The other day I spent two hours or thereabouts in my doctor's office waiting to have my ear reamed out. The outer waiting room was quite full, so I expected that my visit would not be in and out, and I was right. I spent a good long time in the outer waiting room, before I was moved to the inner waiting room. Why two waiting rooms? Is it that if all the waiting folks were in one large room, the patients would be disheartened by the sight, so that the patients must be divided up? Then, onto another wait in the treatment cubicle. I almost had the doctor once. He was in the doorway with my chart in his hand, but the nurse called him away to another cubicle. He smiled and said, "Sorry," and put the chart back into it door pocket. They don't call us patients for nothing.
Finally, he came in and reamed out my ear and told me that I would need a cauterization - a minor procedure - to keep me from having to have my ear reamed out so often. Did I want to do it right then? I considered briefly, and said that I wanted to think about it for a bit. The procedure is scheduled for a month from now, after I have thought about it.
The good news is that I had the February 11-18 combined issue of the New Yorker along, with the annual Eustace Tilley cover, a little different from those in years past. One of the articles that I read is Eerily Composed; Nico Muhly, Generation Y Maestro by Rebecca Mead.
Nico Muhly is a young - 26 years old! - composer. From the profile, I get a picture of a charming young man, someone I'd like to meet and get to know.
Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English composers of religious music, in particular William Byrd and John Taverner, are among Muhly’s chief influences, though he also draws musical inspiration from the spare repetitions of Philip Glass and Steve Reich and from the off-kilter rhythms of songs by Björk, whose recordings he has worked on.
The article is intriguing on different levels, but what captured my attention was the young boy's immediate connection with liturgical music:
When he was eight years old, Muhly began to learn the piano, on an old upright in the basement of the Rhode Island house, but it was not until a friend at school invited him to join a church choir that his musical affinities truly began to emerge. “My mother was horrified: she would come and hear us sing, but grudgingly,” Muhly says. (His mother is half Jewish, and his father comes from a Lutheran family; both are more likely to celebrate the solstice than any Judeo-Christian religious observance.) Muhly, however, loved the repertory of Byrd, Weelkes, and Orlando Gibbons. “I found myself immediately at home in it musically,” he says. “I was really entranced by early music, and how the lines worked. It felt so much more emotional than the Romantic stuff I was playing as a pianist—Chopin, or Schumann, or Tchaikovsky, which always felt sort of Hallmarky.”
....
Muhly says that, even as a boy, he was fascinated by the emotional function of church music as opposed to that of concert music. “Church music is more directional music, pointing upward,” he says. “And the satisfaction of a job well done is the only one you are going to get. When you finish the piece, you don’t look at the audience and smile; you don’t graciously bow. And the composer vanishes, too, in addition to the performers. If you are really good, you disappear.”
....
Since moving to New York, seven years ago, Muhly has regularly attended St. Thomas Church, on Fifth Avenue at Fifty-third Street. In 2005, he composed a “Bright Mass with Canons” for its choir. “The organ writing is very colorful and very brilliant, and what is so attractive to me is that he is using ancient techniques,” John Scott, the director of music at St. Thomas, says. “Canon, where voices imitate each other and sing the same music but not at the same time, came to its fruition among early-sixteenth-century Flemish composers. Nico Muhly is in a sense coming from there, but it is dressed up in a very contemporary musical language that has aspects of minimalism.”
Muhly’s youthful anti-clericalism has been tempered by time: though Scott told me that he and Muhly have never discussed questions of faith, he added, “I suspect that he is quite serious about it.” Muhly told me, “I am quite serious about church music. Musicians have always enjoyed a ‘question-free zone’ about faith, because religious music can help people explore their relationship with the divine, which I think is a much more powerful altruistic act than making a big scene of your own personal relationship. I started going to St. Thomas here, and it wasn’t even a question for a second that I wanted to live a life that includes liturgical music as a major part.” (My bolding)
To me, that's a rather fine statement of faith.
You can listen to Muhly's music here.
Any doctors out there reading this, take note that I love my doctors, and my wait was due to surgery which took longer than expected, which I quite understand.
Monday, February 25, 2008
From Our Canterbury Correspondent
From the comments to my Water vs. Wine post which included this statement:
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.
Lindy said...
What I want to know is how can we get water banned at Lambeth because I think some of those bishops must have been drinking quite a lot of it already.
and then:
PseudoPiskie said...
Lindy has a good point. And perhaps an abundance of the fruit of the grape might make the gathering much friendlier.
and finally, THE WORD, from our Canterbury correspondent:
Mary Clara said...
I am advised by someone closely involved in planning for the upcoming Lambeth Conference that at the 1998 Conference, the pubs and the wine shops on the University of Kent campus were well patronised.
So we can hope.
Thanks for the good news, Mary Clara.
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.
Lindy said...
What I want to know is how can we get water banned at Lambeth because I think some of those bishops must have been drinking quite a lot of it already.
and then:
PseudoPiskie said...
Lindy has a good point. And perhaps an abundance of the fruit of the grape might make the gathering much friendlier.
and finally, THE WORD, from our Canterbury correspondent:
Mary Clara said...
I am advised by someone closely involved in planning for the upcoming Lambeth Conference that at the 1998 Conference, the pubs and the wine shops on the University of Kent campus were well patronised.
So we can hope.
Thanks for the good news, Mary Clara.
"Ode to the Louisiana Legislature"
From my new blog friend and fellow Louisianian, Jim, at JindalWatch, comes a video for Louisiana folks: (and any other crazies who care to watch) a moving musical tribute to our elected officials who work so hard for us in Baton Rouge.
As you watch, keep in mind that the headline in today's issue of the Baton Rouge Advocate is: "Jindal’s Ethics Plan On Track", and in the article, Jindal says, “We are thrilled at the progress”.
As you watch, keep in mind that the headline in today's issue of the Baton Rouge Advocate is: "Jindal’s Ethics Plan On Track", and in the article, Jindal says, “We are thrilled at the progress”.
Water vs. Wine
A Monday morning wake-up call:
To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine and those who don't.
As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day , at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.
A wise friend says: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather a skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO!!!!!" What a ride!!!!
From my daughter in an email. I have no idea if the scientific information is true.
To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine and those who don't.
As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day , at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.
A wise friend says: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather a skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO!!!!!" What a ride!!!!
From my daughter in an email. I have no idea if the scientific information is true.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Waning Gibbous Moon
Waning gibbous moon
Shining brightly shining low
Hides behind the trees
Anyone wanna add a haiku, go right ahead. It doesn't have to be about the moon.
Photo from Infinite Focus
Road Rage?
After church today, Grandpère and I headed to our favorite (not!) food chain, Chili's, to eat lunch. We had a gift card, so what could we do? As I was driving there, I moved into the left turning lane, and, just as I saw my way free to go forward, a car darted into my lane right in front of me. We could easily have collided. The driver, a young woman, pulled into a parking place at Chili's and got out. We went on to park and went into the restaurant. As we were sitting in the restaurant, I saw the woman sitting in a corner with two friends. I asked GP, "Do you think I should go over and say something to her?" He said, "No, don't do that."
I had ordered my usual glass of red wine (for medicinal purposes, only, of course) and - lo! - a special of the day was two glasses of wine for the price of one, so GP got a glass of wine, too. He drank a little, but he does not like red wine, so I poured the rest of his into my glass and drank it, too, after I'd finished mine. If one glass of red wine is heart-healthy, then two must be even healthier, right?
Time to go. They say that alcohol reduces inhibitions. I looked over at the girl, and told GP, "I'm going over there." He rolled his eyes, but he knew that he was not going to stop me. I went over to her table and said, "You cut right in front of me. You could have caused an accident. You should learn to drive less aggressively and more carefully. Thank you." I don't know what the thank you was about, but I threw it in. She sat with a smirk on her face as I was talking. I left after I said my piece, so she didn't have a chance to respond. I felt a lot better. I didn't snarl at her or raise my voice, or anything. I spoke as nicely as I could saying something like that.
I have a moderate case of road rage, which I've got to watch for, but I don't think I'd categorize that as road rage. What do you think?
What surprised me a bit was the immense satisfaction that I felt, after advising the young woman to mend her driving ways.
I had ordered my usual glass of red wine (for medicinal purposes, only, of course) and - lo! - a special of the day was two glasses of wine for the price of one, so GP got a glass of wine, too. He drank a little, but he does not like red wine, so I poured the rest of his into my glass and drank it, too, after I'd finished mine. If one glass of red wine is heart-healthy, then two must be even healthier, right?
Time to go. They say that alcohol reduces inhibitions. I looked over at the girl, and told GP, "I'm going over there." He rolled his eyes, but he knew that he was not going to stop me. I went over to her table and said, "You cut right in front of me. You could have caused an accident. You should learn to drive less aggressively and more carefully. Thank you." I don't know what the thank you was about, but I threw it in. She sat with a smirk on her face as I was talking. I left after I said my piece, so she didn't have a chance to respond. I felt a lot better. I didn't snarl at her or raise my voice, or anything. I spoke as nicely as I could saying something like that.
I have a moderate case of road rage, which I've got to watch for, but I don't think I'd categorize that as road rage. What do you think?
What surprised me a bit was the immense satisfaction that I felt, after advising the young woman to mend her driving ways.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Man Who Orders Three Beers
An Irishman moved into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walked into the pub and ordered three beers. The bartender raised his eyebrows a wee bit, but (with reservation) served the man the three beers, which he took to a nearby table and quietly drank them all by himself.
The next evening the man came to the pub and again ordered three beers and carried them to table by himself and proceeded to drink the three beers all by himself. For weeks, this man came into the pub regularly and when he did, he ordered 3 beers and took them to a table and drank the 3 beers all by himself.
Soon the entire little hamlet of County Kerry was whispering about the "man who orders three beers."
Finally, after many weeks, the bartender broached the subject on behalf of the village.
"I don't mean to be prying but folks around here are wonderin why your always order three beers and drink them alone?"
"Tis a wee bit odd I would be supposin" the man replied. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America and the other went to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order two extra beers, whenever we would partake, as a way of keeping up the family bond."
The bartender and the entire hamlet of County Kerry were pleased with his answer and with the reverence for family and soon the "man who orders three beers" became somewhat of a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet.
Then one evening the man came in and ordered only two beers. The bartender served them with a heavy heart. The Irishman took them to the table and drank the 2 beers all by himself. On the next visits to the pub, the "man who orders three beers," would only order two beers. And drink them all by himself. Word spread around the hamlet quickly. Prayers were offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender said to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer our condolences to you for the death of your brother, you know - only two beers."
The man pondered for a moment then replied, " You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, meself, have decided to give up beer for Lent."
Flat-out stolen from Caminante without her permission. I did ask, but this was so good that I did not wait for an answer. And Lent is moving right along.
The next evening the man came to the pub and again ordered three beers and carried them to table by himself and proceeded to drink the three beers all by himself. For weeks, this man came into the pub regularly and when he did, he ordered 3 beers and took them to a table and drank the 3 beers all by himself.
Soon the entire little hamlet of County Kerry was whispering about the "man who orders three beers."
Finally, after many weeks, the bartender broached the subject on behalf of the village.
"I don't mean to be prying but folks around here are wonderin why your always order three beers and drink them alone?"
"Tis a wee bit odd I would be supposin" the man replied. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America and the other went to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order two extra beers, whenever we would partake, as a way of keeping up the family bond."
The bartender and the entire hamlet of County Kerry were pleased with his answer and with the reverence for family and soon the "man who orders three beers" became somewhat of a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet.
Then one evening the man came in and ordered only two beers. The bartender served them with a heavy heart. The Irishman took them to the table and drank the 2 beers all by himself. On the next visits to the pub, the "man who orders three beers," would only order two beers. And drink them all by himself. Word spread around the hamlet quickly. Prayers were offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender said to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer our condolences to you for the death of your brother, you know - only two beers."
The man pondered for a moment then replied, " You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, meself, have decided to give up beer for Lent."
Flat-out stolen from Caminante without her permission. I did ask, but this was so good that I did not wait for an answer. And Lent is moving right along.
Me And My Congressman
Several days ago, I attempted to participate in a live phone forum with my representative in Congress, Charlie Melancon. He has voted the right way at times, especially on the bill to privatize Social Security, and I thank him for that. I know Charlie, and I like him, but he voted in favor of a bill to permit "enhanced interrogation techniques", a euphemism for torture, so far as I am concerned. I understand that he will sometimes cast votes with which I disagree, because the majority of his constituency, unlike me, is conservative, but that vote, I just didn't get. Folks around here were just not paying much attention at the time, and I believe he could have voted the other way without facing serious consequences. As I see it, torture is a moral question, and I can't see how it would be right to vote to allow it:
On August 4, 2007, Melancon created much controversy when he and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu broke ranks with Democrats and sided with Republicans and the Bush Administration in voting for the Protect America Act, an amendment to the USA Patriot Act further expanding wiretap powers, authorizing torture and suspension of rights of American citizens that many feel is unconstitutional.
In the phone forum, I wanted to ask Charlie about how he would vote on the FISA bill, which gives the Telecoms immunity for illegally spying on us. If I break the law and get caught, I must pay the price. Why should the Telecoms, who spied on you and me, get immunity for breaking the law?
I waited for my turn to ask a question, but it took too long. I got tired of waiting and hung up. While I was waiting, I listened to Charlie's explanation of how the refund checks that will be in the mail come May will help jump-start the economy. Now, I'm sure that in these hard times of a failing economy, gas prices rising, the housing market going bad, etc., etc., etc., the checks will be welcome to many, but to think that these checks will jump-start the economy is ludicrous.
Well, I don't have to wait any longer for my answer on how he will vote on the FISA bill and immunity for the Telecoms. From the February 23, 2008 issue of the Times-Picayune:
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, and 20 other members of the Congressional Blue Dogs, conservative to moderate House Democrats, said the House needs to pass the Senate bill for immunity quickly.
I'm tired of being represented by a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, who, these days, too often seem to be Republicans in disguise. I'm ready to be represented by a real Democrat.
On August 4, 2007, Melancon created much controversy when he and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu broke ranks with Democrats and sided with Republicans and the Bush Administration in voting for the Protect America Act, an amendment to the USA Patriot Act further expanding wiretap powers, authorizing torture and suspension of rights of American citizens that many feel is unconstitutional.
In the phone forum, I wanted to ask Charlie about how he would vote on the FISA bill, which gives the Telecoms immunity for illegally spying on us. If I break the law and get caught, I must pay the price. Why should the Telecoms, who spied on you and me, get immunity for breaking the law?
I waited for my turn to ask a question, but it took too long. I got tired of waiting and hung up. While I was waiting, I listened to Charlie's explanation of how the refund checks that will be in the mail come May will help jump-start the economy. Now, I'm sure that in these hard times of a failing economy, gas prices rising, the housing market going bad, etc., etc., etc., the checks will be welcome to many, but to think that these checks will jump-start the economy is ludicrous.
Well, I don't have to wait any longer for my answer on how he will vote on the FISA bill and immunity for the Telecoms. From the February 23, 2008 issue of the Times-Picayune:
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, and 20 other members of the Congressional Blue Dogs, conservative to moderate House Democrats, said the House needs to pass the Senate bill for immunity quickly.
I'm tired of being represented by a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, who, these days, too often seem to be Republicans in disguise. I'm ready to be represented by a real Democrat.
Feast Day Of St. Polycarp
St. Polycarp was Bishop of Smyrna, now called Ismir, in Turkey, and an early martyr of the church. As the fire was being lit to burn him, Polycarp said the following prayer:
Lord God Almighty, Father of your blessed and beloved child Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of you, God of angels and hosts and all creation, and of the whole race of the upright who live in your presence: I bless you that you have thought me worthy of this day and hour, to be numbered among the martyrs and share in the cup of Christ, for resurrection to eternal life, for soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among them may I be accepted before you today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, just as you, the faithful and true God, have prepared and foreshown and brought about. For this reason and for all things I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, your beloved child, through whom be glory to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for the ages to come. Amen.
Further biographical information can be found at Padre Mickey's and at The Lectionary.
Readings:
Psalm 116:10-17 (before Lent) or 34:1-8 (in Lent) or 121
Revelation 2:8-11
Matthew 20:20-23
PRAYER
O God, the maker of heaven and earth, who gave to your venerable servant, the holy and gentle Polycarp, boldness to confess Jesus Christ as King and Saviour, and steadfastness to die for his faith: Give us grace, following his example, to share the cup of Christ and rise to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Image from Wiki.
Friday, February 22, 2008
I Know Not
What is my life to be?
I know not. I know not.
And will I cross the sea?
I know not. I know not.
And will you stay with me?
I know not. I know not.
Alas, I see! I see!
I know not what my life shall be.
Grandmère Mimi - 7-27-07
I know not. I know not.
And will I cross the sea?
I know not. I know not.
And will you stay with me?
I know not. I know not.
Alas, I see! I see!
I know not what my life shall be.
Grandmère Mimi - 7-27-07
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