Nom de plume: Rivrdog

Wotta setta pipes!

For a 7-year old!

I wonder if she'll be able to sing at an old aviator's funeral...

Oh, and she doesn't do too bad with the National Anthem, either.

H/T to the T-Bone out in MT. Keep your wits about you, Tom, Parole & Probation is one of the most dangerous CJ jobs out there...

Liturgical music

If you've ever studied music, you know that in Western Civ, there is a wealth of music that was composed to Praise the Lord. In fact, until the Renaissance, most music had that purpose, because music with other purposes (i.e., to please the ear NON-religiously) was considered a sin.

In those days, if you were gifted enough to be able to write (poetry or prose), compose music, or render images in any art form, you did your work in the Name of the Lord. When you did, you were broadly supported by the wealthy and powerful members of whatever society you were a member of. The aristocracy took it as their duty to support the arts, and by doing so, they also supported the clergy and the spreading of God's Word.

Not so much anymore. Today's liturgical music is a small niche of popular music. Christian music attempts to cover all the bases, venturing into every genre from rap to rock and roll, and I've even heard of Christian Punk (but I haven't listened to any). Some current Christian music is quite traditional, some is even historical (Gospel music which originated within groups of black slaves, for example).

It all has it's place, and today and tomorrow is the main place for it.

In Portland, we have listener-supported Classical music on FM radio and streamed on the Internet. I awoke to my Eton S360 radio some post-Medieval liturgical music this morning, and I will play it most of the day. It just suits the Holy Holiday, it seems to me.

You can listen with the Rivr Family, right here. I hope you have a decent sound system that you can connect to your computer. I only have that in my office, so I will listen to the FM presentation on my home-theater set-up (formerly known as a "stereo") on FM 89.9 mhz.

At some point during the evening today, I might even turn the TV to Oregon Public Broadcasting, which traditionally plays the Yule Log, an endless video loop of a fire in a huge wood-burning fireplace (one of the three massive central fireplaces in the central lounge of Timberline Lodge).

Liturgical music is a part of me, I used to sing it during my private school's Christmas Pageants (they don't have them now, not PeeCee to celebrate Christmas, even if you are a private school). I've listened to it forever.

Liturgical music represents the Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men that the birth of Christ is supposed to represent. Listen to some as you prepare for your family's Christmas celebrations.

Thursday Thud #13

...that's correct, there will only be one Thud heard today, because the Thud illustrated here is really the only one you ever want to hear, if you are a warrior, and if you're not one now, you probably will be in times to come.

That Thud! of course, is the sound your mortal enemy makes as he falls at your feet, vanquished by your last, best, finally victorious, blow.

Winning your last battle, the battle you went into knowing either you or your enemy, but not both, would come out alive, is what my presentation today is about.

There's music which was written to inspire those fighting this last battle, to bring the Union side of that battle to victory. It's called, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, it is sung here by several school choirs, and presented by the owner of the website you are linked to. If your sympathies stood with the other side in that conflict which ended, lo these 146 years ago, I feel your pain when you hear this music, written as it was to stir the wrong side to victory. None the less, the music accomplishes it's goal, and in a Nation Re-United, but now, sadly, falling rapidly from it's former grace, it needs to be heard again, it needs to be taken to heart, and it needs to inspire yet another generation of Americans to arise from their slumbers, throw off the yokes we have been burdened with unjustly, and smite those blows which will vanquish our oppressors and restore the former glory of our God and our Nation. When we do, we get to hear that rarest of sounds, that Thud! signifying that we've won.

The music is all about fighting with the inspiration of a resolute God, and stout fellow-soldiers at your side, all of whom take inspiration from that resolute God.

In the Bible, the words are in Romans 13:4

I have one small complaint about this music, as it is usually sung today: In the second-to-last stanza is the line, "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,". This line is changed a bit in a politically-correct way now, and is usually sung, "As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,". This seemingly-small change dilutes the entire purpose of the music, which was to get the soldiers singing it or listening to it to overcome their fear of death on the battlefield, and to put forth their very best effort to win the upcoming battle.

I can find no provenance that tells me that this change is an accepted one by the heirs of the composer, Julia Ward Howe, so I state firmly that it is an improper change which badly distorts the music's purpose, and should never be repeated. Sing the lyrics correctly, please.

BTW, this is the 150th Anniversary of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, Miss Howe wrote it in 1861.

BTW2, this post is dedicated to two of my greatest inspirations in life, Miss VikkiLee and the Patriot Padre.

Question of the Day

If Herman Cain has such morality-driven baggage that he can't continue in his quest for the White House, how come all those other wannabes are kissing his butt to get his endorsement?

Is there some filter at work here such that having dropped his campaign, all of a sudden the moral affronts which caused him to fall are forgiven, so the endorsements would be wholesome support?

What part of History Revisionism does the GOP think is acceptable to the Right, anyway?

If Slick Willy dries off that member, puts it back into his trou and smiles, have we forgiven him?

How about if Jerry Sandusky rehearses well and puts on a smiling denial of pedophilia for the camera?

If "Lennon read a book of Marx", does that make Marx less of a leftist?

Too many shades of gray.

Life itself has been "photoshopped"

Protocol Officer

Our Yacht club is having a Veteran's Day Dinner next Friday, 11-11-11, and I am the Protocol Officer, and Head Dishwasher.

Had to get back into the Ceremonies Manual for Indoor Retreat, but I think I have it down now.

We'll use these three US Army Band recordings, first Retreat, then the National Anthem, then Mess Call (evening).

 

Download Retreat

Download TheStarSpangledBanner_BandOnly

Download MessCall

Next, I wrote a script for the ceremony, and sent it to the party host:

 

"OK, for Indoor Retreat, we'll assemble & present the Colors out on the Dance Floor and say the Pledge of Allegiance, and next, the stereo will play, first, Retreat (bugle call), then the National Anthem. These are audio from the US Army Band, and are the exact tempo played at Ceremonies on military posts. Protocol: The MC will ask that all stand and face the Colors, and face the flag only during Retreat, but on the first note of the National Anthem playing, come to attention and either render the hand salute (new choice for non-uniform military and veterans) or place right hand over heart, remaining that way until the last note dies away. Some wag will probably shout "play ball", but that can be ignored...then, one more bugle call, "Mess Call" (i.e., the Let's Eat call)"

Then the caterers (myself and my son) serve the meal, chow line style, and we eat. The evening will conclude with "Jeopardy" type game of military trivia, which I intend to win.

BMX, ultimate version

Danny MacAskill, of course.

If you think you  are a BMX rider, don't even let the words out of your mouth until you've seen this Red Bull Productions film. Excellent videography, and the musical accompaniment isn't half-bad, either.

Tip o' flight helmet to the Auld Colonel, he flew everything from P-51s (USAAF) to helos and trash-haulers, and even did some work in Rocket Science. When that wasn't enough, he put down a full career as the first "civilian" Police Dispatcher in my county, then wrote a book about it all, publishing it himself. One of three fliers I know to have gone the double-career route in the air and in police work...

God Help us...the Devil is on the Doorstep

...and the proof is no farther away than RNS.

Hmmmm, that didn't come out right. I did NOT mean to say that RNS is the Devil's hand-work.

What I meant to say is that RNS seems to have picked up on this new genre of music, and it's a stretch to call ANY variation of rap, music.

I hope the folks who are trying to get this music going realize that it fits ZERO people. It doesn't fit the gangsta filk, and it doesn't fit those (such as your blogger) who have always cottoned to bluegrass.

Bluegrass is simply the expressed soul of the hill folk, and the hill folk ARE the soul of this nation. Bluegrass SHALL NOT be sullied with the counter-culture likes of gangsta rap.

I don't write music, but I could write rap, at least as easily as I wipe my bum (with either hand). Enough said.

American Idol

I'm not a fan. I have just about a zero give-a-shit factor here, but I do recognize one thing worth mentioning: the vote for the winner, Scotty McCreery.

Country music fans have it together enough to outvote that other genre we won't mention, but it rhymes with rip-stop.

Maybe there's hope. Maybe.

Musical Genius, continued...

More Andre Rieu. This time, he starts with Beethoven's Fifth, but it soon segues into some outstanding Latin music. Unfortunately, the music is end-cut, so you don't get to see his usual finish-with-flair ending. The merging of Beethoven into other music is not original. In my last TDY tour in the 'Nam, I had, on my bomber crew, one T/Sgt William Moore, Aircraft Gunner, better known to early country music fans as "Fiddlin' Bill Moore", a side man for Dolly Parton when SHE was a side act to Porter Waggoner (now THAT'S going back, isn't it!). Bill didn't bring a fiddle to SEA with him, so the crew threw a few sawbucks in the hat, and we went downtown in Agana, Guam, and bought him one, and from the Class Six store, got a half-gallon of Beam to get the tunes flowing. Not the ONLY jug of Beam, Bill had a hollow leg, but we all did in those days. The only difference was that Bill's Beam was 90 cents per fifth, and my Chivas was about $4.

Fiddlin' Bill Moore showed us how it was done, starting with Beethoven's Fifth's opening movement, and segueing into "The Orange Blossom Special", the quintessential fiddle piece (better with TWO fiddles, for the "dueling fiddles" effect). We had that to ourselves, on Ready Crew R-20, until the Top Three Club at Andersen AFB found out who Gunner Bill Moore REALLY was, and then he had to take his fiddle over there (despite being one stripe short of membership) and entertain the Top Three enlisted ranks and their guests. BTW, for the "stuffed shirts" out there, the Top Three clubs in that theater of war were where the REAL kicked-back warriors hung out when they were kicking back (a VERY necessary part of warfare). I was an invited guest often enough, and there were not many Zeros who got that invite.

Historical note: T/Sgt William Moore was killed, in a B-52 training crash, while flying out of Fairchild AFB in Spokane, WA. He was assigned to the the 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing at the time.

Yeah, you can talk about your metal, or your blues, and I can even dig jazz, but when I want music to get into my head AND my soul, I put on the Bluegrass, because, well, because that's AMERICA. That's where I'm at and that's where MY music's at.

Music in your Face, continued

To President Obama (Valerie Jarrett) and the entire crew of nazis, to Sheik Nasrallah, to all the other Paleoswinian scum who have come out of the woodwork recently,

...May I present, Andre Rieu, with the Johannes Straus Orchestra out of Masstricht, Netherlands, playing at Royal Albert Hall in London, England,

"Hava Nagila"

הבה נגילה