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Handel's Festive "Water Music" for a Royal Water Party
Handel's "Water Music" was not just a superb achievement in classical music. Entertaining British King George I's 1717 water party on the River Thames with an orchestra of 50 musicians in a barge was also a logistical breakthrough.
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"The Truth Will Out": Brilliant, Intriguing Swedish Mystery-Thriller
Intricate 2018 Swedish (with subtitles) TV mystery-thriller serial series, full of danger, psychological tension, political intrigue, and daunting challenges. No spoilers.
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Robert Ward’s "Symphony No. 2": A Masterpiece of 20th-Century American Neoclassicism
Discussion of American composer Robert Ward's "Symphony #2," including background, overview, and brief analysis, as well as public reception and suggested sources of recordings and musical scores.
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"Seaside Hotel": A Delightful Danish TV Series
The hit Danish TV Series "Seaside Hotel" ("Badehotellet" in Danish) is highly recommended in this review which summarizes the storyline (no spoilers) and provides background on the production.
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The Basics of Classical Music: Listening, Concerts & Free Music
Types of classical music (symphonic, chamber music, etc.), stylistic periods (Medieval to Modern), how to listen to classical music, finding free classical music, and attending live concerts.
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The Transformative Power of Great Classical Music
Why is classical music so compelling and important? What is its purpose? This explains how the beauty of classical compositions has a transcendental, transformative power available to anyone willing to seek it.
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The Accidental and Spectacular History of Fireworks
The development of fireworks (pyrotechnics) has taken over 2,000 years. Explore the origin, social and political effects, and technological development of fireworks.
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Coronavirus COVID-19 Lockdown? Take the Opportunity to Change Your Life
A “stay-at-home” (“shelter-in-place”) lockdown due to the COVID-19 coronavirus provides an opportunity for you to improve your life in multiple ways – self-awareness, meditation, learning new skills, writing, unleashing your creativity, getting organized, improving your body and mind.
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The Diderot Effect: Why Getting Something New Can Make You Sad
The Diderot effect is a compulsive dysfunction whereby an individual who acquires a new possession feels a driving compulsion to replace other possessions to match its newness. This spending spree can create serious financial problems. Here's how to avoid it.
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Trayvon Martin Shooting Exposes Pattern — Blacks Are Targets in America
National outrage over the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida on 26 Feb. 2012 by a white vigilante presaged the Black Lives Matter movement protesting official and semi-official violence targeting the nation's black population.
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Shiatsu Manual Therapy May Offer Relief for Your Aches and Pains
Shiatsu, a unique type of manual (massage) therapy from Japan, involves non-invasive manual pressure applied to various areas of the body, aiming to stimulate the body's inherent ability to heal itself. It can work well for relieving severe muscular aches and prolonged pain.
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U.S. Rail Safety Awareness Programs Needed
Fast, surface-routed public transportation services, such as light rail and regional passenger rail, are starting to multiply in more American cities, but they tend to take the public by surprise. Amtrak trains likewise currently speed through the urban and suburban parts of many cities and towns....
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Faster U.S. Surface Transit Raises Need for Public Rail Safety Awareness
The general public — especially motorists — may lack safety consciousness ir regard to urban rail and other forms of fast, surface-routed transit as well as Amtrak's intercity rail passenger operations. This underscores a need to aggressively upgrade rail safety through vigorous government action.
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Essential Vitamin and Nutritional Supplements That May Help You Live Healthier and Longer
Vitamins and other nutritional supplements may offer some protection from disease and even extend your life. Regarding some of the most important supplements, here I detail approaches that seem to work for me and many others that are worth considering.
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Islamophobia and Hate Crimes Against Muslim Americans Endanger Everyone
Politicians, demagogues, and agitators stirring up hatred against Muslims are fomenting racist terrorism.To target a single demographic group for the terror acts of a few is collective punishment, a mechanism of terrorism itself. All of us have a duty to stand up against this bigotry.
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Migraine Headaches? Alternative Remedies That Have Worked for Me
While migraine headaches begin in the brain, they tend to trigger a vicious cycle of problems throughout the body. My own personal experience as a migraine victim, and remedies that have been particularly successful for me, may be helpful to others.
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America Heading Toward Police State? Over 30% of USA's Younger Population Experiencing Jail or Prison
When you combine the huge proportion of the population experiencing prison with America's increasingly regulated and regimented society, something seems to be going terribly wrong. It looks increasingly like Police State Creep.
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Light Rail Transit Leads North American Transit Comeback With Gains in Ridership, Cost-Effectiveness, Urban Development
Across North America, light rail transit (LRT) is the biggest success story in urban transportation, delivering on its promises with growing ridership, more cost-effective transit service, catalyzing adjacent development, and gaining broad public support for urban mass transit.
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Amtrak Journey Suggestions: Long-Distance Rail Trips in the US
Long-distance rail passenger trips on Amtrak are increasing in popularity. Get tips on selecting the best Amtrak route for you.
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Planning a Trip on Amtrak? Get in the Right Frame of Mind
Amtrak is a unique travel experience, but some travelers expect way more than Amtrak can possibly deliver. For an Amtrak trip, the right frame of mind is important.
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Google's Blacklisting of Websites — The Dirty Little Secret of Web Searching
Rather than a unbiased, utilitarian search tool, Google now has opinions, and makes judgments about what you get to search and view. With its blacklisting of entire sites, and mysterious efforts at manipulation of content, Google has become a mechanism for censorship of what can be found on the Web.
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Is Big Brother Watching? You Can Probably Count on It
The dimensions of the attack on personal privacy and anonymity include repressive laws, government snoopery, Internet snoopery, cellphone tracking, motor vehicle tracking, biometrics and facial recognition. Hopefully, awareness of the problem will lead to effective countermeasures.
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Quality Articles Fall Victim to Google Panda and Anti-Duplication Hysteria
Google's "Panda" Web content filtering process has emerged as a serious impediment to productive writing. Writers may be rejected by an online publisher for a "duplicated content" violation because they have used phrases or paraphrased material excepted from their own previous work.
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Cincinnati — Rail Transit Returns With New Streetcar System
Cincinnati is taking itself back to the future with a small but crucial investment in a modern electric streetcar line, serving the urban core.
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Why Riding Amtrak Trains Beats Riding Intercity Buses
Especially for long-distance overnight trips, Amtrak has an advantage in riding comfort, seat space and comfort, interesting scenery, freedom to move around, food and beverage services, overnight accommodations, better sleeping conditions, and socializing with other passengers.
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Riding an Amtrak Train Overnight: Tips for First-Time Rail Travelers
Traveling overnight on an Amtrak train can be unusual, enjoyable, and even exciting. Here's what you should know if you decide to try this unique travel experience.