pianogonzology

Monday, May 25, 2015

Pompeii . . .

(from http://decodedpast.com/human-remains-pompeii-body-casts/7532)
". . . The eruption of Vesuvius began at around lunchtime, arguably on the 24th August 79AD. In the early hours of the following morning, the eruption reached its fatal, concluding stages. Three pyroclastic surges- a mix of hot gases and ashes from the collapsing eruption column- traveling at 100kph finally reached Pompeii. The first surge just skimmed the city walls but the final one overwhelmed the whole city, finishing off anyone still alive. But the surges also preserved. For its rain of fine ash fell over Pompeii, covering the city until only the remains of its tallest buildings were visible above the debris. Buried within the ash fall were the inhabitants of the town. A shell of pumice that allowed them to slowly decay in the usual way covered those who perished in the early stages of the eruption. But the bodies of victims of the pyroclastic surges had a different fate. For the fine ash fall encased their bodies, hardening to form a porous shell. As the soft tissues of the bodies decayed, they leached away through this later. But by then, the hardened ash had captured and preserved their final postures at the moment of death. . .

. . . Wax was injected into the void around the victim’s skeleton, left to harden, and then coated in plaster. Once the ‘plaster cast’ had set, the wax was melted out and replaced with liquid epoxy resin- to produce a durable, transparent cast, which allowed the victim’s jewelry and hairpin to be viewed in situ on the body. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Sunday, May 24, 2015

News . . .

. . . outlets. . .

(from 935 Lies; The Future of Truth and the Decline of America's Moral Integrity by Charles Lewis)
". . . But here's what troubles (Jane) Kirtley: "I fear that 'big media' are becoming increasingly irrelevant in this equation. . . You know as well as I do that the big First Amendment cases of the 1960s through '80s were mostly fought and won by the 'legacy press.' I am not at all sure that will continue to be the case. And this is significant because if the legacy media don't do it, I'm not sure who will step in." The reality, she added, is that if today's news media owners "don't see that the First Amendment is the prerequisite to making money, then they won't" take risks, publish, and defend their legal right to do so later in court. "The legions of bloggers are good at making noise, but I'm not sure they'll join forces to litigate-assuming that, as a group, they'd have enough money to do it.". . . "

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Wit . . .

. . . or lack thereof . . .

It's very difficult to be clever, creative or witty on command. The mundane has as way of sapping one of these abilities in addition to sapping the time from a given day. But when consumed by a particularly challenging situation at the office, a leisure day heavily scheduled with necessary (or unnecessary for that matter) errands, it seems very easy to recognize a brilliant observation or a wittily perceptive notion. . . but alas no time or ability to otherwise record it. Oh sure, I could keep a journal. I always vow to make note of such moments in an email or other virtual notebook. But for some damned reason, it rarely happens. So this is today's non-blog bitching about my dearth of ideas and/or my simple lack of creativity.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Work . . .

. . . so hard . . .

Various sizes and colors of luggage are lined up on the walk. One smiling, anticipatory face and two non-committal, yet marginally anxious ones proceeded from the luggage queue to the house. We were working on some final details.

One stranger and the six of us were in the punctual shuttle happily whisked away to our flight to JFK. Polite conversation took place to the muted sound of ‘Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’ only because one prior passenger was already on board and had it not been for the stranger, the five (plus one) of us can sometimes been anything but polite.

Lunch at BWI, some beers and anxious chatter before meeting our last two travelling partners at the gate. The plane to JFK was tiny and the flight fast. The plane had one row of two seats and one row of single seats.

The five hour layover prompted us to have a nice, celebratory dinner. So where did we choose to eat? Buffalo Wings, of course. Fun place, lots of noise. Tall table for a party of eight. Needless to say we neglected to ask for ‘rail’ liquor in our mixed drinks and ended the evening with an outrageously overpriced bill.

Onward to Italy. . . an eight hour flight. Lots of sore buttocks, fitful sleep, airline food, movies, reading.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Inside . . .

Words are all that I have to express

All the things I would like to be able to tell you but don't quite know how

Couldn't before and still can't do it now

During all of this time that's transpired little's changed

But a lot has occurred in my thoughts and my feelings for you

Countless superior intellects have searched for answers

I never gave it a whole lot of thought

Until I tried to let you know how much I feel inside

Until I tried to let you know how much I feel inside

For you

I have always believed that it's true

Very few things I'll ever encounter will be quite as precious as you

The magic between us so rare and so new

Though I'm not one of those that you find

Who has always the need to express to so many exactly what he has in mind

I find I have this burning that's deep down inside me

For words I never needed before

Until I tried to let you know how much I feel inside

Until I tried to let you know how much I feel inside

for you

I can't imagine ever having my life depend upon eloquence

And maybe it doesn't

But after all this time together it seems long overdue

And in the end it probably doesn't make a difference in how you feel

If I never say it

Now I'm daily rehearsing the way

To articulate every syllable nuance and stress when I say

How much I need to have you here today

And I won't give it up easily

I suspect that it's just as important to you as it is now to me

The words we use themselves have no meaning

So all the more must I make them just right

Now that I try to let you know how much I feel inside

Until I tried to let you know how much I feel inside

for you

Until I Tried
©2007 & 2014 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
Now available at Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

When In Rome . . .

. . . do as the Romans

(from http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/When+in+Rome)
". . . When in Rome (do as the Romans do).
Prov. Behave however the people around you behave. Adapt yourself to the customs of the places you visit. Jill: Everyone in my new office dresses so casually. Should I dress that way, too? Jane: By all means. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
See also: Rome
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
When in Rome (do as the Romans do).
something that you say which means when you are visiting another country, you should behave like the people in that country I don't drink wine when I'm at home but on holiday, well, when in Rome . . ."
(See fiddle while Rome burns)

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Sculpture . . .

. . . and those to sculpt it. . .

So who knew Michaelangelo was such a complicated person? Certainly not me.

(from http://www.michelangelo-gallery.org/biography.html)
". . . Michelangelo, who was often arrogant with others and constantly dissatisfied with himself, saw art as originating from inner inspiration and from culture. In contradiction to the ideas of his rival, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo saw nature as an enemy that had to be overcome. The figures that he created are forceful and dynamic; each in its own space apart from the outside world. For Michelangelo, the job of the sculptor was to free the forms that were already inside the stone. He believed that every stone had a sculpture within it, and that the work of sculpting was simply a matter of chipping away all that was not a part of the statue. . ."

Paleolithic Goddess Figurine
by OHO, Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak, Bratt Productions Studio by Bill Pratt mix

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak