Q: How many critics does it take to change a light bulb? A: Critics can’t change a light bulb. But they’ll watch you do it and tell you a hundred ways you could have done it …
I know that I promised in Major Excitement to post about the Nicholas Brothers and this is it! I can’t remember the first time I saw the Nicholas Brothers in a movie but I’ve sought them out ever …
Today is known as International Goof Off Day. It is a day to relax, enjoy and goof off. Do something fun and leave the work until tomorrow. Even though I have 5 (yes, five!) part-time …
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the birdies is. Some say the birds is on the wing, but that’s absurd, the wing is on the bird. That’s how I …
I was reading this great article at https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-scenic-train-rides-us?wpsrc=thrillist and saw that the header image was a train we were on in 2007, the White Pass & Yukon Route out of Skagway, Alaska. The Thrillist folks said “As …
Summer in Edinburgh, Scotland, kicks off with an evening of whimsical revelry. Colorful characters parade atop a hill, dancing and marching to the beat of pounding drums. Fires blaze, warming the air with their bright, smoky flames.
Beltane or Beltain is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.
Also known as Cétshamhain (“first of summer”), it marked the beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth.
Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around or between bonfires, and sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire.
These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of the food and drink would be offered. Doors, windows, byres and livestock would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire.
Our wonderful daughter-in-law is Chinese, so we are celebrating, too.
Embark on a vibrant journey into the heart of Chinese culture with the Chinese New Year, also revered as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. This exuberant celebration stands as a cornerstone of Chinese heritage, heralding the commencement of the lunar new year. It’s a kaleidoscope of family joy, rich cultural festivities, and an infusion of hope and optimism for the new year.
What’s Stirring in Chinese New Year 2024?
The upcoming Chinese New Year 2024 unfurls under the majestic banner of the Dragon, as per the fascinating Chinese zodiac. This revered year isn’t just a mark on the calendar; it’s an embodiment of strength, courage, and fortune. Embrace an era where ancient Chinese traditions come alive, tantalizing culinary delights adorn tables, and wishes of prosperity and joy dance in the air.
When Does the Dragon Soar in 2024?
The Chinese New Year, a lunar marvel, graces us on varying dates annually. In 2024, this grandeur takes flight on February 10th, unfolding over 15 days of jubilation, culminating in the enchanting Lantern Festival.
How to Revel in the Chinese New Year 2024?
Plunge into the heart of Chinese New Year celebrations with these enriching traditions:
– **Family Reunions:** This festivity mirrors the Thanksgiving spirit, drawing families to reunite and feast together in harmony and joy.
– **Adorn in Auspicious Red:** Drench your surroundings in red, the color of luck and joy. Embellish with lanterns, couplets, and festive flair to invite good fortune.
– **Culinary Delights:** Indulge in symbolic Chinese delicacies like dumplings, spring rolls, and rice cakes, each a bearer of wishes for prosperity.
– **Red Envelopes (Hongbao):** Spread blessings and goodwill with red envelopes filled with money, a cherished gesture among friends and family.
– **Dragon and Lion Dances:** Witness the streets come alive with the dynamic dragon and lion dances, legendary for ushering in luck and warding off malevolent spirits.
The Saga of Chinese New Year
Traversing over 3,000 years, the Chinese New Year is steeped in myth and folklore. It began as a celebration of winter’s end and spring’s awakening. Over centuries, it has transformed into an opulent festivity, a testament to China’s rich cultural tapestry and enduring legends.
I think the first time I ever came across anything related to Calloway was in the late 1960s when I was watching That Girl on TV – Ann’s father (Lew Parker) sang Minnie the Moocher for a talent show. The song stuck in my head. I wish I could find a video of that performance.
“Minnie the Moocher” is a jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over a million copies. “Minnie the Moocher” is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed (“scat”) lyrics (for example, “Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi”).
In performances, Calloway would have the audience participate by repeating each scat phrase in a form of call and response. Eventually Calloway’s phrases would become so long and complex that the audience would laugh at their own failed attempts to repeat them.
“Minnie the Moocher” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Lots of others have sung this song, as well including Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in “Jeeves and Wooster”.
and the Three Mo’ Tenors performed it in 2001
Calloway appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers and sang a shortened version “Minnie The Moocher” in the film, in the original style of big band.
Cabell “Cab” Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer.
Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States’ most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway’s band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon “Chu” Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.
An old Paramount short film of Cab Calloway singing many of his hits.
“The Old Man of The Mountain” is non-stop Cab from beginning to end. He appears first as an owl, singing the title song. The words have been changed for the cartoon, in which the Old Man is a villain. In the original song, the Old Man is a benevolent character. Next we see Cab as the Old Man himself, rotoscoped and singing, “You Gotta Hi-De-Hi,” followed by “The Scat Song.”
The cartoon begins with live footage of Cab and his Orchestra playing around with the tune of Minnie the Moocher while Cab scats mildly and grins at the camera. Whereas Cab may have been caught by surprise when they used live footage of him in the earlier cartoon, “Minnie the Moocher”, this time he is ready. He and his band are in dress white uniforms, Cab’s hair is slicked back, and he pays attention to the camera. (The drummer, Leroy Maxey, is still playing with his drumsticks, though!)
Of the three cartoons starring Cab Calloway, this one has the least interesting and least surreal plot, and the animation is the crudest. Never-the-less, the very early live footage of Cab is a treasure, and this cartoon showcases his music from beginning to end, featuring three of his songs. He does some of his most remarkable ever scat singing in this version of The Scat Song.
In all of the Fleisher cartoons, Cab’s characters are set in caves with menacing and ominous background illustrations: skeletons, skulls, ghosts, leering faces, and gambling, alcohol and drug paraphernalia. People have claimed that the Fleischers were unaware of the drug references in Cab’s songs (for example, “kicking the gong around” meaning “smoking opium”), but the imagery in the animations suggests otherwise.
Cab’s scat singing, dancing, comedic personality and flashy elegance had made him a star and a million-selling recording artist. He continued to perform right up until his death in 1994 at the age of 88.
Gunther Schuller sums up Calloway’s brilliance as an entertainer: “People still remember Cab Calloway as a dancer and vaudevillian with his wonderful white tuxedos and all of that — and, as a great, great showman.”
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year’s Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday.
The origins of Hogmanay are unclear, but may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances. Customs vary throughout Scotland, and usually include gift-giving and visiting the homes of friends and neighbors, with special attention given to the first-foot, the first guest of the new year.
And then, there are the fireballs…
Stonehaven’s Fireball ceremony at Hogmanay is one of the more memorable. It consists of mainly local people of all ages swinging flaming wire cages, around their heads. Each cage is filled with combustible material (each swinger has their own recipe) and has a wire handle two or three feet long, this keeps the flames well away from the swinger, but spectators can be vulnerable! The event starts at midnight, lasts twenty-five minutes and is watched by thousands. The idea behind the ceremony is to burn off the bad spirits left from the old year so that the spirits of the New Year can come in clean and fresh.
Boxing Day is a holiday traditionally celebrated the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts, known as a “Christmas box”, from their masters, employers or customers, in the United Kingdom,The Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Bermuda, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and other former British colonies.
Today, Boxing Day is a public holiday usually falling on 26 December.
The Lockerbie Cairn, through its 270 blocks of red Scottish sandstone, memorializes the 270 lives lost in the terrorist attack on the United States when Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed Dec. 21, 1988, over Lockerbie, Scotland. It is a gift of the people of Scotland to the people of the United States, financed entirely through private donations. The ill-fated flight was enroute from Frankfurt, Germany, to New York via London’s Heathrow Airport. Twenty-seven minutes after leaving London, at 7:02 p.m. the plane exploded, raining fragments on the city of Lockerbie, including an entire wing and engines. Eleven of the 270 dead were on the ground. The passengers and crew included people from 22 countries. Among them were 189 Americans, including 15 active duty military and 10 veterans.
Senate Joint Resolution 129 designating Arlington National Cemetery as the site of the Cairn was unanimously passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in November 1993. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 21, 1993, the fifth anniversary of the disaster, and the cairn was dedicated on Nov. 3, 1995.
A cairn, the traditional Scottish monument honoring the dead, can be an informal heap of stones or may take a more orderly construction. In this instance, the 270 stones fit together to form a circular tower eight feet wide at the base and tapering to a height of eleven feet.
The blocks of standstone come from Corsehill Quarry of Annan, Scotland, about eight miles southeast of Lockerbie and in the flight path of Flight 103. Corsehill Quarry, operating since 1820, has acquired a world-wide reputation for producing sandstone of superb quality. Stones from this quarry are used in many buildings in the United States, most notably, the base of the Statue of Liberty.
The following words are engraved on the base:
On 21 December 1988, a terrorist bomb destroyed Pan American Airlines Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all on board and 11 on the ground. The 270 Scottish stones which compose this memorial cairn commemorate those who lost their lives in this attack against America.
A bronze plaque on the side of the cairn reads:
In Remembrance Of The Two Hundred Seventy People Killed In The Terrorist Bombing Of Pan American Airways Flight 103 Over Lockerbie, Scotland 21 December 1988 Presented By The Lockerbie Air Disaster Trust To The United States Of America
In more recent history, today was the 25th anniversary of Pan Am Flight 103, the plane that was destroyed by a terrorist bomb in its flight over Lockerbie Scotland. The clip shows many of the people who assemble each year to mark this event, including the Director of the FBI who took office at the time of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. He retired last month. Although Pan Am is gone, the plane was painstakingly reassembled and based on forensic analysis and other diligent work the bomber was apprehended, tried and convicted. Each year a wide ranging group including relatives of those who died, high ranking officials, law enforcement, military personnel and choirs from Pender Methodist Church assembles at Arlington National Cemetery to mark the event and toll the bell.
Today is the 35th anniversary of the Pan Am/Lockerbie bombing and I’m so sad that my church choir will not be singing due to new regulations at the cemetery.
Tap dancing legends Fayard (b. 1914) and Harold (1918-2000) Nicholas amazed crowds with their performances in musicals and films from the 30s to the 80s. They performed with Gene Kelly in The Pirate, with Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather, with Dorothy Dandridge (Harold’s wife) in Sun Valley Serenade, and with a number of other stars on the stage and on the screen. Author Hill not only guides readers through the brothers’ showstopping successes and the repressive times in which their dancing won them universal acclaim, she also offers extensive insight into the history and choreography of tap dancing, bringing readers up to speed on the art form in which the Nicholas Brothers excelled.
Fayard Antonio Nicholas was born October 20, 1914, in Mobile, Alabama. Harold Lloyd Nicholas was born March 17, 1921, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Nicholas Brothers grew up in Philadelphia, the sons of college-educated musicians who played in their own band at the old Standard Theater—their mother at the piano and father on drums. At the age of three, Fayard would always sit in the front row while his parents worked, and by the time he was ten, he had seen most of the great African-American vaudeville acts—particularly the dancers, including such notables of the time as Alice Whitman, Willie Bryant, and Bill Robinson. The brothers were fascinated by the combination of tap dancing and acrobatics. Fayard often imitated their acrobatics and clowning for the kids in his neighborhood.
Neither Fayard nor Harold had any formal dance training. Fayard taught himself how to dance, sing, and perform by watching and imitating the professional entertainers on stage. He then taught his younger siblings, first performing with his sister Dorothy as the Nicholas Kids, later joined by Harold. Harold idolized his older brother and learned by copying his moves and distinct style. Dorothy later opted out of the act, and the Nicholas Kids became known as the Nicholas Brothers.
From 1935. They were already on their way:
In 1936, Fayard was 22 and Harold was 15. They performed Lucky Number:
From 1940, Down Argentine Way, The Nicholas Brothers serve up a characteristically joyous, effervescent routine.
This video, from the film “Sun Valley Serenade” (1941), depicts the complete Glenn Miller Orchestra’s and Nicholas Brothers’ performances for “Chattanooga Choo Choo”
One of the greatest dance routines ever in movies by the Nicholas Brothers. From the 1942 movie “Orchestra Wives” – I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.
One of their signature moves was to leapfrog down a long, broad flight of stairs, while completing each step with a split. Its most famous performance formed the finale of the movie Stormy Weather. In that routine, the Nicholas Brothers leapt exuberantly across the orchestra’s music stands and danced on the top of a grand piano in a call and response act with the pianist, to the tune of Jumpin’ Jive.
Fred Astaire thought their “Jumpin’ Jive” production number in Stormy Weather (1943) the greatest musical sequence of all time.
I love how Cab Calloway fades away and lets the Nicholas Brothers take over!
Children: don’t try this at home – never, ever dance on a piano!
The Nicholas Brothers dance with Gene Kelly in the 1948 film “The Pirate”. It’s not their best work because Kelly couldn’t do what they could do. But Kelly could copy them, and The Pirate features some of his most virile and stunt-laden work.
We Sing, We Dance. A 1992 Arts and Entertainment documentary about the life of the Nicholas Brothers. Lots of great clips included!
The Nicholas Brothers’ influence can still be felt throughout our culture. Bob Fosse modeled his first dance act on them and Joseph Jackson hired Fayard to help train his children, The Jackson 5. Both Michael and Janet Jackson were later students of the brothers.
Fayard and Howard also taught at Harvard and Radcliffe.
The Nicholas Brothers got several awards and honors:
Harold received the DEA Award from the Dance Educators of America
Harold received the Bay Area Critics Circle Award (Best Principal Performance, Stompin’ at the Savoy)
Harold received the Harbor Performing Arts Center Lifetime Achievement Award
honorary doctorate from Harvard University for both brothers
Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (1978)
Ellie Award (1984), National Film Society for both brothers
Apollo Theater’s Hall of Fame (1986), First Class Inductees for both brothers
Ebony Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) for both brothers
Fayard received Broadway’s 1989 Tony Award as Best Choreographer for Black and Blue along with his collaborators Cholly Atkins, Henry LeTang and Frankie Manning.
Scripps American Dance Festival Award
Kennedy Center Honors in 1991 for both brothers who were in attendance
The National Black Media Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award (1992)
Flo-Bert Award (1992)
New York’s Tap Dance Committee, Gypsy Award (1994)
A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7083 Hollywood Blvd (1994)
Professional Dancer’s Society, Dance Magazine Award of (1995)
The 1998 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Modern Dance
National Museum of Dance Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame Inductees (2001)
I was always very proud of my paternal grandmother. In the early part of the last century she had been living in Scotland with her husband and they had a young son – my father. My grandfather was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he was killed in Peshawar, India.
My grandmother left her life and family in Scotland and sailed to the United States with my dad when he was only 5. We have pictures of him disembarking in his little kilt! I cannot imagine having her courage, leaving home with a small child, and starting life anew in a completely foreign country.
Many years later, when I was a freshman in college, my grandmother died the week before Christmas. I remember sitting in Waterman’s Funeral Home in Kenmore Square, Boston watching the Citgo sign cycle through its neon pattern.
No one but our very small family attended her calling hours. The funeral was a bit better. A few folks took the time to honor this brave woman.
A week later, we celebrated Christmas “because that’s what Nana would have wanted”. Even then, I thought that she probably would have liked to see more caring people around her, while she was alive.
Every year on the 18th of December I remember my grandmother and try to take a moment to be kinder to folks.
In recent years, December 18 has become a joyful occasion with our son and daughter-in-laws first wedding.
We weren’t able to be there, so they got married again in October 🙂
Cushing's Disease is a rare condition caused by excessive production of cortisol, a hormone essential for various bodily functions. It is a specific form of Cushing's Syndrome, where the overproduction of cortisol is due to a tumor in the pituitary gland. The condition affects 10 to 15 people per million each year, predominantly women between […]
So, these are only seven of the many, many symptoms of Cushing’s. I had those above – and I often felt like I looked like one of those little bearded dwarves.
Endogenous Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) is associated with an increased cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic risk profile, yet the specific impact of hypercortisolism on myocardial function remains inadequately understood.
Adrenal Insufficiency United’s Lunch & Learn Events are one day mini-conferences located in different cities in the USA. We find great local speakers to lead sessions and give presentations about issues affecting those with adrenal insufficiency. These one day events will be packed full of opportunities giving attendees more chances to ask questions, share their […]
Adrenal insufficiency is a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough of certain hormones, primarily cortisol and sometimes aldosterone. This disorder can be categorized into primary (Addison's disease) and secondary forms.
Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disorder that occurs when the body is exposed to too much cortisol. Cortisol is produced by the body and is also used in corticosteroid drugs. Cushing's syndrome can occur either because cortisol is being overproduced by the body or from the use of drugs that contain cortisol (like prednisone)…
April is always Cushing’s Awareness Challenge month because Dr. Harvey Cushing was born on April 8th, 1869. How fitting that this challenge should begin on April Fool’s Day. So much of Cushing’s Syndrome/Disease makes us Cushies seem like we’re the April Fool. Maybe, just maybe, it’s the doctors who are the April Fools…
While American actress Amy Schumer is spreading the word about Cushing’s in general, I think that in some ways she is hurting things for everyone else. CBS News reports that “she says she now feels ‘reborn’ after her diagnosis, and while some forms of Cushing can be fatal, she has a type that ‘will just […]
Cushing’s disease (CD) is characterized by hypercortisolism due to excessive adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from a pituitary adenoma. Though more common in adults, pediatric cases constitute approximately 5% of those seen in adults. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical due to the severe impacts on growth and development in children. Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) is […]
Discover a supportive space for new beginnings! Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, in the serene ambiance of Pender UMC's Library. At 5:00 PM there will be a time of casual chat, known as the "meeting before the meeting". Engage in meaningful conversations and find camaraderie at our AA meetings, guided by the experienced […]
Brian Stevenson, Pender UMC Director of Handbells and Ensembles, presents a series of hymn-based devotions on Wednesdays during Lent. “Go to Dark Gethsemane” is a Lenten hymn that spotlights scenes from the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ’s life.
For potty-trained three year olds through ninth graders. Embark on an exciting journey with Road Trip VBS, based on Joshua 1:9 – "The LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Discover God's presence everywhere as we explore new places, make new friends, and experience God's goodness together. Join us in a fun-filled adventure […]
Enhance your mental fitness with “Train Your Brain” activities! Sudoku, crosswords, Color Me Happy, and word searches. Each activity is aimed at stimulating cognitive function and supporting memory improvement.
I originally got this book for my mom in October 2011, then I ended up reading it – twice. Then, I read nearly everything that Erik Larson wrote… I may need to read it again before April 2. LOL
Purchase your 4 chicks and specify your pick up day April 4-19, 2025. They sell out quickly! Add-on a care kit if don’t have one. Decide where you would like to keep the chicks, laundry room, bathroom, mud room, and set up a box to be their home. (Tips below) April 4-19: The Farm Market […]
