Devshirme

I was listening to the local oldies station today and Donna Summer’s Dim All The Lights came on, with its line “Turn on the old Victrola”, which refers to an old school phonograph.  I started thinking about obsolete references in songs, and realized there is probably a whole spectrum of such things (I am not well versed in current top 40 tunes so I cannot attempt any sort of off the top of my head blog post on this but I am going somewhere here).  The disco one given above is obsolete on purpose – it is clearly a nostalgic reference to the old days.  The obvious example of a dated reference from a song that sprang to my mind was “jump like a Willys in four wheel drive” from Sugar Magnolia, a Grateful Dead tune with music by Bobby and lyrics by Hunter.  There are several obscurities here; we now use Jeep to mean a different vehicle, Willys has been forgotten, and the lyric refers to a trick you could do with the old Willys.  I remember playing with a Matchbox  toy Jeep Willys depicting it in WWII action when I was a young boy and even then noticing that it was strange that a Jeep was called a Willys, so I imagine few people younger than me who listen to classic rock get the reference.

And yet…just when you form an opinion about something, your worldview is turned upside down.  While catching up on sports news I read this post (warning – very grim language) which has a reference to a watch fob (or watch and fob – a pocket watch with a chain).  The article got me thinking – a watch fob is one of those things that is very outdated.  Most people wear wristwatches – how silly to have a whole get-up where you pull something out of your pocket to check the time.  But…we are now, and have been for a while,  in the cell phone era.  And I (a person who never wears a watch and doesn’t even own one, as a point of pride) pull my cell out a dozen times a day or so to check the time.  For me, and I imagine for others with a similar bent, the cell phone has become a watch fob without the chain.  Funny how things come around again…

I am not much of a fan of Disney in its current incarnation, but I cannot deny a certain fascination with its history and influence on popular culture.  Walt Disney himself remains an interesting figure, and I cannot deny that I have good memories of going to Disneyworld and Epcot, watching Fantasia, etc.  This article on the origins of Disneyland in California, Disney’s vision and the contrast with old amusement parks, the struggle to get everything done correctly, and so forth is a great, great read.

If you have not watched Fantasia, by the way, make it your next movie to rent or watch on iTunes or Netflix or whatever.  It is like a classical music version of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine – great and varied animation with stunning music.

I normally do not comment on problems at other Orthodox churches but I find it necessary to link to these two writing from our Metropolitan – you can read them here and here, with a Greek version of the editorial here.  I am doing this for several reasons.  One, the issue of our financial commitment to the Archdiocese, and how it relates to the Metropolis, is not always understood by parishioners.  Two, the Metropolitan has asked us to distribute these writings to help clarify the issue.  And, last but not least, there is much confusion in the communities due to articles published in a certain Greek-American newspaper.  As always, His Eminence puts it best, so I will end this with his preamble to the linked writings:

Various stories are circulating in the Press and on the Internet, both here and throughout the world, dealing with the unfortunate developments in the St. George Parish in Lynn, Massachusetts.  They are fraught with misinformation and crafted to seed division among the clergy and laity of our Archdiocese.

You have to love being Greek.  Below is a photo of the “remote control guide” taped to the wall in the TV room at our AHEPA lodge:

The bulk of the sheet is taken up with a diagram of the remote.  The instructions, if you can’t read them, say 1) Turn system on 2) Press TV 3) Press Input until Greek program appears.  And that is pretty much all you need to know if you wish to watch the television at the AHEPA – turn it on and press the button until you see the Greek show, and you are all set.  I love being Greek

This past weekend was the yearly Flora In Winter exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum.  Our family has made going to this a tradition, and we were looking forward to the first weekend in February, which is when it usually falls.  I happened to see an article in a local weekly and realized it was this week, so we were able to attend.  A special attraction this year was The Dead Toreador by Manet and which is on exhibit here until the end of March.  With or without Manet, the WAM is a world-class art museum and is an absolute must-see.  At one point during our time there I was standing next to an El Greco and I thought – My God!  I am standing next to an El Greco!!!

The girls enjoyed the day.  Vaia took it all in, while Raphaela, who is just now walking, took advantage of the wide open spaces – by far the biggest vistas she has ever encountered – by running all over the place.  We left a bit early due to the exertions of being parents of young children, but it was truly a wonderful day. Here is Raphaela checking out the Greek mosaic:

Hello everyone!  This is indeed the blog.  We moved it to a new software that will allow for comments with no spamming.  Bear with me as I get used to how to use it.  If you have the old one in your RSS feed make sure you change it.  We will be working on the design but for now we are going with this bare-bones theme until everything is settled.