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Saturday, March 31, 2007
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Architect Says Pyramid Built Inside Out
Petros Giannakouris, APPrevious theories have suggested Pharaoh Khufu's tomb, the last surviving example of the seven great wonders of antiquity, was built using either a vast frontal ramp or a ramp in a corkscrew shape around the exterior to haul up the stonework.
But flouting previous wisdom, Jean-Pierre Houdin said advanced 3D technology had shown the main ramp which was used to haul the massive stones to the apex was contained 10-15 meters beneath the outer skin, tracing a pyramid within a pyramid.
"This is better than the other theories, because it is the only theory that works," Houdin told Reuters after unveiling his hypothesis in a lavish ceremony using 3D computer simulation.
To prove his case, Houdin teamed up with a French company that builds 3D models for auto and airplane design, Dassault Systemes, which put 14 engineers for 2 years on the project.
Now, an international team is being assembled to probe the pyramid using radars and heat detecting cameras supplied by a French defense firm, as long as Egyptian authorities agree.
"This goes against both main existing theories. I've been teaching them myself for 20 years but deep down I know they're wrong," Egyptologist Bob Brier told Reuters at the unveiling.
"Houdin's vision is credible, but right now this is just a theory. Everybody thinks it has got to be taken seriously," said Brier, a senior research fellow at Long Island University.
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities was not immediately available for comment. Dassault said Brier and other Egyptologists attending the ceremony were supporters of Houdin's theory but had no financial links to him or the firm.
But flouting previous wisdom, Jean-Pierre Houdin said advanced 3D technology had shown the main ramp which was used to haul the massive stones to the apex was contained 10-15 meters beneath the outer skin, tracing a pyramid within a pyramid.
"This is better than the other theories, because it is the only theory that works," Houdin told Reuters after unveiling his hypothesis in a lavish ceremony using 3D computer simulation.
To prove his case, Houdin teamed up with a French company that builds 3D models for auto and airplane design, Dassault Systemes, which put 14 engineers for 2 years on the project.
Now, an international team is being assembled to probe the pyramid using radars and heat detecting cameras supplied by a French defense firm, as long as Egyptian authorities agree.
"This goes against both main existing theories. I've been teaching them myself for 20 years but deep down I know they're wrong," Egyptologist Bob Brier told Reuters at the unveiling.
"Houdin's vision is credible, but right now this is just a theory. Everybody thinks it has got to be taken seriously," said Brier, a senior research fellow at Long Island University.
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities was not immediately available for comment. Dassault said Brier and other Egyptologists attending the ceremony were supporters of Houdin's theory but had no financial links to him or the firm.
INTUITION
Houdin began working full-time on the riddle eight years ago after a flash of intuition passed to him by his engineer father, and five years before actually visiting the site.
Ben Curtis, AP
He found that a frontal, mile-long ramp would have used up as much stone as the pyramid, while being too steep near the top. He believes an external ramp was used only to supply the base.
An external corkscrew ramp would have blocked the sight lines needed to build an accurate pyramid and been difficult to fix to the surface, while leaving little room to work.
"What characterized the Egyptians was their sense of perfection and economy. We talk of durable development now, but it was the Egyptians who invented it. They didn't waste a single stone. They relied purely on intelligence," Houdin said.
Houdin also claimed to have shed light on a second enigma surrounding the purpose of a Grand Gallery inside the pyramid.
Houdin began working full-time on the riddle eight years ago after a flash of intuition passed to him by his engineer father, and five years before actually visiting the site.
Ben Curtis, APAn external corkscrew ramp would have blocked the sight lines needed to build an accurate pyramid and been difficult to fix to the surface, while leaving little room to work.
"What characterized the Egyptians was their sense of perfection and economy. We talk of durable development now, but it was the Egyptians who invented it. They didn't waste a single stone. They relied purely on intelligence," Houdin said.
Houdin also claimed to have shed light on a second enigma surrounding the purpose of a Grand Gallery inside the pyramid.
Fortifi@ Recent Entries 2007 03/31/07
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Nahum 3:14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. |
Fortifi@ Recent Entries 2007
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3/31/07 Music Ministry Revival part128 3/29/07 Hip-Hop Jeweler to Face Trial in Detroit
3/29/07 Foxy Brown pleads innocent
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Nahum 3:14 |
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“We fortify in paper and in figures, Using the names of men instead of men, Like one that draws the model of an house Beyond his power to build” |
3/30/07 Fortifi@ Humor Break Through
3/23/07 Superfoods: The Next Frontier 3/22/07 Poet Loses Free-Speech Case
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Fortifi@ Entries 2006
2006 Review |
Rwanda: Sh50m From Katatumba's Genocide Song
Rwanda: Sh50m From Katatumba's Genocide Song
New Vision (Kampala)
March 29, 2007
Posted to the web March 30, 2007
Angella Katatumba
Kampala
SHE kept away from the music scene last year to concentrate on humanitarian work through her foundation and the For You Gulu project.
The project registered success and Katatumba recorded For You, a song that sought to create awareness about the plight of the people in Gulu.
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Now she is doing the same to heal the wounds of genocide in Rwanda, only not for free.
A confidant to the singer said Katatumba is set to earn up to sh50m for composing and recording a song about the 1994 Rwandan genocide that will be sung while commemorating the 13th anniversary of the genocide next month.
The song is titled forgiveness but has a Kinyarwanda chorus.
West Africa: Girls Rule West African Idols
West Africa: Girls Rule West African Idols
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New Vision (Kampala)
March 29, 2007
Posted to the web March 30, 2007
Kalungi Kabuye
Kampala
SEVEN of the Top 10 in the Idols West Africa are women, and maybe we should not be surprised.
The last few reality shows on M-Net featuring music have been won by women, including Project Fame and Pop Idols.
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For the last four weeks the Top 24, out of the thousands that took part in the auditions, have tussled it out for a place in the Top 10.
First we had Group 1, where everybody sang like a bird and it was a bit sad that only two were picked. Omawumi Megbele the lawyer and Timi Dakolo (Nigeria) who seemed simple but sang the stuffing out of his song.
Group 2 was a let down from the previous one and Jerrilyn Mulbah (Liberia) and Eric Arubayi (Sierra Leone) are lucky they were in such a lacklustre group.
So did Mercy Nwankwo (Nigeria) and Jodie Odiete (Nigeria) from Group 3, although they did save the day with their performances.
In fact, Jodie has been the only one to get a standing ovation from both the judges and the audience with her rendition of Bryan Adams' Have You Ever Loved a Woman.
Then Group 4 restored the faith in the West Africans and the choice difficult, but plain-faced Joan and explosive Temitayo George (Nigeria) were the fans' picks.
The judges were left with the chance of picking the last two. Group 1's Uche Ume (Nigeria) got the lucky nod, as did Omodele Fatoki (Nigeria) from Group 4. Starting this Sunday, all 10 contestants will perform and Africa will vote.
The one who gets the least votes leaves the next Monday.
This will go on for nine weeks till the last two, after which one will become the overall winner.
Ghana: Prophet 'Appears' in Country
Ghana: Prophet 'Appears' in Country
The Independent (Freetown)
March 21, 2007
Posted to the web March 21, 2007
Ghana has had a man who calls himself a prophet. He is not a prophet who has come to gain converts for the kingdom of heaven but to swell the number of the music world.
Black Prophet was born in Accra , Ghana, in 1977. He says even as a young boy he was always interested in music. His lyrics, which often deal with the suffering of people living on the streets or in ghettos has invoked much support in Ghana. He sings for the poor and marginalized. These are the people who have not been fortunate to be within the circle of influence. Black Prophet has also been inspired by some of reggae's greatest. But like a messiah, he has come to condemn what many feared to do: singing against political corruption, social problems , and many ugly issues that indicate that the beautiful ones are not yet born.
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Black Prophet came up the hard way. After some family problems, he was forced to hit the streets of Accra with his musical mission. He went through a hard time experiencing hunger, criminal activities and fights; basically he experienced the survival of the fittest phenomenon. Many of his lyrics are based on those times and this makes Black Prophet an artist with what on may arguably call a unique style. When the inspiration came to start his music mission , he and friends in Accra formed a band called 'Thunder strike".
Stealthily he rose on the music-ranking ladder. He has been especially catapulted to fame through his recent CD entitled 'legal stranger".
In the Netherlands, he met some musicians from a group called 'Herb-a-lize It Sound System" and others from an organisation called 'Black Star Foundation". When he returned from Netherlands he staged several performances.
His album 'Legal Stranger' is expected to hit Sierra Leone soon.
Namibia: Gospel Choir Shows Its Artistic Mettle
Namibia: Gospel Choir Shows Its Artistic Mettle
New Era (Windhoek)
March 30, 2007
Posted to the web March 30, 2007
Frederick Philander
Windhoek
The 'Maranatha Singers' was established in June 2005 and is directed by Evy George. She has gained extensive experience in choral directing through her involvement in children, youth and adult choirs. The choir has 30 adult members, is inter-denominational and multi-cultural, and functions as an autonomous organization. All members are experienced choir singers.
The Maranatha Singers sing mainly religious songs and the choir has, as its main objective, the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through song.
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The choir furthermore strives to build bridges between churches and communities, language and culture groups and, as such, enforces the message of unity. The choir visited several churches to minister in song during the morning services, which was a wonderful opportunity to experience unity in diversity.
The Maranatha Singers is a member of the Choral Association of Namibia (CAN) to which four other inter-denominational choirs from Windhoek, Rehoboth and the coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund (Swacapella) belong. CAN has two choir performances annually to generate funds for charity.
The Maranatha Singers had its premiere performance during August 2006 at the National Theatre of Namibia where songs from various genres were performed. A number of vernacular songs composed by Namibia's own gifted composer, Marcellinus Swartbooi, have also been included in the programme.
The choir made another public appearance last Saturday at the Eros NG Church to commemorate Easter in song and music. At this occasion a few English songs relating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, freshly composed for the occasion by Marcellinus Swartbooi, were performed for the first time.
The programme included soloists, as well as the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah by George Frederich Handel. Erina Junius was the organist. A brass ensemble, directed by the well-known Pastor Paul Kisting, also participated in the programme.
The choir will be touring the Northern Cape over the Easter Weekend to take Namibian culture beyond the borders of our country. Other projects for this year include a charity concert, an African Bonanza, and a Christmas Concert.
Music Ministry Revival part128
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Music Ministry Revival part128 I (We) prophesy to the 4 winds of the heavens. Revival Angels come into the Music Ministry. Come, Spirit of Music The Music Ministry Revival has arrived. God has made an appearance in the Music Neighborhood. John the Baptist declared " repent the kingdom has arrived." “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” —Matthew 3:1-3 In spite of God appearance in the Music Neighborhood the inhabitant and music citizens has a predilection for estrangement form God and ungodliness. Gods failure in the Music Neighborhood is the Music Ministry. The Music Ministry has failed God. The Music Ministry has.
The Music Ministry has not confessed that it is incapable of living the will of God in the Music Neighborhood. The Music Ministry has a renewed heart but unregenerate minds. The Music Ministry is a reprobate in the Music neighborhood that has been changed into the image of Christ. The Music Ministry has yet to think of themselves as Christ thought about the Music Ministry. Philippians 2:5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Hereto has the Music Ministry has failed God. The Music Ministry has not confessed that it has looted and shortchanged God Malachi 3:10-12. Music Ministry Fantasize has caused us to think that CD/DVD projects can appease God and cross over to the Music Neighborhood. Has the Music Ministry Fantasize has caused the Music Ministry to miss Wednesday night prayer meetings. Music Ministry Fantasize has deceived us into thinking that successful praise team galleries and choir lofts ministry make a "relationship" with God. Music Ministry Fantasize has filled our imaginations. We have failed to witness to the Music Neighborhood:
Philip Bingham will be visiting the Music Neighborhood. He will declare the Kingdoms Come!: Click here: Phil Bingham Piano Solos at Bethany Bap. Newark Jazz Vespers 4/7 at 6:00pm Call to Prayer and Fasting I am calling the Music Ministry to prayer and fasting for Music Ministry revival. I am calling for the Music Ministry from , every nation, urban, burghal, municipality, village, hamlet, from every state and every city, country, area, belt, territory, tract, zone, neighborhood, vicinity; division, part, section, sector ...a call for 500 musicians in every city for prayer and fasting...Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out Music laborers into His Music harvest...Lord bring Music Ministry revival Can the Music Ministry change its stripes?
Please recite this prayer with me. My goodness we (I) have failed God! Lord I have come short of your Glory. Forgive me of my sins and shortcomings. The fact is...Lord, I have failed. Thank you Father, that through Jesus Christ, I am not a failure. I accept and believe that my condition has been fixed by God. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Gods arrival in the neighborhood has quickened the Music Ministry Revival future to come toward the Music Cosmos. The Music Ministry Revival will sink or swim based on its teamwork. Could teamwork among the Music Ministry solve:
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Ministry Revival. The Spirit of awakening come. Come, Music Ministry Revival, Music Ministry harvest angels come. Music Ministry...angels of revival come... awaken Lord. Send your glory. Send your glory... send your glory and change the atmosphere in the Music Ministry. Fire of God come. Light of God come. Go forth Light of God. Breathe ... wind of God, breathe into the Music Ministry, now in Jesus name. 
hundreds of hours that the Music Ministry has spent on "studio time" robbed God of intimacy and fellowship?
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Black Eyed Pea Cited for DUI, Pot Possession
Getty ImagesGomez was released that evening with a citation for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of a prescribed medication without a prescription and driving under the influence, Relyea said.
TMZ is reporting that authorities released Gomez on $5,000 bail. No court date has been set.
The Black Eyed Peas are known for hits like 'Let's Get It Started,' 'Don't Phunk With My Heart,' and most recently, 'My Humps,' which won a Grammy in February for best pop performance by a group. The quartet also includes the singer Fergie, who has broken off as a solo star.
TMZ is reporting that authorities released Gomez on $5,000 bail. No court date has been set.
The Black Eyed Peas are known for hits like 'Let's Get It Started,' 'Don't Phunk With My Heart,' and most recently, 'My Humps,' which won a Grammy in February for best pop performance by a group. The quartet also includes the singer Fergie, who has broken off as a solo star.
Snoop and Diddy Cancel UK Tour Dates
Snoop and Diddy Cancel UK Tour Dates
The pair were "incredibly disappointed and devastated" after concerts in London, Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham and Glasgow were called off, Polydor said in a statement.
"With late notice of Snoop being denied a visa, time has run out and it is too late to reconfigure the show," it said. "They really did not want to let fans down this way as the UK was a planned highlight of the tour.
"However, this ultimately was a situation out of their control.
Snoop Dogg , a former Los Angeles gang member who was arrested during a fight at London's Heathrow airport last year, had tried to overturn the government's decision.
The Home Office would not comment on individual cases, but said the government had the power to refuse entrance to anyone whose presence would "not be conducive to the public good."
"With late notice of Snoop being denied a visa, time has run out and it is too late to reconfigure the show," it said. "They really did not want to let fans down this way as the UK was a planned highlight of the tour.
"However, this ultimately was a situation out of their control.
Snoop Dogg , a former Los Angeles gang member who was arrested during a fight at London's Heathrow airport last year, had tried to overturn the government's decision.
The Home Office would not comment on individual cases, but said the government had the power to refuse entrance to anyone whose presence would "not be conducive to the public good."
Snoop Dogg , real name Calvin Broadus, has been performing across Europe with Combs, once his bitter rival in a notorious feud between the east and west coast U.S. hip-hop scenes.
The 35-year old, arrested during a disturbance at London's Heathrow airport last year, had been due to perform with fellow rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, at Wembley Arena in London on Tuesday, followed by gigs in Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, and Nottingham.
"Snoop still sincerely hopes that the British Government will reconsider their decision and UK shows will be allowed to go on as planned," his spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Many routes are being explored to the prime minister to have the decision reversed," she added.
Britain's Home Office said it would not comment on individual cases, but added that the government had the power to refuse entrance to individuals whose presence in the country would "not be conducive to the public good."
"Snoop still sincerely hopes that the British Government will reconsider their decision and UK shows will be allowed to go on as planned," his spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Many routes are being explored to the prime minister to have the decision reversed," she added.
Britain's Home Office said it would not comment on individual cases, but added that the government had the power to refuse entrance to individuals whose presence in the country would "not be conducive to the public good."
Dogg was previously prevented from entering Britain in May, 2006.
It was not the first problem the rapper has encountered on his European tour. Earlier this month, Stockholm police arrested him and a woman in her early 20s for suspected narcotics use.
Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, had been performing concerts with Combs, once his bitter rival in a notorious feud between the east and west coast U.S. hip-hop scenes in the 1990s.
"They feel strongly that the uniting message of the One Love Peace Tour will need to be shared with fans no matter what and discussions are underway with production teams so that Snoop can still be involved in the show," his spokeswoman said.
It was not the first problem the rapper has encountered on his European tour. Earlier this month, Stockholm police arrested him and a woman in her early 20s for suspected narcotics use.
Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, had been performing concerts with Combs, once his bitter rival in a notorious feud between the east and west coast U.S. hip-hop scenes in the 1990s.
"They feel strongly that the uniting message of the One Love Peace Tour will need to be shared with fans no matter what and discussions are underway with production teams so that Snoop can still be involved in the show," his spokeswoman said.
Hip-Hop Jeweler to Face Trial in Detroit
Getty ImagesJacob Arabov was arrested in June 2006 at his store in New York on a warrant issued in Detroit. Federal authorities accused him and 16 others of conspiring to launder about $270 million in drug profits beginning in the early 1990s for a multistate drug ring operating out of Detroit.
Arabov, 41, has pleaded not guilty.
His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, argued that it would be prejudicial for his client to stand trial alongside drug-dealing suspects and too costly to defend himself in Detroit. But U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn disagreed.
"You should prepare yourself for a trial in the Eastern District of Michigan," Cohn said.
Arabov, a Russian immigrant also known as the "King of Bling," became popular among hip-hop and R&B artists in the mid-1990s. Notorious B.I.G. , Madonna , Kanye West and Elton John have all worn his baubles.
Arabov, 41, has pleaded not guilty.
His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, argued that it would be prejudicial for his client to stand trial alongside drug-dealing suspects and too costly to defend himself in Detroit. But U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn disagreed.
"You should prepare yourself for a trial in the Eastern District of Michigan," Cohn said.
Arabov, a Russian immigrant also known as the "King of Bling," became popular among hip-hop and R&B artists in the mid-1990s. Notorious B.I.G. , Madonna , Kanye West and Elton John have all worn his baubles.
Black Aviators to Be Honored by Congress
WASHINGTON (March 29) - Six decades after completing their World War II mission and coming home to a country that discriminated against them because they were black, the Tuskegee Airmen are getting high honors from Congress .
That gratitude will be expressed Thursday when the legendary black aviators will receive a Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The award is the most prestigious Congress can offer.
"It's never too late for your country to say that you've done a great job for us," Ret. Col. Elmer D. Jones, 89, of Arlington, Va., said in an interview. Jones was a maintenance officer during the war.
President Bush , members of Congress and other dignitaries are expected to join some 300 airmen, widows and relatives.
Ret. Lt. Col. Walter L. McCreary, who was shot from the sky during a mission in October 1994 and held prisoner for nine months in Germany, said it hurt that the group had not been honored for its accomplishments.
"We took it in stride. It's a recognition long overdue," said McCreary, also 89, of Burke, Va.
The Tuskegee Airmen were recruited into an Army Air Corps program that trained blacks to fly and maintain combat aircraft. President Roosevelt had overruled his top generals and ordered that such a program be created.
But even after they were admitted, many commanders continued to believe the Tuskegee Airmen didn't have the smarts, courage and patriotism to do what was being asked of them.
Nearly 1,000 fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at a Tuskegee, Ala., air base. Not allowed to practice or fight with their white counterparts, the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves from the rest by painting the tails of their airplanes red, which led to them becoming known as the "Red Tails."
Hundreds saw combat throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, escorting bomber aircraft on missions and protecting them from the enemy. Dozens died in the fighting; others were held prisoners of war.
It long had been thought that the Tuskegee Airmen had amassed a perfect record of losing no bombers to the enemy during World War II. But new research has cast doubt on that theory.
Two historians recently said Air Force records and other documents show that at least a few bombers escorted by the Tuskegee pilots were downed by enemy planes. A former World War II bomber pilot said last year that his plane was shot down while escorted by the unit.
Congress has awarded gold medals to more than 300 individuals and groups since giving the first one to George Washington in 1776. Originally, they went only to military leaders, but Congress broadened the scope to include authors, entertainers, notables in science and medicine, athletes, humanitarians, public servants and foreign officials.
Other black recipients include singer Marian Anderson, athletes Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, civil rights activists Roy Wilkins, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, the Little Rock Nine, Rosa Parks and Dorothy Height, and statesmen Nelson Mandela of South Africa and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The actual medal for the airmen, made possible through legislation by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., will go to the Smithsonian Institution for display. Individual airmen will receive bronze replicas.
Into the Tiger's Jaws
That gratitude will be expressed Thursday when the legendary black aviators will receive a Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The award is the most prestigious Congress can offer.
"It's never too late for your country to say that you've done a great job for us," Ret. Col. Elmer D. Jones, 89, of Arlington, Va., said in an interview. Jones was a maintenance officer during the war.
President Bush , members of Congress and other dignitaries are expected to join some 300 airmen, widows and relatives.
Ret. Lt. Col. Walter L. McCreary, who was shot from the sky during a mission in October 1994 and held prisoner for nine months in Germany, said it hurt that the group had not been honored for its accomplishments.
"We took it in stride. It's a recognition long overdue," said McCreary, also 89, of Burke, Va.
The Tuskegee Airmen were recruited into an Army Air Corps program that trained blacks to fly and maintain combat aircraft. President Roosevelt had overruled his top generals and ordered that such a program be created.
But even after they were admitted, many commanders continued to believe the Tuskegee Airmen didn't have the smarts, courage and patriotism to do what was being asked of them.
Nearly 1,000 fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at a Tuskegee, Ala., air base. Not allowed to practice or fight with their white counterparts, the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves from the rest by painting the tails of their airplanes red, which led to them becoming known as the "Red Tails."
Hundreds saw combat throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, escorting bomber aircraft on missions and protecting them from the enemy. Dozens died in the fighting; others were held prisoners of war.
It long had been thought that the Tuskegee Airmen had amassed a perfect record of losing no bombers to the enemy during World War II. But new research has cast doubt on that theory.
Two historians recently said Air Force records and other documents show that at least a few bombers escorted by the Tuskegee pilots were downed by enemy planes. A former World War II bomber pilot said last year that his plane was shot down while escorted by the unit.
Congress has awarded gold medals to more than 300 individuals and groups since giving the first one to George Washington in 1776. Originally, they went only to military leaders, but Congress broadened the scope to include authors, entertainers, notables in science and medicine, athletes, humanitarians, public servants and foreign officials.
Other black recipients include singer Marian Anderson, athletes Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, civil rights activists Roy Wilkins, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, the Little Rock Nine, Rosa Parks and Dorothy Height, and statesmen Nelson Mandela of South Africa and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The actual medal for the airmen, made possible through legislation by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., will go to the Smithsonian Institution for display. Individual airmen will receive bronze replicas.
Into the Tiger's Jaws
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America's First Black Marine Aviator -- Frank E. Petersen, J. Alfred Phelps From then-segregated Topeka, KS in the early 1950's, aching to be free and try his wings; joins the U.S. Navy. Against all odds, he finds himself training to become a naval aviator -- and realizes a dream to become a marine aviator.-- a mountain no other black had ever climbed. He not only does it but with determination ascends the Marine's career ladder. First black Marine aviator, squadron commander, group and wing commander and, finally, the great Quantico Marine Base. |
Montford Point Marines Honor General Petersen
The District of Columbia Chapter of the Montford Point Marine Association held a Testimonial for Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen, Jr., USMC, Retired, on Sunday, February 20, 1994, at Bolling Air Force Base. Gen. Carl E. Mundy, Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps, attended.Gen. Petersen joined the U.S. Navy as a seaman apprentice in June 1950. In 1951 he entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and in October 1952, he completed flight training and accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
His first tactical assignment was with Marine Fighter Squadron 212 during the Korean Conflict. His second combat tour came in Vietnam in 1968. He flew more than 350 combat missions and has over 4,000 hours in various fighter/attack aircraft.
During his career, Gen. Petersen commanded a Marine Fighter Squadron, a Marine Aircraft Group, a Marine Amphibious Brigade, a Marine Aircraft Wing, and Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
Gen. Petersen was the Marine Corps' first African-American aviator, wing commander, base commander and general officer. He retired from the Marine Corps on August 1, 1988. (Division of Public Affairs, HQMC)
Lt General Petersen's book is Into the Tiger's Jaws: America's First Black Aviator
Currently Petersen chairs the board of directors of the National Marrow Donor Program.
3433 Broadway Street, NE, Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55413 Phone: (612-627-5800)
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Operation Skyhook 2007 N A I, Inc, - Black Wings in Aviation Event Details Coming Soon |
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Memorial Day Weekend Fly-In Is A Great Success The largest gathering of black pilots in the country was held over the Memorial Day Weekend during the 32nd Annual Fly-In held in Tuskegee, Alabama. The event celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the deployment of the Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, a group of African-American aviators were the first within the segregated U.S. Military to prove that blacks could fly in combat. Twelve of the original aviators attended the weekend event. President Sam Jones said, "That's really unique, because these gentlemen are over 80 years old and you don't really get that many of them together that much anymore." One of those original airmen, Henry Bohler of Tampa, Florida, has attended every Fly-In event since 1971. Jones said, "These gentlemen proved to be some of the brightest and most brilliant people of our race when they participated as Tuskegee Airmen because they offered so much." The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated young soldiers who volunteered to become America's first black military airmen in what was termed a 'Noble Experiment' nearly 60 years ago. Those who were accepted for aviation cadet training and who became single or multi-engine pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee Alabama. From 1942 to 1946 nearly 1,000 African Americans graduated in aviation cadet classes and also received commissions and pilot's wings. At first restricted in their roles during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen played a crucial role in escorting other pilots during missions. Over a hundred young people were bussed to the event to attend the Academic camp, which Jones describes as "a pre-college experience." The camp held an orientation on the first day and then the young people were taken on tours. Black Wings partnered with the Tuskegee University and the FAA Center of Excellence to hold the event. During the course of the event, the young people went on tours of the Museum of Aviation and attended classes set up by the engineering department at the university. On Sunday, a banquet was held at the Kellogg Conference Center. Young people from as far away as Detroit and Texas came to Alabama to participate in the three-day event.. Jones said, "Kids are astonished by the education of the people there." "The mechanics that worked on the planes had Master's Degrees," he said. President Jones said that normally the Fly-In is funded through membership. "This year we had an opportunity to get some assistance from the FAA." Jones said, "That reinforces that aviation is very much alive in our community and so is the involvement of young people in the aviation area." The FAA showed to us the importance of continuing this event," Jones said. "When other people pat you on the back, it's like atta-boy and it reinforces." There were some amazing events during the fly-in. In attendance was a Corporate Jet that belonged to a church. One gentleman from Arizona flew in a 'kit' airplane that he had built himself. Another arrived in a low-wing aircraft. The aviators who participated in the Fly-In proved that they are in full support of our youth.. One individual who hails from St. Louis has agreed to promote the event in his own community. He owns three McDonald's Restaurants in the St. Louis area and has agreed to do some in-store advertising in the restaurants. Next year he will be back with some young people from St. Louis. One of the participants during this year's event called Pine Bluff where Brian Smith, President of the National Organization of Tuskegee Airmen was attending a charter chapter meeting. Upon hearing that the Alabama group had flown some 300 kids on Saturday, he flew to Tuskegee to see what was going on. He told President Jones, "This is the pattern that we should probably try to adopt with our other flying events." He strongly reinforced holding ACE Camps with the Fly-Ins. The event was a huge success. Next year's event is sure to be even larger as young people from across the nation are exposed to opportunities available to them in both education and aviation. Sam Jones said, "I really feel we touched a lot of children from the inner cities and also woke up the conscious level of the nation because of the press coverage." |
Foxy Brown pleads innocent
Foxy Brown pleads innocent
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FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) — Foxy Brown pleaded innocent Wednesday to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged scuffle at a beauty supply store in Pembroke Pines.
"I am going to stand up and fight and take care of this," the 27-year-old rapper said outside the courthouse, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Judge Joel Lazarus set a June trial date.
Lazarus had issued an arrest warrant for Brown after she failed to show up for a scheduled court date. Lazarus withdrew the arrest warrant Wednesday. Defense lawyers said the arraignment notice telling Brown about the date was mailed to an old address.
Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was charged in February with battery and resisting arrest without violence.
According to the Florida arrest report, Brown was applying beauty products in the bathroom when a Queen Beauty Supply employee told her the store was closed and she needed to leave. She refused and threw hair glue at the employee, the report said. Brown then spat on the man as he called 911.
She later struggled with a police officer who responded to the call, the report said. She was released on a $1,500 bond.
Brown's albums include Ill Na Na and Chyna Doll, and she is known for her sexy outfits and racy lyrics.
At 81, B.B. King is still going strong
At 81, B.B. King is still going strong
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| By Tim Dillon, USA TODAY | ||
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By Steve Jones, USA TODAY
SALISBURY, Md. — B.B. King gets comfortable in the brown leather swivel chair and reminisces about his life as a bluesman. In about a half hour, he'll take the stage at the Wicomico County Youth & Civic Center, but for now he's relaxing aboard his 45-foot Provost touring bus.
"I wish we could have had transportation like this 60 years ago," King says proudly.
The bus is outfitted so that this King of the road can travel in comfort and style. At 81, after more than 10,000 concerts, he's earned it. There's plenty of room for him to stretch out on long trips between concerts, and the spacious rear compartment has a workstation for his laptops as well as a TV and state-of-the-art electronics. The rides give him a chance to read fan mail and work on music, and large windows allow plenty of sightseeing.
"People say, 'I'm going on vacation to see the Tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower' or whatever," he says. "But I think to myself, if you were like I am and get a chance to travel coast-to-coast, you wouldn't want to go anyplace else, because we've got some of the most beautiful country I've seen."
King, awardedthe Presidential Medal of Freedom in December, relishes the freedom of this mobile livelihood. This year, he's celebrating his 60th anniversary on the road, and he has come a long way since the days he did the driving himself. He can't count the number of old station wagons and vans he wore out hauling himself, his band and instruments across the land. Having started his career in 1947, he hired his first driver in 1955 to tour in a used Greyhound bus dubbed Big Red.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Mohammed | King | Blues | Tim Dillon | BB King | Wicomico County | Etta James | Blues Festival
"I was finally able to pay one," says King. "Now, I've got two drivers. I have a second bus for the band and equipment, so if I want to leave right after a show, I can, and they can come along later."
Two years ago, a Tennessee segment of U.S. 61, the legendary Blues Highway that stretches from New Orleans to Minnesota, was named after King. It seemed appropriate for a blues ace who spent decades playing more than 200 concerts a year and in 1956 played 342 one-nighters.
Age and illness aren't holding him back. A diabetic, King was hospitalized briefly in January while on tour in Galveston, Texas. He resumed his schedule a week later and has dates booked through the summer. The 17-city B.B. King Blues Festival, uniting him for the first time with Al Green and Etta James, launches July 24 in Miami with stops in Atlanta, Detroit, New York, Baltimore, Dallas, Denver and San Francisco before it wraps Sept. 9.
Throughout his career, his audiences have tended to skew older than his pop and R&B contemporaries, with whites outnumbering blacks 2-to-1.
"I was never like James Brown or Jackie Wilson," he says. "Kids were crazy about them. I never danced in my life, and I don't get no trophies in Hollywood for looking good. So I never had that audience."
One reason he has toured relentlessly is to spread the gospel of blues, which gets a fraction of the exposure accorded to genres that sprang from blues, King says.
"There's an old saying: If you can't take the mountain to Mohammed, you take Mohammed to the mountain," he says. "I've been taking Mohammed to the mountain all these years, and that's how I gained popularity."
He has performed in 90 countries and with the biggest stars. But "the highlight of my career" are the shows, free to children, that he stages each June in his hometown of Indianola, Miss.
"I usually give a little contest to see them dance," says King, whose B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is scheduled to open there in 2008. "My buttons almost pop off my shirt with pride just to see it. I've been going back for 41 years, and it's just my way of showing the kids, the people that I knew there and the ones that are still there how much I appreciate them. If not for the people that helped me growing up, I couldn't have made it."
King grew up as a sharecropper on a nearby plantation and attended a one-room schoolhouse. He was about 4 when his parents separated and 10 when his mother died. For the next four years, he lived alone in his cabin until his father found him. A tractor accident persuaded him to hitchhike up U.S. 49 to Memphis with only his guitar and $2.50 in his pocket.
Global travels have provided a rich education. But he cherishes the lessons learned in Mississippi.
"I learned about working with people," he says. "That you are not an island and that you need people. I've also learned that if I lived my life again — other than the segregation part — I wouldn't change much. I would finish high school and go to college, major in computers, minor in music, and I wouldn't get married until after 40. (King was twice married and divorced and has 15 children.)"
An assistant lets King know that it's almost show time. King concedes that he still gets butterflies.
"Scared," he says, laughing, when asked how he feels about the pending concert. "The same bear that was biting when I was a kid still bites now."
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Perahia, Poet of the Keyboard, Comes Back With Thunder
Perahia, Poet of the Keyboard, Comes Back With Thunder
The pianist Murray Perahia has been sidelined by hand injuries a couple of times in recent years, but lately he has been telling interviewers that he has overcome his latest bout and is back at full strength. His recital at Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday afternoon was confirmation: his playing sounds bigger and more powerful than it once did. He has, it seems, abandoned his old image as a sensitive keyboard poet in favor of one that moves him into the Horowitz school of outsize Romantic thundering.
This is not to say that his new approach is all-consuming. Mr. Perahia has also lately devoted himself to Bach, and if his account of the Partita No. 3 (BWV 827) was thoroughly pianistic — nothing in it even hinted at the lightness of the harpsichord — it was lightly pedaled and phrased in ways that suited its energetic dance movements.
Mr. Perahia played the Bach between two Beethoven sonatas, which drew their power from his newfound passion for big sonorities. Bass lines in particular were boldly stated and given a hint of a growl, without upsetting the overall balance, and chordal passages were clear and carefully voiced.
In the opening Allegro of the E major Sonata (Op. 14, No. 1), the graceful theme in the treble glided easily over Mr. Perahia’s sharp-edged rendering of the bass figures; and in the closing Scherzo of the G major Sonata (Op. 14, No. 2), the magnified bass seemed a manifestation of Beethoven’s humor.
After the intermission Mr. Perahia gave a vividly characterized account of Schumann’s “Fantasiestücke” (Op. 12). By this point you knew what to expect: movements like “Des Abends” and “In der Nacht” were grandly scaled and full of fire, and gentler ones like “Fabel” sang sweetly, at least until Schumann’s stormier side kicked in and allowed Mr. Perahia to produce a more tempestuous sound. The set’s finale, “Ende vom Lied,” moved similarly, from stately to huge.
Mr. Perahia touched the extremes of his current style in a reading of Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 that began with a light touch, poetic phrasing and an alluring rubato, and ended up as a mammoth expansion of this introspective score. It was something for the list of guilty pleasures: those who argue that such an explosive interpretation violates the spirit of Chopin’s meditative work are probably right, but in purely visceral terms, it was thrilling all the same.
Elton John Celebrates 60
Elton John Celebrates 60, Lavishly, in His Garden
Elton John basked in confetti on Sunday at his birthday show at Madison Square Garden. Guests included Bernie Taupin and Whoopi Goldberg.
By NATE CHINEN
Elton John has never seemed like the kind of guy to shrug off a big occasion. So it was natural, perhaps even inevitable, that he would celebrate his 60th birthday at Madison Square Garden. His sprawling concert on Sunday night featured no onstage candles — not even “Candle in the Wind” — but felt ceremonial enough without them. There were dedications, recollections and a shower of confetti. A banner was unfurled from the rafters, bearing a giant number 60 under his name.
That last flourish actually commemorated something other than a birthday: Mr. John’s 60th performance in this arena. That’s more than any other single artist, as the finer print under the numeral made clear. Small wonder that he wanted to spend his birthday at the Garden: it’s obviously a place where he feels at home.
The concert’s opening salvo was “Sixty Years On,” a conveniently titled song from one of his first albums. Immediately there was the ominous threat of showbiz bloat: Las Vegas-style lighting, ponderous synthesizers and cosmic graphics on an oversize screen. It was looking to be a big night, and not just in the festive sense.
Fortunately, things got better, and not too much bigger: the concert gathered strength as it steamrolled along, covering a wide range of material from an expansive career. Mr. John’s regular five-piece backing band, augmented by the cellist Martin Tillman, sounded crisp and engaged, only occasionally succumbing to pomp. And the Brooklyn Youth Chorus managed to bring a sense of uplift, along with some raw power.
Singing in an unfaltering voice, and projecting an exuberant air, Mr. John behaved more like a master of ceremonies than a guest of honor. His patter between songs was affable enough to defy the dimensions of the arena.
“We haven’t played this song in maybe 30 years,” he mused before starting into “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun,” the first of many gospel-inflected romps. He introduced “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” as “one of my all-time favorites,” almost as if he had nothing to do with writing it.
Of course, flamboyance has always suited Mr. John better than modesty. (Robin Williams, briefly taking the stage with Whoopi Goldberg, toasted him as “a man who used to make Liberace look Amish.”)
But he was understated on Sunday: black coat, white shirt. And though he struck one puckish pose atop the piano and took multiple victory laps across the stage, his performance was relatively subdued. Even on “Empty Garden,” his tribute to John Lennon, he conveyed a plainly mournful feeling, stripped of melodrama.
The evening’s biggest guest was a nonperformer: Bernie Taupin, Mr. John’s lyricist and creative partner of 40 years. Emerging on the heels of Mr. Williams — and upstaging him in the only possible setting where he could — Mr. Taupin led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday.”
Mr. John reciprocated by giving credit where it’s due: “Without Bernie Taupin, none of us would be here tonight. Because the words have always come first.”
Then came “Daniel,” one of the pair’s many successful collaborations, and the beginning of the concert’s stronger midsection. The band caromed through a number of the well-worn hits found on “Rocket Man — No. 1’s,” a compilation released today by Island/UMe, along with lesser-known fare like “All the Young Girls Love Alice.”
Mr. John and his cohorts kept getting lighter and leaner, sounding best during the last few songs before the encore: “The Bitch Is Back,” “Crocodile Rock” and “Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting),” each more emphatic than the last.
The song preceding that finish-line sprint was more telling, though. It was “I’m Still Standing,” accompanied by a video montage of album covers and outlandish old photographs. The song’s lyrics amount to a bitter reprisal, but Mr. John made them sound more jubilant than angry.
“Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did,” he sang. “Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.”
Elton John Celebrates 60 Lavishly, in His Garden
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Elton John never seemed like the kind of guy to shrug off a big occasion. So it was natural, perhaps even inevitable, that he would celebrate his 60th birthday at Madison Square Garden. His sprawling concert on Sunday night featured no onstage candles – not even "Candle in the Wind" – but felt ceremonial enough without them. There were dedications, recollections and a shower of confetti. A banner was unfurled from the rafters, bearing a giant number 60 under Mr. John's name.
That last flourish actually commemorated something other than a birthday: Mr. John's 60th performance in the arena. That's more than any other single artist, as the finer print under the numeral made clear. Small wonder that Mr. John wanted to spend his birthday at the Garden: it's obviously a place where he feels at home.
The concert's opening salvo was "Sixty Years On," a conveniently titled song from one of Mr. John's first albums. Immediately there was the ominous threat of show biz bloat: Las Vegas-style lighting, heavy synthesizers and cosmic graphics on an oversized screen. It was looking to be a big night, and not just in the festive sense.
Thankfully things got better, and not too much bigger: the concert gathered strength as it steamrolled along, covering a wide range of material from an expansive career. Mr. John's regular five-piece backing band, augmented by the cellist Martin Tillman, sounded crisp and engaged, only occasionally succumbing to pomp. And the Brooklyn Youth Chorus managed to bring a sense of uplift, along with some raw power.
Singing in an unfaltering voice, and projecting an exuberant air, Mr. John behaved more like a master of ceremonies than a guest of honor. His patter between songs was affable enough to defy the dimensions of the arena. "We haven't played this song in maybe 30 years," he mused before starting into "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," the first of many gospel-inflected romps. He introduced "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" as "one of my all-time favorites," almost as if he hadn't been the one to write it.
Of course flamboyance has always suited Mr. John better than modesty. (Robin Williams, briefly taking the stage with Whoopi Goldberg, toasted him as "a man who used to make Liberace look Amish.") But he was understated on Sunday: black coat, white shirt. And though he struck one puckish pose atop the piano, and took multiple victory laps across the stage, his performance was relatively subdued. Even on "Empty Garden," a tribute to John Lennon, he conveyed a plainly rueful feeling, stripped of melodrama.
The evening's biggest guest was a non-performer: Bernie Taupin, Mr. John's lyricist and creative partner of 40 years. Emerging on the heels of Mr. Williams – and upstaging him in the only possible setting where he could – Mr. Taupin led the audience in singing "Happy Birthday." Mr. John reciprocated by giving credit where it's due: "Without Bernie Taupin none of us would be here tonight. Because the words have always come first."
Then came "Daniel," one of the pair's many successful collaborations, and the beginning of the concert's stronger midsection. The band caromed through well-worn hits like "Rocket Man," along with lesser-known fare like "All the Young Girls Love Alice." Mr. John and his cohorts kept getting lighter and leaner, sounding best during the last few songs before the encore: "The Bitch is Back," "Crocodile Rock" and "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," each more emphatic than the last.
The song preceding that finish-line sprint was more telling, though. It was "I'm Still Standing," accompanied by a video montage of album covers and outlandish old photographs. The song's lyrics amount to a bitter reprisal, but Mr. John made them sound more jubilant than angry. "Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did," he sang. "Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid."
Ministerial-Maiden Voyage
Honeymoon over? 3 ways to start a new pastorate right
Fred Oaks
Congregations with new ministers often enjoy a honeymoon phase. During this time doubts are suspended, goodwill abounds, and everyone seems determined to get along. If they are wise, the people involved will exploit the potential of this wonderful season. They will use the love of the honeymoon phase for the congregation's most immediate and pressing challenge: building a long-term, productive pastor-congregation partnership. How can a new pastor and church members develop a relationship like that? Here are three ways: devotions, dialogue, and discernment.
Devotions
New ministers and their congregations should resist the temptation to become too busy too quickly. If your church calendar is stuck on spin cycle, pull the plug. Set aside a 40-day period in which to devote yourselves to prayer. Jesus did this before launching into his public ministry (read Matthew 4:1-11). If He needed to do it, how much more do we? During this 40-day period, invite the entire congregation to make a renewed commitment to daily personal prayer - a "quiet time." Each day each member of the church should read Scripture and pray about the pastor-congregation partnership forming in the church.
Pray that God will cause your love for one another to grow until the love among you abounds and overflows into the community. Love is the mark that distinguishes Jesus' followers (John 13:35). When church and leader celebrate and share God's love, lives are changed! In a love-starved world, new people are attracted to such congregations.
Dialogue
This means more than just talking. Dialogue is actually more about listening than talking. It teaches people to listen well in order to reach new levels of understanding. Every 10 days during the 40-day season of prayer, church members should meet for dialogue. During these times, members gather in circles of 8-12 people to listen and share.
What is God is teaching you in your times of prayer and reflection? What is the Spirit saying to the church? Dialogue trainers have a saying: "Don't wait for silence before speaking. Wait for the silence to end." Thoughtful listening results in better communication. Trust grows as people gradually become willing to reveal their hopes and hurts. Old wounds are healed. A clear sense of direction takes shape. God's will for the pastor-congregation partnership is revealed.
Discernment
God brings ministers and congregations together for a purpose. Discerning that purpose should be the top priority of every congregation with a new leader. This goal can be achieved by observing a 40-day season of devotions and dialogue during the first year's honeymoon phase.
Through devotions, God's people study Bible teaching on the roles of pastors and congregations. They learn that God desires ministry partnerships that are loving and mutually supportive. Through dialogue, they achieve the shared understanding that permits them to develop goals for their work together. They decide how and when to take action.
Partnerships built this way are strong because they rest on a foundation of love, trust, and shared purpose. The Bible calls this kind of relationship "fruitful."
Connection to God motivates Christian service that God uses to change lives. Jesus said, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
We've all seen some couples become so focused on planning their wedding day that they neglect the relationship. Don't let that happen to you! Use the positive emotions of start-up to begin the work of building a productive pastor-congregation partnership. Like marriage, this work isn't easy - but it's worth it.
Fred Oaks is the author of "Welcome, Pastor! Building a Productive Pastor-Congregation Partnership in 40 Days." Bulk order discounts are available through FaithWalk Publishing. Call 800-337-7177 or e-mail customerservice@faithwalkpub.com. Single copies can be purchased at Amazon.com.
Fred Oaks
Congregations with new ministers often enjoy a honeymoon phase. During this time doubts are suspended, goodwill abounds, and everyone seems determined to get along. If they are wise, the people involved will exploit the potential of this wonderful season. They will use the love of the honeymoon phase for the congregation's most immediate and pressing challenge: building a long-term, productive pastor-congregation partnership. How can a new pastor and church members develop a relationship like that? Here are three ways: devotions, dialogue, and discernment.
Devotions
New ministers and their congregations should resist the temptation to become too busy too quickly. If your church calendar is stuck on spin cycle, pull the plug. Set aside a 40-day period in which to devote yourselves to prayer. Jesus did this before launching into his public ministry (read Matthew 4:1-11). If He needed to do it, how much more do we? During this 40-day period, invite the entire congregation to make a renewed commitment to daily personal prayer - a "quiet time." Each day each member of the church should read Scripture and pray about the pastor-congregation partnership forming in the church.
Pray that God will cause your love for one another to grow until the love among you abounds and overflows into the community. Love is the mark that distinguishes Jesus' followers (John 13:35). When church and leader celebrate and share God's love, lives are changed! In a love-starved world, new people are attracted to such congregations.
Dialogue
This means more than just talking. Dialogue is actually more about listening than talking. It teaches people to listen well in order to reach new levels of understanding. Every 10 days during the 40-day season of prayer, church members should meet for dialogue. During these times, members gather in circles of 8-12 people to listen and share.
What is God is teaching you in your times of prayer and reflection? What is the Spirit saying to the church? Dialogue trainers have a saying: "Don't wait for silence before speaking. Wait for the silence to end." Thoughtful listening results in better communication. Trust grows as people gradually become willing to reveal their hopes and hurts. Old wounds are healed. A clear sense of direction takes shape. God's will for the pastor-congregation partnership is revealed.
Discernment
God brings ministers and congregations together for a purpose. Discerning that purpose should be the top priority of every congregation with a new leader. This goal can be achieved by observing a 40-day season of devotions and dialogue during the first year's honeymoon phase.
Through devotions, God's people study Bible teaching on the roles of pastors and congregations. They learn that God desires ministry partnerships that are loving and mutually supportive. Through dialogue, they achieve the shared understanding that permits them to develop goals for their work together. They decide how and when to take action.
Partnerships built this way are strong because they rest on a foundation of love, trust, and shared purpose. The Bible calls this kind of relationship "fruitful."
Connection to God motivates Christian service that God uses to change lives. Jesus said, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
We've all seen some couples become so focused on planning their wedding day that they neglect the relationship. Don't let that happen to you! Use the positive emotions of start-up to begin the work of building a productive pastor-congregation partnership. Like marriage, this work isn't easy - but it's worth it.
Fred Oaks is the author of "Welcome, Pastor! Building a Productive Pastor-Congregation Partnership in 40 Days." Bulk order discounts are available through FaithWalk Publishing. Call 800-337-7177 or e-mail customerservice@faithwalkpub.com. Single copies can be purchased at Amazon.com.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography
Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography
Theology Today, Oct 2000 by Limburg, James
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Duke Ellington:
A Spiritual Biography By Janna Tull Steed
New York, Crossroad, 1999. 192 pp. $19.95. Anyone paging through the index of composers in The United Methodist Hymnal may be surprised to find, in the company of Isaac Watts, the Wesleys and Martin Luther, the entry, "Ellington, (Edward Kennedy) Duke (1899-1974) 728." Ellington's composition, "Come Sunday," is #728 in that hymnbook. And on the program of the usually staid annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in November 1999 was a swinging concert by the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, saluting the close of the Ellington Centennial Year with selections from his Sacred Concerts, featuring vocal soloists and a tap dancer.
Janna Tull Steed, writer and producer of an hour-long public radio documentary on Ellington's sacred music, and a Methodist minister, has put together an attractive volume with recent bibliography, a useful discography by Ellington biographer John Edward Hasse, a chronology of Ellington's life, and a generous collection of photographs. The particular focus of this study is on the religious dimensions of Ellington's work, especially his three Sacred Concerts, premiered in 1965, 1968, and 1973. The book opens with a recollection of Duke Ellington's funeral at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan on May 27, 1974. The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York presided. Music included Ellington's "Mood Indigo," "Solitude," "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," "Satin Doll," and "Come Sunday." Ella Fitzgerald sang "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." At the conclusion, the congregation sang "Onward Christian Soldiers"; Steed observes, "Musicians who didn't know all the words scatted through the verses." In a front-page story, The New York Times called him "America's foremost composer."
While some critics have understood Ellington's sense for religion to be expressed only in the three Sacred Concerts given near the end of his life, Steed argues that Ellington always had an interest in spiritual matters, beginning with home and with church participation in Washington, DC (Chapter 3). His early compositions such as "Hymn of Sorrow" (1935) and "Come Sunday" (1943) evidence that interest. Steed cites Ellington's claim to be "a man of faith who regularly prayed and read his Bible." She tells that when a religiously sensitive jazz singer objected to having vocal scatting and tap dancing in the First Sacred Concert, Ellington "picked up the well-worn Bible in his dressing room and immediately found the passage in 2 Samuel from which he took the lyrics, "David Danced Before the Lord."
Chapter 4 tells of the birth of Ellington's son, Mercer (1919), the Ellington band at the Cotton Club in Harlem (1927-31), his divorce, and subsequent discouragement. From this period came the classic "Mood Indigo" (1930). Chapter 5 reports on the band's remarkable popularity on a tour through England, Holland, and France. The death of his mother in 1935 left Ellington in despair, "from which nothing seemed to lift him, not even the Scriptures he pored over," says Steed. But then Ellington met Billy Strayhorn who soon became his most important musical partner. Strayhorn wrote "Take the 'A' Train," which was soon the band's theme song, and life was back on track again.
"Dreams and Realities" (Chapter 6) chronicles Ellington's successes during the 40s. This was the time when standards such as "Sophisticated Lady," "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing)" were popular, along with a major work, Black, Brown and Beige. Ellington composed with the inspiration and help of his band, to whom he referred as his "expensive gentlemen."
Chapters 7-10 continue the story, culminating in accounts of his increasing religious interests and the production of the three Sacred Concerts. The amazing Swedish soprano, Alice Babs, was featured in the Second Sacred Concert. In it is a work dedicated to the Lutheran "jazz pastor" John Gensel, entitled "The ShepherdWho Watches Over the Night Flock." Concerning Ellington's Psalm 150 (which I have used as a "closer" for my courses in the Psalms for years), Steed writes, "Ellington didn't simply exhort hearers to praise God; with horns and drums and cymbals played by master musicians, with choirs, vocal soloists and joyful dancers, he showed just how it could be done." As a longtime Ellington fan, a sometime jazz trombonist, and a full-time professor of Old Testament, I commend this as an informed, intelligent, and delightful read!
JAMES LIMBURG
Luther Seminary St. Paul, MN
Copyright Theology Today Oct 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Remembering A Giant.(musician Duke Ellington)(Brief Article)
HIS signature sign-off, known the world over, was, "We love you, madly." And 100 years after he entered the world--his family, his fans and his friends still love the Duke madly. Almost everybody who remembered Duke spoke of his passion for music, women (he was married once, but had a number of long-term relationships), his hypochondria (a band member said once that if he stubbed his toe, he would call his doctor, even if he had to call from Egypt)--his elegance and his irony.
Ellington was famous for greeting everyone with four kisses. When he was honored at the White House in 1969, President Nixon noticed this greeting as guests went through the receiving line and asked Ellington, "Four kisses? Why four?" Ellington replied, "One for each cheek, Mr. President." Whereupon, as the story goes, the phenomenally uptight president turned and began to kiss his guests four times.
Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington was born April 29, 1899, to Daisy Kennedy Ellington and James Edward Ellington. By all accounts, his childhood was filled with love, and he was spoiled rotten by a the women in his family, particularly his mother, who adored him.
Ellington was already a star by the time his sister, Ruth Dorothea, was 10, and when she was 12, Duke sent for his parents and sister to move from Washington, D.C., to New York. "But my father didn't want to go, so my mother, who adored Duke, grabbed me and brought me to New York," Ruth Ellington says. Several weeks later the family was reunited when Duke's father joined them in New York. Although his sister's original career goal was to teach biology after she graduated from Columbia University, Duke quickly changed that. "Oh no, Ruthie, we're going into the music publishing business, and you're the president," he told hen She is still the president of Tempo Inc., continuing to publish Ellington's music.
"He was the only brother I had and I was his only sister," Ellington says. "He took care of me from the time I was 12, and he's still taking care of me."
Ellington was loved by the many women in his life, but his sister was his official escort. "He took me to the White House because he didn't want his women to be upset," she says. "If he had picked one, all the rest of them would have screamed. Imagine a song like `Sophisticated Lady,' I imagine he told every woman that he knew that she was the inspiration for that song."
Duke inspired many entertainers and musicians. Singer Joe Williams, who sang at Ellington's White House party and at his funeral, remembers him well. "I found that he was one of the most exciting people I've ever met," he says. "A spirit like that never dies."
Williams says when President Kennedy was killed, Ellington was on a State Department tour in the Middle East, and when he got the news, he cried and canceled the rest of his tour. "Ellington was head and shoulders above it all; friends would say Ellington was in orbit before we knew there was an orbit," he says.
One of Williams' favorite Ellington stories occurred at a 1970s press conference when reporters asked Ellington if his music would be making a statement that Black is Beautiful.
"Ellington said, `I thought I did that some time ago. Let's see, there was "Black, Brown and Beige," "Black Beauty," "Ebony Rhapsody," "Mood Indigo," "Brown-Skinned Gal in a Calico Gown"; I thought I said that.'"
Dr. Billy Taylor, who also performed at that White House party and at Ellington's funeral, remembers Ellington for his generosity and the support he gave him and other young artists. "He really was coming from an African-American point of view all of his career," Taylor says. "He was saying something as an African-American who grew up under segregation in Washington, D.C., who played for kings and queens and came back to more segregation, and instead of marching or screaming or doing other things, he wrote music and the music touched people, and I believe, changed people."
Ellington's only son, Mercer, was dedicated to his father, leading the Ellington Orchestra for more than 20 years after Duke's death in 1974, until his death in 1996. Mercer's daughter, Mercedes Ellington, is carrying on the family legacy as president of the Duke Ellington Foundation, a new foundation dedicated to recognizing the Duke's other talents as a painter and a writer.
"We wanted to award and recognize and give scholarships to people who are innovators," she says, "not only in the performing arts, because there are lots of scholarships that have been named in that area, but in the visual arts as well."
Duke Ellington was a Renaissance Man, who loved painting and initially won a scholarship in fine art, but didn't take it because he was already involved in jazz. "My grandfather told Tony Bennett, a good family friend, that everybody should do two things," Mercedes Ellington says.
"Bennett told me that was the inspiration for his [Bennett's] painting." Duke followed his own advice. He loved painting, but he also loved words. "My grandfather was a poet. He had dictionaries all over the place, rhyming dictionaries and thesauruses and all kinds of things with words."
She says Duke wanted his grandchildren to lead normal lives, although most of his four grandchildren and several nephews ended up touring the world with Duke and his orchestra. "I think my family's warm and fuzzy moments with Duke all centered around mealtime and food," she says. "Picnics backstage, Frank's Steakhouse on 125th Street, where we went after the shows (Duke loved steak) and Chinese food, where everyone would taste everyone else's food, whether it was Chinese or not."
There are four Ellington grandchildren, two boys and two girls. "Gaye is an artist and painter and has done portraits of both my father and grandfather," she said. "Edward is a social worker who teaches karate and tennis, and Paul, the youngest, is conducting the Duke Ellington Orchestra."
Mercedes is a dancer and choreographer. She has performed in a number of Broadway productions and is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. "Each of us in our own way is doing his or her part [to keep Ellington's legacy alive]."
Ellington defied categories and disliked having his music analyzed. He often compared music to food, saying fish, fowl and meat were just the starting point, "the art is in the cooking." By all accounts, Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington could really cook.
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