Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
April is an epic
This song has a very strange history for me. I heard it once, in 1968 I think, then it was stowed at the back of my brain, filed under "something I heard once but will never hear again." And there it stayed, until a year or two ago.
I was standing in my sister's apartment in Toronto, with the FM radio on as usual. She had gone off to work, and I was alone with this enormous mug of coffee. Then this music came on. It wasn't rock, it wasn't pop, but almost had the mournful flavor of troubadour music. Or was it vaguely Spanish? There was a long sort of riff on guitar, and then without warning the music went orchestral. It was almost medieval-sounding, a sound of antiquity. The orchestrated middle passage led in to a sort of primal wail on electric guitars, an updating of T.S Eliot's howl of grief and longing and impossible hope.
So the piece was a sort of trilogy, three disparate forms which somehow went together. My brain memorized every atom of the piece, for some reason, and then at the end of it the announcer said, "April". And that was that.
No more memories or associations until much, much later, when I began to think about that medieval-sounding piece, whatever it was, wasn't it called April? That was literally all I had to go on. I had no idea what the group's name was or even what year it came out. How could I ever find it now? How! Within six minutes, or maybe it was six seconds, I had it up on YouTube, and for the length of it the hair stood up on my scalp and all over my body.
Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, that was it.
April is an epic, an example of how popular music of the '60s attempted to meld classical with rock. It's really three separate pieces that lead into each other, so I have to listen to them with three sets of ears. But it's good, very good, I might even say awesome if I ever used that word, to be reunited with this unique, quirky mystery, this paean to the month of Aries, this Rite of Spring.
April is a cruel time
Even though the sun may shine
And world looks in the
Still falls the April
I'll cry, say that
Baby once in a while
Of an April
And the springtime's
Ask why, why it should be so
say that
And world looks in the
shade as it
slowly comes away
Still falls the April
rain
And the valley's filled with pain
And you can't tell me
quite why
As I look up to the
gray sky
Where it should be blue
Grey sky
where I should see you
Ask why, why it should be soI'll cry, say that
I don't know
Baby once in a while
I'll forget and
I'll smile
But then
the feeling comes again
of an April without end
lonely as a girl
In the dark of my mind
In the dark of my mind
I can see all too fine
But there is nothing to be done when I just
can't feel the sun
the season of
the night
Grey sky
where it should be
blue
Grey sky
where I should see you
Ask why, why it should be so
say that
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
Monday, April 15, 2019
Death by cassowary
A cassowary, a rare emu-like bird, attacks and kills Florida man, officials say
Cassowaries have a long claw on each foot and are considered dangerous, experts say.
By Deanna Hackney and Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Updated 11:40 AM ET, Sun April 14, 2019
(CNN)A cassowary, a giant bird with long claws on each foot, killed its owner after he fell in the backyard of his Gainesville, Florida, home, officials told CNN.
The bird's owner, Marvin Hajos -- who is 75, according to CNN affiliate WCJB -- made the initial call to 911 Friday about 10 a.m. ET. A second call came from another person at the scene who reported a medical emergency involving a large bird, said Lt. Joshua Crews of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Hajos was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died, the lieutenant said. The cassowary remains on Hajos' property as authorities conduct an investigation into the attack, he said.
The owner was a breeder of the rare bird that is native to Australia and New Guinea, Alachua County Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Taylor said.
The death was an accident, officials said. It appears the man fell, and the cassowary attacked him after the fall, Taylor said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers cassowaries Class II wildlife, meaning they pose a danger to humans and are subject to specific cage requirements. Owners must also have "substantial experience" with the animals, the commission says.
Class II is the same category as alligators, honey badgers and clouded leopards, while Class I includes more traditional predators such as a lions, tigers and bears.
Class II is the same category as alligators, honey badgers and clouded leopards, while Class I includes more traditional predators such as a lions, tigers and bears.
The cassowary is a "large, flightless bird most closely related to the emu," according to the San Diego Zoo. It can run up to 31 mph through dense underbrush, jump almost 7 feet into the air and is a skilled swimmer, so it can deftly fend off threats, the zoo says.
They can grow more than 5 feet tall and the heaviest females can weigh more than 160 pounds, the zoo says. Males weigh up to 120 pounds.
"The cassowary is rightfully considered the most dangerous bird in the world!" the zoo says. "Each 3-toed foot has a dagger-like claw on the inner toe that is up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long! The cassowary can slice open any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick."
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Elizabeth Holmes: Sugar Daddies or dirty old men?
Just when I think I've seen it all. . . I come across yet another snippet of video featuring Elizabeth Holmes in her glory days, before her Theranos empire crumbled in a heap of iniquity. This is a curious bit of business which I made into a gif, featuring that master of charming creepiness, Bill Clinton. I will resist Monica jokes (too easy), but he does seem to be quite taken with the winsome Ms. Holmes. (Don't ask me who that is on the right, but he looks both bored and uncomfortable.)
A closeup. Bill seems barely able to contain himself with excitement that this winsome, blonde young woman has actually accomplished something significant. The incongruous, virtually impossible mixture of blonde cuteness and billions of bucks never fails to bring out the Sugar Daddy in the rich, white, sexually predatory old men Elizabeth magnetically attracted like a bottomless resource.
Head rears back, eyes roll upward, smiles broadly and mutters with a blissful look on his face, "Oh wow." He looks to be minutely blushing.
Rapidly turns his head and opens his mouth, laughs while rocking back and forth, cries "Bravo!", and claps.
Keeps her eyes very wide open except for two slow, flirtatious blinks, smiles prettily with lips wide apart, then bites off the smile by pressing her lips together, shaking her head minutely all the while she is speaking.
.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Monday, April 8, 2019
Saturday, April 6, 2019
"Actually, these conditions don't look very good at all, do they?"
BLOGGER'S NOTE: It's not too reassuring when the pilot of the plane comes on and tells the passengers: "I still can't see very much at the moment. Keep you informed soon as I see something that gives me a clue as to where we are. We're going down in altitude now and it won't be long before we get quite a good view." Little did they know that "quite a good view" meant crashing into the side of Mt. Erebus.
November 28, 1979
Mt. Erebus, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Air New Zealand, Flight 901
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
ZK-NZP
The aircraft crashed into the slopes of Mt. Erebus while on sightseeing flight to Antarctica.
An incorrect computer-stored flight plan resulted in a navigational error directing the flight
towards Mt. Erebus. Because of overcast, the crew descended below authorized altitude.
Contributing to the accident was the crew's inexperience with flying the Antarctic route.
All 257 aboard killed.
MC = McMurdo Station
CA = Captain
F/O = First Officer
F/E = Flight Engineer
MU = Mulgrew (guide)
12:18 MC We have a low overcast in the area at about 2,000ft and right now we're having some snow, but visibility is still about 40 miles and if you like I can give you an update on where the cloud areas are around the local area.
F/O Yes 901, that would be handy. We'd like to descend and maintain flight level one six zero.
MC Kiwi 901, Mac Center descend and maintain flight level one six zero.
MC 901, this is the forecaster again. It looks like the clear areas around McMurdo area are at approximately between 75 and 100 miles to the northwest of us but right now over McMurdo we have a pretty extensive low overcast. Over.
12:19 F/O Roger, New Zealand 901, thanks.
F/E That'll be round about Cape Bird, wouldn't it?
F/O Right, right.
F/E Got a low overcast over McMurdo.
CA Doesn't sound very promising, does it?
MC Within range of 40 miles of McMurdo we have radar that will, if you desire, let you down to 1,500ft on radar vectors. Over.
F/O Roger, New Zealand 901, that's acceptable.
12:20 CA That's what we want to hear.
12:31 CA I'll have to do an orbit here, I think.
CA Well actually it's clear out here if we get down.
F/E It's not clear on the right-hand side here.
F/O No.
CA If you can get HF contact tell him that we'd like further descent. We have contact with the ground and we could, if necessary, descend doing an orbit.
12:32 F/O We'd like further descent and we could orbit in our present position which is approximately 43 miles north, descending in VMC.
MC Roger Kiwi New Zealand 901, VMC descent is approved and keep Mac Center advised of your altitude.
F/O Roger, New Zealand 901, we're vacating one eight zero. We'll advise level.
12:34 CA Ladies and gentlemen. We're carrying out an orbit and circling our present position and we'll be descending to an altitude below cloud so that we can proceed to McMurdo Sound.
F/E There's Wilson.
12:35 F/O Transponder is now responding.
F/E Still no good on that frequency though?
F/O No.
F/O Roger 901, you are now loud and clear also. We are presently descending through flight level one three zero, VMC, and the intention at the moment is to descend to one zero thousand.
12:36 F/O We've lost him again.
F/O I'll go back to HF, Jim.
CA I've got to stay VMC here so I'll be doing another orbit.
12:38 F/O 901, we briefly had contact on one three four one. We've now lost contact. We're maintaining 10,000ft, presently 34 miles to the north of McMurdo.
CA Tell him we can make a visual descent on a grid of one eight zero and make a visual approach to McMurdo.
12:42 F/O 901, still negative contact on VHF. We are VMC and we'd like to let down on a grid of one eight zero and proceed visually to McMurdo.
MC New Zealand 901, maintain VMC. Keep you advised of your altitude as you approach McMurdo..
CA We're VMC around this way so I'm going to do another turn in.
CA Sorry, haven't got time to talk, but ..
.
MU Ah well, you can't talk if you can't see anything.
MU Ah well, you can't talk if you can't see anything.
12:43 MU There you go. There's some land ahead.
CA I'll arm the nav again.
CA ALT, NAV CAP, IAS hold.
12:44 FO Roger, New Zealand 901, 50 miles north the base was one zero thousand. We are now at 6,000 descending to 2,000 and we're VMC.
12:45 CA We had a message from the Wright Valley and they are clear over there.
MU Oh, good.
CA So if you can get us out over that way...?
MU No trouble.
MU Taylor on the right now.
MU This is Peter Mulgrew speaking again folks. I still can't see very much at the moment. Keep you informed soon as I see something that gives me a clue as to where we are. We're going down in altitude now and it won't be long before we get quite a good view.
12:46 F/E Where's Erebus in relation to us a the moment.
MU Left, about 20 or 25 miles.
F/O Yep, yep.
F/E I'm just thinking of any high ground in the area, that's all.
MU I think it'll be left.
F/E Yes, I reckon about here.
MU Yes ... no, no, I don't really know.
12:47 MU That's the edge.
CA Yes, OK. Probably see further anyway.
F/O It's not too bad.
MU I reckon Bird's through here and Ross Island there. Erebus should be there.
CA Actually, these conditions don't look very good at all, do they?
MU No they don't
.
12:49 MU That looks like the edge of Ross Island there.
12:49 MU That looks like the edge of Ross Island there.
F/E I don't like this.
CA Have you got anything from him?
F/O No
CA We're 26 miles north. We'll have to climb out of this.
MU You can see Ross Island? Fine.
F/O You're clear to turn right. There's no high ground if you do a one eighty.
CA No ... negative.
GPWS [Whoop whoop pull up. Whoop whoop]
F/E Five hundred feet.
GPWS [Pull up]
F/E Four hundred feet.
GPWS [Whoop, whoop pull up. Whoop whoop pull up]
CA Go-around power please.
GPWS [Whoop whoop pull -]
[Sound of impact]
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Yes, I KNOW I am obsessed!
This is evolving into The Elizabeth Holmes page. But really, I have never seen a case quite like this, though others have compared her to Bernie Madoff and even Steve Jobs (whom people claim stole other people's ideas, or at least incorporated them, and mesmerized audiences into believing he had originated them). The fact she was mucking around in human blood and casually risking human life and claiming she would change the world (while everyone cheered and financial magazines put her on the cover) made this unique. She convinced so many rich, influential people to BELIEVE this twaddle that she just kept on rising, until she fell. Thank you, John Carreyrou!
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Elizabeth Holmes: yeah, and this one too (and probably more!)
After quite a long draught of Elizabeth Holmes goodies, suddenly YouTube is bursting with spot-on parodies, more than half a dozen of them appearing all at once, including one (perhaps the best of them) by a man. He probably does the voice better than any of them. It's gratifying for me to see an ice-water sociopath skewered like this, but I don't think for a moment that it bothers her. She probably secretly likes the attention. I note a distinct lack of mention of her pouty-lipped rich boy friend and the dog she calls a wolf, but then, those items didn't make the deadline for the two documentaries and the podcast. Oh my God, can I ever get enough??
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