A moment of perfect beauty...

Very brief music lesson here...

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most haunting pieces on the planet. If you've never experienced it, run (don't walk) to the library, the store, iTunes, wherever you get your tunes and listen to it. I'll wait...........

Cool, eh? I thought you'd like it.

What you may not know is that Barber also scored a vocal version of this piece, "Agnus Dei." Gorgeous, and tremendously hard, considering the voices are doing the work of the strings, but strings don't have to breathe. I've heard a few renditions of this work, and it's equally as chilling as the string version.

But the one I listened to tonight took my breath away. Found it on iTunes, by Richard Marlow and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge from the album Allegri: Miserere. Slower than any vocal version I've heard, with massive chords and amazing voices. The climax of the piece (starting about 6:20 and on) left me speechless, especially the almost dead silent chord following the big one. Whoa...

A moment of perfect beauty indeed. :-D

Is it REALLY worth it???

Lovely vacation, off to Missouri and then to Tennessee. Caught up with family & friends, and listened to a really great book in the car.

Then the homecoming:

1)Our furnace is not working, but we knew that when we left. Came home to a COLD house.

2) Dog gate broken - very old, so no biggie there.

3) Dehumidifier broken, also already known.

BUT>>>>

4) Hot water heater failed, resulting in much water in basement and no hot water for a much-needed shower upon getting home. And it's Saturday, so who the HECK do we call to get it fixed. And we now have a LOT of wet stuff to clean out of the basement. And hopefully we didn't end up with a colony of mold to live with.

So, I ask you - was vacation worth it?... :-/

More celebriDrivel

Ah, Tina Fey. That pinnacle of thespian accomplishment. Ranks right up there with the immortal Adam Sandler in my list. So, here's what she had to say in regard to all the attention on her SNL impression of Gov. Palin at that widely-panned self-congratulatory sleaze fest known as the Emmys:

"Fey herself, who has gotten so much attention for her impression of Palin on "Saturday Night Live," said she hopes the VP hopeful will be out of her life very soon.

"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5, so if anyone could help me be done playing her on Nov. 5, that would be good for me," Fey said, adding that she was totally resistant in acknowledging her uncanny physical resemblance to Palin until her young daughter turned on the TV and teased "that's mummy."

Simple solution: join the masses who've already turned off the tube, watch the ratings drop, and bingo - she's done playing anybody. Easy. Quick. And really REALLY painless. Or, save us the effort and just drop her butt right now. It's in her best intrests, really - if she doesn't want to play someone anymore, all she has to do is get out of our faces.

And take a few of your friends with you, Tina...

Arr! Ye say it be yer birthday? ARR!

As be me tradition, we be celebratin' Talk Like A Pirate Day!

My pirate name is:

Mad Sam Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

And, as also be me tradition, we be celebratin' the birthday of me first mate, a fine strappin' wench that's been on me crew for these past 26 years. I did try to find her pirate name, but the goat-kissin' son of a scurvy dog name-generatin'-thing didn't give 'er a name that did 'er justice. So, let me sees...

I calls her Cap'n Victoria Kidd, the scourge of typos and sloppy data (whatever that be). And she be me first mate, me soul mate, and me only mate on this 'ere voyage through life.

I loves ya, Sweet Vicki Sue, and I always will! ARRRR!!

Minor rant...

Alright - I just gotta put this out there...

I'm getting sick of musicians weeing themselves over their music being played by Republicans. The latest whine-fest? Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, objecting to the song "Barracuda" being played while Sarah Palin was onstage at the RNC. "Her views are certainly not our views" was the comment.

WHO CARES? Sorry, but I don't immediately think, "gee I guess that means that the Wilson sisters must fully support and agree with everything this candidate stands for!" Of course they don't - they're famous musicians. That pretty much points their compass to the far FAR left, if you get my drift.

Ms. Palin's nickname in High School was... any guesses?... Yup. "Barracuda." So that's the connection to the song. Period. Certainly, I can understand if the Wilson sistahs (and their ever-so-interested watchdogs at their label) want to get coin back from having the song played. That keeps the RIAA in business, after all. But assuming that a music clip constitutes an endorsement? Nah.

Besides, with their lack of anything current on the horizon, wouldn't you think that the Sistahs Wilson would like a little attention by now? Sheesh. If Ms. Palin wants to trot in to the strains of "Angelica's Waltz." I'll not only be happy to send her a CD, but I'll autograph it too. :-D

And hey - to be fair and balanced, if the good Senator O'BAM-ah would like to tra-lah in to that song, sure. That'd be fine. I'll just encode some subliminal messages mentioning how the use of this music doesn't necessairily represent the views of myself, Vicki, or Ezzie the Wonder Dog. So there.

Yikes-A-Roni. Sorry Ann & Nancy - just crawl back into whatever corner of obscurity you came from, and take a nap, 'k?