Ankidroid additions related to Science, History and Philosophy. More information about Anki can be found in this article.
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Christian Latin Church between 1000 and 1200 AD (medieval period) to retake land in the Middle East from Muslims. It was intended to conquer Jerusalem. Many drummed up support by using ‘in the name of Jesus Christ‘ as a rallying cry.
Zionism
Zionism is a nationalist movement that emerged in the 1880’s to espouse support for the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, a region roughly corresponding to the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition.
Golda Meir
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to see the above movie Golda starring Helen Mirren as GoldaMeir.
GoldaMeir was an Israeli politician who helped found the state of Israel in 1948 and later served as its 4th prime minister and first and only female head of Government. She was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1898 and died in Jerusalem,1978.
If I was to go back to the dawning of it all, I guess I’d have to start with Buddy Holly. Buddy died when I was about eighteen and he was twenty-two. From the moment I first heard him, I felt akin. I felt related, like he was an older brother. I even thought I resembled him. Buddy played the music that I loved – the music I grew up on: country western, rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm and blues. Three separate strands of music that he intertwined and infused into one genre. One brand. And Buddy wrote songs – songs that had beautiful melodies and imaginative verses. And he sang great – sang in more than a few voices. He was the archetype. Everything I wasn’t and wanted to be. I saw him only but once, and that was a few days before he was gone. I had to travel a hundred miles to get to see him play, and I wasn’t disappointed.
He was powerful and electrifying and had a commanding presence. I was only six feet away. He was mesmerizing. I watched his face, his hands, the way he tapped his foot, his big black glasses, the eyes behind the glasses, the way he held his guitar, the way he stood, his neat suit. Everything about him. He looked older than twenty-two. Something about him seemed permanent, and he filled me with conviction. Then, out of the blue, the most uncanny thing happened. He looked me right straight dead in the eye, and he transmitted something. Something I didn’t know what. And it gave me the chills.
Last weekend the family and I were repeatedly bludgeoned with the first verse of Buddy Holly’s ‘Oh Boy!’. When my 8-year-old daughter Katherine first heard it, it was love at first listen. She tried to mimic Buddy, but it was an indecipherable, rambling mess. ‘Oh Boy!’ 😟
I told her, if you’re going to sing Buddy then get it right. So, we pulled apart each line until she understood its meaning in Spanish. The line Kathy-Path (my nickname for her) had the hardest time with was ‘You don’t know what you’ve been a-missing‘. But we broke it down on Sunday morning over a hearty Colombian breakfast and walk to the park until she nailed it. Even my son Jesus Mateo got in the act (see image inset). Oh Boy! is the third song to appear here from Buddy Holly after his previous entry – Heartbeat.
[Chorus] All of my love All of my kissing You don’t know what you’ve been a-missing Oh boy (Oh boy), when you’re with me Oh boy (Oh boy), the world can see That you, were meant, for me
[Verse 1] All of my life I’ve been a-waiting Tonight there’ll be no, hesitating Oh boy (oh boy), when you’re with me Oh boy (oh boy), the world can see That you, were meant, for me Stars appear and shadows are falling You can hear my heart a-calling A little bit a-loving makes everything right I’m gonna see my baby tonight
[Chorus] All of my love All of my kissing You don’t know what you’ve been a-missing Oh boy (Oh boy), when you’re with me Oh boy (Oh boy), the world can see That you, were meant, for me
Most of the following are excerpts of the Wikipedia article below:
It was written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty. The song was included on the album The “Chirping” Crickets and was also released as the A-side of a single, with Not Fade Away as the B-side. The song peaked at number 10 on the US charts, number 3 on the UK charts in early 1958, and number 26 in Canada. The song was originally recorded as a demo by Sonny West and Petty presented West’s demo to Buddy Holly with the intention of Holly recording the song.
On the BBC’s Classic Albums series in 2019, West said, “I had a decision to make whether to say I want to do it myself and I said ‘No, I want Buddy to do it‘, it can’t hurt anything and if it didn’t work I could go back and do it myself someday.” It was subsequently recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets between June 29 and July 1, 1957, at Norman Petty Studios with Holly singing lead vocals. I have presented below the original studio recording and Buddy’s live appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.
If I didn’t care what the world thought, I would eat all the cake.
What cake?
I don’t know, any cake. Every cake. All the cake ever.
But no, I mean what kind of cake specifically?
Chocolate cake, made of equal parts flour and cocoa, frosted with chocolate ganache, as rich as a miser. Or angel cake, held together by whipped egg whites and prayer, topped with glazed strawberries. Or maybe lemon drizzle, just sour enough for a summer afternoon in Virginia, or one of those Viennese tortes named after Hapsburg princes, with layers of coffee cream and walnuts, studded with history like a museum. Or maybe even wedding cake with piped icing roses, like a moonlit garden. Or birthday cake, or the cake we eat at funerals, mixed from sad memories and pineapple chunks. Or the cake my mother made every Christmas.
I would eat it slowly, slice by delicate slice, until I had eaten all of it. And then I would start on the next one.
Isn’t that just a bit, I don’t know, frivolous? You’d spend your entire life eating cake.
Then let me start over again. If I didn’t care what you think . . .
(The image is Strawberries and Cakes by John F. Francis.)
“Excuse me Dr Peterson but i believe you have dropped your lobster”.
This video is an imagining of what Christopher Hitchens might say about Jordan Peterson. Everything is AI generated except for the photo. This video is a parody, using Christopher Hitchens’ recognized style for lighthearted pop culture commentary.
With the crisp coolness of fall in the air, I figured it was time to dig out my Goonies CD. (Not the amazing soundtrack with Cyndi Lauper, mind you, but the Dave Grusin film score.) Without a doubt, the “Fratelli Chase” scene is the most inspiring, uplifting film motif of my life. (You have heard it in many television commercials, I’m sure.) All my life, I have associated this disjunct, playful melody to the autumn season and a memory of me crossing the neighborhood creek with my best friend when we were kids. We would explore the places no one else would dare go, and this was the music that played in my head.
The Goonies celebrates 80s pop culture, embraces the energy and adventure of 13-year-old Oregonians, and captures the Spielbergian spirit of discovering the unknown. It was a babysitter standard and my coming-of-age companion.
Nina Simone. I used to cross paths with her in New York City in the Village Gate nightclub. She was an artist I definitely looked up to. She recorded some of my songs that she learned directly from me, sitting in a dressing room. She was an overwhelming artist, piano player and singer. Very strong woman, very outspoken and dynamite to see perform. That she was recording my songs validated everything that I was about. Nina was the kind of artist that I loved and admired. – Bob Dylan (Musicares Person of the Year 2015 Award)
If there was ever a song which exuded the sound the album title conveyed, then surely it must go to today’s featured track – I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by the late-great Nina Simone. This widely played version of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement anthem was recorded by Nina Simone in 1967 on her Silk & Soul album. Her voice brings forth such a poignant representation of the words in this song. I Wish I Knew was written by American musician Billy Taylor. Taylor’s original was recorded in 1963, and released on his Right Here, Right Now! album.
I wish I knew how it would feel to be free I wish I could break all the chains holding me I wish I could say all the things that I should say Say ’em loud, say ’em clear For the whole round world to hear
I wish I could share all the love that’s in my heart Remove all the bars that keep us apart I wish you could know what it means to be me Then you’d see and agree That every man should be free
I wish I could give all I’m longing to give I wish I could live like I’m longing to live I wish I could do all the things that I can do Though I’m way overdue, I’d be starting anew
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free is the second song to feature here from Nina Simone after her mesmerising Ain’t Got No, I Got Life (1968). My 2019 article doesn’t do that song the least bit of justice, but the one thing it does have going for it is Nick Cave’s account of Nina in two short videos. I consider both videos compulsory viewing for any contemporary music enthusiast.
The following was information was sourced from the 2nd Wikipedia article below:
Nina Simone was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop.
The sixth of eight children born into a poor family in Tryon, North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be a concert pianist. With the help of a few supporters in her hometown, she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She then applied for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where, despite a well received audition, she was denied admission, which she attributed to racism. In 2003, just days before her death, the Institute awarded her an honorary degree.
My father had a penchant for classic cinema and as a boy he would introduce me to movies that mostly went over my head and coerced me to sleep (which perhaps was ‘his mission’ all along). Citizen Kane, Casablanca, All The President’s Men (←most likely next week’s featured movie) and today’s featured film The Mission were four such movies. Regarding Kane, I normally made it to the snow scene: “what the kid needs is a good thrashing.” and Mrs. Kane responding, “That’s why he’s going to be brought up where you can’t get at him.” before drifting off. With age came maturity and a shrinking sleep window. I began to appreciate these movies and understood why he sat me down to watch them.
The Mission is shown regularly on the Film & Arts channel here. It is a British period drama film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America. It won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for seven Academy awards. The Mission presents Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson in their formative acting phase before going onto bigger things (in the commercial and mainstream sense) as sole protagonists. Regarding Robert De Niro he was already well established and credentialled in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Interestingly, the director of those two movies and De Niro’s sidekick – Martin Scorsese went onto to do a film comparable to The Mission story and history of the Jesuits with his – The Silence (2016).
The film is set during the Jesuit Reductions, a program by which Jesuit missionaries set up missions independent of the Spanish state to teach Christianity to the natives. It tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), who enters the South American jungle to build a mission and convert a community of Guaraní Indians to Christianity.
My favourite movie starring Jeremy Irons is the scantily recognised Waterland (1992) which featured here at ‘Friday’s Finest‘ in October 2019. The Mission is another where Irons is left to strut his stuff. To me, he is a bit like Anthony Hopkins in that regard. If he is well cast and switched on, there are few actors who can match him, but if he is miscast like I think DeNiro is here in The Mission then mediocrity can rear its ugly head. I saw some scenes from The Mission recently as I was doing house chores, and I couldn’t help but feel that DeNiro’s performance was wooden and out of place in this. I might need to see it again (in its entirety) to make a fairer assessment.
The following contains extracts from Wikipedia article below:
The Mission is based on events surrounding the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, in which Spain ceded part of Jesuit Paraguay to Portugal. A significant subtext is the impending suppression of the Jesuits, of which Father Gabriel is warned by the film’s narrator, Cardinal Altamirano, who was once himself a Jesuit. The film’s climax is the Guaraní War of 1754–1756, during which historical Guaraní defended their homes against Spanish-Portuguese forces implementing the Treaty of Madrid. For the film, a re-creation was made of one of the seven missions, São Miguel das Missões. The traditional range of the Guarani people is in what is now Paraguay between the Paraná River and lower Paraguay River, the Misiones Province of Argentina, southern Brazil once as far east as Rio de Janeiro, and parts of Uruguay and Bolivia.
Robert De Niro was one of the few who did not became ill with amoebic dysentery.
Many of the people who played the natives were indigenous South Americans who spoke little English. They were given free reign to say whatever lines they wanted. According to popular rumor, they are cursing up a storm in a few scenes.
The film was released four years after its uncredited source book “The Lost Cities of Paraguay” by Father C. J. McNaspy was published. McNaspy also acted as a historical consultant to the film, which was loosely based on McNaspy’s work.
Ode To My Family is the third song to appear here from The Cranberries after their previous entry Linger. It is about singer’s Dolorus O’Riordan’s yearning for her simple life as a child after having achieved success. Her heavy Irish accent and change in the form of words to express a special meaning and sincerity makes for a compelling listening experience. Ode To My Family song was released on the album No Need to Argue (image inset) which I listened to a great deal in my early twenties. The album contains other stand – out songs including:
Ode To My Family was a hit in Oceania and several European countries, topping the charts in Iceland, and reaching number four in France, number five in Australia, and number eight in New Zealand.
[Verse 1] Understand the things I say Don’t turn away from me Cause I’ve spent half my life out there You wouldn’t disagree
[Pre-Chorus] Do you see me, do you see? Do you like me Do you like me standing there? Do you notice, do you know Do you see me, do you see me? Does anyone care?
[Chorus] Unhappiness where’s when I was young And we didn’t give a damn Cause we were raised To see life as fun and take it if we can My mother, my mother She’d hold me She’d hold me when I was out there My father, my father He liked me, well he liked me Does anyone care?
The following are excerpts from the Wikipedia references below: No Need to Argue is the second studio album by Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, released on 3 October 1994. It is the band’s best-selling album and has sold 17 million copies worldwide as of 2014. The album’s mood is darker and harsher than that on their debut record – Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? In some of the songs, the band decided to take on a rockier and heavier side, using distortion and increasing the volume.
Ankidroid additions related to Science, History and Philosophy. More information about Anki can be found in this article.
Which Planet has a Longer Day than its Year?
Venus spins so slowly on its axis that one day on the planet lasts 243 earth days. Because it is closer to the sun than earth the planet has a 225-day year. It means on Venus you would see just two sunrises a year. For more information about Venus you can watch this fascinating documentary – Venus Death of a Planet.
Writing Model
Outline the 4-step writing model to change readers minds in a specific readership community.
Open with a problem the readership care about.
Reinforce how the problem causes instability in the readership community.
Cost / benefit. Discuss how the problem imposes a cost on readers but reveal how there is a benefit to resolving it.
Pose and argue the solution.
Amorphous(adj)
Amorphous: Without a clearly defined shape or form or lacking a clear structure or focus.
As I drink my first Colombian rich black coffee this morning (5:20 am) I notice the blinds shine a hazy orange. I open them up and see a Vanilla sky. I put today’s featured track on and realize right now, that there are few better ways to get my day started. I feel blessed put simply.
I will call upon Your name Keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine
Oceans is the second song to feature here from Elenyi after their previous entry – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Elenyi is a Mormon female singing group comprised of three talented teenage sisters (two of whom were born in Chile) – Seli, Desi, and Ari. They are bilingual and perform their music in both English and Spanish. A few years ago, a Venezuelan Mormon friend introduced me to Elenyi’s music, and I was floored by their angelic voices and harmony.
The original name of the group was “Shine,” but it was later changed to Elenyi. The name “Elenyi” is of Greek origin and means “sun ray.” On their official website, they state, “One of our main goals in singing is to be able to touch the lives of others for good. Music was made to help change the mood of people who might be having a bad day, or things just aren’t going right for them.”
You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep My faith will stand
I will call upon Your name Keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sovereign hand Will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You’ve never failed and You won’t start now
And I will call upon Your name Keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine
Oceans by Elenyi is a Hillsong cover. The Australian worship group Hillsong music has featured here a bunch since I’m a big admirer of their music. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) was released by Hillsong in 2013. In the United States, the song spent a record 61 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 Christian song of the 2010s decade. The song was certified quadruple platinum in the United States.
It was decided during the writing process that the theme of the song should be about stepping into the unknown and Peter having blind trust to walk on water.
‘O’….Listen to how good that letter sounds….’O’….just think about it will you? ‘O’ is even very circular in how it sounds. Guess what? O Holy Night is the first ‘O’ song to feature here in the ‘O’ mighty Music Library Project. Hurrah! I’m very excited. Also, at the time of writing this post about my favourite Christmas Carol, there remains only 93 days until the big man will be ‘HO HO HO-ing’ down the chimney to give my kids lots of cool things, except for a Play Station or XBox. What better way to celebrate the anticipation of such a miraculous occasion than listening to ‘O Holy Night‘?
[Verse 1] O Holy night!The stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth Long lay the world in sin and error pining ‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
I’m such a fan of this hymn/carol. It is the fourth time I have referred to it in my blog. But today is the first time I have dedicated a post to it, which it truly deserves. So here goes…. I can even tell you how two of my blogger friends, namely Max (PowerPop) and Bruce at (Weave a Web) might receive this song. Just a hunch…Max could say that his favourite Christmas Carol is Silent Night and Bruce could tell us that his favourite version of O Holy Night was sung by his mother who will remain nameless for the rest of his blogging days.
I once made a feeble attempt to present Hobson’s version on my blog which was titled: ‘Confirmed by Mother no Less, David Hobson is the Greatest Singer at Australian Christmas Carols‘. I’m not even going to ‘link’ it, because it doesn’t do it the least bit of justice, although my mother did declare Hobson’s dominance as a Carols’ singer, which is saying something. Three other versions I really like of O Holy Night are the following:
Aled Jones – legendary Welsh Christian singer provides a spectacular version of O Holy Night when he was a teenage (prodigy) chorister and as a fully – grown adult.
Patti Smith’s introspective version – Live at the Vatican! The violin instrumental is sublime. Bruce is a fan of this one if I remember correctly.
The Wiggles – This version could make the Carol traditionalist cry in their weetbix, but what the heck, we were kids once too. As said in ‘All the President’s Men‘ – ‘Run that Baby‘.
The origin of O Holy Night from Wikipedia:
“O Holy Night” (original title: Cantique de Noël) is a sacred song for Christmas performance. Originally based on a French-language poem by poet Placide Cappeau, written in 1843, with the first line “Minuit, Chrétien, c’est l’heure solennelle” (Midnight, Christian, is the solemn hour) that composer Adolphe Adam set to music in 1847. The English version (with small changes to the initial melody) is by John Sullivan Dwight. The carol reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity’s redemption.
Australian tenor and composer David Hobson has lavished Australian households with his impeccable voice on Christmas eve in Melbourne for a long time now (such as that below). I agree with Mum that I haven’t heard his equal sing at Carols. He kills it. Class act. There are also versions of him singing The Holy City (Jerusalem) which astound me. What’s your favourite Christmas carol and performed by whom? Giddy-up!
This song is part of a collaboration with Grace (who showed me these incredible lyrics). It was really fun working on this project with her, which was a month in the making; and I’m lucky to call her a friend.
A dear blogger friend Sharon at Writers Tidbits referred me to this song Husband & Wife by Benjamin Grossman. Benjamin has been kind enough to respond to my comments about this song on his blog. I’ll point you also to his Publications page which contains mostly prose poems. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Rosemont College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Saint Joseph’s University, where he also earned a minor in philosophy and concentration in Theology.
Benjamin in his about page tells us a little bit more about himself:
I’m multiracial.
I have allergies to almost everything.
I suffer from chronic illness but won’t be defined by it
I believe the greatest minds are androgynous (Thank you, Samuel Coleridge and Virginia Woolf)
I’m a novice songwriter. ….and this is where Husband & Wife comes to us today.
[Verse 1] Don’t really want to think about you As much as I already do Don’t really want to like you Told myself all the reasons not to
[Pre-Chorus] My mom already knew the day we first met My best friend already placed a bet
[Chorus] But if I can’t open up to you I won’t need someone new And if you can’t be on my team My love will be your only dream I could settle for me all my life Could be my own husband and wife I could settle for me all my life Could be my own husband and wife
I’ve studied to be both a poet and novelist, a philosopher and theologian, a writer and scholar, and in the end, I can’t possibly ever separate any of these. If I had one word to describe myself, I might say: multifaceted. Hopefully you’ll leave this space with dreams in your head and stars in your eyes.
Observation Blogger 