Jenny’s Web World » Culture

Getting ready for the holidays

jenny — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:13:03 +0000

It’s Friday evening. Vin’s at his department Christmas party (no spouses, not that I’d go anyway) and I’m at home listening to holiday music! I’m supposed to be working on my cards or my new website, but so far this evening, I’ve had dinner and done 1 and 1/2 sudoku puzzles.

I have really great holiday music. In addition to the Time-Life Treasuries (who doesn’t have them!?), I have “Best Carols 100” which has some awesome choral work on it; “Broadway’s Carols for a Cure Vol. 12” from 2010 (one day, I shall get them all!), The “Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice” (which a co-worker gave me and I love!), and “Karolju: Christmas Music” (probably my favorite holiday CD), which includes composers Christopher Rouse, Witold Lutoslawski and Joaquin Rodrigo. I also have albums by various singers, such as Josh Groban, Amy Grant, Sarah Brightman, Celtic Women, and Jingle Dogs (Dot’s favorite)! Then there is all the instrumental music, such as The Nutcracker, brass groups, jazz groups, and a really pretty album “A Christmas In The King’s Court” which features Celtic harp and pan flute. Throw in some Vince Guaraldi and Peanuts gang, and that is one incredible holiday mix of music!

Weston Public Library, Sunday November 20, 2011

jenny — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:46:58 +0000

I’m playing in a concert at the Weston Public Library on Sunday November 20, 2011, 3pm! Soprano Linda Dawson will be singing, and Bill Donahue will be playing the piano. I’ll by playing the clarinet for three Franz Schubert pieces:

The Shepherd on the Rock (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen)
Romanze (from Die Verschworenen)
Erstes Offertorium, Totus in corde lanqueo

The Totus is a nifty piece for C clarinet, and since I have a brand new C clarinet, I can’t wait to play it!

In addition to these pieces, I am playing a solo piece for clarinet and piano:

Norbert Burgmuller: Duo for Clarinet and Piano

This is a wonderful and rare piece written in 1834. Burgmuller was only 26 when he tragically died; he left behind some great music, but think of all the music he never wrote. Of course, Franz Schubert was only 31 when he died. (Both lived less than Mozart.)

If you have the afternoon available, please come to hear the music!

William Shatner, the Rocket Man

jenny — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:28 +0000

Yes, this is not a spoof or joke video!

I wonder if William Shatner would still have made this if he knew YouTube was coming…

Romance for Clarinet, Strings and Harp

jenny — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:04:01 +0000

This is a wonderful piece of music from composer Johnterryl Plumeri called Romance for Clarinet, Strings and Harp. This clip is from WGBH’s “Keith’s Classical Corner”, which I listen to on my way to work.

The album has 4 more unique sounding pieces like this one. I bought the last one at Amazon, but more are available from CD Universe.

Why Your State Sucks – ouch!

jenny — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:57:36 +0000

Ouch! Talk about cutting to the quick. TIME magazine has an article “Why Your State Sucks: The Great American Map of Fail” with a map of the 50 states and one simple fact about them. The thing is, the fact is something awful about each state! Having lived in Massachusetts for 13 years, it comes as no surprise that we’re famous (notorious?) for bad drivers. And it should be no surprise to anyone that Hawaii is the most expensive place to live.

Some of them are quite ironic. California with the dirtiest air (I said ironic, not bewildering) and Utah with highest porn usage (and all those Mormons, many of whom are not even supposed to own radios or TVs!).

But Rhode Island with the most drug use? Washington and bestiality? (How do you even begin to measure that? never mind, I don’t really want to know.) Maine the dumbest? But I think the most shocking ones are tornadoes in Minnesota and ugly people in North Dakota. I can’t recall ever hearing of a tornado in Minnesota. Blizzards, yet, but tornadoes? Actually, I’ve never heard that North Dakota is brimming with ugly people either.

Here’s a link to the map directly. Maybe you’ll learn something too!

Not the center of the universe

jenny — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:17:38 +0000

This is amazing: http://primaxstudio.com/stuff/scale_of_universe/. After it loads, move the gray-square-button-slider under the picture to the left to see smaller, and to the right to see larger.

Looking at something like this really makes me appreciate how vast everything is, also puts into perspective how minor my problems and worries are. A teeny blip in the grand scheme of things. How lucky we are, with everything out in the universe (or multiverse) to have things in our world that are so pleasant, like music.

Speaking of music, careful, there’s music on the site! It’s not loud or annoying, but be aware in case you are at work and decide to peek.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is no more

jenny — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:42:04 +0000

“By ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” Mr. Obama said in a statement after the cloture vote. “And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.” – as quoted in the New York Times.

How wonderful is this news!? Now gay people can serve in the military, just like everyone else.

Next up: let’s let them marry as well!

A Halloween Treat: The Raven

jenny — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:05:34 +0000

Here’s a really excellent reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. It’s wonderful enough just listening to it, but watching John De Lancie’s is incredible.

I say, play it over and over on Halloween while the kids are Trick-or-Treating!

(Thanks for the link, Kerri!)

LOL cat emoticons are so cute!

jenny — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:52:47 +0000

Check out these LOL kittie emoticons!!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

So cute! My favorite is the ^^ and my second fave is the omg.

Boycott Target!

jenny — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:41:02 +0000

This is a great video that perfectly summarizes how many of us feel about Target’s political donation.

Yes, I will be boycotting Target from now on!