DISCIPLINE!

Adorables all.

Thanks to Doug.

"AGE AND BEAUTY"

Advanced Style: Age and Beauty on Nowness.com.

Love it!

H/T to Ann Fontaine.

STORY OF THE DAY - REGULAR LIFE

Of course I want to save the world, she
said, but I was hoping to do it from the
comfort of my regular life.

From StoryPeople.

ANDREJ KURTI - MUSIC AT ST. JOHN'S

Andrej Kurti performs Bach's Allemanda from Partita in D Minor



Andrej Kurti performs Bach's Giga from Partita in D Minor

Kurti performed in the Music at St John's program here in Thibodaux this afternoon. He played the whole of Bach's Partita beautifully. The entire program is shown below


Not only is Kurti an amazing musician, but he is a delightful person and quite good-looking. He speaks with animation and expression and gestures often as he speaks. A brief biography from Kurti's website is below:

Andrej Kurti was born in 1971 in Belgrade, Serbia, where he completed his elementary and high school education in the studio of Professor Djula Tesenji.He continued his studies in Moscow "Tchaikovsky" Conservatory in studios of professors Levon Ambartsumian and Zorya Schikmurzaeva.

Kurti finished his graduate studies in the University of Georgia, where he received doctorate degree in violin performance.

He was a recipient of five first prizes in competitions in Yugoslavia, four first prizes in competitions in Georgia and Florida, and a finalist of the MTNA (Music Teacher National Association) Competition in 1998. In 2000, Kurti became a recording artist for classical label Blue Griffin Recordings, for which he later recorded Six Sonatas for Violin Solo by Eugene Ysaye, op.27. These Sonatas were the topic for his doctoral dissertation.In 2004, Kurti became a professor of violin at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, where he teaches students from several countries.He appeared as a soloist with many symphony orchestras in the United States, Serbia, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, and Russia. He also appeared as a chamber performer in Spain, France, Latvia, Canada, and South Korea.

The high quality of musicianship of those who perform in our music program surprises me time and again, as I'm quite sure the organization cannot afford to pay them a large fee.

"ANGLICAN KOSSACKS"

Yes indeed! Daily Kos now has an Anglican presence.

Welcome to Anglican Kossacks, a group for Anglican/Episcopalian Kossacks to discuss developments in the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Church of England and the Anglican Church of Canada as well as issues related to social justice and church polity. Open to all, regardless of religious affiliation. Some of our diaries are action, informative or historical diaries and others are meditative and prayerful. We, like the Episcopal Church, welcome you! Thank you for joining us.

Commonmass administers the website. Check it out!

Thanks to Ann V. for the link.

OVERHEARD AT CHURCH

The first pope was married. I think we should have a feast day for Peter's mother-in-law.

A BLESSED AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BISHOP KATHARINE!

Watch over thy child, Katharine, O Lord, as her days increase; bless and guide her wherever she may be. Strengthen her when she stands; comfort her when discouraged or sorrowful; raise her up if she fall; and in her heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of her life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead.

AROUND AND ABOUT AT THE BLOGS

In the past few day, I've noted posts by other bloggers in Bloggerland, which I believe are well worth reading.

For a quote from Kant apropos of the Anglican Covenant, see Themethatisme's post at Conscientisation.

And why Theme chose a name for his blog which is impossible to spell is beyond my understanding.

About the state of the union, see Rmj's post titled "Angels and Demons" at Adventus.

Rmj and I go back to the beginning of his blogging days some years ago, more than four, because his blog is older than mine. In a certain sense, although I am a good many years older than he is, he is one of my blog parents, because he taught me a good bit about how to blog. Nowadays he doesn't write often, but he writes well.

And last, but most certainly not least, on the proper way to use Scriptural texts in the midst of controversy, see Tobias Haller's post titled "No New Revelation" at In a Godward Direction.

I left a comment at Conscientisation and Adventus, but all I could think of to say at In a Godward Direction was, "Yes!" which seemed singularly unimaginative, so I left my wisdom unspoken.

"LOSING OUR WAY"

From Bob Herbert in the New York Times:

So here we are pouring shiploads of cash into yet another war, this time in Libya, while simultaneously demolishing school budgets, closing libraries, laying off teachers and police officers, and generally letting the bottom fall out of the quality of life here at home.

Welcome to America in the second decade of the 21st century. An army of long-term unemployed workers is spread across the land, the human fallout from the Great Recession and long years of misguided economic policies. Optimism is in short supply. The few jobs now being created too often pay a pittance, not nearly enough to pry open the doors to a middle-class standard of living.
....

The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities. When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horror of warfare but almost impossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely.
....

The current maldistribution of wealth is also scandalous. In 2009, the richest 5 percent claimed 63.5 percent of the nation’s wealth. The overwhelming majority, the bottom 80 percent, collectively held just 12.8 percent.

General Electric, the largest corporation in the country, paid zero taxes last year. The company's CEO, Jeffery Immelt, is on Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

The numbers of citizens in the middle class continue to fall. Government services for the people in the land continue to be cut. More and more, the US looks like the land of opportunity for only the rich. And yet, somehow the US can always find the money to start another war.

Read Herbert's entire excellent column, which is his valedictory.

This is my last column for The New York Times after an exhilarating, nearly 18-year run. I’m off to write a book and expand my efforts on behalf of working people, the poor and others who are struggling in our society. My thanks to all the readers who have been so kind to me over the years.

So long, Bob. I, for one, will miss you, but I'm encouraged that your voice will not be silent, that you will continue to speak out after your departure from the NYT.

"MY FOOLISH HEART" - MARGARET WHITING

As a teenager I saw the movie of the same title, starring Susan Hayward and Dana Andrews, before the Roman Catholic newspaper came out with the rating of "C" for CONDEMNED! I was happy that I squeezed in the movie before I saw the rating, otherwise, I would not have gone. What can I say? I was a good Catholic girl.

The romantic song played throughout the film, which the critics panned, but which I loved.

The New Yorker wrote that it was "full of soap-opera clichés," and, while allowing for "some well-written patches of wryly amusing dialogue," Time rejected it as a "damp fable....the screenplay turns on all the emotional faucets of a Woman's Home Companion serial.

"My Foolish Heart" surely turns on all my emotional faucets. I'd say it was my age at the time, but I own the video, and I still watch with pleasure. The movie was adapted from a story by J. D. Salinger, titled "Uncle Wiggliy in Connecticut", and, as Salinger disliked what had been done to his story, he never again relinquished control of his other publications to Hollywood.

Oh, and critics panned the song, too. Still, I think Margaret Whiting sings a lovely version? What do the critics know?



Quote from Wikipedia.