JACK Quartet

This evening Becky and I enjoyed our third concert of the Buffalo Chamber Music series at Kleinhans Music Hall. The concert tonight also included the local Buffalo composer/pianist Amy Williams who performed two pieces along with the string quartet.

The performances tonight were wonderfully spectacular and unusual in the sense that the music were recently composed pieces based on composers going back to the 1300's to the 1600's. Everything was modern sounding but with many incorporated sounds from throughout history. Amy Williams pieces included many industrial references.

Overall it was a very exciting performance. Many of the pieces were short and the entire program was played without an intermission. The concert ended a little after 8:30 pm.

It had snowed a lot during the day but ended in the late afternoon. There was no snow or rain when we drove over to the concert. There was more snow expected later in the evening that was moved off to about 9 pm. We were expecting to be driving home in the snow but because of the short non-intermission program we were back home by the time it started snowing again. Very nice.

Because of the weather we left a little bit early and got a good parking spot much closer to the hall. We got to hear most of the pre-concert talk by the artists and it was interesting to hear their take on the music they would be performing and especially the pianist composer. Overall a wonderful night.

Heaven and Hell: A History

Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife by Bart Ehrman, 2020.

I've always been interested in the concept of heaven and hell in early Christian history and had been fascinated by the various interpretations of these ideas over the centuries. Perhaps that's because of all the years I spent in Catholic schools 1st through 11th grades and then another 20 years working at a Jesuit college.

One of things about this book that I found interesting was that the concepts of heaven and hell are not to be found anywhere in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is purely and more recent idea although there have been some very ancient pre-Christian competing views about possible afterlife but had nothing to do with the ideas of eternal bliss or damnation. Those are later Christian dogmas made to control people with threats of pain or paradise. 

There is a lot of interesting commentary on ancient beliefs and philosophy. Personally I do not believe in heaven or hell and my views of an afterlife are a little more complicated than that Christian either / or. I also found that I would never want to be around people who live good decent lives only because they fear eternal damnation rather than being good and doing the right thing because that is how they want to treat other people and be treated as such themselves. Not being a good person only because you personally want to go to "heaven" instead of "hell".

Snow Day & Winter List

I spent some time shoveling about 3 or 4 inches of snow this morning and cleaning off the car. Lots of shoveling leaves too. It's kind of amazing how many leaves are still in the trees throughout the neighborhood and are coming down with the snow. Our black walnut trees always shed their leaves early and they did so again this year. I have very little leaves to clean up in the backyard. But then the catalpa tree next door started dropping it's giant leaves all over our side alley and around our backyard shed. Lots of them. The ground is covered with them but the problem is they came down with the snow. Now I'm shoveling snow full of those big leaves and later on when the snow melts I'll have to rake up all those leaves... bags full of them.

Then me and Becky went to Valu Home Center to get some stuff for winter on our list. Got it all.

• Salt, the good stuff. I already have a bag of the rock salt but we like using the small grain better quality salt.
• Bird Seed. Got a couple of bags of good quality bird seed too. There were other cheaper options but we like our birds to have some good food over the winter.
• Scraper. We got a new long ice scraper and brush that can extend or contract. We had one from last year but we couldn't find it. We think it was probably taken out of our car when it was stolen last April.
• Drano. I used some the other day and we only have a little bit left. Always good to have some on hand.
• Window Calk. We only had a little bit left from last year so I got a new pack. I'll be up and around the windows applying more over the next few days.
• Boot Tray. Our boot tray that we've been using over the past several years sprung a leak and we got rid of it. Now we have a new one next to the door that holds our snow shovel and a couple of pairs of boots. 
• And finally Becky got a key made. This was an extra key for Dave that accesses the storage room on Hertel down the hall from her old art studio that contains their parents artwork... and a lot of Becky's too. 

Now we are a little more ready for winter which seems to have come this week. More snow is expected this afternoon and then again this evening. Just in time for our chamber music concert tonight.

I Believe - Songs 1995 FV

I Believe starts off a mix of love songs from albums in my collection released in 1995. Chris Isaak sets the mood.

Chris Isaak in the pic.

I Believe - Songs 1995 FV

1. I Believe - Chris Isaak
2. Ain't Hurtin' Nobody - John Prine
3. It Is What It Is - The Highwaymen
4. Should've Been In Love - Wilco
5. You Must Go - John Hiatt
6. My Love Will Follow You - Buddy Miller
7. Heartaches Are Stealin' (Come Sundown) - Tom Russell
8. Straight Time - Bruce Springsteen
9. If You Don't Change Your Mind - The Waco Brothers
10. Stealing The Night Away - Bert Jansch
11. All The Time - The Minus 5
12. Where's Summer B.? - Ben Folds
13. Send His Love To Me - PJ Harvey
14. Try Try Try - Julian Cope
15. Sick Of Myself - Matthew Sweet
16. Call Me - The Rembrandts
17. A Man Who Never Sees A Pretty Girl... - The Sea and Cake
18. In The Morning - Damon & Naomi
19. Westport Ferry - Brute.
20. She's Waiting For Me - A.J. Croce
21. Tear Stained Eye - Son Volt
22. Coming Up Roses - Elliott Smith
23. The Great Unknown - Dar Williams
24. Laughing At Roadsigns - Calliope

Bills Lose a Stinker

The Bills lost today to the Miami Dolphins 30 - 13. It really was a stinker. They couldn't do anything right. It was a really hard game to watch and full of interceptions, fumbles and fouls. There was no squishing the fish from this turd herd.

Josh Allen in particular looked a mess. Like something was wrong with him. Sure he had a bad day but this looked really bad.

This was supposed to be their year... again. They won four straight games in September but haven't looked very good this past month. Lost two games then spanked the Panthers, barely squeaked by the Chiefs then got their ass kicked by the Dolphins and looked really bad. Now they are 6-3 while the Patriots are 9-2 in the AFC East. Right now it doesn't look good for them to make the playoffs.

We'll see how they to next week at home.

Love and Mercy - Songs 1995 FV

Love and Mercy. Starts off with Brian Wilson who sets the tone and then the Rembrandts begin a trip along with many wonderful artists that recorded albums in 1995 that I have in my collection. Some hits and lots of deep cuts.

Brian Wilson in the pic.

Love and Mercy - Songs 1995 FV

1. Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson
2. Don't Hide Your Love - The Rembrandts
3. Two Hearts - The Jayhawks
4. On Your Own - The Verve
5. Tracy Hide - Wondermints
6. Reaching Out From Here - The Boo Radleys
7. River Knows Your Name - John Hiatt
8. Forever Blue - Chris Isaak
9. Needle In The Hay - Elliott Smith
10. 32 Flavors - Ani DiFranco
11. Pablo and Andrea - Yo La Tengo
12. Some Candy Talking - Chris Whitley
13. Strange Language - Vic Chesnutt
14. Angels For Crime - Eric Matthews
15. Everything's Different Now - The Innocence Mission
16. The Ghost Of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
17. You Could Make A Killing - Aimee Mann
18. Speaking With The Angels - Ron Sexsmith
19. Out Of The Picture - Son Volt
20. Yesterday Is Here - Cat Power
21. High Tide - The Apples In Stereo
22. So Much Love So Little Time - Moose
23. Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Radiohead
24. Anywhere Is - Enya

Dietrich & The Porch

Dietrich came by and fixed our porch this week. We were very pleased with the work he and his helper did. They came by Monday afternoon and the weather was really bad. There was some hard rain and it was cold outside but they began the job. First they did the side by the side door and propped up the porch roof with supports. Then they tore apart the rotted wood on the side and replaced it with new wood.

Later in the afternoon the rain stopped and the sun came out. They started working on the other side of the porch doing the same procedure. The helper also put primer paint on the new wood. 

They finished the second side of the porch the following day. Overall we were very happy with the work done. Talking with Dietrich about some of the other jobs we had previously talked about. He said he could do the back kitchen windows in a couple of weeks or so.

Al Green - Kitchen Listening 2

Kitchen Listening to some Al Green... later years Al Green. A couple of albums in my collection from the 2000's. About an hour and a half set. 

• I Can't Stop, 2003
• Lay It Down, 2008

Some more Al Green in my collection:

• Back Up Train, 1967
• Gets Next To You, 1971
• Let's Stay Together, 1972
• I'm Still In Love With You, 1972
• Livin' For You, 1973
• Explores Your Mind, 1974
• Al Green Is Love, 1975
• Tokyo Live, 1995
• Absolute Best, 2004

Moms For Liberty = Not

The elections this week had a lot of amazing results that were not good for trump and his magats. This was especially true at the local level where the so called moms for liberty, a hate group and bunch of book burners, ran in numerous local elections including school boards. Civil rights groups have called these people far right extremist under the guise of parental rights.

In this election they lost 31 of the 31 contested races they participated. Whenever somebody ran against them they lost.

I'm Looking Through You - Songs 1995 FV

I'm Looking Through You... we'll start with some cover songs and then get into some live cuts before some chill sounds, some soul and then some alt-country. Nice.  All taken from albums in my collection released in 1995.

Steve Earle in the pic.

 

I'm Looking Through You - Songs 1995 FV

1. I'm Looking Through You - Steve Earle
2. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - Oasis
3. Making Plans For Nigel - The Rembrandts
4. I Can't Get Next To You - Annie Lennox
5. Higher Ground - Ellen McLlwaine
6. Do It Again - Brian Wilson, Wendy Wilson & Carnie Wilson
7. All Along The Watchtower (Live) - Bob Dylan
8. Closer To Fine (Live) - Indigo Girls
9. Wishful Thinking (Live) - China Crises
10. Brass In Pocket (Live) - Pretenders
11. Linger (Live) - The Cranberries
12. I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts (Live) - X
13. Burning Down The House (Live) - Bonnie Raitt
14. Dub Experience II - St. Germain
15. Bless My Soul - Nightmares On Wax
16. Sunday - Soul II Soul
17. Brown Sugar - D'Angelo
18. Soulsville - Isaac Hayes
19. For Your Love - Stevie Wonder
20. Don't Go To Strangers - Etta James
21. The Age of Rhythm - Al Stewart
22. Goin' Nowhere - Chris Isaak
23. Baby, Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss