Thank you, Mr. Clarke

I began avidly reading Science Fiction when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I remember visiting the Hyde Park Free Library with my mother, and discovering the wonders of Isaac Azimov, A.E. van Vogt, Robert Heinlein, and of course, Arthur C. Clarke. One of my earliest Sci-Fi memories is of devouring Clarke's Tales from the White Hart, a series of stories that blended real science with tall tales related by denizens of an English pub. Over the years, I wolfed down many more of Clarke's writings, both fact and fiction, and was always amazed by the blend of science and wonder that he wove into everything that he wrote.

My favorite Clarke book is the novel "Childhood's End". In it, Clarke looks to the eventual evolution of the human species to something that transcends mere matter and time. I would like to think that Arthur has now made that leap himself, and hope that his benevolent face is peering down on us, like the final scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Thank you, Mr. Clarke.

Still Life with Dobro and Candlestick

Some pictures from our weekend that we spent following Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines from show to show. The first show was in the Universalist church in Montclair, NJ where these shots were taken
Each show was for a slightly different type of audience, and the set lists and banter varied as well. Marsha had a chance to speak to Terri at the second show at the Towne Crier in Pawling.
We were amazed the next night when Terri and Lloyd walked into the Eggs Nest restaurant before their show in Stone Ridge. Lloyd compared us to Dead Heads following the band from show to show.Here is a final shot of Terri singing A Prayer for my Friends to wrap up the set in Montclair. We are looking forward to their return to the Northeast.

On the Road

We are embarking on a special road trip this Leap day. It will combine visits with friends and family, along with attending three (count 'em. Three!) concerts featuring Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines. We are starting with a show in Montclair,NJ with Terri and Sarah Lee Guthrie (daughter of Arlo, grandchild of Woody) & Johnny Irion. We will then trek to the Hudson valley to see shows in Pawling and at the Stone Ridge center for the Arts. We just hope Terri and Lloyd don't get too nervous when we keep appearing in the audience.

And speaking of the Road - Terri has her own road trip blog at http://TerriHendrix.blogspot.com/

Check it out. Meanwhile, see you on the road.

Thanks for the Opportunity . . .

Like its sister explorer, Spirit, the Mars rover Opportunity has also reached the four year mark on the red planet. Both little machines continue to send back wonderfully detailed pictures of a world that looks both alian and familiar. Sign me up, Mr. Branson, I'm ready to go too.


You can visit Opportunity and Spirit at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Keeping up the Spirit in 2008

Happy 2008! While we have been celebrating the new year on Earth, Nasa's Spirit Rover is about to commemorate its fourth year exploring the Martian landscape.

Along with Opportunity, Spirit has survived intense cold and extreme dust storms while sending an amazing 210,000 photos back to Earth. The two rovers were planned for 90 day missions, but they continue to perform scientific analysis of the red planet far past their planned expiration dates.

While we applaud the good fortune and terrific engineering that allow these machines to perform so magnificently, it prompts us to question the value of manned exploration of space. As robotic devices continue to advance in abilities (right little Rhoomba?), will they be able to replace humans as explorers? Sending men into space is very dangerous and expensive. But is robot exploration as compelling and romantic as human examination of the unknown? Can robots provide the feeling along with the facts? The answer, I suppose, is that a combination of human and robotic exploration will be the best comprehensive way to explore our universe.

Visit: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Cassini - Keeps on clicking!

The Cassini spacecraft continues to send back amazing pictures of Saturn, its rings and its moons, after more than three years in orbit. This wonderful shot captures all three (planet, rings and moons) in their enduring dance.
See more at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm.

Crocodile Tear

This is, quite likely, the saddest thing I have ever seen.

Thanks Matt (and Stiny).

Insane New Jersey Voters

This coming Election Day, New Jersey voters will be asked to approve four state ballot questions. The fourth is a proposed change to the state constitution.

Shall the amendment of Article II, Section I, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, revising the current constitutional language concerning denial of the right to vote by deleting the phrase “idiot or insane person” and providing instead that a “person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting” shall not enjoy the right of suffrage, be adopted?

I am sure that many will aver that idiots have been voting in New Jersey for many years, despite the apparent constitutional ban. This confusion is understandable. The real problem is not who votes, but who they are voting for. What the state really needs is a ban on idiots being elected.

For now, at least, please go to the polls this year and vote for the idiot of your choice.

Squirrels safe to eat again in New Jersey

According to the N.Y. Daily News:

TRENTON - You may now resume eating the squirrels.
In January, the Garden State warned hunters and residents near a toxic waste dump in Ringwood in North Jersey to limit their consumption of squirrel after the feds thought they found lead in a dead squirrel. Officials now say it was a false alarm.
The Environmental Protection Agency said a blender used to process the squirrel's tissue samples was defective - and that the lead believed to be in the squirrel actually came from a part of the blender.
That's good news for members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian Tribe and others who like squirrel meat.
It's bad news, however, for the squirrels.

Bon Chance!

"Chance favors the prepared mind.” - Louis Pasteur

Happy Launch-aversary!

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched 10 years ago. It settled into orbit around Saturn about three and a half years ago and has sent spectacular pictures back to Earth.

The Cassini orbiter has provided beautiful views of Saturn, its rings, and its many moons. It has also helped discover new moonlets which give the rings some of their structure.

The Huygens probe descended to the great moon Titan and sent back the first ever pictures of this world beneath its shroud of clouds.

Visit the NASA site for more great photos.

Another day, another thought

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."

Thought for the day

Shake your head like an Etch-a-Sketch every morning and pretend it’s all brand new.

Buy me some peanuts . . .

It was a gloomy evening, but hey! We're playing baseball!

The crew gets the field ready.
The wind was blowin' to left field.
Play Ball!
The Dodgers kept hitting those early pitches . . .
But we were able to get some me on base . . .

And Aaron Rowand was on a streak . . .

Homerun! Light up that bell!Later, the bases were full . . .
And the big first baseman was up . . . I think I'll go for a double, over there.

We left when the rains came, but the Phillies held on to win 5-4.

Thanks to Boss Rick for the pictures.

The Spiritual Kind

We had another opportunity to see and hear Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines perform at a free concert in Exton, PA. They were simply terrific, as usual, and we are continually impressed by how congenial, friendly and just plain nice these people are.

Lloyd on papoose

Terri is about to release a new CD, "The Spiritual Kind" (which we have already obtained through her web site: http://www.terrihendrix.com/). This is sort of a throw back to an old style, hippie-folk blend of songs, with some swing music thrown in for good measure.

Terri on guitar

The show at Exton featured some of the new songs, along with a mix of Woody Guthrie, Texas swing, kid's tunes, and a wide selection of Terri's songs from previous CDs. Terri got all of the kids to sing and dance along to "Car Car" and other hip kid's tunes. Lloyd's virtuosity on the guitar, dobro and mandolin amazed the entire crowd.

Terri frowning at the kids

We had a wonderful night, and we look forward to seeing Terri and Lloyd again soon. They are planning a show in the Virgin Islands next January . . . hmmmmmmm?

Visit Terri's site to hear sound clips from all her CDs.

Leipzig

The beautiful East German city of Leipzig has been the home to many famous writers and musicians. We visited a modest home where Schiller lived when he penned the "Ode to Joy".
Leipzig was also the site of one of Napolean's first defeats. The enormous Monument to the Nations commemorates the 1oo,ooo who died there.

Here is the church where Bach served as choir master and organist. The Glee Club sang there for vespers on Pentecost Monday.
Martin Luther preached here, as well.

Our tour group in front of the statue of Bach. We also ate in a cellar restaurant named after a location in Goethe's Faust. And, as usual, the Glee Club sang for their supper, with some of our alumni joining in.

Meissen

We traveled to Meissen on Pentecost to hear the Glee Club perform at Dom of Meissen. The cathedral was perched atop a large hill, enclosed by a walled bastion.

The boys sounded wonderful in the great expanse of the Dom. Their voices hung in the air for several seconds after they finished singing, reverberating between the tall arches and stained glass windows.

We had to climb what seemed like hundreds of steps to reach the tall buildings that surrounded the Dom, but the views of Meissen were well worth the effort.

Meissen on the Elbe

The Dom of Meissen

Dresden

The Elbe

Dresden survived one of the worst bombing attacks and fires of WWII. The city then spent 40 years under Soviet domination. We were thrilled to see what a beautiful city now exists. We had a great tour of the city and the surrounding Elbe valley, A visit to the Museum of the Old Masters, ate terrific food, and attended perhaps the best of the Glee Club concerts there.

Here are some highlights:

A Palace? No. A cigarette factory.

The Semper Opera House

The Museum of Old Masters

In front of the Catholic cathedral

The Glee Club wows Dresden!

Ich bin eine Glee Club groupie

We have a lot of catching up to do. We recently returned from our companion tour with the Rutgers University Glee Club. While the boys practiced and performed throughout Germany and The Netherlands, friends, family, and alumni followed along. We enjoyed the sights, the people, the food, the beer, the wine, and some absolutely wonderful performances. Here are a few pictures from our first, brief stop - Berlin.

The Reichstag

Straddling the site of the Wall

Memorial to the Jews killed in Europe

Judy, Nanci, and Terri (and Lloyd)

We had a wonderful time seeing three fantastic performers this weekend. Imagine Terri Hendrix, Nanci Griffith and Judy Collins in one spectacular show.

We arrived very early at Montclair High School in North Jersey to be sure that we would find the auditorium and not get stuck in traffic on the parkway. This allowed us to be close to the front of the line when the doors opened. We managed to get two seats in the center of the very front row, about 20 feet away from the performers.
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Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines (Grammy winner for producing the Dixie Chicks 2002 album Home – as noted by the emcee), led off the show. As always, Terri and Lloyd played and sang with skill and joy. Terri played guitar and mandolin, with Lloyd accompanying her on guitar and dobro while adding backup vocals. They opened with "Hole in My Pocket" (which Marsh predicted they would play)

Show me ways to save my soul

show me ways to save my soul

I've got a hole in my pocket

where it all slips away

They also played the title track from Terri’s newest CD (due out in July) "The Spiritual Kind", and Terri’s signature song "Wallet".

You've got to own your own universe

roll in the grass and kiss this earth

and keep my name on your mind

and my number in your wallet

for when you got the time

They finished up with the raucous "Take Me Places", which features both strenuous strumming and vocals, ending with Terri singing scat in several octaves.

Take me to Mexico

wake me up in Singapore

Maybe we can see morocco

Take me where I've never been before

rat tat tat rat tat tat etc...Come on baby let's go let's go

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Nanci Griffith followed, delivering songs with a wonderful clear high voice. She added a dose of political commentary, while relating stories of her beloved "chain smoking, scotch drinking, socialist" mother, and her inspiring hip (with a finger snap), jazz musician, two-time WWII POW step dad.

She culminated her performance with a great rendition of "From a Distance", which she was the first to record. She then brought Terri and Lloyd back on stage for a great version of the Buddy Holly tune, "Well...All Right". Nanci declared herself as an honorary "Crickette".

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Finally, the magnificent Judy Collins took the stage in a sequined suit and a glorious mane of flowing white hair. The emcee asked everyone to sing Happy Birthday – Judy turns 68 on May 1st.
Playing 12 string guitar, and accompanied on piano, she opened with terrific versions of "Both Sides Now" and Someday Soon". She also included a cover of Harry Chapin’s "Cat’s in the Cradle", which she insisted everyone join in on.

Judy also added her own key board and piano (she was a young piano prodigy before moving to the guitar). She told stories and sang of growing up in Colorado, joining the New York folk scene in the early 60’s with the likes of Joan Baez, Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan.

For an encore, Judy brought Nanci Griffith back out for an a cappella version of "Amazing Grace".

What a finish. What a night.

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Memorable Concert Quotes:

Terri Hendrix, introducing her song "The Spiritual Kind"
"Spiritual people inspire me.
Religious people frighten me."

Nanci Griffith told of repeating this quote from Texas journalist Molly Ivins in front of a group of fellow Texans.
"Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be president of the United States, please pay attention."

Judy Collins before singing Harry Chapin’s "Cats in the Cradle" said that she thinks Harry is up in heaven "Looking for a word to rhyme with ‘indictment’".