Memorial Day

I'm sure that back in England last Sunday was Memorial Day or perhaps it will be next Sunday.  It used to be a pretty big deal when I was growing up with the sovereign placing a wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.  As the armistice for the first world war ended hostilities at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month so one minute's silence was preserved throughout the land.

For a few weeks prior to this event volunteers are out and about selling cloth poppies to mark the carnage that occurred on "Flanders Fields," the site of all the trenches.  I remember once in a fit of naughtiness telling a lady vendor that I wouldn't buy one as it would only encourage them to do it again.  She was rather offended.

The following lines were always said at the services held around the country, and although they were originally written for those who died in WWI, they are as well said for all our fallen.  Veterans Day here is on Thursday, the eleventh of the eleventh.

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We shall remember them, we shall remember them.

Tea Party

A number of people overseas have asked me what this tea party thing is all about. Without wanting to alienate too many of my audience, here is an effort to define the phenomenon. Firstly, I am not a member of this movement as I have an aversion to wearing funny hats and carrying placards around. I also don’t know the words to most of the American patriotic songs that are needed at their events.

Basically the tea party is a loose affiliation of people who are fed up with the ruling class in all its forms. They want to return to the simpler days of Mom and apple pie. They are suspicious of the growing intrusion of big government into every aspect of life and they hate paying taxes to prop up programs with which they disagree. Mostly they are scared to death of the massive debt we have built up and they feel impotent in the decisions being made in Washington. Most of these people have been asleep for years, believing that the representatives they have elected will do a good job, but no longer. Admiral Yamamoto said after bombing Pearl Harbor: “I fear we have awoken a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve."  Maybe Obama, Pelosi and Reed are saying something like that too.   Socialism is best snuck up on a population and not rammed down it's throat.

A friend kindly sent this to me from the Financial Times.  It's quite a long article but explains in detail a lot more about the tea party than I can cover here. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/88143c46-e1e1-11df-b18d-00144feabdc0.html

Zenyatta

I'm not a real fan of horse racing - the mathematics of the odds are well outside my poor numerical abilities.  However I do like horses very much; they are magnificent animals.  But every so often a racehorse comes along that catches the imagination.

S.W.M.B.O. of course is well up in equine matters and drew my attention to Zenyatta long before she took the headlines.  Therefore we were well ensconced in front of the TV before the off at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

We watched as Zenyatta came down to the paddock doing her funny little dance, and sticking her tongue out along with her front legs.  There was no doubt of her special personality.

As they left the gate, as usual the mare came out dead last.  She remained in the back for most of the race but then hit her stride and began to move up the field.  She was gaining on the leader over the last 200 yards, but her jockey had maybe left the challenge a little too late.  She needed the course to  be 1.26 miles rather than 1.25 and she would have won handily.  Such a shame, but her record is 19 and 1 as she heads to retirement.

Sunday's Column - Redlands U

Redlands University

This Sunday's column was about the art gallery at Redlands University.  It's quite a small place and it's called Peppers, after Tom Pepper who donated sufficient funds to start the place.  Most of the art displayed is extremely modern and when I went there, all the exhibits were from the faculty itself.

I am of the generation that didn't usually go to university.  Unless you were entering academia, the law, or medicine, and none of those were in my future.  So I'm always a little inhibited when I go on the campus of a fine seat of learning.  Redlands is one such place and a great opportunity for the lucky students who learn there.  Their Web site is http://www.redlands.edu/

Music Track - Moulin Rouge Nov 8th

I have to admit that I have never entered a brothel in my long life.  I guess the opportunity never turned up, and I suspect that my present opportunites are diminishing daily! Now after the oddness of last week's Webern piece, here is total reversal.  Behind the stage here is the sort of brothel I would like to go to if the chance ever came my way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQa7SvVCdZk&list=QL&playnext=1   Offenbach wrote music for the Moulin Rouge called Gaitee Parisiene, but it was never like this!

Oh, I've never spent a night in jail either; I'm starting to think I've led a sheltered life.

In Memoriam

I am sorry to report the death of Kevin Danelson.  He had a heart attack while he was working in Texas.  He was a long time resident of Big Bear, but traveled extensively throughout the U.S. in the music business.  He was also a strong supporter of this blog.

It's always a shock to lose one of the permanent residents here, and particularly as he was only 43.

R.I.P. Kevin.

I regret that I have no information as to where to send flowers and tributes.

The Swimmer

"Can those dogs swim?" I've often been asked.  Now the truth is they come from a line of hunting animals.  No, don't laugh!  Poodles were actually bred as water hunting dogs, and their name comes from a German word meaning "Splashing about in water."  We have taken Frankie and Johnny swimming a couple of times and they weren't that good at it, keeping upright and just sort of splashing with their front paws.

Frankie (L) and Johnny (R)



Frankie after the dunking



Well, we took them out for a last motor around the lake before the boat comes out to be wrapped for the winter next week.  On the return leg, Yvonne said: "Did you hear that splash?  Where's Frankie?"  A quick inventory of the boat showed we were one short in the passenger department.  A look to stern showed his little black head bobbing up and down.  By the time I had turned the boat round at full revs, he had flattened out and found his groove.  He had rejected the disappearing boat as his goal and taken a good bearing on the closest route to the shore - about 100 yards away.  He was going like a champion.  I cruised up to his port side and pulled his little sodden 23-pound body over the side.  His tail never stopped wagging as his anxious mistress toweled him dry.

So the answer to the previous question is Yes.  Well, Frankie can, and damned well at that.  I had a word with him later that evening to find out why he jumped off the back, but he refused to tell me.  I wonder if he told Johnny later on.

Animals

I went on an assignment the other day to look at some really wonderful animals.  They are at Woodhaven Ranch which is in Cedar Glen.  I will be doing a post on the entire trip in the future when the article is published, but in the meantime here is a shot of a splendid Lexus, a bobcat.

Lexus likes mice, but really prefers chicks.  He starts from the head end, which is the way I like them too.  Isn't nature marvellous!

November the Fifth

Remember, Remember, the fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

Today is a special anniversary.  In America, fireworks are used to mark independence, and back in the UK they're only used once a year as well, apart from royal weddings and coronations, which don't come along too often.  But today as with every November 5th, we rekindle the English visceral love of violence, and it's done with lots of explosions.  I believe the practise of having bonfires in everyone's garden has changed to the safer version of communal fires to avoid the annual problem of children losing fingers and eyes.  The history of the event however is of some interest.

Back in 1605 as the clock turned midnight to become November 5th, a search was made of the House of Parliament.  One, Guy Fawkes, was found sitting among 36 barrels of gunpowder  - enough to blow the place sky high at the official opening the next day.  Many in the UK had tired of the intrusion of King James's government; high taxes, over-regulation, and... well you know the problem.  Unfortunately the UK had not yet developed the ballot box idea sufficiently to throw the bums out; blowing them up was the next best thing.  Guy was given a pretty decent introduction to the enforced interrogation methods of the day - namely the rack - and gave up his fellow dozen conspirators.

So every year we have celebrated the event with bonfires and fireworks.  We even put an effigy of poor old Guy on top of the fire and get quite excited when he flares up.  All to the accompaniment of fireworks, of course.  So much more fun than just plain old independence.  I rather miss it.  You can read the entire history of the event at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_Plot

Prop 19

I thought long and hard about proposition 19 (The legalisation and government control of marijuana) before I voted against it.  Mostly my philosophy in life is to leave people alone - except the really crazy ones, and they should be locked up, of course.  But for the rest of us, I think there is too much meddling in our affairs and we should be left alone, particularly if we want to smoke the odd "doobie."

I do have some other commercial thoughts on this matter however.  So far the marketing of marijuana seems to be doing quite well.  Most people seem to know how to get hold of the stuff and there is an excellent distribution network in place.  Now why would we want to hand all this private enterprise over to the government to run.  And what about all the current small businessmen involved in the process.  Heck, we even had a terrific farm up here in the mountains that was doing really well growing it until the Feds flew in in helicopters and destroyed it all.  Finally of course, if dope becomes legal, what's going to happen to all those correction officers entrusted with looking after their temporary guests. No, let's keep the government out of it.  It seems to be doing well on its own.

Election Day

Today, Americans go to the polls.  It’s a pretty big deal as all elections should be.  It’s what it known as the “mid-term elections,” which means it’s midway through the current presidential term.  It’s the time when representatives for the “House” are elected – every two years, and half the100 senators – every six years.  It is always considered to be a referendum on the current president’s policies.  It’s no surprise that these policies are not popular as this is a center right country and the president and current majority are well to the left. 

I don’t remember a time when there has been so much energy injected into the debate, but we are all battle weary of the process.  Huge amounts of money – more than ever before – have been spent trying to persuade us to vote for particular candidates.  Every TV program is interjected with fierce rhetoric and most of us grab the remote for the mute button at every chance.  Well, today we get to pull the lever; punch holes, or draw little lines on our ballots.  Tomorrow is a different day, Thank God!

Armstrong's

Sunday's column was devoted to Armstrong's Gallery in Pomona.  It specializes in ceramics and that's a branch of art I am least knowledgable about.  The manager there however, Cynthia Madrigal, explained quite a lot to me and I left this small establishment a lot better off because of her.

Cynthia Madrigal, Manager of Armstrong's in Pomona

This week I'm including this hot link http://lang.sbsun.com/audio/travel/armstrong.mp3 to let you go directly to the weekly podcast that accompany's each column.  It's about 2 1/2 minutes long and gives a different aspect.  Alternatively you can read the column in full at www.sbsun.com/trevorstravels

New Design

In order to keep myself awake, it's time to put a new design on the blog - it's autumnal.  Also a new profile photo.  I hope you like it as it includes S.W.M.B.O. (She Who Must Be Obeyed!)  In setting us up for the shot, I had to lug the 800 pound Harley around an uneven field to catch the colors behind.  This did not improve my knees!  But one does what one does for one's audience!

MUSIC TRACK - Webern

This week's Music Track is perhaps the most "off-the-wall" piece I've selected so far, and some explanation is needed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOnFKLvonQw

I grew up with all types of changes to the normal culture like modern art and music.  Rock and Roll was a part of that.  This track is off in a totally different direction.  It's Five Pieces for Orchestra by Anton Webern, written in 1911.  It's a true example of atonal music and it doesn't attract a huge audience.  I went to a number of avant garde performances in the sixties and found the experiences quite exhilerating.  Occasionally I still listen to poor old Webern or even his contemporaries Schoenberg and Alban Berg.

I say poor old Webern because he came to a sad end.  He was shot by an American soldier when he stepped out of his cabin in the woods in 1945.  Not wanting to disturb his grandchildren, he had gone out to smoke a cigar and the flame attracted the shot.  The shooter was filled with remorse and he died ten years later of alcoholism.  But as they say, the music lives on.  It is odd stuff and I'd appreciate your comments.  Could you ever learn to love it?