The pressure--oh the pressure!
Who cares if others see what you see? Well, it matters apparently.
I should have sloughed it off. I can see that in retrospect. I could have said something like...
"Hey--it's KENNY LOGGINS!"
TerryWalstrom
JoinedPosts by TerryWalstrom
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9
The Face of Jesus (in the wood grain of a grandfather clock)
by TerryWalstrom ina couple of years past retirement, i moved into a "retirement community" (i.e.
old folks home) which was convenient like a hotel.. once a week there would be a coffee and doughnuts meet and greet get-together so you would know who your neighbors were.. well .
.. i went to few and missed a few.
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TerryWalstrom
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9
The Face of Jesus (in the wood grain of a grandfather clock)
by TerryWalstrom ina couple of years past retirement, i moved into a "retirement community" (i.e.
old folks home) which was convenient like a hotel.. once a week there would be a coffee and doughnuts meet and greet get-together so you would know who your neighbors were.. well .
.. i went to few and missed a few.
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TerryWalstrom
A couple of years past retirement, I moved into a "retirement community"
(i.e. Old Folks Home) which was convenient like a hotel.Once a week there would be a coffee and doughnuts Meet and Greet get-together so you would know who your neighbors were.
Well . . .
I went to few and missed a few.
After an absence of two months, I entered the community room where all the blue-haired folks gathered. The conversation seemed to be about a fellow who had passed away.One white-haired dearie said to me, "I thought YOU were the one who died."
I assured her I was not.
____Only two (count em') TWO guys were still alive and I was (presumably) one of them.
Thankfully, another fellow moved in and news spread like wildfire he had retired with plenty of money!
The ladies just adored and befriended him. In fact, they liked him so much they shared their woes with him and he became the local Savings and Loan, only without the "Savings" part.
___Well, one Sunday at the coffee thingy, I say hello to the new guy and we start chatting. Suddenly, spoke up all excitedly...
"Did you see Henrietta's clock?"
Well, I thought that sounded like a straight line if ever I had heard one.
"You did say: CLOCK, right?"
"What'd you think I said?"
I told him I didn't think a woman with a clock was newsworthy enough to warrant his enthusiasm, so I . . . well, never mind!
(His name was Stan.)
Stan didn't miss a beat.
"Oh come one, come on--you gotta go with me--Henrietta loves to show people her clock. You've never seen anything like it."
Other folks, (always eavesdropping) jumped in all at once.
"Oh, that's right! YOU CAN SEE THE FACE OF JESUS in the woodgrain of her clock!"
I chuckled.
But, the serious expressions of the others told me not to scoff.
There were more of them than of me, so . . .Let's cut to the chase.
_______________________
I end up, along with all the others, marching down a few halls like vigilantes until I found myself standing in Henrietta's room.
We formed a semi-circle around a sort of smallish version of a Grandfather's clock. A cheap clock with awful fake woodgrain.
We probably looked a bit like those ape-like hominids at the beginning of Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey as they beheld the MONOLITH.
***
One by one the lady hominids lurched forward with trembling fingers and touched the sacred "face" of phantom woodgrain Jesus. There was "oohing and ahhing" and the others
were purring like shaggy kittens with blue permed fur."You see?"
"You do SEE HIM...right?"
"Do YOU SEE our Saviour?"
Each one of them was cocking their head this way and that like a puppy in a pet shop window.
"Isn't it amazing?"
Henrietta's face glowed like a Renaissance oil painting.I stared.
I blinked. I squinted.
I got closer, then farther away.
It was sort of like trying to read an Optician's Eye Chart in Swahili.My internal dialogue went like this.
"I'm screwed. If I don't see it, I'll be skinned and tossed into the furnace as a witch."_______________
A few minutes passed. The ancient cheerleader's tempers were getting short with me. Some were making excuses for me, while others were suggesting I was atheist or Muslim. I'm not kidding!
"Aren't you a BELIEVER?"
Henrietta narrowed her suspicious eyes at me while traces of a snarl curled the side of her lip._____________________
There have been many times in my life where I have been tested as to faith, belief, and willingness to take a stand. I have always thought you have to swim against the tide and say what's really in your heart and your mind. Take the consequences as they come, that's what counts.
So, I took a deep breath and faced the menacing lynch mob squarely.
_____________"Yes, ma'am--I think I'm starting to see something...it's shaping up... I'm almost there....oh..Oh..OHHHHH Wow!"
("Waitress, I'll have what THEY'RE having, please!")
In other words: I FAKED IT.
Don't judge me too harshly. I had to see these people every day. It was time for me to learn to go along to get along. Screw integrity. I've been there and done that. I gave at the office.
_____________
Smiles like campfires in the night glowed among the crinkled faces. I was now accepted as ONE OF THEM.
(At last, he loved Big Brother.)One by one the congregants drifted out into the hallway all aglow and deeply, spiritually satisfied.
Now alone, it was just Stan and Terry remaining, glancing back and forth at each other in a weird sort of way.
Henrietta had sauntered off to go back to the coffee and doughnut soiree' in the recreation room.
_______Stan heaved a weary sigh and turned to me.
His face was turned down in disappointment."I was hoping you couldn't."
"Couldn't what?"
"Couldn't see the Jesus face in the wood grain."
"Huh? I stood there in front of all those old women and lied my ass off!"
"Really?" Stan replied with eager delight.
"Not unless Jesus Christ looked like a knothole."
Stan gave me one of those inscrutable looks for a second and shrugged his shoulders.
"I wish you had SAID something. They browbeat me for a solid hour yesterday until I gave in!"
"Ha! Better you than me, my fine-feathered friend." I exclaimed in my best Daffy Duck impersonation.
_____I just stood there. We both stood there with pursed lips contemplating the injustice in the Universe.
So. THIS is what it felt like to be a Sell-Out! Well, it didn't feel too bad at all. At least I was in good company with old Stan.
Besides, maybe, just maybe this is how Christianity spread in the first place!
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2
I found an old poem I wrote in 1983 (about Christianity)
by TerryWalstrom inrummaging through old boxes i happened upon a poem i wrote in 1983 about (of all things) the history of christianity!yipes!i don't know that it is worth the effort of transcribing...but--how could i deprive you all of such a strange poem, eh?_______christianity?________.
in the beginning, the pagans were winningthe romans were fomenting blame,christians were tested in being arrested entirely because of their "name.".
when rome was set burning, 'twas nero whose churningout rumors brought christians alarmsoon fed to the lions and even while dyingwould not recant braving such harm!.
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TerryWalstrom
Thank you, Joliette. Grace us with your verse anytime.
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7
A Story: "When Things Get Really Bad"
by TerryWalstrom induring the great depression in the 1930's people lost their jobs.banks closed, and long lines formed in the streets called "bread lines".people got up early and had to stand in line all day to get a free loaf of bread to feed their family!caution: do not read this story if you have empathy or compassion________ "when things get really bad".
in a cabin in the appalachian mountains, there was a family of four: two children (a boy and a girl), a mom and a dad (who had lost his job at the local sawmill).. things looked really bleak.
the children were afraid they'd starve to death.. "mommy," said the little boy, "are we going to die?".
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TerryWalstrom
During the Great Depression in the 1930's people lost their jobs.
Banks closed, and long lines formed in the streets called "bread lines".
People got up early and had to stand in line all day to get a free loaf of bread to feed their family!
Caution: Do NOT read this story if you have empathy or compassion
________
"When Things Get Really Bad"In a cabin in the Appalachian mountains, there was a family of four: two children (a boy and a girl), a mom and a dad (who had lost his job at the local sawmill).
Things looked really bleak. The children were afraid they'd starve to death.
"Mommy," said the little boy, "are we going to die?"
"No, no, no" the mother reassured him, "let me show you something."
Their mother forced a smile and took her son's hand and walked the boy and his small sister over to the pantry. . . and opened the door.
She found a step stool and stepped up . . . stretching to reach a colorful box on the top shelf of the pantry . . .
She took it down and turned around with wide-eyes and a large smile--as though she were holding a Christmas present.
The little children saw this and began to feel cheerful and excited.
They followed her back into the kitchen where she placed it on the table and slowly opened it.
Inside: all sorts of brightly colored fruit! Oranges, bananas, grapes, cherries and a huge pineapple!!
"You see that my little Darlings?"
The children nodded silently with wonder brimming over in their eyes.
"As long as we have this to fall back on we are never going to starve to death!"
The brother and his little sister relaxed and smiled ecstatically.
"Can we have a cherry right now?" Her son enthused.
"No, sweetheart, this is for later. Much later--only for emergency. You know, in case things get really really bad."
As the weeks crawled by and the Daddy hunted the woods for squirrel, rabbit or even less appetizing possibilities; the children began to lose weight.
They became listless . . . played very little . . . gradually turned hollow of eye and pale. Their parents listened with hearts breaking, whimpering in their beds at night with their little bellies growling like distant thunder.
Sometimes it was unbearable.
Mother would light a candle and fetch the box from the pantry shelf and place it on the bed in front of the starving children for them to see.
"It looks so delicious, Mommy! Please, please....can't we have just a taste of.....one....just one grape?"
But, the mother would sternly shake her head from side to side with great sadness and tell them it was for later.
"When things get really bad."
The little ones knew their Mommy and Dadd really loved them and once again, reassured-- they'd drift off to a peaceful sleep.
The winter was hard and snow drift prevented much hunting. All the game animals seemed to vanish. The nights were freezing and overcast with frequent high winds and flashing bolts of hostile lightning snarling like beasts outside.
Spring came. At last!
The thaw brought a new season and the forest came alive. Hunters arrived at the cabin. The men knocked on the door. Louder. Louder. Knowing the people who lived inside, they grew worried.
They opened the door and called out, "Anybody home?"
It was dark inside and there was a bad smell that chilled the hearts of those men.
Gradually, their eyes adjusted to the darkness.
They found them. All dead in their beds.
Holding each other-- the little brother and sister; the Mom and Dad.
Gaunt and wispy they were-- like the limbs of a leafless tree.
On the dinner table a few feet away... stood a box.
The hunters opened it not knowing what to expect.
Inside that box was a cheery and colorful display like you sometimes see in the large department stores back East.
The words: "It looks just like the real thing!"
At the bottom of the card in small letters, it read:
WAX FRUITCaution: DO NOT ingest
(poisonous.) -
2
I found an old poem I wrote in 1983 (about Christianity)
by TerryWalstrom inrummaging through old boxes i happened upon a poem i wrote in 1983 about (of all things) the history of christianity!yipes!i don't know that it is worth the effort of transcribing...but--how could i deprive you all of such a strange poem, eh?_______christianity?________.
in the beginning, the pagans were winningthe romans were fomenting blame,christians were tested in being arrested entirely because of their "name.".
when rome was set burning, 'twas nero whose churningout rumors brought christians alarmsoon fed to the lions and even while dyingwould not recant braving such harm!.
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TerryWalstrom
Rummaging through old boxes I happened upon a poem I wrote in 1983
about (of all things) the history of Christianity!
Yipes!
I don't know that it is worth the effort of transcribing...
But--how could I deprive you all of such a strange poem, eh?
_______
CHRISTIANITY?
________In the beginning, the Pagans were winning
the Romans were fomenting blame,
Christians were tested in being arrested
entirely because of their "name."When Rome was set burning, 'twas Nero whose churning
out rumors brought Christians alarm
Soon fed to the lions and even while dying
would not recant braving such harm!Little by little, from death to acquittal,
disciples, apostles deceased
Until at long last, three centuries passed
And Constantine brought Christians peace.Trajan ignored them, Domition abhorred them
Decius forced them to martyr,
But Constantine chose them--he would not oppose them,
And legally granted a charter.That Emperor nourished
the Catholics flourished
the Empire converted en masse
Provinces faced them, gave ear and embraced them
Success through the ages at last!Alas, came young Luther to challenge uncouther
than any had spoken before
Debate was abrupt, "This Church is corrupt"
His challenge there nailed Wittenberg's door.Bold reformations were sweeping the nations
the Protestant rebels broke faith with their Pope
Like nothing before the Thirty Years War
split Europe and gave little hope.These hideous quarrels about Faith and Morals
gave birth to the Conscience in man
reading a Bible was certainly liable
to uncover God's vast sacred Plan.So it came to pass, there was freedom, at last,
to read and interpret the text
Instead of a Pope, just any old dope
could preach about what's coming nextSectarian visions created divisions
fomenting the cults fertile sprawl
A buffet of nonsense in purest of conscience
competed for hearts one and allLies were the business of Mormons and Witnesses
Moonies, and David Koresh
Bullshitting teachers like those TV preachers
came strutting with smiles awfully whorishAnd so I was hooked and one day got booked
in jail, off to prison for years
Because I believed, was simply deceived
and my life was two decades of tears.But friends, I woke up!
I threw down the cup of Koolaid and joined in the fight
Sounding alarm outlining the harm
And that's why I bark and I bite.Don't listen nor fear anything you may hear
from the lips of false teachers who lie
Life is too short to tear people apart
while promising sweet bye and bye.Love is the prayer for those who despair
and all those who share will survive
to a heaven on Earth
and for what's it's worth
it means truly being alive.
_______God is our highest and best thought or feeling
no matter what Name you may use
Kindness to others is your "God" revealing
it's not what men say
--------what they do. -
18
Common phrases which are disappearing during my lifetime
by TerryWalstrom inmany common phrases i've used all my life have been made obsolete by technology advancements.
"roll up the window" (car windows don't roll up any longer with a hand crank.).
"hold your horses.
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TerryWalstrom
Many common phrases I've used all my life have been made obsolete by technology advancements.1. "Roll up the window" (car windows don't roll up any longer with a hand crank.)2. "Hold your horses." (How about "hold your horsepower"?3. "Like a broken record." (Lp's skipped)4. "Rewind". Videos and cassettes are extinct.5. "Don't touch that dial." From the pre-remote control era of TV.6. "Hang up (the phone)". Remember black, bulky telephones with those cradles?7. "Running out of steam" Good Lord! Only Geoff Leonard will know what this means!8. "Dial that number." Old fashioned telephones once again.9. "Kodak moment." This may hang around a bit longer due to a resurgence in interest in Polaroid cameras.10. "Drop a dime" on somebody. (To snitch to police using a payphone from the 1950's).11. "On the flip side." Another LP or 78 rpm record reference. 45's with an A /B side.12. "I've been through the wringer." Washing machines of my grandmother's era had hand-cranked rollers called wringers used to squeeze water out of washed clothes before drying by hanging the items outside on long clotheslines using clothespins.13. "Nothing to write home about." (Remember cursive? Snail mail?)14. "Close, but no cigar." Carnivals at Fairs instead of a cheap teddy bear whose stitching barely lasts to the end of the day, cigars were the prizes. When someone playing the game almost won but didn't (because of course they didn't) the carnival attendant would taunt, "close, but no cigar." 15. Counter-clockwise. (Kids today can't tell time using an analog clock.) Can you think of any others? -
20
Action Music (in movies) in the past VS the present
by TerryWalstrom inunderstanding action musicin the past vs the present______.
in the golden and silver ages of hollywood, composers with classical, romantic era training created action music out of thematic (tuneful) motifs.
these catchy 'tunes' were used as 'bricks' whilst the orchestral techniques of arranging and orchestration were the 'mortar' binding and building the overall structure towering above mere image+sound effects.the result gave an audience something i will call "an intellectual access" to onscreen "meaning" in the story.what's that?a "tune" is an organizing principle.a tune has a beginning, middle, and end.a tune "tells" us something.what remains is "the way it is spoken.
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TerryWalstrom
Morpheus: "You glossed over John Williams..."
___________
I mentioned John Williams in passing as the exception.To wit:
CONCLUSION
In today's movies, for the most part (with the exception of animated films) composers (who aren't John Williams) rely on percussion tracks and slabs of tutti (everybody playing) stabs and swirls of NON-TUNEFUL --sound--for sound's sake.
____
He's the one composer almost everybody on Earth knows :) -
20
Action Music (in movies) in the past VS the present
by TerryWalstrom inunderstanding action musicin the past vs the present______.
in the golden and silver ages of hollywood, composers with classical, romantic era training created action music out of thematic (tuneful) motifs.
these catchy 'tunes' were used as 'bricks' whilst the orchestral techniques of arranging and orchestration were the 'mortar' binding and building the overall structure towering above mere image+sound effects.the result gave an audience something i will call "an intellectual access" to onscreen "meaning" in the story.what's that?a "tune" is an organizing principle.a tune has a beginning, middle, and end.a tune "tells" us something.what remains is "the way it is spoken.
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TerryWalstrom
Understanding Action Music
in the past VS the present
______In the Golden and Silver Ages of Hollywood, composers with classical, Romantic era training created action music out of THEMATIC (tuneful) motifs.
These catchy 'tunes' were used as 'bricks' whilst the orchestral techniques of arranging and orchestration were the 'mortar' binding and building the overall structure towering above mere image+sound effects.
The result gave an audience something I will call "An intellectual access" to onscreen "meaning" in the story.
What's that?
A "tune" is an organizing principle.
A tune has a beginning, middle, and end.
A tune "tells" us something.
What remains is "THE WAY IT IS SPOKEN." i.e. shouted, whispered, through gritted teeth, etc.
____
EXAMPLE:
Below I'll have you listen to 2 pianists playing Franz Waxman's RIDE TO DUBNO from the Cossack film, TARAS BULBA.
The purpose of the scene is to illustrate what would otherwise be pretty boring: joining of fellow Cossacks on a ride with the central hero to engage in whatever follows.A 4 note tune is introduced. Instantly catchy and memorable.
As Waxman handles these 4 notes in varied rhythmic and harmonic variants, a sense of genuine excitement develops at a gallop.
The second version I'll have you watch is the FULL orchestral movie version. With the carefully selected instrument groups adding color and dynamic texture, an overwhelming emotive force lifts the audience's pulse and attention---all the while hanging on to the 4 note 'tune.'
++++
CONCLUSION
In today's movies, for the most part (with the exception of animated films) composers (who aren't John Williams) rely on percussion tracks and slabs of tutti (everybody playing) stabs and swirls of NON-TUNEFUL --sound--for sound's sake.My thesis? There is not much of intellectual interest in modern action music because the melody content is gone.
You can't walk away whistling or humming the tune and carry away the imprint of the emotional 'sense' of what you've seen.SEE BELOW:
First, the piano duo.
THEN:
The orchestral version.
__________
PIANO DUO: (begins 24 seconds in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x9WwQvwEF8__________
ORCHESTRAL VERSION:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV6MHik9Lsg
_______
FILM VERSION: (The end is truncated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8G6S6fQQ4I
_________________
In this scene from THE BIG COUNTRY, the music performs a similar emotional boost as, once again,
men on horses decide they love their boss and cannot allow him to ride alone to his death EVEN THOUGH they despise the feud he's fighting to no purpose.
The Major has decided that a showdown with the Hannassey's is unavoidable and sets off to finish things for good. When it becomes apparent that he and his men will be riding into an ambush, the Major turns to Steve for support. However, this man has had his bellyful of mindless violence and says so. The Major rides off alone to meet whatever fate awaits him. Steve has looked on this man as a surrogate father all his life and you can see the anguish etched into his features as he watches him depart. He mounts up, and the camera moves to the mouth of the canyon and the lone figure of the Major. As Jerome Moross' spine-tingling score slowly builds the angle shifts slightly and Steve gallops into view, drawing level with the Major he looks back to see the rest of the ranch hands come one by one around the rim of the canyon. There's not a word exchanged between Heston or Bickford but the flickering glances and quickly concealed smiles speak volumes. To me, this is cinema at its purest, where visuals, score, and subtle expression tell the viewers all they need to know about the nature of a relationship, and in this case what masculinity is about - the importance of loyalty, affection and sheer guts even when good sense should dictate otherwise."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDYkONnfCwThe tuneful nature of the theme adds intellectual "meaning".
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143
Good Guys VS Bad Guys: Facts Nobody Wants to KNow
by TerryWalstrom infacts we don't want to know.
the purpose of war is to kill humans.. .
which humans?.
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TerryWalstrom
UNTHINKABLE thought for the day.
The “worst man-made humanitarian crisis of our time...” has been identified by United Nations officials.
Where?
Do you know? Do you care?
The answer is YEMEN
But wait--there's more!The man who created the worst humanitarian crisis has been celebrated by titans of government and Silicon Valley recently.
Who? Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi Crown Prince who was Saudi defense minister in March 2015 as the New York Times has reported, “took the lead, launching the war… without full coordination across the security services.”Yes, cluster bombs. Banned under international law continue to be used against Yemen.
The de facto ruler of one the richest countries in the Arab world has been bombing and besieging the poorest country in the Arab world for the past three yearsWho is celebrating this fellow?
Major Hollywood bosses like Brian Grazer and Bob Iger,
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Tech titans of Silicon Valley like Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Evan Spiegel, to the heads of Harvard and MIT.Also, “liberal interventionists,” such as Bill Clinton and John Kerry, to liberal capitalists, such as Lloyd Blankfein and Michael Bloomberg.
But ALL THESE PEOPLE demand we bomb Assad in Syria.
So?
Here is our UNTHINKABLE THOUGHT for today:
Our leaders of industry and political heroes are simply bald-faced HYPOCRITES.Why? He's tall, charming, handsome, rich and calls himself a "reformer". Oh--and starting this June, he'll ALLOW WOMEN TO DRIVE in Arabia. But--only with a male guardian present.
Oh, and only for certain hours of the day.Yippee!
(https://theintercept.com/2018/04/24/mohammed-bin-salman-mbs-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-crimes/) -
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Good Guys VS Bad Guys: Facts Nobody Wants to KNow
by TerryWalstrom infacts we don't want to know.
the purpose of war is to kill humans.. .
which humans?.
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TerryWalstrom
Let me try being pithy :)
Politicians don't know what's going on unless they are BRIEFED by the "Intelligence Agencies".
Agreed?
The "Intelligence Agencies" are by nature non-transparent. Black ops. Black box. Hidden.
So the dog who wags the tail is C.I.A., F.B.I. N.S.A. and a dozen more acronyms.
It doesn't take five minutes to compile a list of outright LIES issued from this alphabet soup of agencies.
Right?
Conspiracy is what?
More than one person secretly planning things which subvert the law. Right?
LIARS are in charge. These LIARS have their own agenda for their own reasons and nobody can stop them.
The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is a lot like these "Intelligence Agencies" issuing statements which prove (ultimately) false. They too must be believed. Their inner workings are non-transparent. They have their own agenda and are not held accountable for their "sources" (i.e. Jehovah is a construct).
Bottom line? GOOD INTENTIONS are no excuse.
Korean "Rocket Man" is inflated by the press into an "existential threat" one minute and the next minute he is in talks with South Korea and planning to get rid of his Nuclear arsenal.
It is all cotton candy.
Trump is a madman but both parties vote huge funding for the red button under his thumb.
"We Are the Opposition" is bullshit.
In other words, why do we take newspapers, television, politics, "Intelligence agencies" or the Governing Body seriously? They are exempt from reckoning.
Our job as citizens is to fight with each other and posture morally while the people at the top enrich themselves, lie, send young men and women to die.
Business as usual.
There is no solution...and that is why I never vote.
