News or not...

well, there is News - of a kind.
On the operatic side we have the arrival of Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott's baby-the future of opera is saved now, eh?
On the Hockey side we now know that Kevin Constantine will coach en France, Troy Ward assist in Abbortsford (so might see him when the Heat plays the Aeros) and LeRose ends up as a head coach.
Mich Love signed at Echl Mudbugs in Shreveport...hey, Love fans, worth a trip to the Bossier City/Shreveport to watch that old favorite?

The Annual Theater Ditsrict Open House went well, albeit with fewer visitors than in the past! As I recall the first 10 yrs, we counted somewhere between 19.000 and 20.000 curious passers by, despite the fact of the airshow.
On the other hand reports are that ticket sales for HGO, Da Camera, SPA, Ballet, etc. went surprisingly well.
Having your photo taken with "Brunnhilde" HGOs's Art car was nothing to sneeze at. Although, I'd say the Mice and Nutcrackers and Tutu clad lovelies gave heavy competition, especially the little or larger tykes were much taken...
what could beat rolling on the floor surrounded by brown somersaulting mice with looong tails, right?
Computer has to go to the ComputerWhizz hospital for a check up.
So there will not be much posted in the days ahead.
Tata, see ya later, ciao, Auf Wiedersehen.

And now we wait...

now that  the NHL and AHL schedules are out, the Aeros team is in place plus or minus a few last minute free agent signings, if any, the team's system established, we, the fans, can just sit back, choose our games, if we do not buy the whole season ticket package and wait for day one!

Or we can start planning our trips to

a) coincide with OUR team's away schedule, or

b) compare the hockey and the opera schedules and arrange trips around both.

Which is what I'd rather do, so San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Estero, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Sarasota and more, are definitely on our agenda. 

Plus some scheduled surgery for Better Half which will restrict his movements for about 2-3 weeks, but after THAT we are free to go again.

It would be a neat and different thing to see OUR team in Minnesota, plus the Motherteam's face off with our OLD team, the St. Louis Blues... alas, there is NO opera playing at that exact time we'd like to see (the week before, some time after that February 12th)  but nothing the night before or a night after, BIG SIGH.

And as much as I like Hockey, an expensive trip without an opera or two is not quite the thing when we can have that and more in Florida...Tampa (Tampa Bay Lightening), Estero (Everblades), Ft.Lauderdale (Panthers), Sarasota (2 Operas - The Crucible AND I Lombardi!) etc. plus lolling in Bonita Springs ;-0! 

Meanwhile, Opera in the Heights artists are arriving for a Zarzuela Evening, and start rehearsals for The Tales of Hoffmann, while at HGO, Madame Butterfly and Peter Grimes are the first operas in  its repertory plus a much touted Mariachi Opera with favorites, like Octavio Moreno (Baritone) David Guzman (Tenor) and Mariachi Vargas, one of the best known and much traveled group, sample clip  below.

Ruins, Prescott, Jewish Cowboy Painter

Montezuma was NOT here, and yet his is the name given.

Tuzigoot tops a hill in green River Verde valley,

looking at Jerome, a mining town glued to the steep hills to the left in the distance, while the hot sun burns down.

Man Of Acoma-Bronze

Prescott National Forest ascends and descends via s bend curves to Phippen Museum featuring Kenneth Freeman, the so-called cowboy artist in a special showing.
And granite boulders

 and back to the Red Rocks of Sedona..

A little bit of the Wild West ?

On the train to and from The Grand Canyon, while passing Ponderosa furs along curving upwards climbing tracks, passengers were 'entertained' by some imagined (?) Wild West fun: sheriffs shooting it out with Outlaws (What IS the difference between Outlaws and Inlaws? Outlaws are wanted :-)!) at the train depot BEFORE embarking on the train (wheelchair ramp equipped, as well).  Itinerant musicians regaling with banjo, guitar, mouth harmonica and accordeons...the banjo singer did have a pleasant voice (Trained?). The harmonica/accordeon player (above) was more slapstick and brought it off rather well..lots of laughter followed his progression through the train. Finally...what is that...riders with face masks in pursuit? Must be those pesky outlaws surviving the shootout :-D...to rob the train and still (leisurely - tee hee - pursued by the Marshall!)

More Red , Belladonna?

The area around Sedona is stunning - one can drive and drive and still find new vistas to marvel at, including a pretty thing in purple. Since that IS my favorite color I zoomed in on it.

Belladonna?

BUT deadly, or so I was told. If wrongly informed, botanists please stand up and say so :-).

Other funny growth, the tree around a stone or ?

And a WET creek for once, and people have to totter across a tree bridge to frolic in it!

<>

Red Crossing

"New" Aeros Team Meets the Press..

Just back from a press conference with the 'old' as in Jim Mills and Joe O'Donnell,
the 'new' as in Mike Yeo, Darryl Sydor and Brian Wiseman, but all about the AEROS.

Now let's see.. the average age of the 3 newbies is 38, with Yeo at 37, Sydor at 38 and Wiseman at 39.
Between them they have 2 Turner Cups, 3 Stanley Cups, several Eastern and Western Championships and other kudos (Frozen Four, Memorial Championship, NHL ALL Stars, etc.).

Only Yeo and Wiseman have some coaching experience, while Sydor defintely leads in NHL playing experience with almost 1300 NHL games in 18 seasons.

So it comes to no surprise that the coaching team (I should - maybe- include Bob Mason -goalies coach, primarily located with the Wild) is eager and hungry for success.

Yeo, who charmingly explained that he always wanted to be a great coach and always studied his coaches' actions after games at night, alone in his hotel room, feels he and his team have THE system ready.
A system that will rely on fast, physical and aggressive playing - in other words (will THAT be this seasons slogan?) "IN YOUR FACE HOCKEY"! Fans ought to love THAT!

Now that strikes a chord.. Opera in the Heights has been offering: "IN YOUR FACE OPERA"!

And it's a good thing, just to rub it in!
Baseball, football and soccer, golf and tennis fans, even Lacrosse fans
Houston has IN YOUR FACE HOCKEY" - just saying.
Plus TWO morning games to nurture and expose the kiddies to this game of fast action and young hot athletes! Season ticket holders donate yours to your kids! Because YOU work at that time anyway!

Further, Yeo, explained that he and Wiseman will work on power play skills;
Wiseman will work also with the forwards;
while Sydor will concentrate on honing the defense and penalty kills.
As already mentioned  Mason will do double duty as goalie coach,
but I get the feeling, HE will be mostly up at the Wilds.

Which means that Khudobin (must find new petname for "Dimples" as would be suitable for his responsible position) is expected to exemplify experience and work ethics opposite the young quality prospect goalie Hackett, and eventually Kuemper (The Darcy Vader of successful plays end of 2009/10!).

Possible NHL'ers were named , even as they may play with Aeros, such as Wellman, Cuma, Palmer, Prosser, Broda.  Scandella, whom we all know from previous seasons was slightly injured during the Wild Camp and not displaying much other than his BROAD shoulders :-D!
Bagnell and Peters are looked to be the providers of veteran experienced leadership, which, it is hoped, will augur well for this season's AEROS.

Others slated in Yeo's eyes for leadership:
Noreau, "Ironman" (is our Max finally getting the recognition he so deserves?) and Mc Millan ("MacAttack") and the separate but special talents of Kassian ("The Kassassinator"- let's hope marriage will not mellow HIS aggressive play).
OOOPS, FALK is the marrying one, unless Kassian is sneaking it past!

On asking (by yours truly) about Jean Michel "The Scrapper" Daoust and Chad Rau"WOW", Sydor admitted he had not seen them play at camp, but... if Daoust plays as a fearlessly and with his usual "ice sense", he MOST definitely will be a good fit with Yeo's aggressive system.
Rau, not a flashy player, might probably provide the solid, intelligently played, backbone for the young team.

Anyway, enthusiasm and mutual respect among the staff from Mills on down is rampant and palpable!
It just might turn the tide for AEROS to stage a comeback to Championship, even Cup level.

And that IS music to my and all fans's ears, n'est pas?

The competition within Texas (Aeros-Rampage-Texas Stars) is to continue, and the new opponent in Oklahoma City is expected to deliver extra spice into the stew!

Words is out that the team is working on offering a special package (air, hotel AND Wild/Blues game ticket) to season ticket holders for that February game in Minnie, or the ticket holder may elect to receive extra ticket to a home game of his/her choice

Ballooning

Inflating

The early bird gets a Balloon ride! And no it is NOT cold...flames keep your heads warm, LOL.

The sun also rises

Volcanic Cone

A Basket of Shadows

In Tandem

How facts backfire - The Boston Globe

How facts backfire - The Boston Globe

The Importance of being...what  - right or wrong - but really do YOU care?

I have always sensed this.. now research (don't they have anything better to do? Like discover the cure for idiocy, perhaps?) raises its head and says YES! Just kidding. 'Nuf said.

Grand Canyon

One Mile below - the River

What struck me enormously was the accessibility along the South Rim of the path for people in wheelchairs, yes, they could not descend to the precarious 'viewing' spots, but using shuttle buses with ramps they were able to descend from the bus at special scenic overlooks and motor along the paved pah to - at the least - get a pretty good impression of the grandeur and stunning sights of the "Big Ditch"! Good !

That IS the mighty Colorado

Hopi Dancer -was it a rain dance?
Shortly after it rained and how!

clinging to life on the cliff

Aeros

Team Schedule

Date Time Opponent Score
10/01/2010 07:00 PM San Antonio Rampage
10/16/2010 07:35 PM Peoria Rivermen
10/17/2010 04:05 PM Oklahoma City Barons
10/22/2010 07:35 PM Peoria Rivermen
10/24/2010 04:05 PM Lake Erie Monsters
10/31/2010 04:05 PM Texas Stars
11/05/2010 07:35 PM Toronto Marlies
11/17/2010 07:05 PM Chicago Wolves
11/21/2010 04:05 PM Texas Stars
11/26/2010 07:35 PM San Antonio Rampage

11/27/2010 07:35 PM Milwaukee Admirals

12/02/2010 11:05 AM Rockford IceHogs

12/03/2010 07:35 PM Rockford IceHogs

12/10/2010 07:35 PM San Antonio Rampage

12/21/2010 07:05 PM Hamilton Bulldogs
12/26/2010 04:05 PM Texas Stars
01/01/2011 07:35 PM San Antonio Rampage
01/07/2011 07:35 PM Lake Erie Monsters

01/09/2011 04:05 PM San Antonio Rampage

01/15/2011 07:35 PM Grand Rapids Griffins

01/16/2011 04:05 PM Grand Rapids Griffins

01/21/2011 07:35 PM Texas Stars

01/28/2011 07:35 PM Abbotsford Heat

02/04/2011 07:35 PM Texas Stars

02/12/2011 02:30 PM Peoria Rivermen

will be played in Minneapolis - St.Paul counted as a "HOME" game

02/17/2011 11:05 AM Chicago Wolves

02/22/2011 07:05 PM Milwaukee Admirals

02/25/2011 07:35 PM Texas Stars

02/27/2011 04:05 PM Rockford IceHogs

03/04/2011 07:35 PM Syracuse Crunch

03/06/2011 05:05 PM Abbotsford Heat

03/11/2011 07:35 PM Manitoba Moose

03/13/2011 04:05 PM Manitoba Moose

03/15/2011 07:05 PM Milwaukee Admirals

03/19/2011 07:35 PM San Antonio Rampage

03/25/2011 07:35 PM Oklahoma City 

03/26/2011 07:35 PM Oklahoma City

03/27/2011 04:05 PM Oklahoma City

03/31/2011 07:05 PM Chicago

long hiatus of no games  

only 2 AWAY Game 4/1 Milwaukie, 4/2 Chicago

04/10/2011 04:05 PM Oklahoma City - last game of season!

And there you have it!

Let them just...

Finally..

Hockey schedules will be posted this afternoon and trip planning can start.

Meanwhile here are just a few pix from last trip, starting with the COLD NIGHT on Sante Fe Operahill,

Thunderclouds and rain curtain over Opera Hill

Fat Man and Little Boy Atomic Museum, Albuquerque

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Pink Jeep among Red Rocks

Chapel of the Holy Cross Sedona and

ruin and wine..

 Montezumas Castle

not exactly mutually exclusive, but in this case the ruins are remnants of an extinct people, the Sinaguas. Why they left verdant valleys WITH water, even the archaeologists cannot really explain.
How they built these swallow nests in the cliff or the houses on top of a mount, we do know, or guess at!
Cliffdwellings are built from the bottom up, all rooms are only accessible via ladders through the roofs/bottoms of the next layer, rooms built helterskelter as the families expanded.

Tuzigoot was erected on top of a steepish hill in the White Hills near the old mining town of Jerome (of course predating Jerome) for the same reason: Minerals.
The valley of the river Verde was fertile and provided food and wood,  the hills minerals and stones. Tuzigoot is built from lime- and sandstone cemented together with pebbles, the roofs are tree trunks with woven branches and mud. The rooms were used mainly for sleeping and shelter but 'village  life' was spent outdoors.

Tuzigoot

Due to the wish to preserve the Montezuma castle buildings, access has been limited to scholars, while Tuzigoot is accessible to tourists.

The drive from Sedona to Tuzigoot, Jerome and onward to Prescott is rather stunning.

Jerome clings to the steepest hillsides! Formerly a mining town, but mining for copper etc. proved to be too arduous plus the difficulty to transport the rather meager finds,  now it is a tourist town, still boasting a Grand Hotel. Wild West Saloons and Brothels have been gentrified, of course, into shops!

After leaving Jerome, a two lane road twists in hair pin turns up and into the Prescott National Forest,  naturally one better takes it at slow speed and very carefully :-), hoping no speed demon is on one's tail.

But the vista is beautiful...fir trees and wildflowers, interspersed with cacti and scrubby bushes, rocky sides and steep cliffs! The fire danger was  listed at moderate, it has been a rather moist (can't really say wet) summer. 

On the outskirts of Prescott sits a small museum dedicated to Western/Cowboy art, where we found a small special exhibit of works by the 'Jewish cowboy artist',  Kenneth Freeman, plus mock ups of three painters' studios. And small bronzes. Pics to follow..The town of Prescott sits in a bowl like high valley surrounded by 'hillocks' not really craggy mountains.

Returning to Sedona we noticed the variance of the rock formations, cone shaped hills of volcanic origin in gray and brown, limestone in white to light grey, as also sandstone and huge boulders, known as the 'Granite Dells' .Despite the sandy/ rocky soil green vegetation offered some restful views.

The landscape not as imposingly threatening as the Colorado Rockies, nor as mysteriously enchanting as the high New Mexico desert, or as beautifully shaped and colored as the Red Rocks (caused by iron oxide)...one might say these are "Rusty Rocks" ;-)!

Despite many fir trees, the feeling is NOT alpine as are the forests around Taos in NM, which reminded me much of the Italian/Austrian alps.

But it is interesting - a green desert, rather empty, a bit infinite! But it seems to produce some rather good wines in several wineries around Cottonwood, Jerome, etc.

Flying high..

not THAT kind of high.
up, up and away -
but first, up at the crack of dawn or before! Then being driven out to start site and watching a 'multistoried house ' sized balloon being inflated...80 meters plus of skin filled with air, attached to a tiny basket holding 4 tanks, and 7 people, who had to climb into it not unlike mounting a horse..:-).
Those of us with long limbs had it a lot easier - leg over the rail and there they were. The rest of us wished fervently for a mounting stool! but managed to board, finally, and before you could say here we go.. we were afloat, wafting gently over the ground, rising and sinking, brushing a bush or two and seeing a blinding sun rise behind Cathedral rock. And on and on , up and down,  we swayed in silent splendor except when the flames burned to make us rise.
No flight path, just where the soft breezes carried us, for about 1 hour and half, in company with 3 other balloons. and then there was "Charlie", in his featherlite swooping among the balloons and wiggling his wings, while jackrabbits scurried below and hawks perched looking for prey.
Finally landing God knows where, basket scraping and tilting, people being shoved against each other.At this minute, it would have been sooo easy to exit (roll out of) the basket while it was tilted, but the 'mounting' procedure had to be done in reverse.
At long last, the chase cars found us, the skin was rolled and stuffed into its bag..all 400 plus pounds of it;
And, as tradition demands, champagne corks popped, fruit and sweet rolls served, and a toast drunk to us, the intrepid ballooneers.
Lovely, one could get addicted! To the ballooning, I mean, even though Champagne is not to be sneezed at, LOL.

"Choo Choo" Train to Grand Canyon

There is much to be said about THAT trip' aside from the typical touristy stuff:
Wild West Show (?) before, Banjo entertainer during the ride North, passing through several biologic strata, from Cedars and Pinons, to scrub pines and mossy hillocks to majestic Ponderosa Pines (bringing to mind out friend C."HOSS" J. ;-0.
Finally, after several switchback curves arriving at the South rim of THE GRAND CANYON.
Loading onto the bus for a reasonably tasty lunch, then on to several look out points along the rim...some numbers for my dear readers here: 277 river miles long, 600 to 18 miles across..yes 18 MILES!and one mile deep. The South rim is about 1100 feet lower than the North rim (8100 ft).
The Colorado River has been carving the deep 'ditch' in the course of 6 million years with  a little help of wind and ice, while the bottom of it is, at last count, 2 BILLION years old. Oldest human artifacts found here reach back to 10,000 years.

The Grand Canyon Railroad was established in 1901,  transported famous and not so famous passengers from 1910 to 1968. Due to Americans' love affair with the auto, it was discontinued, but restarted by the Biegerts in 1989, who also reopened the famous Fray Marcos Hotel next to the Depot in Williams, AZ and offers continuous service (with wheelchair lifts) today with musical entertainers on the way - Banjo playing/singing "Cowboy", going up, mouth organ and accordeon playing "Cowboy" with a slap stick routine on the way down, plus a  "Railway Robbery" by masked men on horseback. For easy boarding by these 'outlaws' the train slows down, the outlaws board, rush through the cars with "the Marshal" ( from the Wild West show) in leisurely pursuit..all in good fun. Singalongs are encouraged!

The Grand Canyon truly defies all descriptions.. one HAS to have seen it.
Photos (to  follow) only offer a small glimpse into its fantastic and majestic, frightening, open mouth gaping vastness!
The National Park Service has done simply wonders to make some scenic overlooks accessible to wheelchaired and handicapped trippers...plus providing shuttle buses to special trailhead points.
Hiking and riding mule trains downs steep trails are for more agile adventurers. One can hike several miles back and forth and/or up and down well marked trails-on one's own, but needs to always be well equipped.. There is NO natural wellwater on the South Rim, the little and extermely precious wet stuff is piped over from the North... and only few 'reststations ;-) are provided along trails...but then there are a few scraggly bushes!! Not recommended...rattlers can hide there ;-).
Returning to the depot one is, tired or not, tempted to climb 47 steps to the famous (the first) Hotel El Tovar (a Harvey Hotel) to take a last look at the overpowering majesty of the "Deep Ditch" from the rim.
In the background , in front of HOPI house, Indian Music and Dancers provide color but also promotional information on the fate of THE FIRST Americans before and after the 'invasion'.

A brief 'monsoon' rain drenches the weary travelers as the board the train back down to Williams, chilling the air and laying the dust.  It has been a rather wet year so far and the wild flowers are in their third bloom according to knowledgeable guides.
To close with a tit bit of human interest:  huge numbers of seasonal workers from all over the world live up there in dormitories or family housing: waitstaff, bus drivers, road crews, landscapers (? - well we saw some guy loading a shovel and transferring dirt to the back of a cart) and more, plus rangers and volunteers.
And so back in the dark to Sedona, which experienced rain, thunder and lightening plus hail, at around the same time the big drops hit the Big Ditch!

Red Rocks in a Pink jeep

spectacular...more personal photos later.What words to use?
Rattling down rocks, steep enough that the jeep looked standing on his 'nose', but the views and the smell of nature (cedars, pine, pinon) made it all an unforgettable 2 hours.
Even though ,after, a visit to a chiropractor might have been beneficial... LOL.
Lucky it had rained buckets (again we got rained at) the night before, to lay the dust, and lucky we were the lead jeep..let them eat dust that drove behind us, eh!
But the bone rattling, teeth jarring trip was worth every blasted minute of it, all at 1 or less miles per hour!
The afternoon was spent investigating some places in Sedona,as in the very modern Chapel on or rather IN the rocks, built by a former Austrian, Marguerite Staude, looking out over the scenery in lofty splendor.
Regretfully outdone  by an ostentatious edifice (I'm told a forty million one) built by the man who discovered eye lasers or some such. Modeled indubitably after a Venetian Palazzo including formal gardens; at least those were xerisphere ones, not wasting the precious water of the desert. 
Locals tell me they still cannot fathom how in the world this person side stepped the rigid building codes in the village. Just shows big money does not equal big aesthetic sentiments, alas!

Ah, it IS coming...

hockey season, that is.
Blogosphere is heating up with roster discussions, sightings, weddings, complaints, critiques,  salary caps,  team movements, who owes whom what and how much, wishful thinkings, hailing the welcome new or old heroes, and 'thankful good byes' in some cases, comparions, and 'vote for your ...whatever'. The list IS endless.

It's really comforting to know that fans everywhere are eagerly sopping up news - any news, to pass the time till REAL hockey arrives.

A personal observation, most goalies seem to some of the least paid players!

Undervalued talents? Well, it is hard to value the finer moves - not being a goalie oneself?

Masked men appear too threatening?

Seems perhaps a hang over from the scary movies?
Or just not visibly cute enough?

Of course I am just kidding.

But do compare NHL contractual payments for the past 09/10 season:
of course what the actual annual pay out is depends on individual player ( and HOW good his agent),

team, age, and available cash.

So this is just a rough chart... but goalies DO make visibly less, don't you think?

Goalies:   $ 500.000 to   7.500.000

Centers:  $ 500.000 to 10.000.000

RW:       $ 500.000 to   7.900.000

LW:       $ 500.000 to   9.000.000

D:          $ 500.000 to   8.000.000

Operas at high altitude..icicles optional

Day One at Santa Fe and "Life is a Dream-

well actually more of a nightmare..;-)

Conducted by Leonard Slatkin, 
who did OK, but then  10 tones are hard to miss ;-)?

Director - Kevin Newbury

Scenic Designer - David Korins, influenced by skeletal building remains?

Costume Designer - Jessica Jahn, decorative stuff, quaintly done

Lighting Designer - Japhy Weideman , rather innovative things lit up, here

Cast:

King Basilio - John Cheek- rounded bass

Segismundo - Roger Honeywell - strong tenor

Clotaldo - James Maddalena - an old favorite, specialises in modern

Rosaura - Ellie Dehn - light and yet dramatic soprano

World Premiere of a new opera composed (some time ago)
by Lewis Spratlan with a libretto by James Maraniss, based on a major work by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca's "La Vida es Sueño".
(Calderón was born in 1600 to 1681. "Life is a Dream", among his many other works, feature the effects when  parents indiscriminately exercise their authority, as apparently did his father. Calderón studied for the priesthood but theater drew him to a successful career at the Spanish Royal court and player troupes who performed in corrales - open air theaters - surrounded by an audience which stood next to the platform or sat in galleries of seats around the perimeter.  Rather similar to Elizabethan theaters).

For dream we will, though we possess

No sense of where it is we thrive

And dreaming just means being alive.

The insight life’s experience gives

Is that, until man wakes, he lives

A life that only dreams contrive.

The king dreams he is king and reigns

Deluded in his full command,

Imposing order in his land.

The borrowed plaudits he obtains

Blow scattered through the wind’s domains

As death—man’s life is so unjust!—

Transmutes them into ash and dust.

Oh, who on earth could wish to wield

Such might when waking means to yield

It all to death’s dream, as we must?

Segismundo, Act II

Translated by Gregary Racz

The play philosophically "explores several dualities—the relationship between father and son, the importance of nature versus nurture in deciding behavior, the question of free will versus fate, and the difficulty of ultimately determining which, if any, of our experiences are real and which are dreamt" Or nightmares?.

10 tones is all that the composer used, combing them from 1-10 or back, or in any combo thereof.  You know, that kind of vocal sound (I hesitate to call it MUSIC, but that is strictly my opinion and may not be shared by others) reminded me of the Chinese language which also depends on inflections/shadings to express a  word, in this opera it's a feeling.
And such we heard on Thursday.
As can happen in Santa Fe..a huge thunderstorm blew in, literally dropping the temperature from the 80's to the 50's, combined with rain ..it was a bone chilling, teeth chattering night on the hill. People did le3ave in droves maybe because the were chased by those 10 tones (lol) or the COLD night, not being equipped with blankets, parkas, rain gear, earmuffs and gloves (yes, I did see several with earmuffs and gloves huddled under down comforters - that IS the chilling magic of Santa Fe..LOL).
An interesting experience, but ..let the composition languish again for years in a drawer IMO!
That actually happened after the commissioning opera company went kaput -due to NO  funds not because of the missing other notes :-) and so it took till this year for the resurrection of LIFE IS A DREAM by Santa Fe Opera.. 

Taking a break -

artandhockey will only be visible briefly, and resume in-depth posting on Augsut 23!

Kissing cousins?

According to an article we are all incestous. 
with Schiller & Beethoven: "Freude schoener Goetterfunken - Ode to Joy" .. 
Really, do we have that many cousins nth times removed?  Isn't science marvellous?
Go on, click on it!
 http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-scientific-theories-head-explode/
And you'll find out. 
Go on, be brave - have a peek!
And that does remind that the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque will be waiting for us!

They did not really know, they just met the challenge and they did,
opening a Pandorra's box!

And belatedly: Never Again! In Memoriam the dead...of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

And John Adams composed an opera about it :"Dr. Atomic".

In Kuerze...

ab Morgen wird nur mehr hie und da was hier aufscheinen, da die Photos erst nach der Heimkehr in den Computer geladen und dann im Blog auftauchen.
Also Geduld und bis auf bald!
Jetzt ist es zwar schon Sommer, dennoch.. freut euch an der Musik!

In Memoriam..

Actress Patricia Neal,

born January 20, 1926

died August 8, 2010

A leading lady of American plays and film, Neal studied drama in college and worked as a model before debuting on Broadway in The Voice of the Turtle (1946). And what about her stunning performance in "The Fountainhead"? That still gives me the shivers!

Musician Jack Parnell,

Born Aug. 6, 1923

Died: Aug. 8, 2010

English Jazz Drummer, Conductor of  "The Muppet Show".

In the RAF he played in a jazz ensemble entertaining the troops. Later his own band was successful until Rock and Roll started, when Big Bands went out of favor.  Parnell accepted to work as music director for the ATV network in 1956 where he conducted  almost all of the "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" broadcasts. He was the first British musician to win an Emmy for his 1973 Barbra Streisand special.

Parnell was behind the music for "The Muppet Show" broadcasts (1976 to 1981).

Well known  drummer Buddy Rich was persuaded to play with the Muppets.

Retiring in 1980's Parnell resumed his performing career after relearning his drumming techniques.

Officially retired at age 80 Parnell kept on and played in a jazz trio at Pubs.  He died of cancer.

CRAB by another word Cancer.

HI, I'm a CRAB!
According to astrology I am supposed to be "intuitive and sentimental", and maybe I am, sometimes. Other times I'd need a "GET IT FOR DUMMIES 101" :)!

Am I "sympathetic and empathetic?  Traditional and maternal?" "Cancerians are said to make great parents!" Does that apply to virtual adoptions of 'soft spots'? 

Befriend a crab and you'll have a friend for life! 
Also on FB, just not on Twitter :).

• "Crabs generally likes being at home" - well not this one!  Opera, hockey, museum, here I come!
• "My so called, heart-not-head, but definitely crab(by) at times, personality makes me a little hard to interpret" -  a sense of the absurd by my friends would help them with getting along with this crab!
• "Cancerians can be as tenacious" (Do like I say/Repeat after me!) 
• "As they are sensitive" (poor baby, you hurt, let me kiss the booboo to make it better?),
• "They roll up their sleeves and get to it"- get to where - don't ask, don't tell!
• "It is said they make excellent nurses" - does lab work count? 
• "Housekeepers"  - oy weh...somehow THAT gene went missing!
• AND as "gardener" I am a hit-and-miss one!
• "Journalist", now that is a WHAT IF item, a big WHAT IF!
• "Cancerians' love of country gives them the base to be outstanding politicians", woohoo, did I miss my calling? NO fear, Obama et al,  I have no designs on your jobs ;-).

Venus

• "Venus is said to reign, love and sex are important, for Cancerians will show sensitivity with lovers without a second thought. Crabs wallow in love, unattainable love or not, and marry for life" ..wallowing may be a tad exaggerated!

• 
  
  "Being born under the Moon instincts, moods, tides, personal interests, desires, needs, magnetism, growth, the need to touch, consciousness are character traits for crabs" ah, yes, yes, I am a hugger..just because its lovely to hug someone, anyone!  
• 
  
  "The color for Cancer is silver"-REALLY! 
• 
  
  "Likes relaxing near or in water" (does ice as in hockey, count?),
• 
  
  "Art" -yep, that one is ON the nose! 
• "Travel destinations for the crab are: New York City, Amsterdam, Venice, historical sites" - yeah, that rings true-I love spending time where there are arts, opera, hockey, people and easy living :-)!
• "Strength: Compassion, emotional sensitivity, tenacity"- I take the fifth on that!
• "Weaknesses: Manipulative, clinging to the past"- weeellll that could be,  afterall I've HAD a long one already ;-)!
• "packrat"-that one I have overcome after moving out of a big house!

some are actually GOOD!

• "Charismatic Marks : medium (that's charitable, eh?) build, round face (but dominant nose)
• "breasts" (yes, thank you, I do, and no desire to change them),
• "Tendency to take charge"-well, really, one has to do it, right! So there!

And since it IS August, there is LEO a neighbor!
Hi,  neighbor of the Crab!
And herewith a bit of advice-
Crabs tend do that-give advice!
Leos are known to breathe fire, be full of pride, majestic in appearance, of broad shoulders, bilious of constitution, said to be good writer; also evil-minded, emotional, zealous, licentious; perhaps a bit childishly playful, at times selfishly overpowering of personality.

Hello, Neighbor let's play - I nip and you roar;-)!