Today's Tids Issue 5,396
More than a Feeling:
Is December over yet? Do you get the feeling there has been more seasonal overload already in these first several days of the year’s last month. There are just too many people too anxious to make money. Bah humbug.
They are howling in Tallahassee this morning. And probably in Athens too… Georgia that is. Alabama’s win over Georgia in the SEC championship changed everything. It said you got to let Texas in. It said who do you throw out now? It wasn’t undefeated Washington or Michigan who won in competitive conferences. Nope, it was undefeated Florida State who just happens to be the best team in a “Power Five” conference that has lost respect. And FSU also lost their QB. So next year's 12 team playoff format couldn’t come any faster, that is if you can find 12 tams worthy of the playoffs.
I shouldn’t be spending that much time this early in the Tids on College Football. But College football is one of the really big money businesses in America these days. It's not about pinning on a colorful mum anymore.
If I was in Italy during the first years of the 1900’s I would have been attending concerts featuring Autorino Respighi.
The Question:
Name five of Respighi’s greatest Hits. Bonus: Who was Louise Brown?
The Headlines:
--Powell’s Warning that it is too Early to Expect the End of Rate Hikes had Markest Opening Lower; Spotify to Lay of 17% of its Workforce.
--Israel Making More Aggressive Attacks.
--WHO warns that Disease May be Bigger Problem in Gaza than Bullets.
--SC to Take Up Perdue Pharma Deal; If They Rule that Big Pharma Can’t be sued by Customers, It will Change the Landscape.
--WH Asks Congress for More Ukraine Aid; Ukraine Soldiers Reporting Back That they are Woefully Undermanned at Front Lines; Under Continuous Barrage of Russian Fire.
Remember when we had an economy that made money all year long and we didn’t have to wait for seasonal promotions. It was because we were filling basic needs from our own factories. If I sound like a dinosaur, it is because I am.
What did the horse say after tripping in a pothole? "Help, I've fallen, and I can't giddy up."
Isn’t it interesting that with the continuous nightly reporting on Gaza, the fighting in Ukraine appears to have disappeared. And it hasn't in the least. It is still as deadly and violent there as it has been for the past years. New and reality are often conflicted.
I asked a Q above about Respighi. My alternate question was even harder -- what were the ten top streaming artists on Spotify during 2023. {“Artist” I would have said singers or bands. Everybody wants to be elevated these days!) You will know the first one -- Taylor Swift. The rest of the top musical performers today are Drake, Morgan Mallen, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, 21 Savage, SZA, Zach Bryan, Kanye West and Peso Pluma. Now this is a list that makes you realize you are on another planet in toaday's society.
Speaking of Other Society's, 1978 was an interesting one. It gave us the Camp David Peace Accords but that was the highlight. (Ironic now looking at Gaza) At the Jim Jones “Peoples Temple” cult location in Guyana, 900 died drinking or being forced to drink poison laced Kool Ade. It was a gruesome look at society. Indira Gandhi, accused of fraud, was forces out of parliament in India and the dreadful little cat comic strip “Garfield hit newspapers. Sorry cat at lovers. The US dollar plunged against foreign currencies. But women had a good year after the first female astronauts were announced and the Susan B. Anthony Dollar rolled out of the mints. Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II. And people liked him. People didn’t like the creepy serial Killer, “Son of Sam” who was captured and sentenced. Illinois Bell introduced the first ever cell phone. It was a bit cumbersome. The great Karl Wallenda, founder of the Flying Wallendas died after a fall off a tight rope. Sad. A lot of things were going right in the movies where people loved, Gease, Saturday Night Fever, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Animal House, Heaven can Wait and The Deer Hunter. The Bee Gees and the duet between John Travolta and Olivia Newton John were tops. TV was happy with the Love Boat, Saturday Night Live, Wheel of Fortune, Charlies Angels, Little House on the Prairie and Rockford Files. I was loving 1978. The news is news, but life is life.
Massachusetts Hotels are cancelling reservations of military families planning to be at the Army-Navy Game in Patriot’s Stadium. The reason: The state leaders need housing for Illegal Immigrants. I wish I could think of something funny. The world needs funny.
Spell-Check has no imagination. Or adaptability. Or intuitive reasoning ability.
America was better looking before is idea of casual dressing became popular. Or at least until people redefined “casual” as sloppy.
I think that people this year are into skinny Christmas trees. I like them.
After Danald Duck treated Hughy, Dewey and Louie at their favorite restaurant, the waiter brought the check. Donald said, “Put it on my Bill”
I never get tired of listening to Leroy Andeson’s, “A Christmas Festival”.
The Answer:
I like many of Respighi's compositions and arrangements. I particularly like Ancient Airs and Dances. But Pines of Rome, Church Windows, Fountains of Rome, Roman Festivals, The Birds plus Violin and Piano concertos in A, and many sonatas and preludes are kind to the ear and good for positive emotions too. He was prolific. Bonus: Louise Brown was the first test-tube baby, born in 1978. It was the bigging of Invitro Fertilization.
There is no special reason I am playing the song below. I just like it and felt like playing it.
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