Culture 101 (part 16) - 20th Century Blues

wikipedia/Chagall_IandTheVillage

December 31, 2000

That was the last day of the 20th century and it ended 15 years ago and counting.

And I lived through almost half of it. Now this really dates me.  Come to think of it, if you count the birth of our nation as 1776, next year, I will have lived through a quarter of American history!

Yikes!

Let's go back to the turn of the century.  Not 2001.  The other century.

January 1, 1901

That was the day the 20th century started.  And thirty years later they were singing the blues, literally - the Twentieth Century Blues (1931), as shown below from the Noel Coward play, Cavalcade (1931).

(reference: https://youtu.be/wysqB_Pi3YA)

The story follows a quintessential British family through the times of the early 20th century, including the death of Queen Victoria (1901), the sinking of the Titanic (1912), and World War One (1914-1918).  For a plot summary of the movie version, check out:  Cavalcade (1933) - Plot Summary - IMDb

20th Century Blues?

The first few decades of this century had its dark days.  And the rest of the first half of the century was not much brighter.  The Noel Coward play, Cavalcade, ended in 1929, which was the beginning of The Great Depression (1929-1939), the worst depression in recent history.  And that only ended with the coming of  World War Two (1939-1945), the worst war of the 20th century.

The last half of the 20th century?

We baby boomers have our songs, too, which continue these blues in the form of rock music. For example in the spirit of the 20th century,  Billy Joel composed and performed  We Didn't Start the Fire (1989) from his album Storm Front.  Its lyrics are chuck full of 40 years of history:

1949 - 1989

It hits the major wars, US presidents, world leaders, world tensions, the culture, leaps in science and technology, triumphs and angst of the age.

(reference:  https://youtu.be/cDPnsTRAvIM )

The 20th century has been quite a ride.  And the Billy Joel song gives a quick history lesson as well as a taste of the times.  And if you didn't catch it all,

* here is a link to the lyrics:   Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire Lyrics | MetroLyrics   

* and facts:  We Didn't Start the Fire (Facts) History Summary from 1949-1989 by Ron Kurtus - Lessons Learned from History: School for Champions

Ballads, songs, music of an era bridges time and space.  And it keeps the culture of a people

going on and on and on ...

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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression (2012)

Culture 101 (part 5) - Blue Bloods and 9/11 (2012)

Culture 101 (part 6) - Gilligan's Island and Breast Cancer Awareness (2012)

Culture 101 (part 7) - Band of Brothers  (2013)

Culture 101 (part 8) - Snow White (2013)

Culture 101 (part 9) - Father Knows Best (2013)

Culture 101 (part 10) - Summertime! x 3 (2013)

Culture 101 (part 11) - Native American Osmosis (2013)

Culture 101 (part 12) - Thanksgivukkah (Thanksgiving and Hanukkah) (2013)

Culture 101 (part 13) - Coventry Carol (2013)

Culture 101 (part 14) - World War I - that Golden Summer of 1914 (2014)

Culture 101 (part 15) - Persevering and Prevailing during Dark Days (2014)

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photo from: wikipedia/Chagall_IandTheVillage

Numbers (part 1) - The Pi Day of the Century

wikipedia.com/Pi pie

March 14, 2015 at the time of 9:26 AM and 53 seconds will be a day and a moment that will not be repeated for another century.

3.14.15  9:26:53 

And March 14, or 3/14, has been known as Pi Day, as the irrational number, Pi, is ... you guessed it:

3.141592653 ... 

Where was this holiday when I was a kid?

Pi Day celebration was founded by Larry Shaw and it was first held in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium.  The staff and the public marched about the circular space, then they ate fruit pies.  It also shares the date of March 14 with Albert Einstein's birthday.  [reference:  timeanddate.com/holidays/world/pi-day]

But for this once in a century event:

*  Venders are ready for it.

Such as:  Pi Day T Shirts, Shirts & Tees | Custom Pi Day Clothing

* Teachers have a teachable moment for their students.

Such as:  How to Celebrate Pi Day in Your Classroom | Edutopia

*  Bakers are in on it, too.

Such as:  Celebrate Pi Day! March 14, 2015 | American Pie Council

And what better tribute to this irrational number than

* Calculating Pi with Pie:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/ZNiRzZ66YN0 )

And  may we have our Pi and eat it, too.  So on this delicious note, I introduce another thread -

Numbers  

And may the number of Numbers multiply in this new series.

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For a brief history of Pi: 

Pi @ Math.com


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Photo from: wikipedia/Pi pie

Pray4America (part 17) - Washington and Providence

Wikipedia/General George Washington at Trenton 

George Washington's Birthday - President's Day

February is the month when we celebrate President's Day.  At first, Washington's Birthday was observed on February 22nd, but the holiday was consolidated to honor the US presidents.  And for 2015,  this day will be observed on February 16.   [reference:  Washington's Birthday 2015 | Presidents Day 2015]

But as for the original reason for this holiday, let's take a look at ....

George Washington - the man

George Washington  often called the Father of our Country, and the few words of this post do not do the man justice.  The History Channel page has many great resources on his biography and impact on the founding of our nation:  George Washington - U.S. Presidents - HISTORY.com

Since we're well into the third century of the founding of the United States of America, I have been troubled about at the direction we are going as a nation.  It seems there is little an average person can do.  Or is there?

Below is a clip of history changing prayers, including the preservation of George Washington:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/kg8Bk6GUoj4)

With this story, I am heartened that prayer can change history.  But what if it had turned out differently?  What would happen if George Washington were killed before his time and the American colonist lost the war for independence?

What if America did not exist?

Below is a clip showing such a premise:

( reference:  http://youtu.be/nhqBnX-SjDk)

George Washington, as one of our founders, played a pivotal roll in creating the United States of America and many of the ideals that drew many to this country.  And America is more than just a country, it's still an ideal worth fighting for.

So this month of President's Day, please continue in the spirit of George Washington to ...

Pray for America 

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Previous post on President's Day:

 3 birthdays, 3 presidents, 3 centuries, 3 defining wars ...  (2011)

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Previous posts in this series:

Pray4America (part 1) - National Day of Prayer (2012)

Pray4America (part 2) - FDR's prayer on D-Day (2012)

Pray4America (part 3) - FDR's Flag Day prayer - June 14, 1942 (2012)

Pray4America (part 4) - It's a Wonderful Life, America (2012)

Pray4America (part 5) - United we stand? (2012)

Pray4America (part 6) - Christmas in Iran 1980 (2012)

Pray4American (part 7) - For such a time as this (2013)

Pray4America (part 8) - Fear no evil (2013)

Pray4America (part 9) - America, the Beautiful - 1893 to 2013 (2013)

Pray4America (part 10) - Real Hope for America  (2013)

Pray4America (part 11) - New Year Reset  (2013)

Pray4America (part 12) - George Washington's Knee-Mails (2014)

Pray4America (part 13) - Apollo 13 Reflections and Prayer (2014)

Pray4America (part 14) - We are Americans (2014)

Pray4America (part 15) - Communion on the Moon (2014)

Pray4America (part 16) - God Bless America, 1938 (2014)

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Photo from:  Wikipedia/General George Washington at Trenton 

AI (part 3) - Mr. Fusion

Wikipedia.com/Deuterium-tritium fusion

Remember what 2015 was supposed to look like in 1985?

The movie Back to the Future  made many predictions.  There were hits and misses.  More hits than misses.  And here are some of them:  14 Things from Back to the Future II That Actually Came True, and 5 That Haven't... Yet 

Mr. Fusion?

Back to the Future II predicted Mr. Fusion.  Shown below is mad scientist  Doc Brown getting a refuel from a renewable source - garbage.

(reference:  http://youtu.be/3HYoq6vIVXc)

What about this one?  Hit or miss?

Last year, 2014, an interesting announcement came out:  Lockheed says makes breakthrough on fusion energy project | Reuters   And this clip shows the rest of the story:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/2GC8lpLvrEg )

A compact fusion reactor which can be placed on a small truck?  Clean unlimited energy source?  Perhaps a global game changer.  Well, now we may be 20 years away.

But Science imitating Art, this is part of AI - no ... not Artificial Intelligence, but

American Ingenuity ...

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Previous posts in his series:

AI (part 1) - American Ingenuity  (2012)

AI (part 2) - How Curiosity got our groove back (2012)

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Photo from:  Wikipedia.com/Deuterium-tritium fusion

Signs of the Times (part 6) - Fear of Missing Out

everystockphoto.com/Social Media Patterns

First World Problems?

May these be one of the Signs of the Times?

What are some of these big First World Problems?  And in this world of pain, doom, and strife, they seem rather trivial.  Here are a few of them, which you can tweet - for grins: First World Problems - Funny First World Problem Meme Images

Along with these First World Problem comes another phobia - much of it rooted in social media and the deluge of information coming at us from the ubiquitous internet:

FOMO - Fear of Missing Out

It's an understatement to say there is a lot of information out there.  How do we begin to filter what is important?  Some of this was addressed in a previous blog:   Proverbs (part 1) - Information vs. Wisdom .  And in the cyberspace, we did make many searches, so we would not miss out, such as is summarized here:  Infographic: What You Searched Google For 2014 | Digital Buzz Blog

But the video clip below explains this new First World Problem fear - FOMO - with its philosophical spin:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/KsSmFZNrpLc )

And King Solomon expressed some of this FOMO - the longing in the human spirit for something more, that there is an intuition that there is something greater.  He infers that the Creator made us this way:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. 

He has also set eternity in the human heart; 

yet no one can fathom what God has done
from beginning to end.

 Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

But to not to commit?  Really?  Not make a choice?  Is that not a choice?  Actually, there is an old saying about this phobia (from James, the Just, the half-brother of Jesus):

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:8 (KJV)

Perhaps, this restlessness, wanting it all, but not committing, refusing to choose, being double minded, unstable, is one of the

Signs of the Times? 

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Previous posts in this series:

Signs of the Times (part 1) - Camping in the Parks (2012)

Signs of the Times (part 2) - Layaway (2012)

Signs of the Times (part 3) - Layoffs (2013)

Signs of the Times (part 4) - Doomsday Preppers  (2013)

Signs of the Times (part 5) - Staycations (2013)

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Photo from:  everystockphoto.com/Social Media Patterns

Nostalgia (part 3) - Something Old, Something New

everystockphoto.com/Happy New Year!

New Years Eve ... New Years Day 

These are holidays in which we may look back and look ahead.   Something old ... something new.  For a sampling of each, here are a few musings from Bible verses and videos clips that emphasize the "holy" in the holidays.

First,

The Old ... 

The Good Old Days can bring feelings of nostalgia.  Even Moses gave instructions to the children of Israel to remember the past and pass on their stories to the new generation:

Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,

your elders, and they will explain to you.
Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV)

Yet, some of this remembrance can also bring a sense of sadness, such as reflected in this song that often resurfaces at the end of the year:

(reference: http://youtu.be/sT_aKiRNm-A) 

The sentiment behind the lyrics of this song has been around for some time.  For its history, check out:  Story of Those Were the Days

Likewise several generations after Moses, when the children of Israel were captive in Babylon, they became sad when they thought of the good old days:

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

    when we remembered Zion.

Psalm 137:1 (NIV)

But the second chance, a fresh start, can give rise to optimism and happiness.  With the change of the calendar year, we may  look forward to

The New ...

The new is part of the vision of God's plan of the universe.  It's a time that people of faith may look forward when the old world of suffering will come to pass and all things will be new again:

See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.

Isaiah 65:17 (NIV)

And in this life, the pursuit of happiness encompasses the "new" like the wonder of a child, who continues to explore, learning, seeking ... as seen below:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/-oflLvqnKqM)

And that is a cause for joy, especially for those of faith:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) 

And this traditional song connects

The Old and the New ...

As New Years Eve turns to New Years Day, after the stroke of midnight, many sing this old song that rings in the New Year:
 :

(reference:  http://youtu.be/GxSqMbsHeJ8 )

And for a fresh start, a second chance, a new life, may we ...

Sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things

his right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salvation for him.

Psalm 98:1 (NIV)

Happy New Year!

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Previous posts in this series:

Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer  (2014)

Nostalgia (part 2) - Christmas Past in War and Peace (2014)

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Photo from:  everystockphoto.com/Happy New Year!

Nostalgia (part 2) - Christmas Past in War and Peace

everystockphoto.com/Christmas Festival

Old movies and television shows give us a peek into Christmas Past - not long past, but perhaps our past, our parents' past, and even our grandparents' past.

And some of our best loved classics have meant much to the Greatest Generation who lived through the Great Depression, fought in World War II, then settled down with a special loved one during the post-war period of the 1950s.

My pick from the pop culture of the past are two iconic holiday scenes from the 1950s, one from the movies, the other from television:

Christmas Past in Wartime

White Christmas (1954) opens with crooner Bing Crosby as Captain Bob Wallace singing the title song.  This classic captures the nostalgia of the soldiers, who were fighting overseas, yet yearning for home during the holidays.  That feeling is timeless.

(reference:  http://youtu.be/OIVI4cE9PPo)

And Bing Crosby was also a great patriot.  America had entered World War II when he was 37 and, with a family, he was deemed too old to put on the uniform and fight.  But much like his contemporary Bob Hope, Bing Crosby worked tirelessly to entertain the troops and boost their morale.  [reference:  As Veterans Day approaches, niece remembers Bing Crosby's service to soldiers]

The composer of White Christmas, Irving Berlin (1888 - 1989), like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, was a patriot as well.  Born Israel Baline,  he was an immigrant to America, fleeing religious persecution of the Jewish community in his native Russia and settling in New York City.  For more on his biography - Irving Berlin - Biography - Songwriter - Biography.com

From a misspelling of his name, I. Berlin, as lyricist, Israel Baline decided to keep the name and become known as Irving Berlin. And what followed were many ironies of a Jewish composer choosing the surname Berlin. Most obvious, his career spanned two World Wars, which the United States fought against Germany, whose capital was Berlin.  And Hitler's Germany was hell-bent to exterminate the Jews, like Irving Berlin.

During World War I, Irving Berlin had first written God Bless America, as a great peace song.  But with a glut of patriotic songs coming out at the time, he tabled it.  Two decades later, Kate Smith introduced his peace song in 1938 at the cusp of World War II.  Another irony.  For more on this story: The story behind Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"

Though Jewish, Irving Berlin composed one of his best loved songs, White Christmas, celebrating a Christian holiday.  Yet another irony.  And it was Bing Crosby who introduced White Christmas to the world - on Christmas: December 25, 1941 - just as America had entered into World War II a few weeks earlier.  [reference:  Bing Crosby introduces "White Christmas" to the world — History.com This Day in History — 12/25/1941]

Christmas Past in Peacetime

And in the movie, White Christmas, the war came to an end.  And the plot focused on the characters making their way during peacetime and ending their adventures with a big Christmas production, such as shown here:  White Christmas ending

But during the postwar years, the early days of television produced another classic holiday scene from  the Honeymooners (1955-1956) .  Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, a bus driver in New York City, struggled to strike it rich. Meanwhile, his wife Alice, played by Audrey Meadows, pulled him back to earth.  The couple would fight and argue, such as in these scenes:  Bang Zoom ...You're Going to the Moon!

But Ralph and Alice, bereft of material goods, living in a spartan apartment, deeply loved each other.  And during Christmas, Ralph waxed nostalgic about his feelings during this closing scene from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (24 Dec. 1955).

(reference:  http://youtu.be/MapC9mBqUVk)

The entire episode can be seen on youtube:  The Honeymooners S01E13 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

In spite of the everyday struggle of the middle class, those seemingly more innocent times as shown in popular entertainment reflected the post-war optimism during peace.

Christmas past ... Christmas present ...  

Let me wax nostalgic during Christmastime. During this dark time of the year of short days, long nights (at least for us living in the northern hemisphere) the goodwill spirit of the season has an effect on us.  Ralph Kramden  expressed it so beautifully in the clip above.  We may seem kinder, more generous, more compassionate toward one another than at any other time of the year.

And Christmas seems to reflect the optimism that during a dark season such as the dead of winter, we've turned the corner.  Spring will soon come and our days will get longer and nights shorter.   And my Christmas wish is for a kinder spirit to prevail throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas!
And God bless us everyone!

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Previous post in this series:

Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer  (2014)

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Photo from:  everystockphoto.com/Christmas Festival