I say almost because this week my church (the Orthodox Church in America) will be electing a new Metropolitan. Once that's done and approved by our Synod of Bishops (who may have to do the selection themselves if the delegates to our national convention can't call someone with a clear majority on the first ballot) we'll have a new Top Dog in the OCA. And hopefully we will see more positive growth in how our central office works with our dioceses and laity.
But of course that's not the main "election" story.
Nor is the decision by the (now former) Episcopal Diocese of Quincy to shake the dust off its collective feet with regard to the increasingly liberal U.S. Episcopal Church.
Those attending last weekend's annual synod of Quincy made that decision by an overwhelming majority (96 to 24). They aren't leaving the Anglican Communion though--they are now a diocese of the Province of the Southern Cone, in South America.
After about 30 years of increasing repudiation of traditional Christian teaching by the church, the good folks of Quincy (and Pittsburgh, and San Joaquin, and soon Fort Worth) decided the Episcopal Church had left them, and chose to align with another Anglican province.
Seems sensible to me, when the disagreements are so large and ongoing and apparently without possibility of resolution, especially when you can maintain your place in the greater group (the worldwide Anglican Communion).
One hopes that the majority, aka the Episcopal Church, will show good sense and Christian charity and allow the dissidents to make their way in a path that is right for them--something the Episcopal Church professes to support for everyone else in its polity though to date has shown little willingness to extend to traditionalists.
And so from that election story to the third and likely most pertinent to the vast majority of Americans: November 4th.
Those who know me know I am something of a centrist with rightward leanings and a handful of leftish opinions to spice things up. Call me Goulash Guy, if you will.
I'm a bit put off by the seemingly endless comparisons of Obama to FDR and Lincoln. It's far too soon to even contemplate such things, other than at the most shallow level, because so far he's had no opportunity to do anything. Let's let him serve his term (maybe two if he does okay first time around) and then get a few years under our belts. Then we can make that kind of judgement call.
That said, give the guy a chance. He IS a personable, intelligent, and apparently reasonable fellow, and I think he has the ability to do a decent job as president. There's no need to start off by trying to tear him down. Once he's actually DONE something, then the loyal opposition can make its voice heard. Plenty of time for constructive criticism later, really.
At the same time, spin it how you like, but Mr. Obama does not have anything approaching a mandate. 52% to 47% does not constitute a mandate, even if it does denote a clear choice. The majority should be very careful not to tread upon the rights of the minority as they take their opportunity, their chance, to make a difference in this country.
Come to think of it, that advice applies to all three of the elections I've mentioned.
The future holds both good things and bad. We might well weather them better if we work together than if we spend all our time bitching at each other and moaning about how unfair it all is.
I'm sure I won't like everything Barack Obama does as president. Why should he be different from every other president under whose authority I have lived?
But in the end, we'll get farther and have more to be proud of if we make an effort to move ahead in some modest unity.
And I cast my vote for that, no matter what the election.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
From another Orthodox blog
Ikon of St. John in Silence, 17th c.
A wonderful posting from a wonderful Orthodox Christian blog, from which many bloggers could take a lesson--most definitely including me.
Risky Business Revisited
The state of the Church
From St. Ambrose (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series Vol. X; Eerdmans pg. 334):
The likeness of Your Church, O Lord, is that woman who went behind and touched the hem of Your garment, saying within herself: "If I do but touch His garment I shall be whole" (Mt. 9:21).
So the Church confesses her wounds, but desires to be healed.
The likeness of Your Church, O Lord, is that woman who went behind and touched the hem of Your garment, saying within herself: "If I do but touch His garment I shall be whole" (Mt. 9:21).
So the Church confesses her wounds, but desires to be healed.
From the Philokalia
From Evagrios the Solitary (The Philokalia Vol. 1 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 38):
Provide yourself with such work for your hands as can be done, if possible, both during the day and at night, so that you are not a burden to anyone, and indeed can give to others, as St. Paul the Apostle advises (cf. I Thess. 2:9; Eph. 4:28). In this manner you will overcome the demon of listlessness and drive away all the desires suggested by the enemy; for the demon of listlessness takes advantage of idleness. "Every idle man is full of desires." (Prov. 13:4 LXX).
Provide yourself with such work for your hands as can be done, if possible, both during the day and at night, so that you are not a burden to anyone, and indeed can give to others, as St. Paul the Apostle advises (cf. I Thess. 2:9; Eph. 4:28). In this manner you will overcome the demon of listlessness and drive away all the desires suggested by the enemy; for the demon of listlessness takes advantage of idleness. "Every idle man is full of desires." (Prov. 13:4 LXX).
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
You never appreciate...
I've lived in Quincy since 1996. The community is clean, friendly, contrary to popular opinion there IS quite a bit to do and get involved in, and for the most part while it has some problems, they are not insurmountable nor devastating nor indicative of a community heading out in the proverbial handbasket.
I like Quincy. I like the people. I don't like some of the political games and some things about local government, but those things--in the long term--tend to get corrected or at least modified for the better. And I keep my fingers crossed.
But all that's just to set up this:
Why am I then, just like the old cliche, so remiss when it comes to participating in activities in my own backyard?
To wit, for the first time in 12 years I went to the K of C barbeque. Doh! Where have I been? Don't ask me to figure out why I succumbed for so long to the notion that you don't visit the attractions at home. It's kind of dumb, to be honest, especially these days with gas prices what they are. Why drive to St. Louis or Chicago when we have great events and activities right here (or relatively close)?
Anyway the KofC was great, well-organized, clean, and just lots of fun. I didn't even go with a big bunch of friends. I let one person convince me to go with his family and I had a great time.
Another confession: last year was the first time I went to the Adams County Fair. I grant that I went primarily to sing the National Anthem before the big concert (Adkins? Was that the performer? I forget, except his band members paid me a great compliment saying "Wow man, you got a GREAT set of pipes!"). But I hung around a while and again, it was great fun.
The point is this: don't whine about "nothing to do". Even beyond special events there are activities, museums, concerts (of many stripes), and who knows what-all going on nearly all the time in Quincy and the surrounding area. So get out and enjoy!
A plug: LST-325, the last of the operating World War 2 era "Landing Ship, Tanks" is docked at the Hannibal waterfront through Monday. It was at Normandy, in Korea, in Vietnam, and even spent some years in Greece. It's been refurbished as a museum and a memorial. Go see it, if for nothing else than to see the "original manufacturer equipment" that is stamped "Quincy". Yes, made right here by the old Quincy Compressor.
I've rambled enough for this morning. Time to get some work done around the house.
I like Quincy. I like the people. I don't like some of the political games and some things about local government, but those things--in the long term--tend to get corrected or at least modified for the better. And I keep my fingers crossed.
But all that's just to set up this:
Why am I then, just like the old cliche, so remiss when it comes to participating in activities in my own backyard?
To wit, for the first time in 12 years I went to the K of C barbeque. Doh! Where have I been? Don't ask me to figure out why I succumbed for so long to the notion that you don't visit the attractions at home. It's kind of dumb, to be honest, especially these days with gas prices what they are. Why drive to St. Louis or Chicago when we have great events and activities right here (or relatively close)?
Anyway the KofC was great, well-organized, clean, and just lots of fun. I didn't even go with a big bunch of friends. I let one person convince me to go with his family and I had a great time.
Another confession: last year was the first time I went to the Adams County Fair. I grant that I went primarily to sing the National Anthem before the big concert (Adkins? Was that the performer? I forget, except his band members paid me a great compliment saying "Wow man, you got a GREAT set of pipes!"). But I hung around a while and again, it was great fun.
The point is this: don't whine about "nothing to do". Even beyond special events there are activities, museums, concerts (of many stripes), and who knows what-all going on nearly all the time in Quincy and the surrounding area. So get out and enjoy!
A plug: LST-325, the last of the operating World War 2 era "Landing Ship, Tanks" is docked at the Hannibal waterfront through Monday. It was at Normandy, in Korea, in Vietnam, and even spent some years in Greece. It's been refurbished as a museum and a memorial. Go see it, if for nothing else than to see the "original manufacturer equipment" that is stamped "Quincy". Yes, made right here by the old Quincy Compressor.
I've rambled enough for this morning. Time to get some work done around the house.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
From Aleksandr Solzhenityn
A quote from Solzhenitsyn, may his memory be eternal!
This is apropos especially of my chosen profession, and is good for all of us to reflect upon and consider.
From the 1974 essay "Live Not by Lies", addressed to his Russian countrymen during communism's reign.
"So in our timidity, let each of us make a choice: Whether consciously, to remain a servant of falsehood–of course, it is not out of inclination, but to feed one’s family, that one raises his children in the spirit of lies–or to shrug off the lies and become an honest man worthy of respect both by one’s children and contemporaries.
And from that day onward he:
- Will not henceforth write, sign, or print in any way a single phrase which in his opinion distorts the truth.
- Will utter such a phrase neither in private conversation not in the presence of many people, neither on his own behalf not at the prompting of someone else, either in the role of agitator, teacher, educator, not in a theatrical role.
- Will not depict, foster or broadcast a single idea which he can only see is false or a distortion of the truth whether it be in painting, sculpture, photography, technical science, or music.
- Will not cite out of context, either orally or written, a single quotation so as to please someone, to feather his own nest, to achieve success in his work, if he does not share completely the idea which is quoted, or if it does not accurately reflect the matter at issue.
- Will not allow himself to be compelled to attend demonstrations or meetings if they are contrary to his desire or will, will neither take into hand not raise into the air a poster or slogan which he does not completely accept.
- Will not raise his hand to vote for a proposal with which he does not sincerely sympathize, will vote neither openly nor secretly for a person whom he considers unworthy or of doubtful abilities.
- Will not allow himself to be dragged to a meeting where there can be expected a forced or distorted discussion of a question. Will immediately talk out of a meeting, session, lecture, performance or film showing if he hears a speaker tell lies, or purvey ideological nonsense or shameless propaganda.
- Will not subscribe to or buy a newspaper or magazine in which information is distorted and primary facts are concealed. Of course we have not listed all of the possible and necessary deviations from falsehood. But a person who purifies himself will easily distinguish other instances with his purified outlook.
No, it will not be the same for everybody at first. Some, at first, will lose their jobs. For young people who want to live with truth, this will, in the beginning, complicate their young lives very much, because the required recitations are stuffed with lies, and it is necessary to make a choice.
But there are no loopholes for anybody who wants to be honest. On any given day any one of us will be confronted with at least one of the above-mentioned choices even in the most secure of the technical sciences. Either truth or falsehood: Toward spiritual independence or toward spiritual servitude."
This is apropos especially of my chosen profession, and is good for all of us to reflect upon and consider.
From the 1974 essay "Live Not by Lies", addressed to his Russian countrymen during communism's reign.
"So in our timidity, let each of us make a choice: Whether consciously, to remain a servant of falsehood–of course, it is not out of inclination, but to feed one’s family, that one raises his children in the spirit of lies–or to shrug off the lies and become an honest man worthy of respect both by one’s children and contemporaries.
And from that day onward he:
- Will not henceforth write, sign, or print in any way a single phrase which in his opinion distorts the truth.
- Will utter such a phrase neither in private conversation not in the presence of many people, neither on his own behalf not at the prompting of someone else, either in the role of agitator, teacher, educator, not in a theatrical role.
- Will not depict, foster or broadcast a single idea which he can only see is false or a distortion of the truth whether it be in painting, sculpture, photography, technical science, or music.
- Will not cite out of context, either orally or written, a single quotation so as to please someone, to feather his own nest, to achieve success in his work, if he does not share completely the idea which is quoted, or if it does not accurately reflect the matter at issue.
- Will not allow himself to be compelled to attend demonstrations or meetings if they are contrary to his desire or will, will neither take into hand not raise into the air a poster or slogan which he does not completely accept.
- Will not raise his hand to vote for a proposal with which he does not sincerely sympathize, will vote neither openly nor secretly for a person whom he considers unworthy or of doubtful abilities.
- Will not allow himself to be dragged to a meeting where there can be expected a forced or distorted discussion of a question. Will immediately talk out of a meeting, session, lecture, performance or film showing if he hears a speaker tell lies, or purvey ideological nonsense or shameless propaganda.
- Will not subscribe to or buy a newspaper or magazine in which information is distorted and primary facts are concealed. Of course we have not listed all of the possible and necessary deviations from falsehood. But a person who purifies himself will easily distinguish other instances with his purified outlook.
No, it will not be the same for everybody at first. Some, at first, will lose their jobs. For young people who want to live with truth, this will, in the beginning, complicate their young lives very much, because the required recitations are stuffed with lies, and it is necessary to make a choice.
But there are no loopholes for anybody who wants to be honest. On any given day any one of us will be confronted with at least one of the above-mentioned choices even in the most secure of the technical sciences. Either truth or falsehood: Toward spiritual independence or toward spiritual servitude."
Friday, August 01, 2008
Ooooooh Kaaaaaaay
The Hannibal "Cavemen".
Uh-HUH.
Maybe shoulda coulda thought of calling them the "Mark Twain" Cavemen? I mean if you're gonna go with "Cavemen", anyway.
Oh well, not my call.
(That would be "right down the middle...STEEEE-rike!")
Uh-HUH.
Maybe shoulda coulda thought of calling them the "Mark Twain" Cavemen? I mean if you're gonna go with "Cavemen", anyway.
Oh well, not my call.
(That would be "right down the middle...STEEEE-rike!")
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Remiss...
As in, I have been. Very much.
First, I have not posted since my whiny rant on July 8th. Second, I have been very bad about getting to church--with three opportunities each week, that's pretty bad. Third, I've been neglecting friends and family in favor of crawling into my hole whenever I'm not working. How pointless is that?
This blog is supposed to be about living in Quincy, with its beauties and its follies, and passed somewhat through the prism of trying to strive after the qualities of God, as expressed in Orthodox Christianity.
Not doing too well, am I?
I don't have any sudden deep and meaningful insight to share here. I'm just doing some self-examination and not liking what I see very much.
Many years ago when I was a member of the Episcopal Church in Peoria, I also had a problem rousting myself out to get to church. My pastor, Fr. Gus, had a pretty good way of demonstrating how absurd it was to make excuses and not participate in the functioning of the Christian body. He would call and simply say "Get your ass to mass!"
Seems kind of trite, and yet it pointed up (for me, at least) the fact that even the hind end is part of the body and has a function, and that the body doesn't do as well if even the posterior isn't in attendance. I mean, how do you sit down if your ass isn't there? For that matter how does said tuchus benefit spiritually, socially, and even financially if it's forgoing the pleasures of community worship? In the case of the Orthodox Church, I'm also missing some great ethnic foods at fellowship hour (well, if we're going to be all physical about it, I like food too).
My laziness about church attendance has also become reflected in other "non-required" duties, as I mentioned above. Not writing for the blog, not writing for my own need to create stories, not writing for gaming, not keeping up with the cleaning at home, not keeping up with so many other things (though not work, where we've taken on a lot of extra duties and that doesn't bother me too much--we get it all done).
So what's the solution? One can only ask friends to do so much to deliver a kick to the seat of the pants. There comes a point where you have to motivate yourself. And I'm not feeling motivated.
Not sure what to do...except maybe try going to church more regularly.
(Let's not even talk about making a regular confession, okay? :)
BTW, one sure sign I've not been getting regular and balanced "feeding" in all the ways we need to be "fed", is that I get crotchety, whiny, and gripe about things like...oh, say, stupid people.
I guess I know the remedy.
"Get your ass to Mass."
First, I have not posted since my whiny rant on July 8th. Second, I have been very bad about getting to church--with three opportunities each week, that's pretty bad. Third, I've been neglecting friends and family in favor of crawling into my hole whenever I'm not working. How pointless is that?
This blog is supposed to be about living in Quincy, with its beauties and its follies, and passed somewhat through the prism of trying to strive after the qualities of God, as expressed in Orthodox Christianity.
Not doing too well, am I?
I don't have any sudden deep and meaningful insight to share here. I'm just doing some self-examination and not liking what I see very much.
Many years ago when I was a member of the Episcopal Church in Peoria, I also had a problem rousting myself out to get to church. My pastor, Fr. Gus, had a pretty good way of demonstrating how absurd it was to make excuses and not participate in the functioning of the Christian body. He would call and simply say "Get your ass to mass!"
Seems kind of trite, and yet it pointed up (for me, at least) the fact that even the hind end is part of the body and has a function, and that the body doesn't do as well if even the posterior isn't in attendance. I mean, how do you sit down if your ass isn't there? For that matter how does said tuchus benefit spiritually, socially, and even financially if it's forgoing the pleasures of community worship? In the case of the Orthodox Church, I'm also missing some great ethnic foods at fellowship hour (well, if we're going to be all physical about it, I like food too).
My laziness about church attendance has also become reflected in other "non-required" duties, as I mentioned above. Not writing for the blog, not writing for my own need to create stories, not writing for gaming, not keeping up with the cleaning at home, not keeping up with so many other things (though not work, where we've taken on a lot of extra duties and that doesn't bother me too much--we get it all done).
So what's the solution? One can only ask friends to do so much to deliver a kick to the seat of the pants. There comes a point where you have to motivate yourself. And I'm not feeling motivated.
Not sure what to do...except maybe try going to church more regularly.
(Let's not even talk about making a regular confession, okay? :)
BTW, one sure sign I've not been getting regular and balanced "feeding" in all the ways we need to be "fed", is that I get crotchety, whiny, and gripe about things like...oh, say, stupid people.
I guess I know the remedy.
"Get your ass to Mass."
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Stupid People Rant
Okay, in the interests of simple Christian charity, let me say that the vast majority of people are not stupid. We may do stupid things, but we're not stupid.
I will assume the person in this story is not stupid. Fanatic maybe, but not stupid. Lacking in common sense, certainly, but not stupid.
I should probably re-title the blog entry, but I won't.
So here's the story out of Chicago:
Chicago's smoking ban has forced the cast of ``Jersey Boys'' to snuff out their cigarettes.
Smoking was the norm in the 1950s and 60s when the play about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons takes place. But that doesn't matter when it comes to smoking in Chicago theaters. Authorities say an irate theatergoer lodged a complaint.
Just as irate is Alderman Bernard Stone. The former part-time actor told the Chicago Sun-Times smoking must be allowed if the play is going to be true to its time.
The Public Health Department has primary responsibility for enforcing Chicago's smoking ban. But spokesman Tim Hadac says the crackdown on Jersey Boys didn't originate there. He says someone likely flagged down a police officer during a production.
Got that? Someone was so incensed by the actors, PERFORMING THEIR ROLES IN THE PLAY, having the temerity to light up and smoke, that they filed a complaint which led to a ban on SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THE PLAY.
Frankly if I were the playwright I would sue the city of Chicago for interfering with my freedom of expression.
We can present a painting of Harold Washington in drag; a "sculpture/painting" of the Virgin Mary smeared with elephant feces and surrounded by porn cut from magazines; piles of dirty, smelly underwear artfully strung about a gallery or pink latex wrapped around everything in sight on a California hillside. That's all art. But we dare not allow actors in performance in a theater to light up and smoke, even though they are doing what the script demands.
I can imagine how this person would have had a stroke if they'd seen me lighting up and puffing on a cig when I was in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at QCT. Heck, I lit up TWICE!!!
I wonder if they wig out when they see a classic movie where people are smoking? I remember a science fiction story where the two protagonists were famous for having come up with an algorithim that could be applied to old movies and would edit out such horrible sins as smoking. Don't remember anything else about the story, just that.
And I laughed that such things would never ever happen. Looks like I'm stupid too.
I believed the Illinois State Police way back in 1983 or so when they said "we've instituted a seatbelt law but we'll never pull you over or ticket you just for not wearing one" too.
Yup. Me and the anti-smoking twit in Chicago...
Stupid people.
I will assume the person in this story is not stupid. Fanatic maybe, but not stupid. Lacking in common sense, certainly, but not stupid.
I should probably re-title the blog entry, but I won't.
So here's the story out of Chicago:
Chicago's smoking ban has forced the cast of ``Jersey Boys'' to snuff out their cigarettes.
Smoking was the norm in the 1950s and 60s when the play about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons takes place. But that doesn't matter when it comes to smoking in Chicago theaters. Authorities say an irate theatergoer lodged a complaint.
Just as irate is Alderman Bernard Stone. The former part-time actor told the Chicago Sun-Times smoking must be allowed if the play is going to be true to its time.
The Public Health Department has primary responsibility for enforcing Chicago's smoking ban. But spokesman Tim Hadac says the crackdown on Jersey Boys didn't originate there. He says someone likely flagged down a police officer during a production.
Got that? Someone was so incensed by the actors, PERFORMING THEIR ROLES IN THE PLAY, having the temerity to light up and smoke, that they filed a complaint which led to a ban on SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THE PLAY.
Frankly if I were the playwright I would sue the city of Chicago for interfering with my freedom of expression.
We can present a painting of Harold Washington in drag; a "sculpture/painting" of the Virgin Mary smeared with elephant feces and surrounded by porn cut from magazines; piles of dirty, smelly underwear artfully strung about a gallery or pink latex wrapped around everything in sight on a California hillside. That's all art. But we dare not allow actors in performance in a theater to light up and smoke, even though they are doing what the script demands.
I can imagine how this person would have had a stroke if they'd seen me lighting up and puffing on a cig when I was in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at QCT. Heck, I lit up TWICE!!!
I wonder if they wig out when they see a classic movie where people are smoking? I remember a science fiction story where the two protagonists were famous for having come up with an algorithim that could be applied to old movies and would edit out such horrible sins as smoking. Don't remember anything else about the story, just that.
And I laughed that such things would never ever happen. Looks like I'm stupid too.
I believed the Illinois State Police way back in 1983 or so when they said "we've instituted a seatbelt law but we'll never pull you over or ticket you just for not wearing one" too.
Yup. Me and the anti-smoking twit in Chicago...
Stupid people.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Could things get more depressing?
Oh, there's a lot going on that is positive. The struggle to hold the levees is amazing and all those guys and gals deserve far more than a nod of thanks.
But the Busy Bistro is closing.
This delightful restaurant that had great food unlike anything else in Quincy, and prices that while a bit high weren't any worse than a couple of other "upscale" places in town.
And now it's closing.
After all the work the owners did in restoring the building and making efforts to refurbish the upper floors.
And now it's closing.
Great music almost every Friday night. A place for talented Quincy musicians who like soft rock and jazz and even some classical to perform.
And now it's closing.
My heart goes out to Nathaniel and Kerry and Rob and Terry and Michael and Nadine and everyone who poured their heart and soul into the business.
I understand there were internal factors (I REALLY hate to see you two leaving, M and N) but let's face it: downtown is in trouble, Quincyans on the whole don't give a flying, and we're all going to end up with exactly what we deserve.
If you don't know what that is, I invite you to take a stroll down east Broadway. Oh, you can't, there are no firk-ding-blasting sidewalks! Well drive then, and survey the rows upon rows of clones, mercantile and gustatorial. Isn't it all lovely? Places where you can get cheap meals, cheap goods, and a nice cheap life. And I mean cheap in the least pleasant form of the word.
OK, I'll be fair. There are places out there I like to eat. There are places out there I like to shop.
But why can't we have both? Why can't we have a vibrant downtown with all it's little gems, as well as an energetic outer district to supply larger needs?
Sigh.
On days like this I almost wish...well, let's just say Quincy just got a little more drab, boring, complacent, and insular, and we all lose.
But the Busy Bistro is closing.
This delightful restaurant that had great food unlike anything else in Quincy, and prices that while a bit high weren't any worse than a couple of other "upscale" places in town.
And now it's closing.
After all the work the owners did in restoring the building and making efforts to refurbish the upper floors.
And now it's closing.
Great music almost every Friday night. A place for talented Quincy musicians who like soft rock and jazz and even some classical to perform.
And now it's closing.
My heart goes out to Nathaniel and Kerry and Rob and Terry and Michael and Nadine and everyone who poured their heart and soul into the business.
I understand there were internal factors (I REALLY hate to see you two leaving, M and N) but let's face it: downtown is in trouble, Quincyans on the whole don't give a flying, and we're all going to end up with exactly what we deserve.
If you don't know what that is, I invite you to take a stroll down east Broadway. Oh, you can't, there are no firk-ding-blasting sidewalks! Well drive then, and survey the rows upon rows of clones, mercantile and gustatorial. Isn't it all lovely? Places where you can get cheap meals, cheap goods, and a nice cheap life. And I mean cheap in the least pleasant form of the word.
OK, I'll be fair. There are places out there I like to eat. There are places out there I like to shop.
But why can't we have both? Why can't we have a vibrant downtown with all it's little gems, as well as an energetic outer district to supply larger needs?
Sigh.
On days like this I almost wish...well, let's just say Quincy just got a little more drab, boring, complacent, and insular, and we all lose.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Flotsam and Jetsam
I wasn't here in 1993. What we saw in southern Illinois doesn't even compare.
If I may suggest, please take time to stop and help at one of the sandbagging locations during the coming week. And if you are the prayerful sort, spend some time offering up those affected by the flood, those working to help, those working long hours and those standing watch. In comparison to '93 it may not last nearly as long, but as the old joke goes, "it's not as long but it's just as wide".
---
Yesterday was my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We had a small reception at the Emsland Halle on north 8th Street (lovely place with much German atmosphere...consider it for a meeting or reception of your own). It was a lovely affair and let's face it: 5 years is quite an accomplishment.
Happy anniversary Mom & Dad, and many more to come, God willing.
---
Mary Griffith was covering Barack Obama's visit to Quincy on Saturday. Both Jim Dewey and myself had previous engagements we really couldn't get out of. But about 2:30 I got a call (on Bob Gough's cell, of all things).
Mary had passed the time waiting for Obama by filling sandbags. When alerted that he had arrived she got up to go to the south lot where he was working...and dropped her recorder, shattering it.
Then she couldn't find her phone (we're hoping it's not now part of the wall surrounding the water plant). So she borrowed Bob's and called Jim who said he'd bring his but it would be a while. That led to her call to me. I zipped home, snagged my digital recorder and head over to the OLC.
Of course it was a mess and the police wouldn't let me out to get the recorder to Mary. Jim arrived and was able to find the back way out and got my recorder to Chad Douglas from KHQA, who got it to Mary who was lingering at the back of the press pool since she had no equipment.
Armed with the recorder she moved to the front where the national press were keeping their distance from Senator Obama, who was working with a young Boy Scout filling sandbags.
I'll leave the rest of the story for Mary to tell, but suffice to say she started the questions of Obama by stepping into the group around the Senator (all of whom she knows). I understand Chad Douglas from KHQA and Jake Miller from WGEM also got in some questions while they were moving inside with the Senator. How cool is that?
So we ran our story just before 5 p.m. on WTAD on Saturday. Made me proud to be part of the team and to have a boss who went the extra mile to get the job done.
There will likely be more of those kind of efforts in the days to come, because it's our job to make sure we get as much information to you as possible, in a timely fashion. We'll do our best, and I daresay that all of us, competitors that we are, will work together at some level to make sure you all know what you need to know as the fight against the river continues.
---
One last thought: standing in the lobby at the Lincoln Douglas apartments where the STARadio studios are located and looking up at the ceiling some 30 feet above.
That's pretty darned deep water, and not as deep as it will be when the river crests.
Holy cow!
Keep safe and dry if you're out fighting the flood. Don't hurt yourself filling sandbags. And may God bless you all.
If I may suggest, please take time to stop and help at one of the sandbagging locations during the coming week. And if you are the prayerful sort, spend some time offering up those affected by the flood, those working to help, those working long hours and those standing watch. In comparison to '93 it may not last nearly as long, but as the old joke goes, "it's not as long but it's just as wide".
---
Yesterday was my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We had a small reception at the Emsland Halle on north 8th Street (lovely place with much German atmosphere...consider it for a meeting or reception of your own). It was a lovely affair and let's face it: 5 years is quite an accomplishment.
Happy anniversary Mom & Dad, and many more to come, God willing.
---
Mary Griffith was covering Barack Obama's visit to Quincy on Saturday. Both Jim Dewey and myself had previous engagements we really couldn't get out of. But about 2:30 I got a call (on Bob Gough's cell, of all things).
Mary had passed the time waiting for Obama by filling sandbags. When alerted that he had arrived she got up to go to the south lot where he was working...and dropped her recorder, shattering it.
Then she couldn't find her phone (we're hoping it's not now part of the wall surrounding the water plant). So she borrowed Bob's and called Jim who said he'd bring his but it would be a while. That led to her call to me. I zipped home, snagged my digital recorder and head over to the OLC.
Of course it was a mess and the police wouldn't let me out to get the recorder to Mary. Jim arrived and was able to find the back way out and got my recorder to Chad Douglas from KHQA, who got it to Mary who was lingering at the back of the press pool since she had no equipment.
Armed with the recorder she moved to the front where the national press were keeping their distance from Senator Obama, who was working with a young Boy Scout filling sandbags.
I'll leave the rest of the story for Mary to tell, but suffice to say she started the questions of Obama by stepping into the group around the Senator (all of whom she knows). I understand Chad Douglas from KHQA and Jake Miller from WGEM also got in some questions while they were moving inside with the Senator. How cool is that?
So we ran our story just before 5 p.m. on WTAD on Saturday. Made me proud to be part of the team and to have a boss who went the extra mile to get the job done.
There will likely be more of those kind of efforts in the days to come, because it's our job to make sure we get as much information to you as possible, in a timely fashion. We'll do our best, and I daresay that all of us, competitors that we are, will work together at some level to make sure you all know what you need to know as the fight against the river continues.
---
One last thought: standing in the lobby at the Lincoln Douglas apartments where the STARadio studios are located and looking up at the ceiling some 30 feet above.
That's pretty darned deep water, and not as deep as it will be when the river crests.
Holy cow!
Keep safe and dry if you're out fighting the flood. Don't hurt yourself filling sandbags. And may God bless you all.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
More music...
Took my nephew to Prince Caspian a couple of weekends ago.
Quite aside from my mild disappointment at the rather serious modifications to the story--which I understand, there's not a lot of "there" there in Prince Caspian the book--there were some great songs during the credits.
This is the best of them, IMO.
The Call, by Regina Spektor.
Interesting note:
The words to the poem "The Call" by George Herbert can be slipped into this tune without too much trouble though you do lose some of the rhythmic motion that Regina's words supply.
I like 'em both. Besides, I have Vaughan Williams version of Herbert's words to fall back on. :)
Quite aside from my mild disappointment at the rather serious modifications to the story--which I understand, there's not a lot of "there" there in Prince Caspian the book--there were some great songs during the credits.
This is the best of them, IMO.
The Call, by Regina Spektor.
Interesting note:
The words to the poem "The Call" by George Herbert can be slipped into this tune without too much trouble though you do lose some of the rhythmic motion that Regina's words supply.
I like 'em both. Besides, I have Vaughan Williams version of Herbert's words to fall back on. :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Questions and Answers
I've been asked a couple of questions about the blog, and they deserve answers.
First, a comment from a reader that they enjoy my stuff which apparently is "often oddball, diverse, and interesting to read, especially knowing the writer from his work for a local radio news operation." I think that works out to a compliment. Thanks.
But the comment goes on to lament that I don't post often enough and ask why not.
Fair enough.
It takes some work to post coherent, sensible stuff. As "oddball" as my subject matter may be sometimes, it still requires me to put some thought and even research into anything I offer. I don't always have time or personal drive to do so--I'm basically a pretty mellow guy and don't feel the urge to write all the time.
OTOH too often I'm just lazy and just don't "do it". I'll try to do better.
Second question: "Why don't you take on all the cr@p that happens in this city? Would love to see your critical skills aimed at some of the subjects other blogs cover."
Well, that's the thing, isn't it? (To quote Indiana Jones :)
First off, other blogs cover it and much better than I generally could.
Second, I do have to maintain a certain level of nonpartisanship. I may disagree with the finance committee of the city council on the QCVB thing but there's no surer way to get myself in trouble with them and at work than by going off on them on my blog.
I do comment briefly from time to time on different subjects, and I do post the occasional rant on stuff that really sets me off--but I have to show a certain level of good sense in choosing those subjects.
Third, some of the things my fellow bloggers rail about just get repetitious and just aren't the big deals they work hard to convince the rest of the world constitute a grave danger to the city, county, state, etc. In other words, a good percentage of the bitching is being done about things that just aren't as bad as the complainer says they are.
Overall, Quincy is a good place to live, with good stuff going on. Are their issues? You betcha. Are they going to send the city sliding off into the Mississippi, with hellfire raining down on us, and everyone fleeing to Marblehead and Ewing to live? No. And they generally don't deserve all the bandwidth they get from my fellow bloggers either.
If I comment on some of those subjects, you can be assured I think they need work.
And I'm also striving to remain cognizant of this from the imestimable Edward R. Murrow.
""Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."
A good piece of advice for all of us blogging, or striving to be reporters and journalists.
First, a comment from a reader that they enjoy my stuff which apparently is "often oddball, diverse, and interesting to read, especially knowing the writer from his work for a local radio news operation." I think that works out to a compliment. Thanks.
But the comment goes on to lament that I don't post often enough and ask why not.
Fair enough.
It takes some work to post coherent, sensible stuff. As "oddball" as my subject matter may be sometimes, it still requires me to put some thought and even research into anything I offer. I don't always have time or personal drive to do so--I'm basically a pretty mellow guy and don't feel the urge to write all the time.
OTOH too often I'm just lazy and just don't "do it". I'll try to do better.
Second question: "Why don't you take on all the cr@p that happens in this city? Would love to see your critical skills aimed at some of the subjects other blogs cover."
Well, that's the thing, isn't it? (To quote Indiana Jones :)
First off, other blogs cover it and much better than I generally could.
Second, I do have to maintain a certain level of nonpartisanship. I may disagree with the finance committee of the city council on the QCVB thing but there's no surer way to get myself in trouble with them and at work than by going off on them on my blog.
I do comment briefly from time to time on different subjects, and I do post the occasional rant on stuff that really sets me off--but I have to show a certain level of good sense in choosing those subjects.
Third, some of the things my fellow bloggers rail about just get repetitious and just aren't the big deals they work hard to convince the rest of the world constitute a grave danger to the city, county, state, etc. In other words, a good percentage of the bitching is being done about things that just aren't as bad as the complainer says they are.
Overall, Quincy is a good place to live, with good stuff going on. Are their issues? You betcha. Are they going to send the city sliding off into the Mississippi, with hellfire raining down on us, and everyone fleeing to Marblehead and Ewing to live? No. And they generally don't deserve all the bandwidth they get from my fellow bloggers either.
If I comment on some of those subjects, you can be assured I think they need work.
And I'm also striving to remain cognizant of this from the imestimable Edward R. Murrow.
""Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."
A good piece of advice for all of us blogging, or striving to be reporters and journalists.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sore feet and soaring music
My feet hurt. Pretty bad, though I currently have them in a basin of hot water and epsom salts. My hips aren't doing too well either.
But my spirit....ah, the spirit leaps into the celestial when singing, when riding that fine line between participating in the opera yet keeping one part of yourself aside to watch.
Yeah, I know I'm waxing all poetic. My feet hurt. Sue me. I have to wax poetic or I'd cry.
In all seriousness, although I grumble when we stand and stand...and stand and stand...and stand and stand waiting for some technical glitch to be worked out (or worse, waiting to "DO IT AGAIN" because we screwed up), there IS a bit of a rush when the music starts up again and we strive to put the pieces together one more time--in spite of the aching feet, persperation, and weary voices.
Tonight was technical rehearsal for L'ELISIR D'AMORE by Gaetano Donizetti. The Muddy River Opera Company performs this Friday and Sunday. Lots and lots of standing as technical issues are worked out. I hate 'em. But they're a necessary evil--you have to get all the light cues and blocking and moving of set pieces and props in the right places or it all goes right into the toilet.
But it still makes my feet hurt. I can handle the show because we're moving all the time and we're done in 2 hours. But 5 hours of standing around is a recipe for Kevin to walk funny for a while (well, funniER, anyway).
Hope you'll consider coming to see the show. No busty valkyries with horned helmets, just lighthearted fun with a snake oil salesman, a self-confident jock soldier, a pretty rich girl, her poor boyfriend, and a bunch of mangy (but happy!) townspeople who get to watch the fun as boy loses girl, jock gets girl, snake-oil salesman convinces boy of "magic elixir" (just wine, but the boy's palate apparently is not well developed), girl plays boy and jock against each other, boy gets drunk and joins jock's outfit, snake oil salesman discovers boy is now rich because of dead uncle, boy gets girl, snake oil salesman takes credit, addio!
18 bucks. Tickets at the QCT box office (thanks for the help Dominic et. al.) Be there and watch me and my dear, well-behaved children. :)
My feet feel a lot better now, and I'm still humming the music from the show.
But my spirit....ah, the spirit leaps into the celestial when singing, when riding that fine line between participating in the opera yet keeping one part of yourself aside to watch.
Yeah, I know I'm waxing all poetic. My feet hurt. Sue me. I have to wax poetic or I'd cry.
In all seriousness, although I grumble when we stand and stand...and stand and stand...and stand and stand waiting for some technical glitch to be worked out (or worse, waiting to "DO IT AGAIN" because we screwed up), there IS a bit of a rush when the music starts up again and we strive to put the pieces together one more time--in spite of the aching feet, persperation, and weary voices.
Tonight was technical rehearsal for L'ELISIR D'AMORE by Gaetano Donizetti. The Muddy River Opera Company performs this Friday and Sunday. Lots and lots of standing as technical issues are worked out. I hate 'em. But they're a necessary evil--you have to get all the light cues and blocking and moving of set pieces and props in the right places or it all goes right into the toilet.
But it still makes my feet hurt. I can handle the show because we're moving all the time and we're done in 2 hours. But 5 hours of standing around is a recipe for Kevin to walk funny for a while (well, funniER, anyway).
Hope you'll consider coming to see the show. No busty valkyries with horned helmets, just lighthearted fun with a snake oil salesman, a self-confident jock soldier, a pretty rich girl, her poor boyfriend, and a bunch of mangy (but happy!) townspeople who get to watch the fun as boy loses girl, jock gets girl, snake-oil salesman convinces boy of "magic elixir" (just wine, but the boy's palate apparently is not well developed), girl plays boy and jock against each other, boy gets drunk and joins jock's outfit, snake oil salesman discovers boy is now rich because of dead uncle, boy gets girl, snake oil salesman takes credit, addio!
18 bucks. Tickets at the QCT box office (thanks for the help Dominic et. al.) Be there and watch me and my dear, well-behaved children. :)
My feet feel a lot better now, and I'm still humming the music from the show.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Uglifying things
Try and swing down around Washington Park before the weekend. Take a look at the "protective fencing" that has been erected around various plantings.
Is that stuff UGLY or what?
I understand the need to protect the bushes and flowers and stuff from the trampling hordes that will be here this weekend for Gus Macker, but for heaven's sake can't we use something a little more attractive? The bright orange webbing around the Lincoln-Douglas monument would be (marginally) better than ratty old snow fencing.
So for a week we will have one of the prime entrances into Quincy bastardized and uglified by this crappy stuff.
Worst of all, we'll be subjected to it again and again this summer--as in summers past--with the various big events in the park.
Come on, Park District. Surely we can do better than THAT.
Please, please, please, invest in some NICE-LOOKING temporary fencing to protect these plantings!
Did I mention "please"?
Is that stuff UGLY or what?
I understand the need to protect the bushes and flowers and stuff from the trampling hordes that will be here this weekend for Gus Macker, but for heaven's sake can't we use something a little more attractive? The bright orange webbing around the Lincoln-Douglas monument would be (marginally) better than ratty old snow fencing.
So for a week we will have one of the prime entrances into Quincy bastardized and uglified by this crappy stuff.
Worst of all, we'll be subjected to it again and again this summer--as in summers past--with the various big events in the park.
Come on, Park District. Surely we can do better than THAT.
Please, please, please, invest in some NICE-LOOKING temporary fencing to protect these plantings!
Did I mention "please"?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"Intexication" Rant
Been a long time since I ranted. So here we go...
Story on KHQA tonight at 6 about distracted driving.
No question, any idiot texting while driving should have the book thrown at them.
But I don't agree with the notion of extending the "distracted" nomenclature to any use of a cell phone or bluetooth in the car.
I am perfectly capable of talking on the phone and continuing to drive safely as are the vast majority of drivers out there. Obviously hands off operation is the safets so your hands can remain on the steering wheel where they belong, but the notion that talking in the car is an accident-causer...well, I'm hearing the same propaganda from law enforcement that I heard before we got the seatbelt law foisted on us.
If talking while driving is a distraction that causes accidents, are we going to see laws that prohibit us from not only talking on the phone, but also talking to passengers? Will we (and our riders) get ticketed for conversing at the same time we travel down the road?
And why stop there? Ditch radios and tape decks and CD players! You get doubly distracted there--setting 'em up and then listening (and god forbid you sing along!).
Friends in law enforcement and government: we do not need more intrusion of your tender mercies into our private lives. What we need is an effort to encourage common sense, not legalism that just ends up making more and more good citizens into criminals by sanctioning perfectly normal behavior.
I'm not opposed to nailing someone for doing something stupid while using their cell or even chatting with a passenger and driving.
But for pete's sake, we DO NOT need laws to prohibit us from talking in the car as if we were all petulant, misbehaving children. You're not my mom, guys and gals. Give the "we gotta protect you from yourself" insanity a rest.
Story on KHQA tonight at 6 about distracted driving.
No question, any idiot texting while driving should have the book thrown at them.
But I don't agree with the notion of extending the "distracted" nomenclature to any use of a cell phone or bluetooth in the car.
I am perfectly capable of talking on the phone and continuing to drive safely as are the vast majority of drivers out there. Obviously hands off operation is the safets so your hands can remain on the steering wheel where they belong, but the notion that talking in the car is an accident-causer...well, I'm hearing the same propaganda from law enforcement that I heard before we got the seatbelt law foisted on us.
If talking while driving is a distraction that causes accidents, are we going to see laws that prohibit us from not only talking on the phone, but also talking to passengers? Will we (and our riders) get ticketed for conversing at the same time we travel down the road?
And why stop there? Ditch radios and tape decks and CD players! You get doubly distracted there--setting 'em up and then listening (and god forbid you sing along!).
Friends in law enforcement and government: we do not need more intrusion of your tender mercies into our private lives. What we need is an effort to encourage common sense, not legalism that just ends up making more and more good citizens into criminals by sanctioning perfectly normal behavior.
I'm not opposed to nailing someone for doing something stupid while using their cell or even chatting with a passenger and driving.
But for pete's sake, we DO NOT need laws to prohibit us from talking in the car as if we were all petulant, misbehaving children. You're not my mom, guys and gals. Give the "we gotta protect you from yourself" insanity a rest.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Work and sing (and work and sing)
Full rehearsals for the Muddy River Opera Company's annual "big" production begin tonight. I'm in the chorus (what is this, the 9th or 10th one I've done?)
The opera is Donizetti's "Elixir of Love". Or since we're doing it in Italian, "L'elisir d'amore".
This ain't rocket science. :) It's very light, very fun, and fairly humorous, even to non-early-19th-century-non-Italians!
Performances coming up Friday May 30th and Sunday June 1st.
Come see it--and don't let the Italian scare you. They'll project the English in supertitles over the stage.
Also don't miss (in a complete change of pace) Quincy News on the Air with Bob Gough, every Monday evening at 6:30 on WTAD AM 930. No opera, but lots of news and commentary.
And for those who asked: I completed three more missions playing B-29. Fun stuff!
The opera is Donizetti's "Elixir of Love". Or since we're doing it in Italian, "L'elisir d'amore".
This ain't rocket science. :) It's very light, very fun, and fairly humorous, even to non-early-19th-century-non-Italians!
Performances coming up Friday May 30th and Sunday June 1st.
Come see it--and don't let the Italian scare you. They'll project the English in supertitles over the stage.
Also don't miss (in a complete change of pace) Quincy News on the Air with Bob Gough, every Monday evening at 6:30 on WTAD AM 930. No opera, but lots of news and commentary.
And for those who asked: I completed three more missions playing B-29. Fun stuff!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Warning: Gamer Geek Post!
I've been spending much of my (scarce) free-time since Easter (which was April 27th, remember) slaving over a hot game table, flying missions for the 20th Air Force in the Far East during WW2.
Mind you, I'm an old school gamer. That means a game board and charts and little cardboard chits, not a Wii of X-Box or even a computer.
The game is B-29 SUPERFORTRESS from Khyber Pass Games. It's a solitaire effort where you take on the role of the crew of a B-29 trying to reach your 35-mission requirement so you can head stateside.
It's an interesting system and an interesting game--a mix of geeky wargaming stuff and a spice of role-playing.
The job is to fly your plane, usually in formation with other bombers, from the U.S. airbase on Tinian to unload on various industrial and military sites in Japan in the last year of the Second World War. You have to contend with a plane that was incredibly complex and buggy, limited amounts of fuel, bad weather, navigation troubles, all that sort of thing. Oh yeah, you also have to fight off attacking enemy planes and try to avoid anti-aircraft fire AND drop your bombs on target in order to get proper credit for your mission.
At first glance, especially to someone who is not familiar with such games, this is a terribly complex piece of work. It comes with a 36-page book of tables and charts, for pete's sake!
However, most of those don't come into play until you're over your target, and once you've worked through the system on a couple of missions it becomes a fairly quick and simple game to play. I've run 14 flights since I got the game, on average spending 30 to 40 minutes on each.
Mind you, I've flown 14 times but I've only completed 6 missions to meet my mission goal of 35. The game system is unforgiving--it's pretty easy to have to abort your mission without accomplishing your goal. Sometimes it is even worse and you crash your plane. Enough said about that (no I'm not saying how many times I've done that :).
Anyway, that's where my [sarcastic mode on] "copious free time" [sarcastic mode off] has been going for a while now.
One of the cool things I've been watching related to this game are the After Action Reports from various other players. A number of people are posting these as letters home from a crew member or as stories. Another cool thing is the number of people who have reported going to the library or ordering books online to learn more about the era, the equipment, and the people involved.
My plane by the way is "Radio Flyer" and bears a nose painting of a cute girl riding a red wagon with her hair streaming out behind. :)
We're called for a mission this evening. Don't call me, I'll be in the air.
This is Capt. Nick Corbett signing off for some R&R before final briefing.
Link to my AAR: http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@430.sA1NdT5K1zQ.100@.1dd267d5/349
Mind you, I'm an old school gamer. That means a game board and charts and little cardboard chits, not a Wii of X-Box or even a computer.
The game is B-29 SUPERFORTRESS from Khyber Pass Games. It's a solitaire effort where you take on the role of the crew of a B-29 trying to reach your 35-mission requirement so you can head stateside.
It's an interesting system and an interesting game--a mix of geeky wargaming stuff and a spice of role-playing.
The job is to fly your plane, usually in formation with other bombers, from the U.S. airbase on Tinian to unload on various industrial and military sites in Japan in the last year of the Second World War. You have to contend with a plane that was incredibly complex and buggy, limited amounts of fuel, bad weather, navigation troubles, all that sort of thing. Oh yeah, you also have to fight off attacking enemy planes and try to avoid anti-aircraft fire AND drop your bombs on target in order to get proper credit for your mission.
At first glance, especially to someone who is not familiar with such games, this is a terribly complex piece of work. It comes with a 36-page book of tables and charts, for pete's sake!
However, most of those don't come into play until you're over your target, and once you've worked through the system on a couple of missions it becomes a fairly quick and simple game to play. I've run 14 flights since I got the game, on average spending 30 to 40 minutes on each.
Mind you, I've flown 14 times but I've only completed 6 missions to meet my mission goal of 35. The game system is unforgiving--it's pretty easy to have to abort your mission without accomplishing your goal. Sometimes it is even worse and you crash your plane. Enough said about that (no I'm not saying how many times I've done that :).
Anyway, that's where my [sarcastic mode on] "copious free time" [sarcastic mode off] has been going for a while now.
One of the cool things I've been watching related to this game are the After Action Reports from various other players. A number of people are posting these as letters home from a crew member or as stories. Another cool thing is the number of people who have reported going to the library or ordering books online to learn more about the era, the equipment, and the people involved.
My plane by the way is "Radio Flyer" and bears a nose painting of a cute girl riding a red wagon with her hair streaming out behind. :)
We're called for a mission this evening. Don't call me, I'll be in the air.
This is Capt. Nick Corbett signing off for some R&R before final briefing.
Link to my AAR: http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@430.sA1NdT5K1zQ.100@.1dd267d5/349
Monday, May 05, 2008
Monday, Monday
Back into the work zone for most of us, it being a Monday.
There are a couple of things on the plate today: two city council meetings (one at 2 p.m. and one at the regular 7:30 time). The two big issues will both be tonight, though: raises for elected officials and the creation of Friday night bus service.
Keep an eye on QuincyNews.org and listen to WTAD for all the details of how those meetings turn out.
Speaking of QuincyNews and WTAD, Bob Gough's broadcast version of his website premieres tonight at 6:30 on WTAD AM 930. Give it a listen.
No deep, wise, philosophical thought this morning. Why would I start now? :)
Also this week the Muddy River Opera Company begins gearing up for full rehearsals of "L'elisir d'amore" (that's "The Elixir of Love" for you non-Italian speakers). Two full bore chorus rehearsals, then next Monday nightly gigs until performances at the end of the month. Keeps me out of trouble, that's for sure. Unfortunately I failed in my intention of going into nightly rehearsals with the music all memorized. Maybe next year.
Saw Rodney Hart on Friday. He came into Busy Bistro while the family was having the annual bitrhday bash for my nephew (now 11) and my sister (his mom, older than me). Rodney and friends were there to enjoy the band, I assume. I love that the Bistro has live music every Friday. This group (whose name I didn't catch) was pretty good. They did NOT suffer from the lack of a rhythm section--apparently their drummer was out sick.
Finally if you're swinging down Hampshire between 6th and 7th, take a gander at the new sign at St. Raphael Orthodox Church. Nice, understated, but very visible. Come visit sometime.
Time to hit the showers!
There are a couple of things on the plate today: two city council meetings (one at 2 p.m. and one at the regular 7:30 time). The two big issues will both be tonight, though: raises for elected officials and the creation of Friday night bus service.
Keep an eye on QuincyNews.org and listen to WTAD for all the details of how those meetings turn out.
Speaking of QuincyNews and WTAD, Bob Gough's broadcast version of his website premieres tonight at 6:30 on WTAD AM 930. Give it a listen.
No deep, wise, philosophical thought this morning. Why would I start now? :)
Also this week the Muddy River Opera Company begins gearing up for full rehearsals of "L'elisir d'amore" (that's "The Elixir of Love" for you non-Italian speakers). Two full bore chorus rehearsals, then next Monday nightly gigs until performances at the end of the month. Keeps me out of trouble, that's for sure. Unfortunately I failed in my intention of going into nightly rehearsals with the music all memorized. Maybe next year.
Saw Rodney Hart on Friday. He came into Busy Bistro while the family was having the annual bitrhday bash for my nephew (now 11) and my sister (his mom, older than me). Rodney and friends were there to enjoy the band, I assume. I love that the Bistro has live music every Friday. This group (whose name I didn't catch) was pretty good. They did NOT suffer from the lack of a rhythm section--apparently their drummer was out sick.
Finally if you're swinging down Hampshire between 6th and 7th, take a gander at the new sign at St. Raphael Orthodox Church. Nice, understated, but very visible. Come visit sometime.
Time to hit the showers!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Paschal Kanon
This is music we sang just tonight as we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of course this is not us--this is a parish in Canton, Ohio. BUT, the priest, Fr. John Peck, is a dear friend of mine who once served the parish in southern Illinois where I became Orthodox. What a delightfully "small world"!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Christ is Risen!
This is the Paschal greeting:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!
Of course, when only use English in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Here are a few others:
Albanian: Khrishti unjal! Vertet unjal!
Aleut: Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum!
Alutuq: Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq!
Amharic: Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal!
Anglo-Saxon: Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!
Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee!
Aroman: Hristolu unghia! Daleehira unghia!
Athabascan: Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey!
Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese!
Byelorussian: Khrystos uvaskros! Sapraudy uvaskros!
Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Coptic: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Czech: Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Opravdi vstoupil!
Danish: Kristus er opstanden! I sandhed Han er Opstanden!
(or Sandelig Han er Opstanden!)
Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!
Esperanto: Kristo levigis! Vere levigis!
Estonian: Kristus on oolestoosunt! Toayestee on oolestoosunt!
Ethiopian: Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala!
Finnish: Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi!
French: Le Christ est ressuscite! En verite il est ressuscite!
Gaelic: Kriost eirgim! Eirgim!
Georgian: Kriste ahzdkhah! Chezdmaridet!
German: Christus ist erstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig erstanden!
Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Hawaiian: Ua ala hou `o Kristo! Ua ala `I `o no `oia!
Hebrew: Ha Masheeha houh kam! A ken kam! (or Be emet quam!)
Icelandic: Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er vissulega upprisinn!
Indonesian: Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit!
Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto!
Japanese: Harisutosu Fukkatsu! Jitsu ni Fukkatsu!
Javanese: Kristus sampun wungu! Saesto panjene ganipun sampun wungu!
Korean: Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay!
Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!
Latvian: Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch!
Lugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Amajim ajukkide!
Malayalam (Indian): Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!
Nigerian: Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo!
Norwegian: Kristus er oppstanden! Han er sannelig oppstanden!
Polish: Khristus zmartvikstau! Zaiste zmartvikstau!
Portugese: Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou!
Romanian: Cristos a inviat! Adevarat a inviat!
Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!
Sanskrit: Kristo'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha!
Serbian: Cristos vaskres! Vaistinu vaskres!
Slovak: Kristus vstal zmr'tvych! Skutoc ne vstal!
Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Swahili: Kristo amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka!
Swedish: Christus ar uppstanden! Han ar verkligen uppstanden!
Syriac: M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam!
Tlingit: Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!
Turkish: Hristos diril-di! Hakikaten diril-di!
Ugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide!
Ukranian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir!
Yupik: Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!
Zulu: Ukristu uvukile! Uvukile kuphela!
May God bless you, all my friends and acquaintances, known and unknown (I can say that, I'm in radio :), during this holiest of Christian festal times!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!
Of course, when only use English in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Here are a few others:
Albanian: Khrishti unjal! Vertet unjal!
Aleut: Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum!
Alutuq: Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq!
Amharic: Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal!
Anglo-Saxon: Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!
Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee!
Aroman: Hristolu unghia! Daleehira unghia!
Athabascan: Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey!
Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese!
Byelorussian: Khrystos uvaskros! Sapraudy uvaskros!
Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Coptic: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Czech: Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Opravdi vstoupil!
Danish: Kristus er opstanden! I sandhed Han er Opstanden!
(or Sandelig Han er Opstanden!)
Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!
Esperanto: Kristo levigis! Vere levigis!
Estonian: Kristus on oolestoosunt! Toayestee on oolestoosunt!
Ethiopian: Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala!
Finnish: Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi!
French: Le Christ est ressuscite! En verite il est ressuscite!
Gaelic: Kriost eirgim! Eirgim!
Georgian: Kriste ahzdkhah! Chezdmaridet!
German: Christus ist erstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig erstanden!
Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Hawaiian: Ua ala hou `o Kristo! Ua ala `I `o no `oia!
Hebrew: Ha Masheeha houh kam! A ken kam! (or Be emet quam!)
Icelandic: Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er vissulega upprisinn!
Indonesian: Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit!
Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto!
Japanese: Harisutosu Fukkatsu! Jitsu ni Fukkatsu!
Javanese: Kristus sampun wungu! Saesto panjene ganipun sampun wungu!
Korean: Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay!
Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!
Latvian: Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch!
Lugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Amajim ajukkide!
Malayalam (Indian): Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!
Nigerian: Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo!
Norwegian: Kristus er oppstanden! Han er sannelig oppstanden!
Polish: Khristus zmartvikstau! Zaiste zmartvikstau!
Portugese: Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou!
Romanian: Cristos a inviat! Adevarat a inviat!
Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!
Sanskrit: Kristo'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha!
Serbian: Cristos vaskres! Vaistinu vaskres!
Slovak: Kristus vstal zmr'tvych! Skutoc ne vstal!
Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Swahili: Kristo amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka!
Swedish: Christus ar uppstanden! Han ar verkligen uppstanden!
Syriac: M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam!
Tlingit: Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!
Turkish: Hristos diril-di! Hakikaten diril-di!
Ugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide!
Ukranian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir!
Yupik: Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!
Zulu: Ukristu uvukile! Uvukile kuphela!
May God bless you, all my friends and acquaintances, known and unknown (I can say that, I'm in radio :), during this holiest of Christian festal times!
Friday, April 25, 2008
What does it all mean?
I am not a very good person.
I am variously angry, spiteful, lustful, nasty, crude, unkind, even evil. I am all too aware of my shortcomings both personal and professional. Were I to be judged solely by the results of my actions and the state of my heart...well, let's not go there.
This is a day to remember all that. This is a day to lament all that shows I am not and indeed cannot, solely of my own accord, be the kind of person I truly want to be: decent, kind, trusting, trustworthy, dedicated, prayerful, and above all, loving.
Today all that is dark and disturbing in my soul seems to be all-powerful. To quote a psalm, "My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me."
Solzhentizyn said the line between good and evil runs through every man's heart, and today I can see that so clearly--and the balance seems to me to be running to the evil side.
And yet...
Hear this from the rest of Psalm 55:
But I call upon God,
and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he will hear my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
On this day, I remember the darkness of that first Great and Holy Friday. Whether or not it actually was a Friday is immaterial. What happened is the important thing.
On this day, I remember an innocent victim going to the cross.
On this day, I remember my failings, the darkness of my heart, the wages of sin, the pains of hell...and as St. Silouan counsels, I do not despair.
You may not believe. That is your option, your choice. You may think me a fool for believing as I do in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, yet I have seen and experienced enough self-induced pain and enough beauty, forgiveness and healing from somewhere that your mockery does not affect me.
This is the day the weight of my own wretchedness began to be lifted from my shoulders. And I can look forward to the early morning very soon when I can sing with George Herbert:
Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him may'st rise;
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, Just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or since all music is but three parts vied,
And multiplied;
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Musings on Great & Holy Friday III
The noble Joseph,
when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the Tree,
wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices,
and placed it in a new tomb.
--Troparion of Holy Saturday
when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the Tree,
wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices,
and placed it in a new tomb.
--Troparion of Holy Saturday
Musing on Great & Holy Friday II
Today the Master of Creation stands before Pilate
and the Creator of All is condemned to the cross.
As a lamb He is willingly led, and fastened with nails.
His side is pierced, and He, Who rained manna on the earth,
is given drink from a sponge.
The Savior of the World is struck on the cheek,
and the Creator of All is mocked by His own servants.
For those who crucify Him,
He entreats His Father, saying:
"Father, forgive them this sin
because the lawless ones know not what injustice they do."
O, what a supreme love for mankind.
--from Vespers for Great & Holy Friday
and the Creator of All is condemned to the cross.
As a lamb He is willingly led, and fastened with nails.
His side is pierced, and He, Who rained manna on the earth,
is given drink from a sponge.
The Savior of the World is struck on the cheek,
and the Creator of All is mocked by His own servants.
For those who crucify Him,
He entreats His Father, saying:
"Father, forgive them this sin
because the lawless ones know not what injustice they do."
O, what a supreme love for mankind.
--from Vespers for Great & Holy Friday
Musing on Great & Holy Friday I
I Got me flowers to straw Thy way,
I got me boughs off many a tree;
But Thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st Thy sweets along with Thee.
The sunne arising in the East,
Though he give light, and th’ East perfume,
If they should offer to contest
With Thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this,
Though many sunnes to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we misse:
There is but one, and that one ever.
--George Herbert
I got me boughs off many a tree;
But Thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st Thy sweets along with Thee.
The sunne arising in the East,
Though he give light, and th’ East perfume,
If they should offer to contest
With Thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this,
Though many sunnes to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we misse:
There is but one, and that one ever.
--George Herbert
Friday, April 18, 2008
Did the earth move for you too?
Nothing like being awakened at 4:30 in the a.m. with a usually-mellow cat acting mental and the impression that someone is pounding on your apartment door.
I can't say I actually felt the earthquake, but it did sound for all the world like someone (Tookie maybe :) was trying like heck to roust me out of bed.
When I walked into work, everyone was standing around chattering. It seems that while I was driving in from putting gas in the car, we'd had an aftershock. Why do I miss all the fun?
Congrats to Roberto Stellino, owner of Tiramisu in Quincy. He's become a citizen of the United States today. Also to the four other Quincyans who are taking that big step with him today.
Now THAT'S an earth-shaking experience we should all think about--especially if we're natural born--and give thanks that, even with all its warts, this is still one of the best places in the world to live.
I can't say I actually felt the earthquake, but it did sound for all the world like someone (Tookie maybe :) was trying like heck to roust me out of bed.
When I walked into work, everyone was standing around chattering. It seems that while I was driving in from putting gas in the car, we'd had an aftershock. Why do I miss all the fun?
Congrats to Roberto Stellino, owner of Tiramisu in Quincy. He's become a citizen of the United States today. Also to the four other Quincyans who are taking that big step with him today.
Now THAT'S an earth-shaking experience we should all think about--especially if we're natural born--and give thanks that, even with all its warts, this is still one of the best places in the world to live.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
This is very odd. Really.
Can someone tell me, when I was sick from last Wednesday through Monday (and really still am but at least now I'm functional), when I worked a 12 hour day Tuesday, and look to do it again Wednesday...
WHY THE HECK AM I SITTING UP STILL AWAKE AT 3:40 IN THE FREAKING A.M. NOT SLEEPING?!?!
And also not commenting on a bunch of things worthy of comment: city budget hearings (check Tookie and East End for their takes), music (Funions--or at least RH--are doing lots of performing, check over there), Pam Fretwell getting roasted (I made her cry on her last day at STARadio--in a good way of course), county comprehensive planning meetings (this is gonna be....interesting), and so much more.
By the way, I have found the Holy Grail of upper nasal congestion relief: Zicam spray just cleans me out so well I don't get a headache and I can BREATHE!!! Hallelujah!
Note I said I wasn't sleeping, I did not say I was particularly coherent.
City Council Monday night was surreal under the influence of my meds. Tom Fentem cracked me up when he got up and volunteered to postpone the Preservation Commission's presentation so the aldermen and audience could get home to watch the NCAA championship. John Holm has probably seen swifter motions, seconds, and votes, but I haven't.
New BATTLESTAR GALACTICA season underway. I can't believe they brought Starbuck back. Please. No more Starpollo worse-than-soap-opera "romance". I also don't think I like any of those characters anymore. They're all worse than flawed--they're clueless AND lacking in moral fiber.
Watched the movie SWEENEY TODD for the first time. Not bad, Johnny Depp has a good voice, but neither he nor Helena Bonham Carter know how to act while they sing. Plus they left out too much, and Burton could at least have given us the ballad during the end credits.
Waiting for the next season of DOCTOR WHO.
Waiting for Great Lent to wind to its conclusion in Holy Week (not far now) and then Pascha (April 27th).
It occurs to me that I probably need to fast more from the pointless entertainments I just critiqued. Of course it's late and I'm a bit loopy.
One last non sequitur: just finished the first volume of POWER AT SEA by Lisle Rose about naval industrialism and sea power in the 20th century. 1st volume was about 1900 to 1918. Had to break out the WW1 naval minis and play a couple of battles. Solo of course, so I won but I lost, all at the same time.
I thought exercising my brain and writiing would put me to sleep, but alas.
Guess I'll go for an early morning drive.
WHY THE HECK AM I SITTING UP STILL AWAKE AT 3:40 IN THE FREAKING A.M. NOT SLEEPING?!?!
And also not commenting on a bunch of things worthy of comment: city budget hearings (check Tookie and East End for their takes), music (Funions--or at least RH--are doing lots of performing, check over there), Pam Fretwell getting roasted (I made her cry on her last day at STARadio--in a good way of course), county comprehensive planning meetings (this is gonna be....interesting), and so much more.
By the way, I have found the Holy Grail of upper nasal congestion relief: Zicam spray just cleans me out so well I don't get a headache and I can BREATHE!!! Hallelujah!
Note I said I wasn't sleeping, I did not say I was particularly coherent.
City Council Monday night was surreal under the influence of my meds. Tom Fentem cracked me up when he got up and volunteered to postpone the Preservation Commission's presentation so the aldermen and audience could get home to watch the NCAA championship. John Holm has probably seen swifter motions, seconds, and votes, but I haven't.
New BATTLESTAR GALACTICA season underway. I can't believe they brought Starbuck back. Please. No more Starpollo worse-than-soap-opera "romance". I also don't think I like any of those characters anymore. They're all worse than flawed--they're clueless AND lacking in moral fiber.
Watched the movie SWEENEY TODD for the first time. Not bad, Johnny Depp has a good voice, but neither he nor Helena Bonham Carter know how to act while they sing. Plus they left out too much, and Burton could at least have given us the ballad during the end credits.
Waiting for the next season of DOCTOR WHO.
Waiting for Great Lent to wind to its conclusion in Holy Week (not far now) and then Pascha (April 27th).
It occurs to me that I probably need to fast more from the pointless entertainments I just critiqued. Of course it's late and I'm a bit loopy.
One last non sequitur: just finished the first volume of POWER AT SEA by Lisle Rose about naval industrialism and sea power in the 20th century. 1st volume was about 1900 to 1918. Had to break out the WW1 naval minis and play a couple of battles. Solo of course, so I won but I lost, all at the same time.
I thought exercising my brain and writiing would put me to sleep, but alas.
Guess I'll go for an early morning drive.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
School announcements
We are told that there will be two sets of school announcements this week from Quincy District 172.
On Wednesday expect to hear the fate of Irving School (i.e. how the district plans to use it now that it won't be a school), as well as the new school boundaries.
We have not received any kind of notice of a press conference on this, so I suspect thay will just send out a press release to the media.
Then on Friday they will hold a special School Board meeting at 6:30 a.m. That will begin with a closed session--which is where they talk about terminations (and other privacy-issue related items). We've been told to expect to hear who and how many will be laid off during that meeting, once it goes open session again.
I don't want to comment more on the situation since I will likely have to attend and report on the meeting.
Just keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers--these are tough things to have to go through for students, families, teachers and other staff.
On Wednesday expect to hear the fate of Irving School (i.e. how the district plans to use it now that it won't be a school), as well as the new school boundaries.
We have not received any kind of notice of a press conference on this, so I suspect thay will just send out a press release to the media.
Then on Friday they will hold a special School Board meeting at 6:30 a.m. That will begin with a closed session--which is where they talk about terminations (and other privacy-issue related items). We've been told to expect to hear who and how many will be laid off during that meeting, once it goes open session again.
I don't want to comment more on the situation since I will likely have to attend and report on the meeting.
Just keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers--these are tough things to have to go through for students, families, teachers and other staff.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
For the suffering faithful in Alaska
They are not my words, but they are my prayer. May God bless the land where Orthodoxy first came to North America.
O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide;
Take not Thy thunder from us, but take away our pride.
From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men;
From sale and profanation of honor and the sword;
From sleep and from damnation, deliver us, good Lord!
Tie in a living tether, the prince and priest and thrall;
Bind all our lives together, smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation aflame with faith and free,
Lift up a living nation, a single prayer to Thee.
--G.K. Chesterton
Lord, have mercy!
O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide;
Take not Thy thunder from us, but take away our pride.
From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men;
From sale and profanation of honor and the sword;
From sleep and from damnation, deliver us, good Lord!
Tie in a living tether, the prince and priest and thrall;
Bind all our lives together, smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation aflame with faith and free,
Lift up a living nation, a single prayer to Thee.
--G.K. Chesterton
Lord, have mercy!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Fasting (it's still Lent for the Orthodox)
I snagged this from one of the new Orthodox links at the right: the blog of Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, Orthodixie.
It's from the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew.
Together with prayer, fasting is a critical form of ascetic discipline in the spiritual life. Physical practices of abstinence assist in breaking forceful habits that accrue within and harden the heart over years and even over generations. However, like the phenomenon of monasticism ... the aim of fasting is not to denigrate or destroy the body, which is always respected as "a temple of God" (1 Cor. 3:16). Rather, it is to refine the whole person, to render the faculties more subtle and sensitive to the outside world as well as to "the inner kingdom."
Fasting is another way of rejecting the split between heaven and earth.
Fasting implies a sense of freedom. Fasting is a way of not wanting, or wanting less, and of recognizing the wants of others. By abstaining from certain foods, we are not punishing ourselves but instead able to preserve proper value for all foods. Moreover, fasting implies alertness. By paying close attention to what we do, to the intake of food and the quantity of our possessions, we better appreciate the reality of suffering and the value of sharing.
Fasting begins as a form of detachment; however, when we learn what to let go of, we recognize what we should hold on to.
It's from the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew.
Together with prayer, fasting is a critical form of ascetic discipline in the spiritual life. Physical practices of abstinence assist in breaking forceful habits that accrue within and harden the heart over years and even over generations. However, like the phenomenon of monasticism ... the aim of fasting is not to denigrate or destroy the body, which is always respected as "a temple of God" (1 Cor. 3:16). Rather, it is to refine the whole person, to render the faculties more subtle and sensitive to the outside world as well as to "the inner kingdom."
Fasting is another way of rejecting the split between heaven and earth.
Fasting implies a sense of freedom. Fasting is a way of not wanting, or wanting less, and of recognizing the wants of others. By abstaining from certain foods, we are not punishing ourselves but instead able to preserve proper value for all foods. Moreover, fasting implies alertness. By paying close attention to what we do, to the intake of food and the quantity of our possessions, we better appreciate the reality of suffering and the value of sharing.
Fasting begins as a form of detachment; however, when we learn what to let go of, we recognize what we should hold on to.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
I sang this one in the district choral festival in Kenosha, Wisconsin...in 1978!
Never saw it again either as a score or in a recording. But here it is on YouTube.
The "embed" command was disabled, but I've put the link to the page where you can listen.
Gorgeous piece, great Shakespere text, a real weeper.
Of all the recordings of this on YT (yeah, there are a bunch, and I had to suffer without the song for 30 years!!! :) this has the cleanest singing and the best tempo.
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Never saw it again either as a score or in a recording. But here it is on YouTube.
The "embed" command was disabled, but I've put the link to the page where you can listen.
Gorgeous piece, great Shakespere text, a real weeper.
Of all the recordings of this on YT (yeah, there are a bunch, and I had to suffer without the song for 30 years!!! :) this has the cleanest singing and the best tempo.
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
March Rain
Rodney Hart doesn't like March rain. Thinks it's "bleah".
Rain in February or November is incomparably worse than March rain.
In February it brings thoughts of "Oh crap, it's still winter and this month was already devised to challenge even a saint's faith!"
In November it brings thoughts of "Winter is almost here and it's gonna be cold and ugly and this month was already devised to challenge even a saint's faith!"
But in March...
"Spring is so close I can feel it and even if it gets cold or yucky, I see the trees getting ready to burst forth and the sun is moving north and after all, it's the month that gives hope even to the vilest sinner!"
So Rodney's wrong. :)
Rain in February or November is incomparably worse than March rain.
In February it brings thoughts of "Oh crap, it's still winter and this month was already devised to challenge even a saint's faith!"
In November it brings thoughts of "Winter is almost here and it's gonna be cold and ugly and this month was already devised to challenge even a saint's faith!"
But in March...
"Spring is so close I can feel it and even if it gets cold or yucky, I see the trees getting ready to burst forth and the sun is moving north and after all, it's the month that gives hope even to the vilest sinner!"
So Rodney's wrong. :)
The Bishop by Anton Chekov
Here's a link to an interesting story by Chekov.
The Bishop
Thanks to St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Dallas for its voluminous website!
The Bishop
Thanks to St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Dallas for its voluminous website!
How the Pilgrim has wasted his morning
It's not been a total waste, of course. I took my walk, I mopped the kitchen and bathroom, and I marked the cuts in the opera score for Muddy River Opera Company rehearsal tonight.
But after that...
But after that...
It's Microsoft Train Simulator, using a route that follows the old Chicago Great Western Railroad from Chicago out to Oelwein, Iowa.
I rather went over the speed limit.
Oh yeah, I spent some time this afternoon updating the blog, changing the template, and making a simple header graphic...time wasted or not? You decide. :)
I rather went over the speed limit.
Oh yeah, I spent some time this afternoon updating the blog, changing the template, and making a simple header graphic...time wasted or not? You decide. :)
Cold, rainy, and yet...
I've been trying to get out and walk more lately.
It's problematic because I have chronic gout and it almost always goes to my feet. I do take medication and drink lots of water, but from time to time I'll have a lingering attack that, while not as painful as a full-blown assault, still makes walking distances quite the chore.
And yet...
Went out this morning determined to go at least around the block, perhaps as far as Washington Park (which is just three blocks away after all), and back. Good for the circulation, good for me period. One of my Lenten disciplines this year. (Remember, Pascha/Easter for the Orthodox isn't until April 27th.)
It was cool and it rained lightly. That's usually enough to turn me off but today it was different.
It had rained enough overnight to make the air smell really fresh--cold, but fresh. It was bracing, as they say.
At the park, rain dripped off the trees and while there was no sunlight per se, it still kind of sparkled and made everything look new and pretty. Even the new restroom construction didn't look so bad. :)
It was fairly quiet too, at 8 a.m. Most of the traffic was off on 4th Street and I stayed on the 5th Street side.
I headed back and stopped for a moment in front of St. Raphael Church (right next to the Busy Bistro) and looked at the ikons in the window. I have a key and thought about going in for a few minutes but decided in or out I was in the temple of the Lord and that was good enough for today.
Walked on...and my feet didn't hurt anymore and haven't since. Granted it's only a handful of hours, but not having aching dawgs is very much a blessing.
Combined with the fresh air, the lovely rain, the coolness, the beauty of ikons, and a day off, this has been and will continue to be a wonderful day.
Hope yours is too.
KNP
It's problematic because I have chronic gout and it almost always goes to my feet. I do take medication and drink lots of water, but from time to time I'll have a lingering attack that, while not as painful as a full-blown assault, still makes walking distances quite the chore.
And yet...
Went out this morning determined to go at least around the block, perhaps as far as Washington Park (which is just three blocks away after all), and back. Good for the circulation, good for me period. One of my Lenten disciplines this year. (Remember, Pascha/Easter for the Orthodox isn't until April 27th.)
It was cool and it rained lightly. That's usually enough to turn me off but today it was different.
It had rained enough overnight to make the air smell really fresh--cold, but fresh. It was bracing, as they say.
At the park, rain dripped off the trees and while there was no sunlight per se, it still kind of sparkled and made everything look new and pretty. Even the new restroom construction didn't look so bad. :)
It was fairly quiet too, at 8 a.m. Most of the traffic was off on 4th Street and I stayed on the 5th Street side.
I headed back and stopped for a moment in front of St. Raphael Church (right next to the Busy Bistro) and looked at the ikons in the window. I have a key and thought about going in for a few minutes but decided in or out I was in the temple of the Lord and that was good enough for today.
Walked on...and my feet didn't hurt anymore and haven't since. Granted it's only a handful of hours, but not having aching dawgs is very much a blessing.
Combined with the fresh air, the lovely rain, the coolness, the beauty of ikons, and a day off, this has been and will continue to be a wonderful day.
Hope yours is too.
KNP
Friday, March 14, 2008
Happy Pi-Day!
Yet more lack-of-seriosity on the Pilgrim.
I s'pose I should buckle down and make some comment on Quincy at some point.
Shout-out to Tookie whom I saw at a big event on Thursday.
Back to work.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tell me it ain't so!
Mary Ann caught with weed?!
Alas, I am devastated.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_en_tv/people_dawn_wells
Alas, I am devastated.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_en_tv/people_dawn_wells
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Okay, okay I admit it!
The artist in my soul (music, iconography, poetry) was the one who turned me on to Orthodoxy.
But listen to this and tell me you wouldn't like to hear this around the throne of God.
http://
And yes, there are LOTS of people I'd like to hear making music around the throne of God, but this just transports me there, NOW.
I don't think I'm getting into the proper Lenten spirit though. Hoever this does move me to lift up my hands in praise and to weep tears of joy.
s'nami Bog!
But listen to this and tell me you wouldn't like to hear this around the throne of God.
http://
And yes, there are LOTS of people I'd like to hear making music around the throne of God, but this just transports me there, NOW.
I don't think I'm getting into the proper Lenten spirit though. Hoever this does move me to lift up my hands in praise and to weep tears of joy.
s'nami Bog!
Gospodi pomiloye!
Absolutely stunning performance of a Russian Orthodox piece. Don't ask me what the text is because it's written in Cyrillic and I can't read it. A comment says it's by Chesnokov (late 19th, early 20th c.) and translates to "Advice Most Eternal" but I haven't been able to figure out which piece it is in "standard" church practice.
But dear God it is so gorgeous it HURTS.
http://
But dear God it is so gorgeous it HURTS.
http://
I don't understand...
Father Thaddeus and Matushka Sally just got back from a mission trip to the Hogar Rafael Ayou orphanage in Guatemala. It's run by a group of Orthodox nuns. It sits in a rough part of Guatemala City.
When they took it over about 10 years ago it was stuffed with sick, diseased kids being "cared for" by the government. The beds (now used as rabbit hutches) were infested with cockroaches. Food was barely fit for animals.
Now it's cleam, well run, the kids are being educated, they're being loved and cared for, everything is beautiful...
Except that UNICEF is urging the government to take over all orphanages and ban private ones. Their methodology is basically blackmail: "you do what we want or we won't give you anymore monetary support." So the kids could end up back in the kind of hellhole the nuns lifted them out of a decade ago, and the nuns could be out on their ear.
Sorry UNICEF, but who the heck died and made YOU "king of the world"?
I thought you were about the kids, but clearly you're about something else.
What a pity.
(There's a link to the orphanage on the St. Raphael Church website in the list at the right).
When they took it over about 10 years ago it was stuffed with sick, diseased kids being "cared for" by the government. The beds (now used as rabbit hutches) were infested with cockroaches. Food was barely fit for animals.
Now it's cleam, well run, the kids are being educated, they're being loved and cared for, everything is beautiful...
Except that UNICEF is urging the government to take over all orphanages and ban private ones. Their methodology is basically blackmail: "you do what we want or we won't give you anymore monetary support." So the kids could end up back in the kind of hellhole the nuns lifted them out of a decade ago, and the nuns could be out on their ear.
Sorry UNICEF, but who the heck died and made YOU "king of the world"?
I thought you were about the kids, but clearly you're about something else.
What a pity.
(There's a link to the orphanage on the St. Raphael Church website in the list at the right).
Ahhh...Rachmaninov!
Been away a while--lots of stuff going on.
Sometime today (Sunday) I hope to update my list of links so if I haven't had you on the list, that should be fixed soon.
Some bright person left his cell phone in the newsroom at WTAD yesterday and so missed calls from family that they had a ticket to last night's Quincy Symphony Chorus concert. Grrrrumble. I'm told it was very good. My sister's little bit was lovely, an unbiased reviewer told me this morning (thanks Mary!)
And today is the Sunday of the Last Judgement in the Orthodox Church, Lent for us begins a week from tomorrow (Monday, March 10). So I was poking around listening to music that would get me in the proper mood and found Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil, which then led me to some of his piano music.
Like this, the well-known G-minor prelude, played by Rachmaninov himself.
http://
Mmmmmm, very nice.
Then this one too, with Emil Gilels playing the C minor prelude.
http://
Unfortunately that got me all het up again, so I'll have to start over. :)
Sometime today (Sunday) I hope to update my list of links so if I haven't had you on the list, that should be fixed soon.
Some bright person left his cell phone in the newsroom at WTAD yesterday and so missed calls from family that they had a ticket to last night's Quincy Symphony Chorus concert. Grrrrumble. I'm told it was very good. My sister's little bit was lovely, an unbiased reviewer told me this morning (thanks Mary!)
And today is the Sunday of the Last Judgement in the Orthodox Church, Lent for us begins a week from tomorrow (Monday, March 10). So I was poking around listening to music that would get me in the proper mood and found Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil, which then led me to some of his piano music.
Like this, the well-known G-minor prelude, played by Rachmaninov himself.
http://
Mmmmmm, very nice.
Then this one too, with Emil Gilels playing the C minor prelude.
http://
Unfortunately that got me all het up again, so I'll have to start over. :)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Oh no, he's talking religion again!!!!
But there's some politics mixed in here. Besides it's not MY writing, it's Terry Mattingly's.
It's a good article, whether or not I fully agree with Mr. Clinton (heck I do not). What I find amusing is this fumbling around with ideas that have been thoroughly discussed by the Christians of the first 10 centuries...but which so many (mostly Protestants) are unwilling to acknowledge or even go searching for.
Anyway here's the link to Mattingly's article:
http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/2008/02/06/
Enjoy.
It's a good article, whether or not I fully agree with Mr. Clinton (heck I do not). What I find amusing is this fumbling around with ideas that have been thoroughly discussed by the Christians of the first 10 centuries...but which so many (mostly Protestants) are unwilling to acknowledge or even go searching for.
Anyway here's the link to Mattingly's article:
http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/2008/02/06/
Enjoy.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Another "say what?!" moment.
What kind of parent sends their kid to school when they have a temperature of 104?
What kind of self-centered worker (or idiot boss) comes to work when they're hacking and coughing and clearly ill?
Good grief people, if you're sick, STAY HOME.
What kind of self-centered worker (or idiot boss) comes to work when they're hacking and coughing and clearly ill?
Good grief people, if you're sick, STAY HOME.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The motions of his spirit
The man that hath no music in himself
Nor is not moved by concord of sweet song
Is fit for treasons, strategems and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.
--Wm. Shakespere, The Merchant of Venice
-- used by Ralph Vaughan Williams in "Serenade to Music"
No matter what kind of music you prefer, I am totally unable to see how anyone could hear the final pages of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and fail to be dragged up, however unwilling, out of the depths of despair and into the redemptive light of a glorious dawn.
It happens, I'm told.
Not to me, though.
Let it load, then go to about 5:20 and listen to the end. Turn it up, Tookie-gettin'-busted loud! :)
Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium!
Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder, was die Mode streng geteilt,
alle Menschen werden Brüder, wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, überm Sternenzelt muß ein lieber Vater wohnen!
--F Schiller
As a freshman in college I first had the opportunity to perform this as part of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra's Beethoven Festival 1979. The Hartt College of Music Master Choir (or which I was a member) and one of the choirs from UConn sang. When we finished and the orchestra went roaring to the double bar, it was like being at a football game where an incredible play has just taken place. A moment of stunned silence, followed by an immense wall of sound, cheers, applause, shouts, coming back at we musicians who had just provided a wall of sound going the other way.
Dear God, it was glorious.
Now for some soul-searing Russian Orthodox chant, spiritual rebirth, and off to bed.
Nor is not moved by concord of sweet song
Is fit for treasons, strategems and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.
--Wm. Shakespere, The Merchant of Venice
-- used by Ralph Vaughan Williams in "Serenade to Music"
No matter what kind of music you prefer, I am totally unable to see how anyone could hear the final pages of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and fail to be dragged up, however unwilling, out of the depths of despair and into the redemptive light of a glorious dawn.
It happens, I'm told.
Not to me, though.
Let it load, then go to about 5:20 and listen to the end. Turn it up, Tookie-gettin'-busted loud! :)
Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium!
Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder, was die Mode streng geteilt,
alle Menschen werden Brüder, wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, überm Sternenzelt muß ein lieber Vater wohnen!
--F Schiller
As a freshman in college I first had the opportunity to perform this as part of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra's Beethoven Festival 1979. The Hartt College of Music Master Choir (or which I was a member) and one of the choirs from UConn sang. When we finished and the orchestra went roaring to the double bar, it was like being at a football game where an incredible play has just taken place. A moment of stunned silence, followed by an immense wall of sound, cheers, applause, shouts, coming back at we musicians who had just provided a wall of sound going the other way.
Dear God, it was glorious.
Now for some soul-searing Russian Orthodox chant, spiritual rebirth, and off to bed.
Whatever did our ancestors do?
Just heard a comment on a local TV newscast that had me shaking my head.
More or less, it was that without cell phones we're so terribly unsafe.
Say what?!
The world became less safe when cell phones were created? Is that it?
Don't get me wrong--I have one, I'm glad to have one, it's very helpful. But would I be less safe without one? Would my children?
I'm going to sound like a crotchety old fart, but when *I* was young we played all over town without any way for our parents to reach us until we got home. Granted, we knew to be home by that particular time (by golly!). Were we so horribly unsafe? Yes, the world is different but it really isn't THAT much more unsafe than it was 40 years ago--we just have a lot more loudmouthed media (self included) to tell us about every little incident, many of which wouldn't have even crossed our radar in earlier times.
You can rewrite this rant to cover most any modern high-tech device that people seem to think is essential to life and safety, even though humanity survived for thousands of years without whatever that item may be.
Ah well. Guess I'll go crawl into my "crotchety middle-aged fart" hole.
More or less, it was that without cell phones we're so terribly unsafe.
Say what?!
The world became less safe when cell phones were created? Is that it?
Don't get me wrong--I have one, I'm glad to have one, it's very helpful. But would I be less safe without one? Would my children?
I'm going to sound like a crotchety old fart, but when *I* was young we played all over town without any way for our parents to reach us until we got home. Granted, we knew to be home by that particular time (by golly!). Were we so horribly unsafe? Yes, the world is different but it really isn't THAT much more unsafe than it was 40 years ago--we just have a lot more loudmouthed media (self included) to tell us about every little incident, many of which wouldn't have even crossed our radar in earlier times.
You can rewrite this rant to cover most any modern high-tech device that people seem to think is essential to life and safety, even though humanity survived for thousands of years without whatever that item may be.
Ah well. Guess I'll go crawl into my "crotchety middle-aged fart" hole.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Making the big time
Not me. I'm definitely small-town small potatoes.
But a friend has gotten some great recognition.
My friend Nathaniel's wife Kerry is an artist of no mean stature. It turns out one of her paintings (titled "On the Shore") was used as a backdrop for an appearance in South Carolina by Michelle Obama.
I just find that infinitely cool.
See images from the event below, as well as information on Kerry's upcoming solo show:
http://www.robertlangestudios.com/
Congrats, Kerry. Now when are we going to buckle down and start learning how to paint ikons?
But a friend has gotten some great recognition.
My friend Nathaniel's wife Kerry is an artist of no mean stature. It turns out one of her paintings (titled "On the Shore") was used as a backdrop for an appearance in South Carolina by Michelle Obama.
I just find that infinitely cool.
See images from the event below, as well as information on Kerry's upcoming solo show:
http://www.robertlangestudios.com/
Congrats, Kerry. Now when are we going to buckle down and start learning how to paint ikons?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Times change
My brother is in town but I just got an email from him. Go figure.
During the summers of 1977, 1978, and 1980-1983 I worked for a summer camp in central Wisconsin. Started as kitchen staff, then counselor, and then Program Director. My sister also worked there, and my brother as well.
Now the owners, the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, have closed Camp Webb after almost 50 years of giving kids from diverse backgrounds, including inner city and suburb kids from Chicago and Milwaukee areas, a chance to play and worship in a gorgeous woodland setting. The rumor is they will sell it for development, thereby garnering some obscene amount of money.
"Way back when" there were camps like this dotted all over Wisconsin. Camp Webb made numerous improvements over the years that allowed it to operate more or less year round, with camping for groups at various times, and of course the 6 to 8 weeks summer sessions we all know and remember when it was all kids, all the time.
Fortunately, a small group of former staff have come together to try and save the place.
That's where the email from my brother comes in. Turns out he is one of that small group of former staff.
I hope something can come of the effort, but I doubt we can raise the money needed to rescue the place. So it will get cut up into lots and many years of wonderful memories will be relegated to nothingness.
Hopeful, but sad.
Life rolls on...
During the summers of 1977, 1978, and 1980-1983 I worked for a summer camp in central Wisconsin. Started as kitchen staff, then counselor, and then Program Director. My sister also worked there, and my brother as well.
Now the owners, the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, have closed Camp Webb after almost 50 years of giving kids from diverse backgrounds, including inner city and suburb kids from Chicago and Milwaukee areas, a chance to play and worship in a gorgeous woodland setting. The rumor is they will sell it for development, thereby garnering some obscene amount of money.
"Way back when" there were camps like this dotted all over Wisconsin. Camp Webb made numerous improvements over the years that allowed it to operate more or less year round, with camping for groups at various times, and of course the 6 to 8 weeks summer sessions we all know and remember when it was all kids, all the time.
Fortunately, a small group of former staff have come together to try and save the place.
That's where the email from my brother comes in. Turns out he is one of that small group of former staff.
I hope something can come of the effort, but I doubt we can raise the money needed to rescue the place. So it will get cut up into lots and many years of wonderful memories will be relegated to nothingness.
Hopeful, but sad.
Life rolls on...
Saturday morning
That damned alarm clock rings waaaay too early on Saturdays and Sundays.
Got a fairly full weekend planned. My brother and his family are down from Appleton, Wisconsin and we'll be hitting all the usual places and events. You know, the obligatory Maidrite stop, stuff like that.
My Quincy nephew also is racing in the Pinewood Derby at St. James School this afternoon so we'll all go cheer him on.
Did I blink and miss "Sweeny Todd" at either of the Quincy movie complexes? What's up with that? Don't EVEN try to tell me it's too bloody and violent for Quincy sensibilities.
There are days when I think I should be a grumpy old fart like the brief, shining blog that graced us for a few months last year. Then I think, naw, I'm too nice and I couldn't keep up the act. And Fr. T. would be all on my case for behaving badly (as he should).
Now I must go and face the music. The apartment must be vacuumed, and the kitchen cleaned. Horrors!
Enjoy the weekend.
Got a fairly full weekend planned. My brother and his family are down from Appleton, Wisconsin and we'll be hitting all the usual places and events. You know, the obligatory Maidrite stop, stuff like that.
My Quincy nephew also is racing in the Pinewood Derby at St. James School this afternoon so we'll all go cheer him on.
Did I blink and miss "Sweeny Todd" at either of the Quincy movie complexes? What's up with that? Don't EVEN try to tell me it's too bloody and violent for Quincy sensibilities.
There are days when I think I should be a grumpy old fart like the brief, shining blog that graced us for a few months last year. Then I think, naw, I'm too nice and I couldn't keep up the act. And Fr. T. would be all on my case for behaving badly (as he should).
Now I must go and face the music. The apartment must be vacuumed, and the kitchen cleaned. Horrors!
Enjoy the weekend.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Looking up in The District
No, no, I don't mean gazing up at the crumbling brickwork atop the Newcomb, or at the WCU Building, or anything like that.
I mean that I've been to two of the strategic planning sessions for the Historic Quincy Business District (missed one because I had to be at the school board meeting).
Todd Shackelford is doing a great job of getting 50 disparate people with different ideas about what will make downtown/uptown/historic/business/The District to focus in on things that can be done to actually accomplish positive things.
They've got it to four focus groups now: Marketing, Environment, Economic Development, and Parking. On top of that they have three or four major goals listed for each group, and (at least for now) they are boring in on what kind of actions need to be taken to get No. 1 done in each area.
Color me impressed.
The owner of Pop's Pizza, who was one of the frontline at the November meeting expressing his concern and dissatisfaction, says he too is impressed and pleased--and most of all, hopeful.
Good for all of you who have made all three, or two, or even one of those meetings. Keep it up. I know I will do everything I can to be at the rest of them.
For the rest of you: Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center for the next 3 weeks. If you own a business, work, or live downtown--heck, if you just VISIT downtown--come be a part of this. It's important, and it will make the city of Quincy a better place.
Now, if we can just get to work on the OTHER issues facing Q-town. :)
I mean that I've been to two of the strategic planning sessions for the Historic Quincy Business District (missed one because I had to be at the school board meeting).
Todd Shackelford is doing a great job of getting 50 disparate people with different ideas about what will make downtown/uptown/historic/business/The District to focus in on things that can be done to actually accomplish positive things.
They've got it to four focus groups now: Marketing, Environment, Economic Development, and Parking. On top of that they have three or four major goals listed for each group, and (at least for now) they are boring in on what kind of actions need to be taken to get No. 1 done in each area.
Color me impressed.
The owner of Pop's Pizza, who was one of the frontline at the November meeting expressing his concern and dissatisfaction, says he too is impressed and pleased--and most of all, hopeful.
Good for all of you who have made all three, or two, or even one of those meetings. Keep it up. I know I will do everything I can to be at the rest of them.
For the rest of you: Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center for the next 3 weeks. If you own a business, work, or live downtown--heck, if you just VISIT downtown--come be a part of this. It's important, and it will make the city of Quincy a better place.
Now, if we can just get to work on the OTHER issues facing Q-town. :)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Dead actor...gone Governor.
When things happen in the biz, they happen fast and furious.
You've probably already heard about actor Heath Ledger being found dead in his New York City home. At last report, there doesn't appear to be any foul play or criminal activity, though pills were found near his bed. To die at 28, and as a young man with a great deal of talent and for no apparent reason...if that does not give you pause, it probably should.
Then on the political scene another lightning bolt: Missouri Governor Matt Blunt announces he will not seek re-election. Holy cow! (as a certain deceased sportscaster would say.) NO ONE I know saw that coming. Blunt says he has accomplished almost everything he set out to do when he was elected in 2004, so he's hanging up the governor's hat. No word on what he will do next, though at least one confrere in the biz opines that he may seek the Senate seat of Kit Bond. Wonder how Kenny Hulshof will feel about that, since he appeared to be the anointed one.
Keep yer eye on the ball, folks. The changes are fast and furious (and in some cases, sad beyond belief).
You've probably already heard about actor Heath Ledger being found dead in his New York City home. At last report, there doesn't appear to be any foul play or criminal activity, though pills were found near his bed. To die at 28, and as a young man with a great deal of talent and for no apparent reason...if that does not give you pause, it probably should.
Then on the political scene another lightning bolt: Missouri Governor Matt Blunt announces he will not seek re-election. Holy cow! (as a certain deceased sportscaster would say.) NO ONE I know saw that coming. Blunt says he has accomplished almost everything he set out to do when he was elected in 2004, so he's hanging up the governor's hat. No word on what he will do next, though at least one confrere in the biz opines that he may seek the Senate seat of Kit Bond. Wonder how Kenny Hulshof will feel about that, since he appeared to be the anointed one.
Keep yer eye on the ball, folks. The changes are fast and furious (and in some cases, sad beyond belief).
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Can't sleep...
I simply MUST stop watching movies late on Friday and Saturday nights when I have to be up early the next morning.
Sunday morning may be a fiasco.
(PS. The playlist was GONE WITH THE WIND, FERRIS BUELLER, and ELIZABETHTOWN :)
Sunday morning may be a fiasco.
(PS. The playlist was GONE WITH THE WIND, FERRIS BUELLER, and ELIZABETHTOWN :)
Friday, January 18, 2008
Whatever happened to freedom of expression?
We get a lot of media announcements at work (big surprise, I know).
Not sure why all the prez candidates feel the need to inform a five-station cluster in Quincy about their plans for the next few days of campaign stops, but there you are.
Anyway, every single one carries this little tidbit: "No signs allowed."
And thus my question.
Another: Why do they feel so threatened by signs that might (not necessarily) express opposition to their own ideas?
They're just signs, ladies and gents. Relax.
Not sure why all the prez candidates feel the need to inform a five-station cluster in Quincy about their plans for the next few days of campaign stops, but there you are.
Anyway, every single one carries this little tidbit: "No signs allowed."
And thus my question.
Another: Why do they feel so threatened by signs that might (not necessarily) express opposition to their own ideas?
They're just signs, ladies and gents. Relax.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
You MUST be s****ing me
This in from the AP:
GRAYSLAKE, ILL.-- Christopher Berger is an honor student at Grayslake Central High School. He's also a choir singer, as well as a former football player who spends half the day training to be a firefighter. That exemplary record now includes something new: A police ticket for reckless conduct given last week after school officials discovered a multi-tool flashlight in a jacket he left in the cafeteria. The tools include a 2-inch blade, screwdriver, pliers and other gadgets prohibited under school policy. Berger has prepared a petition asking that the charges be dismissed. He has knocked on the doors of neighbors to tell his story. So far he has obtained 16 signatures from the neighborhood and nearly 50 from school, four from teachers.
Hello?! Clueless adminstrator types?! Pointy-haired Dilbert-boss clones?!
IT'S A UTILITY FLASHLIGHT!
Honestly, sometimes I think these people see "zero tolerance" and immediately flush their cerebral material down the toilet because they think it means "no need for brains".
I hope the kid wins. He did nothing wrong, but the "powers that be" clearly need a reality check: the "rules" exist to help the people, the people don't exist to pay slavish devotion to "the rules".
Man, have I been crotchety lately, or what?
GRAYSLAKE, ILL.-- Christopher Berger is an honor student at Grayslake Central High School. He's also a choir singer, as well as a former football player who spends half the day training to be a firefighter. That exemplary record now includes something new: A police ticket for reckless conduct given last week after school officials discovered a multi-tool flashlight in a jacket he left in the cafeteria. The tools include a 2-inch blade, screwdriver, pliers and other gadgets prohibited under school policy. Berger has prepared a petition asking that the charges be dismissed. He has knocked on the doors of neighbors to tell his story. So far he has obtained 16 signatures from the neighborhood and nearly 50 from school, four from teachers.
Hello?! Clueless adminstrator types?! Pointy-haired Dilbert-boss clones?!
IT'S A UTILITY FLASHLIGHT!
Honestly, sometimes I think these people see "zero tolerance" and immediately flush their cerebral material down the toilet because they think it means "no need for brains".
I hope the kid wins. He did nothing wrong, but the "powers that be" clearly need a reality check: the "rules" exist to help the people, the people don't exist to pay slavish devotion to "the rules".
Man, have I been crotchety lately, or what?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Tyranny
Don't know about anyone else, but this sounds exactly like "tyranny of the majority" to me.
From AP Report:
"They reminded the group that the new policy was formed, in part, after a campus survey found 30 percent favored forcing smokers to the parking lots while an equal percentage wanted smoking completely banned."
Mind you, I do not smoke and avoid it as much as possible but...
To quote from Bob Heinlein (in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"):
"Rules--laws--always for the OTHER fellow...there is no worse tyranny than to force a man to do what he does not want to do merely because YOU think it would be good for him."
Does that make me a libertarian? Well, an Orthodox Libertarian, perhaps. With a good leavening of the conservative.
No wonder I'm so loopy...
From AP Report:
"They reminded the group that the new policy was formed, in part, after a campus survey found 30 percent favored forcing smokers to the parking lots while an equal percentage wanted smoking completely banned."
Mind you, I do not smoke and avoid it as much as possible but...
To quote from Bob Heinlein (in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"):
"Rules--laws--always for the OTHER fellow...there is no worse tyranny than to force a man to do what he does not want to do merely because YOU think it would be good for him."
Does that make me a libertarian? Well, an Orthodox Libertarian, perhaps. With a good leavening of the conservative.
No wonder I'm so loopy...
The Law of Unintended Consequences
It is regrettable when good ideas may contribute to bad results, but is it even a tiny bit possible that in the rush to "make driving safe for our teens",we have unintentionally contributed to the problem of unsafe teen drivers?
Two examples of the "law" in title, both drawn from the recent "crackdown" laws pased by the legislature with regard to teen driving.
1. A service provided by New Trier high school students to other students all over the Chicago area has had to shut down. The New Trier kids would give rides home to other studentswho for whatever reasons, could not or did not wish to drive after a night out. But with the curfew on teen drivers implemented on January 1st, those volunteer drivers can no longer be out in their cars after 11 weekdays or midnight on weekends. And since most of the calls the service received were for pickups after 11 or midnight... How many ofthose kids will now drive themselves home and be involved in accidents because they shouldn't be driving?
That's an unintended consequence. Destroy a good service and hope for the best, I guess.
Which leads us to:
2. "Gettin' close to the line, gotta get home, gotta beat the curfew. Hurry, hurry, hurry."
Have we contributed to a death by creating an arbitrary curfew for driving? I know a lot of teens will wait til the last possible moment to hit the road and hope to get home before the parental axe falls. Remember these are kids that think "it won't happen to me!"
I don't know that's what was running through Alex Farkas' head. I hope not. But I do know there will be kids who DO think that, and will take unacceptable risks to squeeze the last bits of pleasure out of their "nights out with friends".
Unintended consequences.
Thinking to do good, have we done wrong for at least one person?
Damn, it hurts.
May Alex's memory be eternal.
Two examples of the "law" in title, both drawn from the recent "crackdown" laws pased by the legislature with regard to teen driving.
1. A service provided by New Trier high school students to other students all over the Chicago area has had to shut down. The New Trier kids would give rides home to other studentswho for whatever reasons, could not or did not wish to drive after a night out. But with the curfew on teen drivers implemented on January 1st, those volunteer drivers can no longer be out in their cars after 11 weekdays or midnight on weekends. And since most of the calls the service received were for pickups after 11 or midnight... How many ofthose kids will now drive themselves home and be involved in accidents because they shouldn't be driving?
That's an unintended consequence. Destroy a good service and hope for the best, I guess.
Which leads us to:
2. "Gettin' close to the line, gotta get home, gotta beat the curfew. Hurry, hurry, hurry."
Have we contributed to a death by creating an arbitrary curfew for driving? I know a lot of teens will wait til the last possible moment to hit the road and hope to get home before the parental axe falls. Remember these are kids that think "it won't happen to me!"
I don't know that's what was running through Alex Farkas' head. I hope not. But I do know there will be kids who DO think that, and will take unacceptable risks to squeeze the last bits of pleasure out of their "nights out with friends".
Unintended consequences.
Thinking to do good, have we done wrong for at least one person?
Damn, it hurts.
May Alex's memory be eternal.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Stupid Criminal Tricks
Is it my imagination, or are criminals getting stupider by the day?
First we have a wave of twits getting nailed and then getting nailed AGAIN when they try to hide drugs and other items on (or in) their bodies when they come to be processed at the county jail. Doh!
Then we have various bright lights a bit further afield who threaten to blow up a police station while standing by the officers arresting his buddy.
And now this one: in full view of a police officer in a western Illinois town, this guy busted out a doctor's office window with his hand. Then he fought the officers that understandably came over to stop him. Then he threatened them. AND he had drug items in his pockets.
As Bill Cosby would say...
"That's brain damaged!"
First we have a wave of twits getting nailed and then getting nailed AGAIN when they try to hide drugs and other items on (or in) their bodies when they come to be processed at the county jail. Doh!
Then we have various bright lights a bit further afield who threaten to blow up a police station while standing by the officers arresting his buddy.
And now this one: in full view of a police officer in a western Illinois town, this guy busted out a doctor's office window with his hand. Then he fought the officers that understandably came over to stop him. Then he threatened them. AND he had drug items in his pockets.
As Bill Cosby would say...
"That's brain damaged!"
Collecting article
Nice article in the Whig today about collecting. It talks specifically about comics and scrapbooking, as well as gaming (that is, miniatures, boardgames, roleplaying, etc.).
My good friend Jim Brown owns Midwest Comics & Collectibles featured in the article.
My only complaint is directed at Jim--dude, you REALLY need to clean up behind the front counter! :)
So what kind of things do you collect, if you collect anything?
My good friend Jim Brown owns Midwest Comics & Collectibles featured in the article.
My only complaint is directed at Jim--dude, you REALLY need to clean up behind the front counter! :)
So what kind of things do you collect, if you collect anything?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Taking a page from UMR
Talked to him at the 10 a.m. City Council meeting on New Year's Eve.
He said part of his philosophy in blogging was to post something everyday, no matter how brief it might be.
Wise words, and given my promise to Feyd Funion (sorry, been watching the DUNE miniseries ), something I believe I'll take to heart.
Nothing deeply moving or profound today.
First, for those who asked for a way to read more of my stories, head here: http://Writing.Com/authors/nikolaibard
And finally, this: Just a reminder that no matter how much the darkness gathers round (look at the newspaper or any net news site), there's always a light. There's always hope.
Snami Bog!
He said part of his philosophy in blogging was to post something everyday, no matter how brief it might be.
Wise words, and given my promise to Feyd Funion (sorry, been watching the DUNE miniseries ), something I believe I'll take to heart.
Nothing deeply moving or profound today.
First, for those who asked for a way to read more of my stories, head here: http://Writing.Com/authors/nikolaibard
And finally, this: Just a reminder that no matter how much the darkness gathers round (look at the newspaper or any net news site), there's always a light. There's always hope.
Snami Bog!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Just a lazy fool...
So here I am again, having been lazy for far too long. And once again, apologies to those who try to follow along. I know it's frustrating when any particular blogger takes so long between posts. I will really truly and honestly try to do better.
New furnace is in and works very well. It remains to be seen how big the bills will be.
The cleaning (yikes, so much dust!) was helped by the heating guys (Tom Hurley and crew--they do good work) doing the sweeping and mopping. Heck, one of the guys cleaned up my ex-roomate's room that I'd been putting off for months and even folded and neatly piled Josh's clothes! Now to get hold of Josh and tell him to get his behind over here to get the ret of his stuff.
The cleaning must be done because the discarding must begin. It's only a couple of months now until Paula's stuff moves in (though Paula herself will not officially take up residence here until the wedding in July). Dang I have a LOT of crap. And dang, this is a LOT of work.
If you are interested in boardgames, role playing games, or miniature soldiers, I'll be having a game sale on Sunday, January 27th beginning at 2 p.m. You might swing by the place and check the stuff out if you have any interest. Pretty much nothing more than $15. Gotta move some of those games out so there's room for the lady.
Lady....games....no brainer. :)
I got a nice invite to the web warriors party at the OLC tonight. Gonna go listen to the Funions rock and roll, meet some of my fellow bloggers, and just enjoy a few minutes doing something I don't do much.
Then it's into my new work shift. Yes, things are changing. Beginning tomorrow I'll be doing weekend morning news both Saturday and Sunday, and will take over the evening meetings beat from John Holm. John's still around, just lightening his load a bit. The change will mean I can't do a lot of evening activities without serious preplanning, but if I wanted a 9 to 5 job I'd have become a banker. :)
Enough for now. Next post February 20.
(Just kidding!)
New furnace is in and works very well. It remains to be seen how big the bills will be.
The cleaning (yikes, so much dust!) was helped by the heating guys (Tom Hurley and crew--they do good work) doing the sweeping and mopping. Heck, one of the guys cleaned up my ex-roomate's room that I'd been putting off for months and even folded and neatly piled Josh's clothes! Now to get hold of Josh and tell him to get his behind over here to get the ret of his stuff.
The cleaning must be done because the discarding must begin. It's only a couple of months now until Paula's stuff moves in (though Paula herself will not officially take up residence here until the wedding in July). Dang I have a LOT of crap. And dang, this is a LOT of work.
If you are interested in boardgames, role playing games, or miniature soldiers, I'll be having a game sale on Sunday, January 27th beginning at 2 p.m. You might swing by the place and check the stuff out if you have any interest. Pretty much nothing more than $15. Gotta move some of those games out so there's room for the lady.
Lady....games....no brainer. :)
I got a nice invite to the web warriors party at the OLC tonight. Gonna go listen to the Funions rock and roll, meet some of my fellow bloggers, and just enjoy a few minutes doing something I don't do much.
Then it's into my new work shift. Yes, things are changing. Beginning tomorrow I'll be doing weekend morning news both Saturday and Sunday, and will take over the evening meetings beat from John Holm. John's still around, just lightening his load a bit. The change will mean I can't do a lot of evening activities without serious preplanning, but if I wanted a 9 to 5 job I'd have become a banker. :)
Enough for now. Next post February 20.
(Just kidding!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
