“The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre

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In 2004, Eric Whitacre set Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Seal Lullaby” to music:

Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us,
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow,
Oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas!

Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936

His arrangement is absolutely breathtaking:

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In hectic and chaotic times, music like this truly calms the soul….

(“The Seal Lullaby” is available in CD and MP3 formats)
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Posted in Contemporary, Just Because, Music | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

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It was 26 years ago today that our lives changed in the space of an instant. One second we were a couple, and the next we were a family. It still never ceases to amaze me how seamlessly that transition occurred, and how it felt like things had always been that way.
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Posted in Family, Messin' with my kids, Special Occasions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

I Must Have Done Something Right…..

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Well, I have now made 52 complete revolutions around the sun.  In this age of the Internet, I have received many well wishes from dear friends – both old and new – and family members.  What a treat it is to reconnect with all of them!

My parents sent me a birthday card (with a nice check in it!), and I got a card from my grandmother (who still finds it hard to believe that her oldest grandchild is over 50…..).

Sarah went out and bought breakfast for me, and when I opened my e-mail this morning, I found this from Rachel:

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Posted in Family, Just Because, Messin' with my kids, Special Occasions | Tagged | 4 Comments

I’ve Got Your Flu Shot Right Here…..

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So Paul got a flu shot at work a couple of days ago….

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are:

  • Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
  • Fever (low grade)
  • Aches
  • Nausea

If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it.

Soreness? Check.
Fever? Check.
Aches? Check.
Nausea? Check.

I don’t know which is worse, the flu or the reaction to the flu shot.

All I know is, I’ve got a grown man looking pitiful and whimpering “I don’t feel good….” on my couch right now.

They may need to add “Head injuries from cast-iron cookware” to that list of side effects.

I’m just sayin’…… 😛
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“October” by Eric Whitacre

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“Fall” in Texas doesn’t really start until mid-October most years.  Today, we’ve got a blustery wind blowing in, and the leaves are starting to swirl around.  The temperatures are getting nippy (for Texas), and the dogs want to be outside longer as the days get shorter.

I love this time of year.  Apparently musicians both classical and contemporary do, too – here is the hauntingly beautiful “October“, composed by Eric Whitacre.  Originally written for a wind orchestra, it translates beautifully to a string arrangement:

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“October” (wind orchestral arrangement) is only available in the MP3 format.
(Mr. Whitacre has an amazing body of work; I just discovered him today….)
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Posted in Classical, Just Because, Music, Texas | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Music from “Sherlock” – “Sinnerman”

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Thanks to a trial subscription to Amazon Prime (which we subsequently upgraded to a full membership), we have been able to watch a bunch of shows online that we’ve really been wanting to see.

One of those shows is the delightful BBC series “Sherlock“, a fast-paced, contemporary retelling of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, I highly recommend it – both of the gentlemen who portray Holmes and Watson work very well off of each other; the casting for the series is top-notch.

Benedict Cumberbatch (whose voice will make you melt) is absolutely riveting as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman does a marvelous job as his put-upon sidekick John Watson. Rupert Graves (who has been a favorite actor of mine since seeing him in 1985’s “A Room With a View“) has a recurring part as Inspector LeStrade, and Andrew Scott is spot-on perfect as Holmes’ criminally psychotic, brilliant arch-nemesis Moriarty.

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Her Name is “Lola”….

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….and whatever Lola wants, Lola is gonna get.
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Posted in Contemporary, Family, Humor, Just Because, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

“Strike Back” Theme Song – “Short Change Hero”

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We recently discovered a show/series on Cinemax called “Strike Back” – it’s become our newest guilty pleasure.

There’s plenty of nice eye candy for Paul and me (some of it is definitely for “mature” audiences, though, IYKWIMAITTYD)

There’s lots of guns, too.
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Posted in Broadway/TV/Film, Contemporary, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Sunday Hymn – “How Can I Keep From Singing”

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Oh, my – if this doesn’t get you up off the pew, dancing in the aisles, nothing will….
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(“How Can I Keep From Singing” sung by Eva Cassidy – available on CD or MP3)
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Posted in I Love America, Inspirational, Music, Religious | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The (Arab) Winter of Our Discontent

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“What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.” – Lord Melbourne
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Don’t let the administration or the media get away with telling the world that this came about because of some cheesy video clip.  They are saying that in order to draw attention away from their shitty Foreign Policy which – along with many other factors that have nothing to do with the United States – allowed this mayhem to occur.

The arrogant head of this administration was convinced that his goodwill and charisma would be enough to sway the opinions of people who – in many cases – have the mindset of primitive tribal cultures.

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Posted in A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy, I Am Breitbart, Liberal Nonsense, Lying Lawyers, Things That Make Me Crazy, Think about it | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment