A Video Is Worth A Thousand Megabytes June 7, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Bulletin Board, Humor, Music & Dance.Tags: Akira Kubo, Eric J Baker, Full Blown Cranium, Humor, ITunes, Music
20 comments
I couldn’t decide what to title this post since Eric’s post, My Album is Finally Available, suggested several intriguing directions:
* Who is Akira Kubo?
* What is an “album” ~ is that retro-speak?
* When did Full Blown Cranium burst onto the music scene?
* Where did Progressive Post-Punk Arena Pop originate?
* How did Eric create his comically low-tech video?
* Why Cacophony of Wierdos?
Toying with options caused my cranium to begin to spin like a top ~ faster than the revolving door on a toy store two days before Christmas.
Then a cacophony of weirdos started laughing at me.
And one of them was really creepy looking . . . like a zombie! Or one of those mole people that enjoys hanging around vampires and werewolves.
So, I decided to let Eric’s brand new, just released, hot off the presses video speak for itself. Here . . . have a listen:
Want more?
* iTunes users can find the album here → Full Blown Cranium
* Amazon people can find it here → Full Blown Cranium
Aah . . . that’s better!
Good Graeff May 27, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Music & Dance, Special Events.Tags: Bradenton Florida, Good Graeff, Music, Strings
24 comments
Yesterday, we went to the Bradenton Riverwalk for Pickin’ Picnic ~ a free music event with bands pickin’ and strumming from 11 am until 10 pm.
Our favorite band, Good Graeff, is twin sisters with lots of musical talent.
Here, have a listen:
They are definitely enjoying the journey on the way to who knows where:
They even sound great in black and white:
Aah . . . that’s better!
Mozart Mirrored God’s Symphony May 16, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Mindfulness, Synchronicity & Mystery.Tags: Happiness, Music, Passion, Purpose, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
42 comments
Mozart composed beautiful music at an age when most children are still playing with blocks.
He tapped into “all that is” and transcribed what he heard.
Mozart mirrored God’s symphony.
We best serve our fellow travelers by expressing our unique gifts and talents to the world, not by sacrificing ourselves for others.
Our spiritual essence knows why we are here and nudges us in the right direction. It wants us to accomplish what we set out to accomplish.
Our purpose is to discover our purpose and pursue it with passion.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: Don’t worry about what the world wants from you. Focus on what makes you feel more fully alive. What the world really needs are people who are fully alive.~ Joseph Campbell
Another Fun Event for Sunday May 4, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Special Events, Sustainable Living.Tags: Food, Fun & Games, Music, Sustainable Living, Travel & Leisure
22 comments
The weather cooperated for Food and Wine on Pine today . . . cloudy enough to be cool with light misty rain on and off. More than 30 musical acts entertained strolling eaters, drinkers, and merry makers.
Proceeds from the event, which highlighted 25 local independent restaurants (no chains), will benefit the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra, the Community Center, Cultural Connections, the Artists Guild, the Historical Society, and the Preservation Trust.
Maybe they’ll finally be able to re-roof the City Jail:
Tomorrow’s Cinco de Mayo and we’re headed East instead of West to attend a Sustainable Shindig at Riverwalk on the Manatee River.
If it gets too warm . . . we may enter the Splash Zone:
Aah . . . that’s better!
What about you? Any special plans for Cinco de Mayo? Enjoy!
“Wanna Hang Out?” March 11, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Fun & Games, People, Simplify Your Life.Tags: Art, Frisbee, Games, Humor, Music, People, Table tennis
66 comments
In high school, we hung out at our house.
Friends dropped by most afternoons and evenings with no set agenda other than the desire to “hang out.”
Some played Frisbee while others played the guitar.
Two might grab paddles for ping-pong while two more grabbed pool sticks. If you wanted to get in on the action, it was easy . . . ”I’ve got winner.”
With no set plans, we flowed from activity to activity: backgammon, chatting, reading, painting. Music played in the background and everyone felt free to make the next selection.
We didn’t worry about consensus. We just hung out together and chilled.
As adults, it’s different. We seldom hang out with friends and do our own thing. Instead, we entertain.
Entertaining is constraining. Rather than pursuing our own interests while congregating together, we act in concert.
In tandem.
Hanging out in tandem is like riding a bicycle built for two: both parties must be of one mind if they hope to make any headway.
In Noon At Tiffany’s, Clara lived in a boardinghouse with an adopted family. In the evenings, the group congregated in her rooms to read, write, put on plays, chat, sketch, or engage in intellectual discourse.
Members of the group didn’t feel compelled to entertain each other. They just “hung out,” pursuing individual interests while congregating together.
Reading about their impromptu gatherings made me nostalgic for high school when I could phone a friend and issue an invitation without having any plans in mind . . . other than the simple desire to get-together:
“Hey! Wanna hang out?”
Aah . . . that’s better!
A Bit of Anti-Gravity Magic February 15, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Fun & Games, Music & Dance.Tags: Dance, Gravity, Leo, Music
33 comments
Have you seen LEO?
Here’s what others have to say about his Anti-Gravity Magic:
LEO is a mind-bending, anti-gravity show. It’s a funny, surreal, and surprisingly touching work that challenges the senses and tests perceptions of reality through the clever interplay of live performance and video projection. Winner of many international awards including Best of Edinburgh.
Time Out New York:
“An eye-teasing, grin-inducing, deeply impressive work of sustained absurdist magic”
The Village Voice
“It’s unusual to hear so many child-like gasps of sheer delighted astonishment in a theater.”
Theatermania
“LEO is utterly delightful. You’re likely to find yourself grinning like a fool while watching LEO. The winner of the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe LEO combines acrobatics and film work to create a rather unique piece of theater.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
Resonant Chamber & Pipe Dream January 17, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Music & Dance, Synchronicity & Mystery.Tags: Animusic, Happiness, Music, Music Box, Synchronicity & Mystery
35 comments
“Resonant Chamber” combines a beautiful melody and mesmerizing artistry . . .
And here’s “Pipe Dream” . . .
Aah . . . that’s better!
For more information on computer animated music, visit animusic.com
The Pier in St. Pete January 14, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Bulletin Board, Music & Dance, Travel & Leisure.Tags: Music, Patchouli, Pelicans, Pier, St. Petersburg Pier, Travel & Leisure
42 comments
The St. Pete Pier
A landmark dear
Turns 40 this year
But its end is near
That much is clear
It’s reno or demo, I fear
Til then, kids hula hoop here
Adults relax with a cold beer
As Patchouli sings with good cheer
And hungry pelicans gather near
Waiting for lunch to appear
And disappear . . . as they clap and cheer
Aah . . . that’s better!
The Pier has been a landmark of downtown St. Petersburg since 1899 when Peter Demens hooked up the Orange Belt Railroad to a half-mile wharf. D. F. Brantley started the first Pier Pavilion in 1895, but it is the 1926 Million Dollar Pier, torn down in 1973 to house today’s inverted pyramid structure, that long-time residents remember.
For more information: St. Pete Pier
A FREE Virtual Creativity Conference January 6, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Bulletin Board, Music & Dance, Writing & Writers.Tags: Art, Creativity, Music, Writing
30 comments
Patricia Morrison, a creativity coach (as well as a singer/songwriter) is starting a new website/blog called InnerFireOuterLight. She has put together a virtual conference for next week, January 8th – 11th, entitled: Take Your Talent To The Bank: Go From Starving Artist To Creative Rock Star.
Here’s a blurb Patricia prepared to give you an idea what it’s all about:
The Take Your Talent To The Bank Virtual Conference in just one week away, on January 8th-11th!
You can attend the entire power-packed conference with EIGHT brilliant and successful creatives from the comfort of your home, for FREE!
This virtual conference is designed for brilliant, creative professionals and those who just might be ready to take a leap into sharing their creative voices and gifts in a bigger way.
Successful creatives who have been where you are share their struggles, tips, tricks and strategies for taking your talent to the bank and going from starving artist to creative rock star!
You’ll hear from:
* An internationally touring performer, playwright, screenwriter & more
* A best-selling author & photographer
* An acclaimed children’s picture book author of nearly a dozen books
* A top 5% earning actor with NY & LA careers
* A multi-6-figure creative business coach & actor
* A celebrated visionary fiber artist and painter, author, editor & more
* One of the most sought after Marilyn Tribute artists in the world today
* AND MORE
Ready to escape the starving artist mentality (and reality) and get the recognition, fans, and income you deserve?
Share your creative gifts with a world hungry for vision, beauty and meaning AND make a grown-up living!
Looking forward to having you join us!
Click here to register and get all the details.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living. ~ Anais Nin
* * * * *
A quick update on The First Ever Annual SLTW Writer’s Desk Competition.
Number of Entries posted: 3
You still have plenty of time to toss your entry into the ring. For complete rules ~ click THIS!
If we receive more than 25 entries, I am kicking a 2nd prize into the pot: The Courage to Write
1st place ~ The Writer’s Desk
2nd place ~ The Courage to Write
3rd place ~ TBA (if we receive enough entries)
Invite your friends to play along. Give all of us a voyeuristic thrill!
Solstice Bells December 17, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Music & Dance, Special Events.Tags: Bells, Cathedral, Crete, Jethrol Tull, Music, New York City, Solstice Bells
27 comments
Bells have been ringing out for thousands of years.
The oldest bells appeared on the island of Crete, 4,000 years ago. Small, made of clay, with wooden clappers, islanders hung them in trees to attract benevolent spirits.
The first bronze bells, cast by the Chinese 3,500 years ago, did not have clappers.
Instead, they were stuck by a mallet on the outside of the bell to produce deep resonant tones.
In medieval Europe, bell makers learned that bells of different sizes emitted different tones. Churches and cathedrals commissioned a multitude of bells for their towers where trained bell ringers produced glorious sounds by “playing the bells.”
In 1897, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Archbishop Michael Corrigan “baptized” 19 bells (named for various saints) before they were hung ~ anointing each with holy oil, washing them with holy water, and burning incense beneath each bell to fill the hollow with fragrance.
Now, at the Solstice of the Year, bells ring out in merry measure.
Many seasonal carols include bells as a focal point ~ Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, We Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Carol of the Bells, and Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull . . .
Aah . . . that’s better!
Sources: The Book of Invention, Bells, p. 70; Wikipedia ~ Bell (instrument)
