Etud Op 10 No. 3 (1832) – Frédéric Chopin

Étude Op. 10, No. 3, in E major, is the first piece to appear here from Polish composer Frédéric Chopin. He was a virtuoso pianist from the Romantic period who wrote primarily for piano. Today’s piece was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England as the third piece of his Études Op. 10. This is a slow cantabile study for polyphonic and expressive legato playing.

Despite achieving worldwide fame as a leading musician Chopin only lived until 39 years old. He was a child prodigy and completed his music education at age 20 and left Warsaw for Paris, France. He gave just 30 public performances preferring the intimacy of the salon. For most of his life, Chopin was in poor health and died in Paris in 1849 probably of pericarditis aggravated by tuberculosis.

Chopin himself believed today’s piece to be the most beautiful he had ever written. He told his German pupil that he “had never in his life written another such beautiful melody” and on one occasion when his student was studying it the master lifted his arms with his hands clasped and exclaimed: ‘O, my fatherland!’ Personally, my favourite by Chopin is Nocturne op.9 No.2. This étude is sometimes identified by the names “Tristesse” (Sadness) or “Farewell (L’Adieu)”, neither is a name given by Chopin, but rather his critics.

References:
1. Étude Op. 10, No. 3 (Chopin) – Wikipedia
2. Frédéric Chopin – Wikipedia

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The AnkiDroid Collection (Part 8) – Neutron Star, Anthropomorphic & Bacteria

Ankidroid additions related to Science, History and Philosophy.
You can find more information about Ankidroid in my post – Learning a Second Language and Ankidroid.

Neutron Star

Neutron Stars have magnetic fields a trillion times that of earth. It’s a type of Pulsar and emits Pulsars from its rapid rotation emitting extremely short variability radio electromagnetic energy. The heavy nuclei contains a ratio of 1.5 neutrons to 1 proton. The weight of a sugar cube on a neutron star would weigh as much as humanity and has 200 billion times the gravitational weight of Earth’s gravitational field. They are the dense remnant (Neutron degeneracy) of a massive dying star (supernova). There are thought to be 1 billion neutron stars in the Universe. White dwarf stars like which our sun will become are made from low mass stars (lower than 10 times the mass of the sun) which results from electron degeneracy.

Anthropomorphic

Anthropomorphism is a term used to describe by having certain human characteristics – the attribution of human characteristics. Examples are Winnie the Pooh or Simba from the Lion King.

Bacteria

A type of biological cell and amongst the first life forms and a branch of microbiology. They possess the genes and enzymes to synthesise Vitamin B(12), which is involved in the metabolism of every cell. Particularly important in the functioning of the nervous system.

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Estrellitas y Duendes (1990) – Juan Luis Guerra

This latina song I could hear over and over and never grow tired listening to. Juan Luis Guerra has featured here many times, but if I had to pick just one song of his which I could have on repeat then Estrellitas y Duendes (Little Stars and Goblins) would be my choice. It is from his famous 1990 record Bachata Rosa which music has featured prominently here.

What is excellent about this song and different than just about any other is the rejection of the typical song structure. Luis just raises the verses from one to the other in intensity and makes the listener expectant of a chorus at some point, but it doesn’t arrive. I have always been a fan of songs which place more emphasis on verses, like Leonard Cohen’s meditative Alexandra Leaving. The chorus’ and bridges especially can take you out of the meaning of the song.
A loose English translation follows:

I will live in your memory
Like a simple downpour
Of stars and goblins
I will wander through your belly
Biting every illusion

You will live in my dreams
Like indelible ink
Like a stain of steel
The language is not forgotten
When two make love

This song gives rise to a thousand interpretations, each more diffuse. I’m still attached to its charm. Life reveals the phrases. Verses in consonant, and a dream band creating the saddest and most beautiful love song.

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20/12 – 26/12/21 Happy XMAS (War is Over), The Mirror & Robin Williams.

news on the march

Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.

John Lennon – Happy XMAS (War is Over)
Music article at PowerPop

Here is another article from a good friend in virtual world, Max at PowerPop. This is one of my favourite contemporary XMAS songs which I listened to countless times as a kid. Christmas day 2021 passed here 2 days ago, but that doesn’t mean we can’t soak some of our wretched hangovers with a bit of John & Yoko Christmas passion!

In 1969 John and Yoko had rented billboard spaces in 12 major cities around the world, for the display of black-and-white posters that declared “WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko”. Two years later this slogan became the basis for this song when Lennon decided to make a Christmas record with an anti-war message…plus John said he was sick of White Christmas.….(Read entire article here)

Everybody Looks into the Mirror
Prose at Intellectual Shaman

Intellectual Shaman is a regular here at News on The March and I am always enlightened to read his poetry. He is so gifted and I hope some day he will be published in actual books.

All one must do in the current state of humanity
is to go to a public place
and wait.
If you don’t think about your dreams
you start to gather a sense of the people.
I go to the gym
where everybody watches each other
inside of mirrors.
The girls look good, with their legs, and pullies, and iPods
and they admire their bodies, and the men talk about sports.
The freak on the treadmill makes strange sounds
and I think about what I want
It all boils down to feelings…
like a chemical soup—sex, fame, adventure, and a good death.
(Read entire prose here)

Robin Williams – The Complete Pioneers of Television Interview – Steven J Boettcher
Video interview at Pioneers of Television

Robin Williams is not one of my favourite comedians, but his ability to be innately funny, eccentric and unpredictable on the spot is mightily impressive. You can see here how his mind takes him to strange, but interesting places and also his humility and transparency to go deep down on how he got to be the legend he became was a pleasure to witness. 

Robin Williams talks about improvising in high school, his time at Julliard, working with Christopher Reeve and John Housman, developing standup, “Mork and Mindy,” Pam Dawber, Richard Pryor, Jonathon Winters, Johnny Carson, Mort Sahl, “Happy Days,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Awakenings,” “Good Morning Vietnam,” entertaining the troops in Afghanistan, and Shakespeare. (Watch entire interview here)

news on the march the end

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Opinion Piece – ‘We are now governed under Chinese-Rule’.

Above is an excerpt of the latest article today from BBC news. Their exists just one of two reasons for such measures. One, the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus is very deadly which we haven’t been told about, on the contrary – all evidence shows that it’s mild.. even less harmful than a variant influenza strain; or we as individuals worldwide are being forced to take further measures shredding our individual liberties unlike previously seen for no real cause after 2 years. Whichever of the two reasons above is correct, we know we are being lied to.

One might argue, ‘But we are not under Chinese rule and it’s just exaggerated conspiratorial thinking! I just spent Christmas with my family and celebrated Saint Nicholas and Jesus Christ and the traditions seem to be in keeping‘. The worldwide tsunami of mandatory requirements since the Pandemic hit and World Economic Forum initiative The Great Reset of neo-Marxist and Post Modernist policies has inundated leaders of Government and nearly all of the institutions and left none of its constituents unscathed in its wake.

They are upping the anti despite myself, my kids under 12 years old being already vaccinated. I had to show my Vaccine passport and ID to enter a fair 2 weeks ago, my kids can’t enter a cinema without it. Vaccinated or not, we still can’t go outside here in Bogotá unmasked after 2 years! My kids haven’t studied in person at school for the same period.
What do these forms of draconian policies and document checking seem like to you? Which society does it appear we are living in now? What a lot of people don’t seem to understand, especially younger generations – ‘Lack of Freedom is more probable than Freedom….(Freedom) is always under threat…‘

I referred in the Mass Formation as precursor to Totalitarianism article to a video by leading expert of the history of Totalitarian regimes – Clinical Psychiatrist Mattias Desmet from Ghent University in Belgium. The video linked in that article has now been pulled down from You Tube.
Based on my estimation all western modern democracies and almost the entire human race now effectively live under Chinese-Rule. We are now governed under a a world-wide socialist-totalitarian regime where all the major institutions are in cohorts dictating the following:

What and where we can enter; what we can see, read and enjoy in quiet moments (see ‘cancel culture’ by mainstream institutions pulling various episodes of Seinfeld, Fawlty Towers and even a Dr Seuss book amongst God knows what else); if my kids can play in a school, where we can watch events if indeed they will occur because of COVID outbreaks. Oh this game cancelled and another and another…
The list goes on about how the normal functioning of society is upended by these wretched policies and almost all of us accept them trying to be ‘good-citizens‘ helping a larger cause. Enough is enough, I say!

I’m surprised by how little time passed after the US Navy (see here), Mattias Desmet, Brett Weinstein, Jonathan Haidt, Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro warned us this was coming and now to see it in full exposition in our lives is something else. The Western democracy and Judaeo-Christian ‘divinity of the individual‘ logos has been shelved. What amazed me was how quickly this would envelope without nearly any opposition by Government – actually they seem all for it just like the major institutions. The oppositional voices are silent.

Follow the money and origin of the virus…The US future of War video makes more sense every day and coming into realisation. We are in deep guano.

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Posted in News, politics, Reflections

Change (2021) – The War on Drugs

I don’t do these impromptu posts often, but when I hear a good thing it makes me just want to expose it, like the David Hobson version of song – Jerusalem a few days ago.
I just finished writing a post about a song from The War on Drugs which will come out on Jan 22nd. But this song on my rest day must come out now. Please watch this from 17.07 in the video below or ideally listen to the first song and then this song.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Still XMAS here and by God are we are blessed with Grace.

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The Small One – A Christmas Story (Bing Crosby)

The Small One

Happy Christmas all! To celebrate this year’s Christmas festivities I would like to present a narration by Bing Crosby of a moving Christmas story called The Small One like I did last year and will continue doing on the 25th. I loved listening to this as a child around Christmas time. It was on the same LP (image above) as Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince which I posted about in May 2 years ago.

According to wikipedia: The Small One is a Charles Tazewell story with musical accompaniment from Victor Young and His Orchestra. Charles Tazewell was a radio playwright and children’s book author, whose work has been adapted multiple times for film…..

I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who has been so supportive of my blog. I feel owing in gratitude to have conversed with you along the way because it has made this venture all the more satisfying. I wish you and all your families a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

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Posted in Reading, Reflections

Hereditary (2018) – Ari Aster (Friday’s Finest)

We have been going on an Australian acting odyssey these recent weeks with movie articles on Geoffrey Rush in Shine, Toni Collete in Muriel’s Wedding and Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, the latter which I saw again for the umpteenth time 2 nights ago. For today’s featured film we embark into the Psychological-Horror realm with the wonderful Toni Collete in lead. Hereditary, alongside Mandy (reviewed here some time ago) were the two best Horror films to come out in the pre-pandemic 2018 film season.

IMDB Storyline:
When her mentally ill mother passes away, Annie (Toni Collette), her husband (Gabriel Byrne), son (Alex Wolff), and daughter (Milly Shapiro) all mourn her loss. The family turn to different means to handle their grief, including Annie and her daughter both flirting with the supernatural. They each begin to have disturbing, otherworldly experiences linked to the sinister secrets and emotional trauma that have been passed through the generations of their family.

I wouldn’t say the genre of supernatural horror is my cup of tea since it contains just so few well-made films, but Hereditary held me in its grip and I had to revisit it to inculcate its ending. This movie about a half-way through contains one of the most jaw-dropping horror scenes I have ever seen. Interestingly, it reflected a real-life incident from 2004 in Marietta, Georgia. Anyone who has seen the film will know the one I am referring to and essentially turns the movie on its head (pun intended). Toni is so good here as the mother of the family beset by supernatural forces.

The film received acclaim from critics, and it made over $80 million on a $10 million budget to become one of the highest-grossing film worldwide. This was writer-director – Ari Aster’s first directorial debut and he originally pitched the film as domestic drama than an outright horror film. He interpreted the film as two halves which are “completely inextricable from each other“. Toni Collete was originally reluctant to work on a horror film, but due to the script’s grounded approach she felt committed to do it. Toni Collette said that Ari Aster was the most prepared director she’s ever worked with.

References:
1. Hereditary (film) – wikipedia
2. IMDB – Hereditary

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Eres Tu (1973) – Mocedades

Eres Tu (It’s You) is one of my favourite Spanish songs. It was written by Juan Carlos Calderón and performed by the Spanish band Mocedades, with Amaya Uranga performing the lead vocal. We are not just talking about any song here, ‘Eres Tu‘ remains one of the few Spanish speaking songs to make the top 10 in the United States.

I brought it up in the comments of another post here, but if you listen to the beginning of Bob Dylan’s – Is Your Love in Vain (1978), it has an uncanny resemblance to the introduction of today’s song Eres Tu. Coincidence or Love and Theft?

In 1967, in the Basque city of Bilbao, three young sisters, including today’s singer Amaya formed a vocal trio singing folk and spiritual music and spent a year performing around their hometown. Producer Juan Carlos Calderón in Madrid took an immediate interest in the group and named them Mocedades, meaning “youths“.
Eres Tu was chosen as the Spanish entry in 1973 for the Eurovision contest. This song also has an English version titled “Touch the Wind” with lyrics by Mike Hawker.
I hope you enjoy the original below.

Like a promise, it’s you, it’s you
Like a summer morning
Like a smile, it’s you, it’s you
So, so, it’s you


All my hope, it’s you, it’s you
As fresh rain in my hands
Like a strong breeze, it’s you, it’s you
So, so, it’s you

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The AnkiDroid Collection (Part 7) – Arthur Schopenhauer, Limbic System & Dark Matter

Ankidroid additions related to Science, History and Philosophy.
You can find more information about Ankidroid in my post – Learning a Second Language and Ankidroid.

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 -1860)

A German philosopher who posthumously influenced many in science and philosophy (Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein and Carl Jung to name a few).

His works have been described as exemplary manifestation of philosophical pessimism. Listen to his Studies in Pessimism here.

Limbic System

A group of subcortical structures of the brain that are concerned with emotion and motivation, especially when it comes to behaviours we need for survival: feeding, reproduction and caring for our young, and fight or flight responses. It is also said that ironically Facebook and Twitter have limbically hijacked our brains.

Dark Matter

A hypothetical form of matter that is thought to account for 85% of the matter in the universe. The mayority of Dark Matter is thought to be composed as of yet undiscovered subatomic particles. Its presence is implied by gravitational effects. Experts think Dark Matter to be ubiquitous in the universe and to have a strong influence on its structure and evolution.

One of the consequences is, it isn’t just space that curves, but the fabric of spacetime itself — is that as masses move around between a distant source and ourselves, the amount of time that it takes light to arrive should shift by very small but measurable amounts.

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