Wednesday, April 23, 2008

J. S. Bach

Bach was an amazing guy! I've been doing a lot of research on Classical composers, and I found his life one of the most interesting.
He had a temper, like most composers. Once, he called a fellow musician "Kippelfagottist," and, "Nanny-goat Bassoonist!" The man that Bach was speaking to picked up a stick, Bach drew his sword, and they would have dueled if Bach’s friends had not prevented it!
But he was a devoted family man. He had 20 children! He was unlike composers in the fact that he prefered to compose in the middle of daily life, and not in solitude. He wrote his music in the kitchen of his home, while his wife was cooking, and his children running through. His children were allowed to bother him at any time, and he didn't scold them for it. He also enjoyed transcribing Vivaldi's compositions, which made Vivaldi famous.
He was also a godly man. His son, C. P. E. Bach, was said that the family, "Were in the habit of beginning everything with religion." Bach even wrote a godly poem about his tobacco smoking!
"On land, on sea, and home, abroad,
I smoke my pipe and worship God."

Bach loved listening to music so much that he traveled 200 miles, on foot, only to attend a worship service for Advent. He went because he knew that the renowned organist, Dietrich Buxtehude, would be playing. Bach himself sang, played the organ, and violin, and numerous other instruments.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Mastiff's

I saw an add the other day that said English Mastiff's are smart and loving. The person who wrote it must have never met a Mastiff, or has never had experience with the smarter breeds. The loving part is true. My families mastiff is probably the most affectionate dog my family has ever had. But smart? No way. Lady chases her shadow on the wall, snorfs her food... She has the most distinct facial expressions I've ever seen on a dog. Whoever wrote the article must not have looked at the statistics either. The three smartest dogs are Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds. English Mastiffs are number 73 on the smart list. My family jumped 70 dogs going from one dog to the next. (The dog before this one was a Shepherd.) But her affection makes up for her stupidity. She was worth the buy.

BTW! The article forgot to mention that big dogs are not easy to have... Especially if they weigh over 100 pounds, like mine.
"This is the mark of a really admirable man: Steadfastness in the face of trouble." Ludwig van Beethoven
"It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everyone else and still unknown to himself." Francis Bacon
It is a mindless philosophy that assumes that one's private beliefs have nothing to do with public office. Does it make sense to entrust those who are immoral in private with the power to determine the nation's moral issues and, indeed, its destiny? .... The duplicitous soul of a leader can only make a nation more sophisticated in evil. ~ Ravi Zacharias