pianogonzology

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The Sound . . .

. . . of silence . . .

(from http://www.mediaite.com/online/do-you-hear-the-silence-elijah-cummings-slams-republicans-for-lack-of-oversight-of-trump-and-flynn/)
". . . Following declarations made by the Republican chairmen of the House Oversight and Intelligence Committees. . . that they wouldn’t be conducting any additional probes into the Trump administration surrounding the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) ripped into them. . . Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, highlighted the silence coming from those in power to investigate President Donald Trump and Flynn. . .“Let me begin by asking everyone in this room a very simple question,” he said. “Do you hear that? Do you hear the silence?”. . . Cummings continued, “This is a town of House Republicans conducting no oversight of President Trump. Zero. That is what it sounds like when they abdicate their duty under the Constitution.” . . . He further added that House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz “has not lifted one finger” to investigate Flynn’s Russian ties. . ."

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The Quest . . .

for Rightness . . .

A Grail?

A Damsel in distress?

The King?

The Queen?

NO. just Rightness.
Let it Ring!

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Monday, February 20, 2017

Nomination . . .

(from https://www.facebook.com/ohomusic)
OHO's instrumental version of "Scared Money (Don't Win)" from their all instrumental album, Where Words Do Not Reach, is a nominee for Best Instrumental Rock Song for this year's JPF Awards (Just Plain Folks). And this song, one of the finalists culled from 17,400 albums and 240,000 songs.Not the Grammies...but something. http://www.jpfolks.com/2017awards.php?

OHO Always great to be acknowledged. Piqued my memory of overhearing a gambler say, "Scared money don't win," then going home and writing a song about taking risks. Former OHO engineer and bassist, Steve Carr, made a stripped-down mix (sans vocals) for our audition for the Star Search TV show back in 1989. The singers had to sing live over this backing track while the band pretended to play instruments (for those of you who have the Bricolage CD/DVD set, you may view our performance of this song on that DVD. Thanks to Bennett Davis' creativity, he was able to match the master with the VHS soundtrack and improve the fidelity significantly.) Later, when assembling the program featured on 2015's "Where Words Do Not Reach" album, since there were no instrumentals by this version of the band (1985-1992), I retrieved the master of this very version from our archives and overdubbed an instrumental (guitar) version of the vocal melody line a la The Ventures, employing a sustainor-pickup-equipped Fernandes Elite model through the "Bloody Finger" distortion pedal. Voila! Who woulda thought this would be a contender? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Orchids to the band.

Scared Money (Don't Win)
by OHO
from Where Words Do Not Reach

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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Elk Run . . .

(from https://elkrun.com/events/)
Elk Run Vineyards is nestled in the rolling hills of Frederick County surrounded by dairy and horse farms and fields of wheat and corn. The name “Elk Run” was chosen for a stream. The deed name to the property is the “Resurvey of Cold Friday.” It was a land grant from the King of England to Lord Baltimore. The winemaker’s home is circa 1756. Since 1983 Fred and Carol Wilson and Neill Bassford, along with associates, family and friends, have made Elk Run a shining star among American wine producers. Using new world research and technology while maintaining the traditions and values of old world practices, Elk Run’s focus is on producing high quality wine from high quality grapes. Soils of schist and shale allow for deep roots and good drainage. Seven to eight hundred foot elevations help keep the vineyard safe from frost danger. Warm days and cool nights preserve the fruity character in the wines.Practicing sustainable agriculture, close spacing and great attention to crop levels allow the wine maker to create wines of varietal character, structure, balance and good color.

Friday, February 24, 2017
Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano
6 - 9:00PM
Wine Down Fridays
Elk Run Vineyard
15113 Liberty Road,
Mount Airy, MD, 21771
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 12pm-5pm

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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Orange Stuff . . .

(from http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/newspaper-mistakenly-runs-picture-alec-baldwin-snl-instead-trump-n719846)

". . . This was no laughing matter for a major newspaper in the Dominican Republic. . . El Nacional issued an apology Saturday after readers quickly pointed out it used a picture of Alec Baldwin playing President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live" — instead of the true Trump's image — for a story about U.S.-Israeli relations. . . The paper said on its website that the gaffe went "unnoticed during the reviewing of page 19" because of a "mix-up of photos" sent by The Associated Press. . . "The picture was sent that day by the Associated Press with the name of the actor and the program, but was placed as if it were the one of Trump," the paper said. "El Nacional apologizes to the readers and to all those who felt sincerely affected by the publication. Alec Baldwin imitates Trump on one of the most important shows in the U.S.". . ."

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Idealism . . .

. . . is difficult to maintain . . .

. . . as I grow older. But I'm not giving up! I'm not crying for the past, like the spammy emails you receive about the 'good ole days' when men were men and children had to walk uphill (and from) school in three feet of snow without legs, because I firmly believe with age, both individually and societally, things always do get better. (If your gonna make something great again, be sure you can prove that it was truly ever great.) But I do clearly recall viewing adults through a very idealistic lens. Of course my parents taught me (rightly, I might say) to respect my elders and I took that very seriously. I thought that every and all adults were very smart, very reasonable, unselfish, giving, caring individuals who had nothing but the best interest of us all at heart. Not a bad beginning. In hindsight, children should learn to respect all others regardless of any pre-conceived notions 'cause what kind of pre-conceived notion has a child? Only those they've learned from adults. You must learn the respect before learning analysis of education, intelligence or motives. I learned quickly, beginning with college and very clearly at my first full-time job, that that was just not true. Life since then has only confirmed to me that while I may not be the impressive intellect one would write home about, there all all kinds of folks ranging from blindingly bright to barely a flicker, and I for one intend to continue learning and growing. . .

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Some Things . . .

. . . never change . . .

(from James Madison; A Biography by Ralph Ketcham) as Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of Treasury promotes his plan for a national debt. . .

". . . Hamilton's candid admission that he intended the concentration in order to bring to the federal government a self-interested support he thought is desperately needed to become an effective means of government only increased Madison's apprehensions. Though the secretary expressed regret at the misfortunes of those whose interests suffered under his plans, he saw them as a small price to pay for the vital strengthening of the Union he thought made them necessary. As Madison observed the Hamiltonian "phalanx" in Congress, the eager support given the program in New York financial circles, the often arrogant comments by men of wealth about their superior capacity to lead and govern the country, and the tendency of backers of the secretary's report to exalt the executive over the legislative department, his concern for the survival of republican principles grew rapidly. Jefferson's famous charges, made in old age, that "Hamilton's financial system . . . had two objects; 1st, as a puzzle, to exclude popular understanding and inquiry; 2nd, as a machine for the corruption of the legislature," and that "men thus enriched by the dexterity of a leader [Hamilton], would follow of course the chief who was leading them to fortune. . . "

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