Golf

I have to admit I'm not a golfer, so that is not me driving off into the distance.  The last time I played, which was about 1980 I think, I gave up on the sixth tee, having already gone through a box of balls.  Not a natural I think we could say.  However I did watch some of the Masters' over the last weekend and it was wonderful.  The consistancy of these top players is amazing.  The fairways seem to be getting narrower and the bunkers larger.  Also it was great to have an American win it, and one who was called Bubba.  How good is that?
Now let me into the secret, that constant birdsong we always hear there is piped in isn't it?  It has to be. 

Music Track - Gipsy

I've always liked The Gipsy Kings and was lucky enough to see them perform at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles a few years ago.  This piece has all the sound of the high places in Spain where the weather is a constant fear with its unpredictable wind across the slopes.  Also the music has that indefinable Eastern sound to it brought by the original Gypsies on their long journey across the continent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqF61V685wc&feature=related

Favorite Works of Art - Oates

My friend Paul, in England, suggested that I should post ten of my favorite works of art.  This was harder than I originally thought, but I set to it and came up with ten of my favorites in no particular order.  I'm going to try and put the actual prints on each post, although some of the copyrights might cause difficulties.  However this one has no copyright so I'll start with it.

In 1949, my father (in a fit of uncharacteristic indulgence, I think) used to take the National Geographic Magazine.  In April of that year they published The British Way, a series of paintings that represented moments of great importance in British History.  I was almost ten and these pictures had a great effect on me as well as teaching me something of my culture at which in those days I was truly a dunce.  On an impulse back in 1985, I rang up the National Geographic in Washington D.C. and asked them if it would be possible to obtain a copy of the issue.  Amazingly they found it right away, even though I had the date and subject wrong.  They mailed me a copy and it is one of my dearest possessions.
Inside is this painting which as a young boy effected me greatly.  It is by John Charles Dollman and shows Captain Titus Oates leaving the small compound of Scott of the Antarctic on their tragic return journey.  He was riddled with frostbite and knew his existence would only slow them down and endanger the entire expedition.  As a result he quietly decided to end his life and walked out of the tent saying: "I'm going out for a while.  I may be some time."  The painting which is not very well represented here is perhaps the bleakest I can ever recall and certainly earns its title "A Very Gallant Gentleman."  Today it hangs on the walls of the British Cavalry Club in London.  On my next visit, I shall go along and see if they'll let me view it.  They probably won't, being rather sniffy, but I shall make the effort.

Favorite Book - Number Four

It's just occurred to me that there are two posts this week with books as an illustration.  However this one is the bookself in my office. 
Book number four is Lark Rise to Candleford, by Flora Thompson.  It has been taken as a BBC series which is now on 16 DVD's and is a pleasant enough 19th century soap opera.  But the book, when I read it was quite an eye-opener.
It is the account of a young girl's life in the hamlet of Lark Rise and how they existed back towards the end of the 1800's.
Life had not changed that much then from a thousand years earlier.  Seasons came and went and people were desperately poor.  One of the hardest possessions for any family was boots for the children.  Once the harvest was in, then gleaning became a huge part of each family's need to provide corn for bread making over the next year.  Life was a constant struggle. The book's tale is simple and makes it easy to understand the problems of life back then with primitive medicine and few creature comforts.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

I was sorry to hear that the Encylopedia Britannica Company has decided finally to end publication of their books.  I think they intend trying to hang on with some sort of on-line version.  I'm sure that won't be easy either with so much information available on the Net.

I was once offered a job by them in London - this was not that wonderful a thing as I'm sure if you  possessed a few teeth, could remain upright, and also string a word or two together you would fit the profile.

I was pretty young but even then, I detected that this might not be the easiest job in the world, and at the time I was searching for just such a post, with attractive compensation to match.

They made great play of the fact that they received leads to follow up, but there might be some cold canvassing (99%?) involved.  Right!  So even though they sent me a written offer with many congratulations on my appointment, I declined the opportunity.  I hope this decision of mine did not in any way contribute to their demise!

Navy Video

Thanks to Jim in Pasadena for sending me this fascinating video of the U.S. Navy Drill Team winning an event in Norway.  Amazing precision!
http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html 
It takes about three minutes.

Sunday's Column - Edward Dean

You don't often see busts of Napoleon in California, but this one is on show in the basement of the Edward Dean Museum in Cherry Valley, not far from Yucaipa.  It was given to Admiral Lord Nelson by some grateful French citizens for ridding them of their Emperor and Dictator.  It ended up here among the private collection of these two art dealers, Hollywood set designers and bon vivantes.

Abovethe basement is a replica of an 18th century English drawing room with all its foppery and finery.  It's an interesting room to wander around and imagine what  life must have been like in those far off days.

You can read the entire column at www.sbsun.com/trevorstravels

Mega Lottery

This is a picture of a lottery ticket.  No it's not mine, but S.W.M.B.O*. weakened as we were in the cashier's line at the local supermarket and the clerk asked if we wanted one.  I have never bought a lottery ticket as it's not my thing, but I guess I can overlook madam's purchase - just this once.  After all, the entire nation had gone mad over the potential of winning close to $650 million in one fell swoop.  As it happens it was three fell swoops as the prize was split between three lucky winners. I'm not one who subscribes to the notion "that someone has to win it so why not me" theory.  However if S.W.M.B.O*. had achieved the impossible, what would we have done?  The responsibility is so overwhelming that it's almost a burden that is not welcome.  I guess we'd stick it in the bank, but one luxury would be to always travel first class in the future (and I don't mean business either!)  That's about it.
* She Who Must Be Obeyed

Music Track - Marais

This week's track is a little longer at 7:38.  It was also written some 290 years ago by the French baroque composer Marin Marais. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svIHqULPmtQ&feature=related
Stick with it as it winds its way around and around.

Favorite Books - Number Five - Atlas Shrugged

A 'Dem" friend once said to me that this was the most elitist book she'd ever read.  I was impressed that she'd read it at all as most on the left shy away from it.  Atlas Shrugged is number five on my list and it's certainly not an easy read; one speech goes on for 72 pages!  But the story is about how government and bureaucrats will take over an entire society if those with talent and enterprise do not stand up against them.  It also shows what can happen when those talented people go on strike.  Not just for more money but to withdraw completely, taking their abilities with them.  It was panned by most critics when it came out and continues today to annoy them.  Most on the left seem to idealize collectivism which is the antithesis of Rand's philosophy which is individualism - she called it objectivism.
Ayn Rand's work was published in 1957, and surprisingly it continues to be one of the top sellers in print - in 2009 it sold over 500,000 copies.  If you read it you will be able to answer the question: "Who is John Galt?"

Seven Wonders of the World

Over the last seven weeks I've posted my personal seven wonders of  the world.  Here they are again in no particular order:-

The Aquaduct in Segovia, Spain

The City of Tokyo in Japan

Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

The Panama Canal

Cruise Ships (Over 85,000 tons)

Big Bear Lake, CA

I'm sure many of you have your own and I would love to hear of them; you can let me know by email at http://trevorsummons@hotmail.com  Next week the start of a new series.

Corruption

During the "at sea" days on our recent cruise, one of the activities was a series of lectures given by a Professor Glick on Global Affairs.  He was quite old and had retired from academia and now spent a lot of time aboard ships doing this work.  He was very interesting.  One of his subjects was the comparison between North and South America.  One of the distinctions he said was that in the southern continent, corruption was a way of life and always had been.  Also that even if an official was found guilty of the offence he was rarely if ever punished.

A couple of weeks ago we were treated to the spectacle of the ex-governor of Illinois going off to spend 14 years in jail.  Yes, "Bloggo" was being punished for trying to sell the empty seat vacated by Obama.  The trial was quite entertaining, not least for the colorful telephone recordings of Blogojevitch in the act of this.  So that's basically the end of him.  But wait, does the retiring governor of the state not have the right to issue a pardon when his time comes?  And does not the one hand wash the other?  I'll keep an eye on this for sure.

Piracy

RUSSIAN NAVY CAPTURES SOMALI PIRATES - The Russians captured the Pirates, tied them up, put them on the boats, then set them all on fire - puff no more Pirates!  NO POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HERE!  This video shows Russian Navy commandos on a Somalian pirate ship shortly after the pirates had captured a Russian oil tanker. The Euro Union navy that patrols these waters would not interfere because they feared there could be casualties.  All explanations are in Russian with a single exception of when a wounded pirate says something in English and the Russian soldier says "This is not a fishing boat". All conversations between the commandos are in Russian. If you don't understand Russian, the pictures speak for themselves.  The soldiers freed their compatriots and the tanker. The Russian Navy Commandos moved the pirates back to their own (pirate) ship, searched the pirate ship for weapons and explosives and then they left the ship and exploded it with all remaining pirates hand-cuffed to it. The commandos sank the pirate ship along with the pirates and without any court proceedings, lawyers etc. That is, they used the anti-piracy laws of the 18th and 19th centuries where the captain of the rescuing ship has the right to decide what to do with the pirates. Usually, they were hung. I would think from now on, Russian ships will not be targets for Somali pirates.  http://true-turtle.livejournal.com/85315.html

(boring film, but you'll get the idea.)

Sunday's Column - Huntington

One of the jewels of Southern California is the Huntington Library and Museum in San Marino. It was the home of the Huntington's around the 1900's, and where they housed their huge art, furniture and manuscript collection.  It also has several formal gardens.  This is the actual library which houses a genuine Guggenheim bible.  On this visit I was able to enjoy the house they lived in and it was there I saw Gainsborough's "Blue Boy" and also Thomas Lawrence's "Pinky," both masterpieces.  You can read the entire column at www.sbsun.com/trevorstravels