Friday, October 2, 2009

“U of L, Marshall set two-game football series beginning in '11 - Louisville Courier-Journal” plus 3 more

“U of L, Marshall set two-game football series beginning in '11 - Louisville Courier-Journal” plus 3 more

U of L, Marshall set two-game football series beginning in '11 - Louisville Courier-Journal

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT

The University of Louisville will play a home-and-home football series with Marshall beginning in 2011, UofL athletic director Tom Jurich announced Thursday.

I think this is an exciting series for both schools because of the close proximity of the two universities, Jurich said in a release. It's a short trip from here to Huntington, and we were fortunate to secure a large number of tickets for our fans interested in making the trip. I think it's also a great situation for our fans throughout the state of Kentucky and the Cincinnati area.

Louisville will host Conference USA member Marshall on Oct.1, 2011, and the Cardinals will travel to Huntington, W.Va., on Sept.27, 2014.

The Cardinals and Thundering Herd have faced each other 27 times. Louisville leads the series 16-11, but Marshall has won three consecutive games, including two bowl wins.

Marshall beat Louisville 38-15 in the 2002 GMAC Bowl and 48-29 in the 1998 Motor City Bowl.

Fewer students take exam on Gandhi’s philosophy - Indian Express

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 01:29 PM PDT

Mahatma Gandhis philosophy continues to find believers across the country. A large number of people all over the country take part in an annual examination on Gandhian philosophy and his life conducted by the Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Vidyapeeth on his birth anniversary.

Like every year, this year also, the organisation conducted the examination on Friday at 200 centres in the state.

The three-hour examination was open to students of Class VII to Graduation level. Around 24,000 students took the examination which included papers on Gandhi Jeevan Jhanki, Gandhi Vichar Pravesh and Gandhi Parichay.

However, the organisers said the number of the students participating in the exam has gone down in the last couple of years.

As compared to last year, the number of the participants this year has decreased by 3,000.

Around 1.95 lakh students had appeared in the exam in 1994.

Though over 300 students from Pune had filled the forms, not a single student could come for the examination because of swine flu scare in the city.

On the other hand, the number of students taking the exam from Maharashtra has gone up this year by 200. This year, 500 students from the neighbouring state appeared in the exam in comparison to the last years 300.

Incidentally, the courses which are open to jail inmates across Gujarat and Maharashtra saw no participation from the Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad this year. However, 28 jail inmates from Maharashtra appeared in the exam.

To increase the interest in the courses, Vidyapeeth is planning to introduce three courses in Urdu.

... contd.

Mahatma’s philosophy will live on for all time - Stabroek News

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:52 AM PDT

Dear Editor,

October 2 marks the anniversary of the birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known throughout the world as the Mahatma. A most remarkable event took place recently when President Barack Obama was asked by a young woman in one of his public meetings to name the person, either dead or alive, whom the President would have chosen to have an evening of dinner and intimate conversation with; Mr.Obama paused and reflected for quite a few seconds, deep in thought, and said, "Mahatma Gandhi." Not Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln or King but the Mahatma!  In a letter earlier this year, I made the point that The Mahatma's influence on the life and work of Martin Luther King most certainly influenced Mr Obama in his political development; for example, Mahatma always urged political leaders to apologize to the public for the mistakes they made and we have seen Mr.Obama reflect that on many occasions.

I would like on this 60th year since his death to quote a few of that great man's words instead of trying to offer any biographical synopsis.

A. "And as I know that God is found more often in the lowliest of His creatures than in the high and mighty, I  am struggling to reach the status of these. Hence my passion for the struggle of the suppressed classes. And as I cannot render this service without entering politics, I find myself in them. Thus I am no master. I am a struggling, erring, humble servant of India and therethrough of humanity."

B. "I have no secret methods. I know no diplomacy save that of truth. I have no weapons but non-violence. I may be unconsciously led astray for a while, but not for all time. I am but a poor struggling soul yearning to be wholly good – wholly truthful and non-violent in thought, word and deed, but ever failing to reach the ideal which I know to be true. I admit it is a painful climb, but the pain of it is a positive pleasure for me. Each step upward makes me feel stronger and fit for the next."

C. "I am not a visionary. I claim to be a practical idealist. The religion of non-violence is not meant merely for the saints, it is meant for the common people as well. Non-violence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law-to the strength of the spirit."

D. "I realize that the sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countrysides and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy… to be true to my faith, therefore, I may not write in anger or malice. I may not write idly. I may not write merely to excite passion."

E. "Each individual must be taught the art of self-defence. It is more a mental state that has to be inculcated than that our bodies should be trained for retaliation. Our mental training has been one of feeling helpless. Bravery is not a quality of the body, it is of the soul. I have seen cowards encased in tough muscle, and rare courage in the frailest body… The weakest of us physically must be taught the art of facing dangers and giving a good account of ourselves."

F. "What… does Jesus mean to me? To me, He was one of the greatest teachers humanity has ever had. To His believers, He was God's only begotten Son. Could the fact that I do or do not accept this belief make Jesus have any more or less influence in my life? Is all the grandeur of His teaching and of His doctrine to be forbidden to me? I cannot believe so. To me it (the word  'begotten') implies a spiritual birth. My interpretation, in other words, is that in Jesus own life is the key of His nearness to God; that He expressed, as no other could, the spirit and will of God. It is in this sense that I see Him and recognize Him as the Son of God."

G. "I have more than once read the Koran. My religion enables me, obliges me, to imbibe all that is good in all the great religions of the earth. I certainly regard Islam as one of the inspired religions and, therefore, the Holy Koran as an inspired book and Muhammed as one of the prophets. I have come to the conclusion that the teaching of the Koran is essentially in favour of non-violence. Non-violence is better than violence, it is said in the Koran. Non-violence is enjoined as a duty; violence is permitted as a necessity."

H. "In matters of conscience the law of majority has no place… let us not push the mandate theory to ridiculous extremes and become slaves to resolutions of majorities. That would be a revival of brute force in a more virulent form. If rights of minorities are to be respected, the majority must tolerate and respect their opinion and action… It will be the duty of the majority to see to it that the minority receive a proper hearing and are not otherwise exposed to insults."

I. "For me, politics bereft of religion are absolute dirt, ever to be shunned. Politics concern nations and that which concerns the welfare of nations must be one of the concerns of a man who is religiously inclined, in other words, a seeker after God and Truth. For me, God and Truth are convertible terms, and if anyone told me that God was a god of untruth or a god of torture, I would decline to worship Him. Therefore, in politics also we have to establish the Kingdom of Heaven."

Editor, these quotes from the Mahatma are but a few in his many written works. His essays on economic development by strengthening village life and individual freedom;  denouncing communism and its violent creed; depicting the world at peace with itself through disarmament and democracy; resisting oppression, greed and envy – all point to a great soul which he was, a true Mahatma. His politics and economic philosophy will live on for all time.

Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)

Classical Music Review: Paul Creston - Salon

Posted: 02 Oct 2009 01:57 PM PDT

Marimba Concertino (1940)

Paul Creston's works for saxophone and marimba are among the most performed works of all American composers.  Creston was one of the first concert composers to take these instruments seriously and to compose challenging works in the Classical style   In the 20's and 30's both instruments were popular in jazz and familiar only in that setting. 

During the time I studied with Paul at his home in San Bernardino, California he completed  his Symphony no. 6 for Organ and orchestra, and Sadhana for Cello and Chamber orchestra.   His was the retired famous man and I was the young know-nothing wannabe composer.   He called me an "eager-beaver," because my enthusiasm was far greater than my attention span.    He thought the color of my Volkswagon Rabbit was "monkey-green."  But, he and his wife Louise came to my small wedding in a condo on Kearny Mesa, and Paul wore his best white shoes and Italian white belt.

 

  paul1 

Paul's teaching lasted much longer than the marriage, but that's life.   His main influence on my own music is in rhythmic variety.  Paul taught me to use complex meters in a melodic and easily performable way.   In short, to make interesting music without being obtuse, and without giving the musicians cardiac failure.   Stravinsky wrote complex meters changing times signatures ever bar or two.  Paul wrote with the same complexity in 4/4 time.  He considered it a practical matter, making the music easy to sight-read, and easy to conduct.  

At the height of his career in the 1950's  and early 1960's Paul was the most famous American composer, overshadowing Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber.  His life story and photos were even included in music books for grade school children , as an example of a great American artist. Of course, that all changed.   Classical music has fads just like Pop music.  Paul's story faded into the past, and his name disappeared, even from some musical dictionaries and lists of contemporary American composers.

paul2 

From G. Schirmer Publishing: Paul Creston, Born: 1906 Died: 1985

Paul Creston was born 10 October 1906 in New York of Italian parentage. Entirely self-taught with the exception of piano and organ lessons in his youth, Creston pursued studies in theory, composition, literature, and philosophy while working to support himself and his poor immigrant family. Fiercely independent by nature, the composer developed his style free of any particular school of thought or teacher's influence and made rhythm a cornerstone of his work, often emphasizing shifting subdivisions of regular meters. He created works in many genres including five symphonies, concertos for violin, piano, saxophone, and marimba, several dance works, songs, and choral, chamber, and instrumental pieces.


Creston considered his greatest "teachers" to be Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy, and Ravel. He wrote in an accessible, conservative style that incorporated song and dance idioms and often featured unusual instruments like the trombone, marimba, or saxophone. Lush harmonies and expansive orchestrations characterize an often brash and spontaneous body of work, organized around a remarkable mastery of thematic development evident in works such as the Symphony No. 2 and Chant of 1942.


Creston was the recipient of many awards and honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the New York Music Critics' Circle Award for his Symphony No. 1. He is the author of Principles of Rhythm and Rational Metric Notation as well as numerous articles analyzing four centuries of rhythmic practice.

 
Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)