms reflect the financial predicaments that the individuals find themselves in. But, to forgive the improperly claimed/paid bonuses would reward the wrong set of values.
I just saw this in a comment at WaPo’s Fact checker and have to share it.
It was posted by a commenter named DocinDC and he put this link up with it. goo.gl/8smpVS
patd, I don’t know what’s behind the bonus recoupment – I’ve only so far seen tv spots on it, and I just read the LATimes article linked above. I suspect Flatus will have a bit more insight and could post a link to a definitive treatment of the issue.
Dem women poised for record gains in Trump backlash
Question for you political experts regarding the state of California and the Pentagon or whatever forcing military members to repay their re-enlistment bonuses. Does Obama have any kind of power to do anything about that? A friend of mine posted a story about that and commented “What a monster our president is!” Anybody?
Corey, I’m not certain, but I suspect the bonuses were authorized by legislation and that the Pentagon is bound by it. I would think the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Treasury could order that the collection efforts cease if Pres. O told them to, and dared Congress or DOJ to sue them if they didn’t like it.
Reading a follow up article at the LATimes, there is bipartisan support in Congress to stop this.
GrannyM… wish I knew more about Hamilton. You’ve piqued my interest to learn more.
Pogo… Trump’s Gettysburg Address…. ROTFLMAO!
Thank God… only 2 weeks left!
There was fraud involved in the bonuses someone has gone to jail But the people receiving the bonuses were not part of the fraud
the bonuses were only supposed to be paid to certain occupations and skills not through out the guard
I suspect we are not getting the whole story behind the National guard bonuses.
Cory, one point, The President over sees a 2 trillion dollar budget. These bonuses are a really small part of it. So if your friend is looking for an evil person he needs to look for a much smaller fish, burrowed somewhere in a dark corner of the pentagon. (hows that for completely mixing metaphors in a blender?) Obama has real problems he is trying to address. Like getting a sane person elected President.
Jack
Thanks Pogo. I didn’t know if Obama had the authority to do anything about this.
So here is my thought, if these bonuses were written into the enlistment contract then I don’t see how they can come back and demand repayment. It was an offer accepted in good faith. The fact that the government didn’t intend to make the offer is irrelevant, if it is written up in the contract then they did make the offer. If the Bonus was part of the contract then the service men should owe nothing they acted in good faith. But the contracting officer, who signed off on this ,may owe a lot
Jack
Many thanks to GrannyMumantoog for taking the time to write. Pilar’s Post was lovely & welcome also. These two works come from within.
If Hamilton can spark an interest in our history as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series did in reading books, Thank You. We as a species tend to be so wrapped up in the here & now that we forget the reasons why & how we got here.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2016/1023/Thousands-of-Calif.-National-Guard-vets-ordered-to-repay-reenlistment-bonuses
Jack, you are right on target. One soldier who brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of all the soldiers who received the bonuses had his debt forgiven. The Pentagon said it was forgiven because he accepted it in good faith. He had repaid all but $5000 when it was forgiven. DoJ then moved to dismiss the suit as moot. Talk about cynical!
The payments are the result of a written contract between an individual and the government. The amount of the payment(s) and the timing of them is specified and is based on whether or not there is a shortage of the individual’s skill projected over the time-frame of the contract. The individual, if already contracted for that period, cannot opt for a better deal. Likewise, the individual cannot quit nor change availability or specialty during the period except under conditions specified in the contract.
To suggest that the already contracted troops were duped into accepting money to which they weren’t entitled for future service which for which they were already contracted and rewarded suggests that they were unsophisticated individuals unfamiliar with the military pay system. To which I say, bullshit. They tried to game the system and got caught.
while i was just engaging in a little fantasy with my comment about voting for Trump if he guaranteed term limits and enacted campaign financial reform…..it was just that….a little bit of nothing……relax, the two party system wont let anything like that happen……another one of my fantasies is to have at least 3-4 partys to vote from…..they would need proof of not being a robot……i have a few fantasies….but the reality is that i will be voting for Hillalry……will wait 4 year and see what she does for all of the country……what is best for the whole country is what-what was behind my comment…….but in really thinking about it for a few hrs………and there were someone to guarantee these thing the next time around…..even if it were to be the first Mexican, Indian……..not even all of the anger that i could muster, would keep me from voting for the those vital needs that imo would cure the country………..
XR and Bink
im so vain, I probably thought those posts were about me…..
🙂
Granny M
I meant to ask if anyone else had seen Hamilton’s America. For all those who didn’t, it truly is a must see for the genius that is Lin-Manuel, the history behind the show, and what it takes to actually get a major production to Broadway.
In the meantime, the book on which the show is based Alexander Hamilton by Chernow
PBS
I may not live long enough to see it, but a film of Hamilton with the original cast has been made and will be seen sometime in the next decade.
They say that Hamilton was not a president…..but
If the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and the Constitution in 1789, and if George Washington was not inaugurated until April 30, 1789, who were the presidents for those first thirteen years?
The truth is, the United States had 14 presidents who ran the country through the first government, the Continental Congress, which started in 1774………lots of fun can be had by fantasizing a little……….even if it was real and not fiction……later
And, on a more cheerful note
People who should not be seen in public after this mess include Kelley Ann Condom and Sarah Huckabee —
turns out trump’s big crowds in fla are his employees
Jill Stein is endorsing Trump what a fool
RR, I’ve been trying to send you a note but your email is bouncing back.
Presidents of the Continental Congress before George Washington elected President
Mr Sturgeone,
I never noticed that you were vain, but I may need a hearing aid.
I know you have a trebled soul.
Craig: Thanks for adding the picture. I wanted to add something but wasn’t sure how…problem solved 🙂
Pogo: Same boat here, I have to live my love for Broadway vicariously watching YouTube bootlegs & local productions 🙁
Renee: I didn’t know much about him either until I watched Hamilton’s America. We owe him a lot!
sjwny: There is a scene in Hamilton’s American of M. Obama talking to a group of young people who are so excited about Hamilton! That is one of the things that struck me was how this is connecting with the younger generation.
Jamie: You just made my day! Can’t wait to buy the film version of Hamilton! Is the release being delayed? If so, why? Thanks for adding the videos too. I should note that when Hamilton first burst onto the scene and was talked about so much a couple years ago, I wasn’t sure it would be something I’d want to see. I hate rap and hip-hop so I didn’t think I’d like it. After seeing Hamilton’s American and all the videos I’ve watched & hearing the music, I can now see how Lin-Manuel Miranda’s genius created something that just works. Hamilton’s America really showed me how each type of music was done in a way that helped tell the story of the character by the actor who was performing it.
Solar: You are so right! That is one thing that struck me in Hamilton’s America…how much of what we take for granted now is actually something he created! He didn’t have the title President but he accomplished more than many Presidents we’ve had.
That reimbursement thing seems totally wacked! If you sign a contract in good faith, you shouldn’t have to repay anyone! How is this even an issue?
Back in ’48, the Tribe had one of the greatest pitchers ever, Satchell Paige
“I use my single windup, my double windup, my triple windup, my hesitation windup, my no windup. I also use my step-n-pitch-it, my submariner, my sidearmer and my bat dodger. Man’s got to do what he’s got to do.”
Flatus, I’m not so harsh on the recruits. Seems to me they took what they were offered by recruiters who were not being clear about what they were offering. The delay in the Pentagon seeking reimbursement raises doubts in my mind. My understanding is that one of the recruiters is in Kansas now. I expect to see action stopping the reimbursement effort.
Ignoramus re military law here. Is there something like a statute of limitations ? Or, is it like the IRS – a threat for all eternity ?
Solar
Before the adoption of the constitution there was no United States of America. there may have been organisations with the same or similar names but Our country started with the constitution. That makes the 13 organising states older than the country.
Jack
Craig… I just sent you an email.
Solar… well… sometimes it’s impossible to tell if you’re serious, joking, or just fantasizing. Whatever… I just like to kick your ass every once in a while. Judy told me you needed it.
Pogo, I don’t believe these were recruits. Rather, they were fully trained individuals who did not have enough retention left on their current enlistments to complete an oversea assignment.
The purpose of the bonus is to fully recoup the government’s investment in the training of these individuals by incentivizing them to reenlist. With the fraudulent payments, they were ‘double-incentivized’; once each under two separate programs for the same time period. They are lucky they aren’t being tried for fraud.
Oh yeah, Oh yeah………dont kick too hard….dont have a lot of padding any more…….can you just paddle me a little instead……or maybe that would be Seas job………
Jack,
Thanks for that….and thanks for reminding me to look a little further into things……..just a little more thinking on my part and……..
Holy term limits…………Jamie…..thanks for that link…..some of them only lasted a cpl of days…some a cpl of months..and some a cpl of years……….loved it!
I don’t see , and it may be that I just don’t understand, how accepting a bonus that incentivizes me to reenlist for 6 years that I have no obligation to reenlist for otherwise is fraud if I fulfill the 6 year reenlistment. If I opt out early, I get it, but if I stay I can’t see the fraud. I do understand the job specific restriction, but I’m not sure the military didn’t have an obligation to enforce or at least clarify the soldiers’ obligation to remain in that job or forfeit the bonus.
Here’s the fraud. It’s 1995 I accept a bonus of $10k under program ‘x’ to re-up for six years in 1996. Three months later, I accept a bonus of $15K under program ‘y’ to re-up for six years in 1996. There is only one of me. The government hoped to get enough re-ups under program ‘x’. They didn’t meet goals so initiated program ‘y’. Soldiers having $10k under program ‘x’ received their incentive. If goals had been met early, they could still keep their $10k so long as they filed for it before program curtailment. Who knows, if everybody waited a little longer, there might have been a program ‘z’ for $22k. Would these fraudsters then be trying for a total of $47k? “Wah, I didn’t understand…”
The fraud was committed by those issuing the bonuses, not the recipients
Under those circumstances I see where there would be fraud. But it’s not clear from what I read that the issue was re-enlistees receiving 2 bonuses. If they did, I agree with you. But I don’t see any of that in the LAT articles (and here)
But there certainly was fraud.
Sounds to me like it was a top down, not a bottom up, fraud if it was fraud at all.
Pogo, Flatus,
Cpl of thoughts: I have to agree with Kath…..it was not the recipients fault. They would have had recorded payment of the first 10k re-up for 1995 along with any pay increase, promotions etc, etc on their pay records….when they get married, housing, it all goes down on paper……a way of keeping track of them….it should have been caught right away?
This I know, the facts are unclear. With the scenario as I described, I believe the individuals would be responsible for repayment of the principal; waiving of the interest would be a reasonable accommodation.
If the facts are as the L.A. Times has described things, a special bill should be introduced waiving repayment of everything and replenishing the coffers of those who have already repaid.
I don’t understand the Master Sgt being in federal prison unless she had her hand in the kitty. Why just her and not the officers?
We are not being given the whole story.
fantastic 4 page endorsement! gives good breakdown of her policies. very positive.
new Yorker:
The New Yorker Endorses Hillary Clinton
The election of Hillary Clinton is an event that we would welcome for its historical importance, and greet with indescribable relief.
ByThe Editors
excerpt from above for a taste:
Hillary Clinton’s vision and temperament are the opposite of her opponent’s. She has been a pioneer throughout her life, and yet her career cannot be easily reduced to one transcendent myth: she has been an idealist and a liberal incrementalist, a glass-ceiling-smashing lawyer and a cautious establishmentarian, a wife and mother, a First Lady, a rough-and-tumble political operator, a senator, a Secretary of State. Her story is about walking through flames and emerging changed, warier and more determined. In her intelligence, in her gimlet-eyed recognition of both the limits and the possibilities of government, she’s a particular kind of inspirational figure, a pragmatist and a Democratic moderate. We wish that Clinton faced a worthy opponent: she deserves a less sullied, more substantive win. But her claim to our support goes far beyond the nihilism of the alternative. It is also notable that she has chosen as a running mate Tim Kaine, a highly capable politician with a record of genuine compassion;….
World Series 2016
Red Sox fans have a lot to root for on both sides:
Indians:
Tito..Terry Francona Manager
Brad Mills Bench Coach
Coco Crisp Outfield
Mike Napoli 1st base/DH
Andrew Miller Pitcher
Cubs:
Theo Epstein President of Baseball Operations
Jon Lester Pitcher
David Ross Catcher
John Lackey Pitcher
Anthony Rizzo 1st base
Good luck to Tito’s Indians
Good luck to Theo’s Cubs
Should be a great series no matter who wins. But it would be fun to see another “curse” bite the dust 🙂
BTW, Flatus, I plan to watch the Tribe and the Cubbies slug it out in game 1 tonite. At least I’ll do check ins to see how it’s going. You?
Flatus, good question. ~~~ I’m sure the facts would support the unequal treatment of officers versus the NCO ~~~, and I do agree with you on all counts in your 2:40 comment. There are obviously facts we aren’t aware of wrt the bonuses – I suspect they will be fleshed out before long.
Granny, what’s with the Red Sox not liking pitchers?
the problem with the Obama care opposition is a lot of people are happy with the coverage
Pogo
I’ll be watching and recording our Indians (Fox@2000Eastern). Being at a game you know instantaneously when something is happening–not so with teevee. That’s why I don’t feel disloyal in not watching every moment if something else comes up–like bedtime.
Come on Pat the Cubbies are playing , this is Harry’s song
Bill Weld sort of suggesting people not vote for Gary Johnson
Flatus – bedtime may be an issue, as is tonight being opening night of the NBA (thank god it’s back) and the Cavs hanging the Championship banner.
Pogo: Ha! Good one! 😀 It broke my heart when we lost Andrew Miller. I think he was injured at the time but I thought he was worth waiting for. Lester had a resurgence after he left so I’m happy for him. Lackey is fun to watch but he’s at the end of his career. I hope we get a great ace for next year, they’ve made some bad trade decisions over the years that’s for sure! All started with the Babe who was actually a pitcher when he was in Boston :/
So for once the series has an interesting twist – it’s between the 2 teams with the longest championship droughts in the leagues.
If yer lookin for treble, you come to the right bass…..
Well-timed “16 For ’16: The Contenders” tonight, profiling Geraldine Ferraro & Sarah Palin. The series lets the Reporters that covered the various candidates give background. Lynn Sherr was excellent talking about Ferraro.
Sea Bass ? Largemouth ? Striped ? You got the bass, I got the perfect treble hook for it.
I s’pose I should be watching the history making baseball game instead of playing games with our Music Man.
Good night so far for Believeland. Cavs up by 22 halfway through the 4th an the Tribe up by 2 bottom of the 4th.
Make that 3 for the Tribe.
Make that 29 for the Cavs. And the win.
Cook Political Report Predicts Dems Will Win Up To Seven Senate Seats
Lauren Fox
The Cook Political Report reported Tuesday morning that Democrats will take back their majority and win five to seven Senate seats in November.
Here’s a little amusement for those not watching the game. Lizzie was asked about Curt Schilling:
6 inning about to start Indians 3 Cubbies 0
Secretary Powell endorses Hillary
Hillary Clinton is matching Barack Obama with young voters
Updated by Jeff Stein
Cubs taking bus back to Chicago tonight–citing threat of reign in Cleveland
Flatus, LOL. Good night in Believeland. 1 inning away from a great one.
Perez homered again, this time scoring Guyer and Chisenhall. 6-0 Cleveland, and still the bottom of the 8th.
Now 6-0.1 down in the 9th.
Alright, alright, alright. Tribe takes game 1 at 6-0. Great night in Believeland.
Sweetie’s Grandma is dancing in heaven. She listened to every Indians game on the radio from the early ’20s to the mid-’90s.