Congratulations (1988) – The Traveling Wilburys

Posted on June 3, 2021 by observationblogger — 6 Comments
The Traveling Wilburys 1988

There are supergroups and then there are the Traveling Wilburys (TW). It’s a shame they made just 2 records – Volume 1 and Volume 3. Today’s song Congratulations is the first song to appear in this Music Library Project from them. What entails the ‘Music Library Project’?
I imagine all songs from their impeccable Volume 1 record will appear here. The Travelling Wilburys consisted of some of the greatest talent in contemporary rock history – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

Congratulations is sung and written by Bob Dylan and performed in his irrepressible nasally tone. This album was played incessantly in our household. I remember my mother mocking me constantly singing Congratulations by accentuating Dylan’s nasal delivery. She had me in stitches. My next door neighbour who happened to be my Geography teacher and table tennis coach at high school also played the Volume 1 record on repeat in his van driving us on long trips to tournaments. This record certified triple platinum you could argue helped revitalise the careers of Dylan and Petty.

Congratulations for bringing me down
Congratulations, now I’m sorrow bound
Congratulations, you got a good deal
Congratulations, how good you must feel

I think what I enjoy most about this song is Dylan’s repetitive delivery of Congratulations and its morbid fascination bordering on grim humor – like he’s taking the piss. Congratulations wasn’t released as a single, but it was one of 4 songs from the album which Dylan was credited as writing for the album. The others were Dirty World, Tweeter and the Monkey Man (which was apparently intended as either a parody of or tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s early, verbose songs), and the bonus track “Like a Ship”.

Since many other songs will appear from this Grammy Award winning album, I will not over extend this post. Much more will be discussed about the legendary Volume 1 album as subsequent songs pop up. If you can’t bide your time I recommend you take a look at the insightful ‘making of’ documentary about the Traveling Wilburys below, preluding today’s featured song – Congratulations.

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Stop the Press – Pierre Kory & Bret Weinstein

Posted on June 2, 2021 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

Edited 3/8/2021 I trusted what was said on the banned episodes of the Darkhorse podcast and even wrote articles about them in support of their arguments (such as the article below). Based on the recent interview by Rebel Wisdom with Yuri Deigin called Yuri Deigin Responds to Bret Weinstein on Vaccines, Ivermectin & Quillette and the data presented within I will now stop taking Ivermectin and get the Vaccine. Thanks Rebel Wisdom for showing both sides. I don’t disrespect those still unwilling to take the vaccine because people should remain free to decide what they chose for their bodies to be administered. But my own mind has been made up after waiting out a little bit of time to see what extra data and information surfaced about the efficacy and safety of the Vaccines. Cheers.

I have repeatedly mentioned about Dr. Pierre Kory’s pleads to congress (which were subsequently treated as Fake by Facebook and banned from You Tube) and Brett Weinstein and Heather Heying’s discussions about alternative treatment to COVID.

Now finally the two have come together to discuss the path that was taken by authorities and how Pierre’s authority and expertise was treated since the Pandemia hit. I’m unsure how much time this video will stay on You Tube since his testimony to congress has been pulled repeatedly.

As Dr. Pierre Kory says here ‘where in history has censorship been a good thing?’

For a breakdown: at 33.00 Kory talks about Ivermectin and its origins.

Ivermectin was discovered by Satoshi Ōmura. One soil sample collected near a golf course southwest of Tokyo, was remarkably effective against worms. The new compound, called ivermectin, was commercialised as a product for animal health in 1981 and soon became a top-selling veterinary drug in the world. What’s remarkable is the source, the soil in this location – you can only find it in that place. You can’t find it anywhere else.

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Health, politics

The Kookaburra Moment Part II

Posted on June 2, 2021 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

This Wednesday’s literature extract resumes from where Part 1 left us:

Susan and I peered from inside, praying the kookaburra didn’t fly away. I looked at Susan as she smeared her hand across her mouth in a vain attempt to suppress her giggles. It was the most buoyant I’d seen her. Susan watched with care, but never with a face so radiant. She was glowing. Susan normally dressed with care too. That was Susan. Rarely in jeans or sloppy jumpers. But tonight she dressed like that, hair up, no make up – lively, but at home. She even pushed me with a laugh seeing our kids. We were in the same sphere.  My eyes became as wide as hers gazing at the kids.

I was not sure if I was seeing her for the first time. May be she had been like that before, but I hadn’t noticed. Perhaps it was hidden in the dark when we first woke or went to sleep at night or when she was kissing me more than I was kissing her. Did I have my eyes closed?

The kookaburra stuttered along the wooden rail above my daughter’s arms, pitching up pieces of meat with its pointy beak and catching them halfway down its throat.  Trying to get a better vantage point suddenly Johanna fell over Jessica’s leg. The bird jolted fluttering its wings, but didn’t fly away. My heart was in my mouth. Johanna eventually leant up on her arms and muttered to us, about to sulk. Susan stood up, threw open the sliding door and ran to Joh scooping her up into her buxom chest. I wondered how the sliding door still remained on track and the kookaburra kept persisting.

I was now the gawking bird perusing the scene; their excited voices muted by the sliding door in front of me but their body language and facial expression spoke more than words. I knew “I was lucky to have her”. I reminded myself.

I glanced at the kookaburra wondering how it still felt safe. It meandered the ledge maybe frustrated by all the human commotion delaying its main course. Joh then kicked her legs against Susan’s torso. “Please put me down now Mummy”!

Mesmerised, I watched this and merged two inner parts of myself, my child and adult self. They came together at this spot. I planted my hands against the sliding door – splotching the glass. At any other time Susan’s blood would have boiled about my smearing the glass, but she was engrossed like the kids and bubbling at the kookaburra’s feather-brain antics. Every few seconds she turned to me through the glass door laughing.

I noticed her eyes welling up with tears of unbridled laughter.
My eyes became glassy too as I looked at her and the children. 

A tear rolled down my cheek. “What is this?” I asked myself.
Soon, I immediately understood. Everything has culminated up to this point in time to let me know – that this is my summit.
My Everest.

Next week Part 3 (final).

Tagged with:
Posted in Reading, Reflections

Concerto For Flute And Harp K. 299; 2nd Movement (1778) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Posted on June 1, 2021 by observationblogger — 2 Comments
Wolfgang and his mother Anna Maria Mozart travelled to Paris in 1778

No other classical music composer will appear in this Music Library Project as often as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791). What entails the ‘Music Library Project’?
This gorgeous concerto was included on the soundtrack of one of all my all time favourite movies Amadeus. He wrote the Concerto For Flute And Harp while staying for the second time in Paris with his 57 year-old mother Anna Maria who tragically died during their stay in June 1778 just 4 months after he wrote this commissioned piece.

According to the Mozart.com timeline, the young 22 year-old’s time in Paris even prior to his mother’s passing was ‘one disappointment after another’ Mozart wrote to his father: “Now I have to wait half an hour in a freezing, unheated room without a fireplace.” Whatever he tried, was to no avail. Only by taking on some music students was he able to support himself and his mother. One of those music students was Marie-Louise-Philippine, the daughter of Adrien-Louis de Bonnières, duc de Guînes who commissioned Mozart to write a concert for flute. Adrien-Louis who had served as a French Army general was a flutist himself. Mozart stated in a letter to his father that he thought the duke played the flute “extremely well” and that Marie’s playing of the harp was “magnifique”.

Despite these sporadic commissions it is said that while Mozart was out, getting rebuffed by Parisian nobility again and again, his mother lingered in a dark, cold room, suffering from hunger. Ana Maria was a simple housewife who had given up everything for her son. Meanwhile Mozart could not understand why the Parisians were not raving about him. How different the times had been when as the child prodigy Mozart at 7 years old was welcomed with open arms by the Parisian aristocracies and presented at Court at Versailles.

At the time this composition for Flute and Harp were written, they were considered an extremely unusual combination. The harp was still in development and considered a ‘plucked piano’ rather than a standard orchestral instrument. Perhaps Mozart’s opinion was analogous to those times because he would not write another composition for the harp again, but the result was a charming and joyous work. According to wikpedia the concerto is often played by chamber ensembles, because it is technically and elegantly challenging for both the solo instruments it calls for. It is also often played by orchestras to display the talents of their own flautists and harpists.

References:
1. Wikipedia – Concerto_for_Flute, Harp,_and_Orchestra (Mozart)
2. Mozart.com Timeline – A Dark Chapter in the History of his Life
3. Redlands Symphony – Concerto for Flute & Harp, K. 299

Tagged with: ,
Posted in Music

24/5 – 30/5/21 The Hit, Dylan Story, Ivermectin Study & Sam Harris’ audience

Posted on May 31, 2021 by observationblogger — 10 Comments

news on the march

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

Video presentation at Foolish Baseball

I have presented videos before from this fantastic baseball production hit on You Tube. I have found all their videos highly entertaining and informative for the lay baseball fan like me. I came to baseball late in life, after having moved to the Americas. Suffice to say my knowledge of its history and key statistical data is still under developed, but Foolish Baseball has been an invaluable education resource about these 2 crucial facets of the game.

Today’s video discusses the most crucial statistical data kept on baseball known as cWPA. You may have heard of WPA win probability added, but cWPA is championship win probability added and the baseball hit praised here as the greatest of all time sits at the top of Everest as far as baseball stats are concerned. THE HIT was in the 1960 World Series between the Yankees and Pirates, which was capped off by a Bill Mazeroski walkoff home run. To this day, it is the only Game 7 walkoff home run in the World Series. But this wasn’t even THE HIT!!! (watch full video presentation here)

Video Interview at Otis Gibbs

Chuck Mead tells a hilarious Bob Dylan story about when BR549 toured with the great one. It was published on Bob’s 80th birthday on May 24 this year. I have heard and read so many intriguing insider stories about Bob and I even published a great one here about when Dylan was picked up by the cops. But, I think the Chuck Mead’s recount here about when he played for Bob tops the previous one. It has one of the most bemusing endings one could hope for. A must see for Dylan fans and / or rock-history enthusiasts. (Watch full interview here)

Video presentation by Dr. John Campbell

This video inspired me (amongst other resources) to buy Ivermectin today and prescribe myself the doses as a prophylaxis for COVID in preparation for upcoming vacations with my children to Jungle country, not too far south from Bogotá. COVID is rampant here and the vaccines are slow to be dispersed and not widely available comparative to 1st world countries.  (I am not a medical professional and individuals should seek their doctor’s advice before taking any new medication)

This presentation discusses a research study about the role of Ivermectin in India, specifically the Prophylactic role of ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are vulnerable to getting infected withSARS-CoV-2 and the prevention of HCWs from getting infected is a priority to maintain healthcare services. This study investigated the therapeutic and preventive role of ivermectin in COVID-19 and shows some eye-opening results. (Watch full video presentation here)

Video presentation excerpt at Lex Clips

Sam Harris has featured a lot in my blog. I found him a very engaging and thoughtful podcaster and philosopher. But his persistent and tiresome verbal bashing of Trump and his supporters in the lead up to the last US election left me disenchanted to say the least and his announcement of turning in his IDW (intellectual Dark Web) membership card put a great strain on my willingness to continue seeking his opinion. Despite not even being a supporter of Trump, I confess I am one of the frustrated followers he alludes to in the interview here because of his perverse obsession with Trump’s character yet unwillingness to address the effectiveness on Trump’s policies while in office.

I would like Sam to address with all his rational objectivity the state of the world today since Trump left office, specifically the US economy (inflation, unemployment and immigration) and US foreign policy (Middle East Relations and the Socialist uprising in Latin America). (Watch full video excerpt here)

news on the march the end

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in Health, Music, News, politics, Science, Sport and Adventure

Como Yo (2007) – Juan Luis Guerra

Posted on May 27, 2021 by observationblogger — Leave a comment
Juan Luis Guerra in 2007 with his 5 Latin Grammy awards

The songs from one of Latin America’s most successful music artists Juan Luis Guerra are coming thick and fast here at the Music Library Project. What entails the ‘Music Library Project’?
It’s not surprising given the vast discography of excellent music which has become well and truly embedded in Latin culture. From my experience, there is no other singer-songwriter who gets more airplay on the radio, and today’s song Como Yo (Like Me) is one of his most popular hits.

Unlike the previous 3 songs to feature here which all came from the landmark 1990 album Bachata Rosa, Como Yo is from Juan Luis’ 2007 5 times grammy award-winning album – (The Key to My Heart). The night before the Latin Grammy Awards, he received the Academy’s Person of the Year Award for his contribution to Latin music and for his philanthropy. Here in Colombia La Llave de mi Corazon sold 17,000 copies in just 3 days of being released. Como Yo reached No 21 on US Latin Tracks.

Look, I’ve seen Plácido Domingo sing in Rigoletto
From Beethoven Fidelio and the Nine Symphonies
Brandenburg Concerts and a Muscovite Choir
But nothing compares to your pretty face

How I love you, how I long for you
If you are not here, I do not know how to live
How I love you, how I long for you
If you are not here, I am not happy, oh no no

Look, I’ve seen Monet’s Agapanthus at the MOMA
I have seen the works of Van Gogh and Picasso
exhibited The Foliage of Cézanne and the Mona Lisa
But nothing compares to your pretty face

(Loose english translation)

I really like the upbeat tempo, catchy melody, and animated delivery in contrast to the desperate lyrics. A lot of the great music in history has this juxtaposition between the melody and words. It grabs the listener straight off the bat and it’s hard not to feel uplifted by it at least based on my listening experience. In contrast to the Bachata style of music from the 3 previous entries, Como Yo has a more commercial Latin Pop sound. In fact, it is better described as part of the Merengue genre of music which like the Bachata also originates from the Dominican Republic where Juan Luis is from. What distinguishes Merengue music from other styles is how I have described it above – upbeat and rapid tempo and festive atmosphere.

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Como Abeja Al Panal (1990) – Juan Luis Guerra

Posted on May 25, 2021 by observationblogger — 4 Comments
Juan Luis Guerra

Como Abeja Al Panel (Like a Bee to the Honeycomb) is the third song to feature from Juan Luis Guerra in this Music Library Project. What entails the ‘Music Library Project’?
All three songs so far are from Guerra’s hugely popular 1990 Bachata Rosa. Juan Luis is one of my favourite Latin artists. I imagine that more songs will appear from him here than any other Latin artist in my collection.

Como Abeja Al Panel follows very much the genre of ‘Bachata’ music which originated from Domincan Republic where Juan Luis is from. The album Bachata Rosa which sold over 5 million copies catapulted the genre onto the international stage. For more information about the genre ‘Bachata’ I refer you to my post about the Bachata Rosa.

Como Abeja al Panal was the first single released from the album. It peaked at 31 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. Interestingly it reached No 55 on the Netherlands single chart. It’s a very romantic song and wonderfully written by Juan Luis. Not only was he blessed with a stellar voice, he is also a naturally gifted songwriter of the old school.

When I come to your door
The bee reaches the honeycomb
The bee comes to the honeycomb,
Hey! Love me like I love you…

Look for me like a bee to the honeycomb
Drink the honey of my life
Hey! Love me
Just once, look and find me
So that my wound heals.

(loose English translation)

Prior to the release of Bachata Rosa, Bachata was generally regarded as lower-class music in the Dominican Republic and did not receive media attention. After Guerra released the album, bachata became socially accepted by the middle- and upper-classes. In 2015, Billboard listed Bachata Rosa as one of the Essential Latin Albums of Past 50 Years stating that “Guerra created an uplifting, love-themed experience from start to finish and stretched Bachata’s limits by playing with merengue, salsa and Afro-Caribbean rhythms”

References:
1. Bachata Rosa -wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

18/5/21 – 23/5/21 Ignoring Lab leak and Ivermectin is “Crime of the Century” (from Livestream #80)

Posted on May 24, 2021 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

news on the march

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

Edited 3/8/2021 I trusted what was said on the banned episodes of the Darkhorse podcast and even wrote articles about them in support of their arguments (such as the article below).  I continue to be repulsed about the mass censuring by You Tube / Twitter / Facebook of pro-Ivermectin or Anti Vaccine presentations But, based on the recent interview by Rebel Wisdom with Yuri Deigin called Yuri Deigin Responds to Bret Weinstein on Vaccines, Ivermectin & Quillette and the data presented within I will now stop taking Ivermectin and get the Vaccine at the first available opportunity. Thanks Rebel Wisdom for showing both sides. I don’t disrespect those still unwilling to take the vaccine because people should remain free to decide what they chose for their bodies to be administered. But my own mind has been made up after waiting out a little bit of time to see what extra data and information surfaced about the efficacy and safety of the Vaccines. Now I have at least what satisfies me to take the Vaccine plunge. Cheers and thanks for reading.

The following podcast excerpt is from Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying‘s podcast about how Dr Kory’s senate hearing regarding Ivermectin had been taken down from You Tube or labelled fake on Facebook. I had mentioned about this hearing on an earlier ‘News on the March‘. 

As an aside below are interesting comments from the video:

After Pierre Kory’s testimony Democrat Gary Peters of Michigan called Kory’s testimony a partisan stunt by the Republican Ron Johnson. Later Kory stated he was a lifelong democrat – not a republican.

And this…

Valley View seniors home in Toronto witnessed a scabies outbreak and all the senior residents were put on Ivermectin. The entire staff was infected with Covid but all the seniors escaped from Covid infection as they were on Ivermectin. This happened in February 2020.. The story was quietly dumped by the mainstream media and the big pharmaceutical corporates. Even WHO didn’t investigate it further. It was sort of miracle. The big pharmaceutical corporates knew it from the beginning that Ivermectin effective in treating Covid patients and as a therapeutic treatment too.. Thereafter Australian study came out, a single dose of Ivermectin reduces the viral load by 93 % within 48 hours..!!!

Ignoring lab leak and ivermectin is “crime of the century” (from Livestream #80)

Weinsteins

news on the march the end

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Health, Movies and TV, News, Science

Great Moments in Sport – Phil Mickelson PGA 2021 Champion

Posted on May 23, 2021 by observationblogger — 11 Comments
Phil Mickelson wins the PGA Championship an hour ago as the oldest ‘Mayor’ winner in the history of golf.

This special edition article is presented because I like to share great sporting moments as I see fit. The last time I did this was when my beloved Australian Football team ‘Richmond Tigers‘ won their third premiership in 4 years. This year they have their backs up against the wall to accomplish the 3-peat because their 5 best midfielders are injured. If Richmond somehow won the premiership for their third in a row at 5 wins 5 losses so far this season considering their injuries and the clear umpiring bias (to even the competition because that’s how society is now), then I would consider my Tiges the greatest team dynasty in the history of sport.

Pardon me, I got sidetracked there. The reason for today’s post is to highlight Phil Mickelson’s win today at the PGA Championship. Lets break down why this win will go down in the annals like Tiger Woods comeback win at the 2019 Masters. Firstly Phil Mickelson is 50 years old and he was paying 280-1 before the tournament to win. I had watched him in previous tournaments leading up to this Mayor and personally I had written him off at even being able to contend let alone win another mayor. I wouldn’t normally do that with a 5 time Mayor winner (now six time), but I did based on his ‘game’ leading into this.

It’s weird I follow golf because its one of the few sports I didn’t have any flair at competing in my youth. I was so bad at it. Like really bad! I remember my father confessing to me after my wrists jerked involuntarily at every putt, ‘Umm perhaps this sport isn’t for you son’. Even in my twenties I tried to master it, playing by myself at obscure courses in Canberra, but I couldn’t get a grip on it literally and metaphorically. My father and brother were solid players and I suppose it’s because of their passion I came back to respecting it later in life. Also as we are perpetually in lockdown here, what the f/&k else will I watch (509 people died today). It’s a great relief to see these skilful players carefully traverse these wonderful landscapes and watch a rambunctious crowd unmasked cheering on their heroes. That’s the closest to ‘freedom’ I have got in many months.

The following statistic about Phil’s efforts is wild. Ok ready?…
On the 16th at the Kiawah course today, where everyone chasing Phil (who held a 2 shot lead) had to make a go of catching him on this Par 5. Naturally you would expect his younger rivals to easily outdrive him to achieve the ascendency on this hole. But Phil hit the longest drive today on the 16th at 362 yards outdoing anyone on the course today at the moment most critical. Now if that isn’t the stuff of sporting legend I don’t what is. He now is the oldest Mayor champion in history. That is extraordinary when you consider that the Mayors have existed since the mid 1800s.

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Sport and Adventure

Coming Around Again (1987) – Carly Simon

Posted on May 22, 2021 by observationblogger — 3 Comments

This song by Carly about romance and family is really well written and beautifully sung. I have always loved hearing it since being a young-en. It reminds me of when things were much more simple. Now we live in times when Cardi B and Megan scissor each other on stage at the Grammys and that is to be applauded or else. How times have changed!

Baby sneezes
Mummy pleases
Daddy breezes in
So good on paper
So romantic
But so bewildering

I know nothing stays the same
But if you’re willing to play the game
It’s coming around again
So don’t mind if I fall apart
There’s more room in a broken heart

The song seems to me be about compromise and following what your heart tells you. It’s how love can evolve and transform into family despite the hardships along the way in forging such a union. The security of a family unit (like an anchor) cannot be denied as it creates our fondest memories as children and stays with us for the rest of our lives.

Carly wrote the song for the 1987 movie Heartburn, staring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. The part I wrote above about hardships is evidently clear in the movie: the vagaries of domestic life with a man who isn’t fully supportive. Her marriage to James Taylor had ended in divorce, and she had two children. Many of her songs paint a picture of her life at that the time she wrote them according to songfacts.

According to wikipedia – The success of the song began a career resurgence for Simon. It peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard. The video below is part home movie of Carly Simon as a baby and young child with her parents.

Tagged with: ,
Posted in Music

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 783 other subscribers

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨