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. :)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
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!
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