tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91267679336609200682024-03-12T20:41:53.702-07:00Book JunkieAlan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.comBlogger3643125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-5992525303730887172024-03-02T06:42:00.000-08:002024-03-02T06:42:17.446-08:00Rosetta, first spacecraft to land on a comet, launched 2004<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYcZjSaaokR08isM3p8Ys_UifXM3lSjOYx5brtXv-wWaMTUuNhIQSkH8R6uM9fIAx_EdYw2yAsvgsPXIxWnkbafo01YzG-mpMw8yritJzCNAA1u-MrsvU3kcDVCuV66T7i0AGWoAt2UuixHwbfD3hGws8IQ0vxyi-UAlp32xv8g7jX5uZogyiVr2yR8s/s1280/Rosetta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1280" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYcZjSaaokR08isM3p8Ys_UifXM3lSjOYx5brtXv-wWaMTUuNhIQSkH8R6uM9fIAx_EdYw2yAsvgsPXIxWnkbafo01YzG-mpMw8yritJzCNAA1u-MrsvU3kcDVCuV66T7i0AGWoAt2UuixHwbfD3hGws8IQ0vxyi-UAlp32xv8g7jX5uZogyiVr2yR8s/s320/Rosetta.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><i>Rosetta</i>, launched March 2, 2004 by the European Space Agency, is the first spacecraft to orbit a comet and then deploy a lander. It reached comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014 and entered actual orbit in September. The <i>Philae</i> lander detached from Rosetta in November and landed, bouncing twice before coming to a rest.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the comet traveled further from the sun, light reaching the solar panels decreased. A decision was made to end the mission by impacting <i>Rosetta</i> onto the comet surface. The impact maneuver began on September 29, 2016 and was completed the next day.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/deca96IdtMw?si=TOubG1M7r58BG5zT" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-73275649138904755822024-02-29T07:39:00.000-08:002024-02-29T07:39:16.033-08:00The 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" win 6 Grammy Awards 1968<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h1BH2cvppvgNlaVgDvMRG8PkeJBINS47zjLCvwSbODAxm4CEYWNs8iETylZTk4yQBnDiH2m534kWhH7e89gQV4CdG4sslUOisa7e3N7mQFMHBjQTnl3jjDK6yAw62MkmOFfVx31QTOWfvgUru70_58rAi4xlCaOXxzyEqz0KFUSKnCMj8m_EnxMH2Co/s768/5th%20Dimension.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="768" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h1BH2cvppvgNlaVgDvMRG8PkeJBINS47zjLCvwSbODAxm4CEYWNs8iETylZTk4yQBnDiH2m534kWhH7e89gQV4CdG4sslUOisa7e3N7mQFMHBjQTnl3jjDK6yAw62MkmOFfVx31QTOWfvgUru70_58rAi4xlCaOXxzyEqz0KFUSKnCMj8m_EnxMH2Co/s320/5th%20Dimension.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The 5th Dimension's 1967 recording of <i>Up, Up and Away</i> took home 6 Grammy Awards at the 10th annual ceremony held February 29, 1968. Producers Johnny Rivers and Marc Gordon took home Record of the Year. Jimmy Webb, songwriter, received Song of the Year. The 5th Dimension won Best Performance by a Vocal Group, Best Performance by a Chorus, Best Contemporary Group Performance (Vocal or Instrumental), and Best Contemporary Single. </div><div><br /></div><div>Boris Karloff (horror movie icon) won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children, for his work on <i>Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elvis Presley won Best Sacred Performance for his recording of <i>How Great Thou Art</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Beatles won 4 Grammys for <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i>: Album of the Year; Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts; Best Contemporary Album; and Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/J2hI3-KvYZY?si=VlI5YGuvNdbkvpfu" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-73199131845843208722024-02-29T05:37:00.000-08:002024-02-29T05:37:16.533-08:00"Gone With the Wind" wins a record 8 Academy Awards 1940<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm0X3UebZdX0J8L5aMCnPIMMbdFbPXmP7XXbloI_owGpTTsND6QCXqMLjx4QcK4qf6haqtOX6Fi4DxU88QuSrvQ2WOVWPNVQswa58PcmAMqMHCIrd8SUBSrcACx_42No9npkISc9zpl_Bs6_y7Y9Y1ZUgiALdvrvhzdRlHs43R_hK9168Bu2c4tfFHwE/s640/Hattie%20McDaniel%20wins%20Oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm0X3UebZdX0J8L5aMCnPIMMbdFbPXmP7XXbloI_owGpTTsND6QCXqMLjx4QcK4qf6haqtOX6Fi4DxU88QuSrvQ2WOVWPNVQswa58PcmAMqMHCIrd8SUBSrcACx_42No9npkISc9zpl_Bs6_y7Y9Y1ZUgiALdvrvhzdRlHs43R_hK9168Bu2c4tfFHwE/s320/Hattie%20McDaniel%20wins%20Oscar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><i>Gone With the Wind</i>, Victor Fleming's epic and now iconic WWII film, set several records at the 12th Academy Awards ceremony February 27, 1940. Some of the records have been broken but at the time, they were significant. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Gone With the Wind</i> was nominated for 13 awards and won 8 of them. The biggest win was Hattie McDaniel for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy. She is the first African American actor to receive an Oscar, beating the likes of Olivia de Havilland and Geraldine Fitzgerald.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Gone With the Wind </i>won Outstanding Production (Best Picture) and Best Director for Victor Fleming. Vivien Leigh won Best Actress, beating Bette Davis, Great Garbo, and Greer Garson. Sidney Howard was posthumously awarded Best Screenplay. Lyle R. Wheeler won Best Art Direction. Best Film Editing went to Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom. Best Cinematography, Color went to Ernest Haller and Rennahan. It was the first year the cinematography category had been split into Color and Black and White.</div><div><br /></div><div>The film was nominated for Best Actor for Clark Gable. Olivia de Havilland was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Max Steiner was nominated for Best Original Score. This was the first year an award for Best Special Effects was given, and<i> Gone With the Wind</i> was nominated for that Category but lost to <i>The Rains Came.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>William Cameron Menzies was given an honorary award for his outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of <i>Gone With the Wind.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The <i>Wizard of Oz</i> came up with 6 nominations and took home only two. Herbert Stothart won for Best Original Score. <i>Over the Rainbow</i>, written by Yip Harburg and music by Harold Arlen, won Best Song.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was nominated for Outstanding Production, Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. Judy Garland was given the Academy Juvenile Award. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/e7t4pTNZshA?si=1MvyqanzDHvg3X3k" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e7t4pTNZshA/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-86491039855902228752024-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:002024-02-28T06:38:55.810-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Granville T. Woods, inventor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynDfZqP5QaPTfaX_Anj10Xi6DEhZkvZL0vcJEqfYQDApX7eF5kvxhTVObo7DMK5qJVn5avsC3MAU_KG8zMclLgNgzPkzpHqGVqDdAW0F8R4mI1GMn3RQt19cP5j1YcNi7M7VN6dH5eQLoQP2FjWa9TKHDj4SdXd1iOKxwPE4wAdJpKEpfNz6_hWjgMzA/s1662/Granville%20T%20Woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynDfZqP5QaPTfaX_Anj10Xi6DEhZkvZL0vcJEqfYQDApX7eF5kvxhTVObo7DMK5qJVn5avsC3MAU_KG8zMclLgNgzPkzpHqGVqDdAW0F8R4mI1GMn3RQt19cP5j1YcNi7M7VN6dH5eQLoQP2FjWa9TKHDj4SdXd1iOKxwPE4wAdJpKEpfNz6_hWjgMzA/s320/Granville%20T%20Woods.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><div>Granville T. Woods, born April 23, 1856 in Columbus, Ohio, was an African American inventor who held over 50 US patents. He had to leave school at age 10 to work to help support his poor family. He worked in a machine shop, where he learned machining and blacksmithing. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1872, he worked as a fireman for the Danville and Southern Railroad in Missouri. In 1874, he moved to Springfield, Illinois where he worked at a rolling mill. He studied mechanical and electrical engineering in college but there is no evidence he received a college degree.</div><div><br /></div><div>Among his inventions are a egg incubator, an automatic brake, a steam boiler furnace, and a patented Synchronous Multiplex Railway telegraphs, which allowed communications between train stations from moving trains. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Edison filed a claim to ownership of this invention, saying he had created it first. He took Woods to court twice, but Woods prevailed both time. Woods spent a lot of time defending his inventions from others who claimed they were the ones who invented them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Woods died of a cerebral hemorrhage in New York City, January 30, 1910. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/rfQhfJXtc64?si=rkM9Qf6K0hUQyR6R" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rfQhfJXtc64/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-44310913789470705202024-02-28T05:46:00.000-08:002024-02-28T05:46:18.214-08:00"Doctor Zhivago" wins 5 Golden Globes 1965<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BMwuim9c1LYOiNOhLn6OmL1GOktbeEs9pU_OnP-jJr3ZfVkvEh9wfsg8FiwPHFxJZXSfSbMDWIGtb5O1bl3uQBB2k-NIGrBvvPGgZtlEC1wHMsHz5kTSnmc-RpRsQW7VbFv0IpFgpJKjGrkAas8KHa8RUmTBkg1czhpteMtqzWbiZskCX60BexVRGgg/s1920/23rd%20Golden%20Globe%20Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BMwuim9c1LYOiNOhLn6OmL1GOktbeEs9pU_OnP-jJr3ZfVkvEh9wfsg8FiwPHFxJZXSfSbMDWIGtb5O1bl3uQBB2k-NIGrBvvPGgZtlEC1wHMsHz5kTSnmc-RpRsQW7VbFv0IpFgpJKjGrkAas8KHa8RUmTBkg1czhpteMtqzWbiZskCX60BexVRGgg/s320/23rd%20Golden%20Globe%20Awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>David Lean's historical-romance drama <i>Doctor Zhivago</i>, set during WWI and the Russian Civil War, took home five Golden Globes at the 23rd annual ceremony February 28, 1965. It won all categories for which it was nominated. It was by far the biggest winner of the night.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Doctor Zhivago </i>won Best Picture - Drama. Omar Sharif won Best Actor for his work in the titular role. David Lean won Best Director. Maurice Jarre won for Best Original Score, beating Henry Mancini for his work on <i>The Great Race</i>. Robert Bolt won for Best Screenplay. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only other movie to win more than one award was <i>The Sound of Music</i>, who won two of four nominations. It won Best Film - Musical or Comedy and Julie Andrews won Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Robert Wise was nominated for Best Director but lost to Lean. Peggy Wood was nominated for Best Supporting Actress but lost to Ruth Gordon. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Great Race</i>, one of my favorites, received four nominations, but failed to win any awards. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/CGGr21PilKY?si=i-hb3pPSR9nSkK2k" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-13811293934752423322024-02-28T04:29:00.000-08:002024-02-28T04:29:31.359-08:00Twilight Zone episode "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" airs 1964<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsSSF8Wg_cmlR3o5EPLoHAcwUBrOo-o5qxOQYoAPl-jVKK9U6DnVlmzoRRPq3_XDLRkuMCp-AydpQHaacW6zNsvL2AzXY7EQnBxWuYHlZV8ngODRIgQ9B644uIkpP6Yr5FuQBmQEJI4B7QPNk1X8FMwWhzktKQX6fzjan9X6_uC3f8bbRc2_QRRP0gvw/s2000/Occurrence%20at%20Owl%20Creek%20Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="2000" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsSSF8Wg_cmlR3o5EPLoHAcwUBrOo-o5qxOQYoAPl-jVKK9U6DnVlmzoRRPq3_XDLRkuMCp-AydpQHaacW6zNsvL2AzXY7EQnBxWuYHlZV8ngODRIgQ9B644uIkpP6Yr5FuQBmQEJI4B7QPNk1X8FMwWhzktKQX6fzjan9X6_uC3f8bbRc2_QRRP0gvw/s320/Occurrence%20at%20Owl%20Creek%20Bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>A bit of a departure from the usual <i>Twilight Zone</i> fare, <i>Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge</i> was a short film presented at a French film festival, in which Rod Serling was in attendance. It is reported that he hunted down the producers and bought it for a one-time showing on the Twilight Zone. The film is based on a short story written by Ambrose Bierce, originally published in 1890. The film won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story, set during the Civil War, a Confederate prisoner is due to be hanged. French actor Roger Jacquet plays the prisoner Peyton Farquhar. <i>The Twilight Zone</i> episode aired February 28, 1964. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've only seen it a couple of times but it is one of my favorites.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/AhViysiSLX0?si=vQU0nlLkzW4lj2Ou" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AhViysiSLX0/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-56772678173450993792024-02-27T07:29:00.000-08:002024-02-27T07:29:19.990-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Michael Langley first Black four-star general in USMC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmsDubYIypm7I7xqBcJcpTkrpv-zPSEd77DqHrvtW7dFq63zb20w8KciB_AlTK-1du_LEOGL-5JKT1aOkLFMxWnsZ0IJDTw0fvFKstTmau83bZ4KYY-mXpZVi5Cmv5W-FgfimF_y38PDa9mlLG9FHVYaDEAC-l2Vk6C8VIrLK3EKV6P9kN2Rbymx_UV0/s1000/Gen%20Michael%20Langley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmsDubYIypm7I7xqBcJcpTkrpv-zPSEd77DqHrvtW7dFq63zb20w8KciB_AlTK-1du_LEOGL-5JKT1aOkLFMxWnsZ0IJDTw0fvFKstTmau83bZ4KYY-mXpZVi5Cmv5W-FgfimF_y38PDa9mlLG9FHVYaDEAC-l2Vk6C8VIrLK3EKV6P9kN2Rbymx_UV0/s320/Gen%20Michael%20Langley.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Michael Langley, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, became the first black four-star general in the United States Marine Corps in history.</div><div><br /></div><div>He graduated from University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in information systems analysis. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marines. Since then he has served in Afghanistan, served as commander of the US Marine Forces-Europe and Africa, deputy commander of the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic.</div><div><br /></div><div>In June 2022, Langley was nominated for promotion to general and assignment as commander of the US Africa Command, and was confirmed by the Senate in August 2022, making him the first black 4-star general in the 246-year history of the USMC.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/OqjmE186fUM?si=xgcNA-uQuyMFoXe_" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-41640909933811345502024-02-27T06:11:00.000-08:002024-02-27T06:11:20.206-08:00"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" wins second Grammy 32 years later 2002<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWY5GueDWY6ikRXVT2rVjk3-tzQgvaWQrpRVHKe1EjAVFaHv5NSNeOK6PYYymdcL3N2QQ2Hc46trTP3XI5gK8pW-V2dw1ALI4tLJDqzXagZhycoVEzDVLuusTN2xzoRJ2Ff9SjYG8bHd9I8l9bTt4jObDu476kKiYkA27eEsI0DmaH0xFzdH48aQfUSHU/s259/Foggy%20Mountain%20Breakdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWY5GueDWY6ikRXVT2rVjk3-tzQgvaWQrpRVHKe1EjAVFaHv5NSNeOK6PYYymdcL3N2QQ2Hc46trTP3XI5gK8pW-V2dw1ALI4tLJDqzXagZhycoVEzDVLuusTN2xzoRJ2Ff9SjYG8bHd9I8l9bTt4jObDu476kKiYkA27eEsI0DmaH0xFzdH48aQfUSHU/s1600/Foggy%20Mountain%20Breakdown.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Earl Scruggs received a second Grammy for his 1949 composition of <i>Foggy Mountain Breakdown</i>, at the 44th annual ceremony on February 27, 2002. He first released his instrumental March 15, 1950. It reached No. 55, and was featured as background music in the 1967 movie <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i>. He recorded it with Lester Flatt and their performance was awarded a Grammy for Best Country Performance, Duo or Group - Vocal Or Instrumental at the 11th ceremony in 1969. </div><div><br /></div><div>He recorded another performance in 2001 with comedian Steve Martin on second banjo, Vince Gill on guitar, Marty Stuart in mandolin, Paul Shaffer on piano among many others. This work won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2002. In 2004, it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.</div><div><br /></div><div>The pop group Train won two awards for their performance of <i>Drops of Jupiter</i>. Paul Buckmaster won Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). Their song also won Best Rock Song.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dolly Parton won Best Female Country Vocal Performance for <i>Shine</i>.</div><div><i>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</i> won Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.</div><div>Rosemary Clooney, Count Basie, and Al Green received Lifetime Achievement Awards.</div><div>Billy Joel received MusiCares Person of the Year.</div><div>Janet Jackson received Recording Academy's Governors Award.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/yQIJuu3N5EY?si=M8Yx8mINyGa4Go4u" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yQIJuu3N5EY/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-52892429943771684082024-02-27T05:14:00.000-08:002024-02-27T05:14:05.499-08:00"It Happened One Night" wins 5 Oscars 1935 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dpiiKLj9KBmpZIdR_0v3KruMQJ-WbaFcRlgfFAnuwrv007v-AjMdTVyDM_w5p-QU08103T6UYu76CPyVMSvAQyii-ipuEoZ5rpH2Jm31gTIuDq1MgUBfHzG9rLVk3Vg-4NT_74Xc_7epOy6Y-zERFs3q_Gyja1rBRDNOSQt8aXBs9c7ITBw-Zmwkrdg/s612/7th%20Academy%20Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="612" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dpiiKLj9KBmpZIdR_0v3KruMQJ-WbaFcRlgfFAnuwrv007v-AjMdTVyDM_w5p-QU08103T6UYu76CPyVMSvAQyii-ipuEoZ5rpH2Jm31gTIuDq1MgUBfHzG9rLVk3Vg-4NT_74Xc_7epOy6Y-zERFs3q_Gyja1rBRDNOSQt8aXBs9c7ITBw-Zmwkrdg/s320/7th%20Academy%20Awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Considered one of the best movies ever made, <i>It Happened One Night</i>, became the first movie to win the top five awards at the 7th annual ceremony held February 27, 1935. It won: Best Picture, Best Director for Frank Capra, Best Actor for Clark Gable, Best Actress for Claudette Colbert, and Best Adaption for Robert Riskin. It won all the categories in which it was nominated. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>One Night of Love</i> received 6 nominations, the most for any movie that evening, but only came away with two, including the Academy's first Award for Best Original Score. It also won for Best Sound Recording,</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently the awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress were not given out at this time. Bette Davis was nominated for one of her many. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Kd509cLN-9U?si=C2i8ixcAxC1-GNIO" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-59634665694939301832024-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:002024-02-26T10:56:54.611-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Black National Anthem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnNq6O0I_1J5eFDhCmhfZpjPEGKzFetsx4OB2Ega_lSBq3_5xugsprhybUwT0f4Hw7s51dcrhM6yHDMDyXsSlFsTiy-pXUUdiOwghjkNYSpvul_xn1_bameDNL9_3CzwTz7AwUi3T86r5eT4L_6DnhbZ_pfs9ej2j6vQcWMWCg8hbl_Gnz6GP6eo1VU4/s425/Lift%20Every%20Voice%20and%20Sing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="425" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnNq6O0I_1J5eFDhCmhfZpjPEGKzFetsx4OB2Ega_lSBq3_5xugsprhybUwT0f4Hw7s51dcrhM6yHDMDyXsSlFsTiy-pXUUdiOwghjkNYSpvul_xn1_bameDNL9_3CzwTz7AwUi3T86r5eT4L_6DnhbZ_pfs9ej2j6vQcWMWCg8hbl_Gnz6GP6eo1VU4/s320/Lift%20Every%20Voice%20and%20Sing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><i>Lift Every Voice and Sing</i> was written in 1900 by lyricist James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson. The song is a prayer of thanksgiving to God and a prayer for faithfulness and freedom. </div><div><br /></div><div>After its premiere in 1900, the hymn was sung within Black American communities and the NAACP began to promote it as a "Negro national anthem" in 1919. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1923, the Manhattan Harmony Four, a male gospel group, recorded <i>Lift Every Voice and Sing</i>. Their performance was added to the National Recording Registry in 2016.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2021, Representative Jim Clyburn sponsored a bill which proposed that <i>Lift Every Voice and Sing</i> be designated as the "national hymn" of the US, although other songs have been proposed to become the national hymn. <i>The Star Spangled-Banner</i> will remain as the national anthem.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Lift Every Voice and Sing</i> was sung on September 24, 2016 at the opening ceremonies of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where President Obama gave the keynote address.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/VdqEaCoCW1c?si=mNPAUf0k7kSvlHdG" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-29542633229943641072024-02-25T11:54:00.000-08:002024-02-25T11:54:40.401-08:00The Manhattan Transfer wins two Grammys for "Birdland" 1981<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEchKvGGcffsgT2JBdWbzmalfi8so7I8RHxsVU2yEY_n2kJZ26Q5MHuBXo1ofnFR7mBMxp6CneHZ5Smm9PI5juM0n5qZISIF6f9oQtunc2Xn2jKizUwOhHRNE06CumVdeqcekHqTbVE3H2pV1Z9tNlt4dsDncfIm5T-dRJ4lDRM4LZBr9qNFK6OMc-GYM/s330/23rd%20Grammy%20Awards%201981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="330" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEchKvGGcffsgT2JBdWbzmalfi8so7I8RHxsVU2yEY_n2kJZ26Q5MHuBXo1ofnFR7mBMxp6CneHZ5Smm9PI5juM0n5qZISIF6f9oQtunc2Xn2jKizUwOhHRNE06CumVdeqcekHqTbVE3H2pV1Z9tNlt4dsDncfIm5T-dRJ4lDRM4LZBr9qNFK6OMc-GYM/s320/23rd%20Grammy%20Awards%201981.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Manhattan Transfer's performance of <i>Birdland</i> received two Grammy Awards at the 23rd annual ceremony held February 25, 1981. Janis Siegel won the award for Best Arrangement of Voices. Manhattan Transfer won for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. </div><div><br /></div><div>John Williams also took home two awards for his composition for <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>: Best Instrumental Composition and Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pat Benatar won her first Grammy for her album <i>Crimes of Passion</i>. She received the Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ella Fitzgerald won her 10th Grammy that evening. Her album <i>A Perfect Match</i> won for Best Jazz Performance, Female. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vr2X-wO3_3M?si=OVGQHBfGV8L22RIT" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-88106031188771696922024-02-23T07:23:00.000-08:002024-02-23T07:23:53.157-08:00Odysseus spacecraft returns to the moon, first US lunar landing in over 50 years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijewSMOTE6VJ2DyGanmXp-1AKcay_N-MHF5_VyXAZkTvtcURLq6vno6ieuWeSTm9bxpdnuWoZYyCFx1gRG1mWdJzGJQyX7MFTHXRlxYCwQ-dpWxRrv0yfiwt-LS8LjjNrCCvbENO-9dKC6s3LrvsUEAFxt46T5k8yDrPVUlT5L4XYGYWJK6zEwg2D5Fyc/s2000/Odysseus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijewSMOTE6VJ2DyGanmXp-1AKcay_N-MHF5_VyXAZkTvtcURLq6vno6ieuWeSTm9bxpdnuWoZYyCFx1gRG1mWdJzGJQyX7MFTHXRlxYCwQ-dpWxRrv0yfiwt-LS8LjjNrCCvbENO-9dKC6s3LrvsUEAFxt46T5k8yDrPVUlT5L4XYGYWJK6zEwg2D5Fyc/s320/Odysseus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Intuitive Machine's uncrewed spacecraft <i>Odysseus</i> landed successfully on the moon yesterday, February 22, 2024. It is the first time a spacecraft from the US has landed on the moon since 1972, the last Apollo mission. NASA payed Intuitive Machines, a private company, $118M to deliver 6 instruments to the moon. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Odysseus</i> landed near the moon's south pole, where ice and water are present.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nma73PTm6O8?si=GLmmyZUMbp0JKnR9" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-7100984314169328042024-02-23T06:32:00.000-08:002024-02-23T06:32:42.723-08:00John Williams wins 3 Grammy Awards 1978<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDToO4HB_RwynQUJpPm1hbPLm1gLjOPLfz7vZ65H0Xo60PexyMSjfvtgCFV480Wgnr_anN09r6qT4-3xZKC0GyhYqOy4sBd1HV35XiGFccAnqjc1BcUIy1Mig8uEcy2J8O2N_2RXnoeK81rsJNLgw5e7b6UZFXXCt3z5E7ZMm6Kb4Xb7aRJeS3Pvke4wQ/s2000/John%20Williams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1378" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDToO4HB_RwynQUJpPm1hbPLm1gLjOPLfz7vZ65H0Xo60PexyMSjfvtgCFV480Wgnr_anN09r6qT4-3xZKC0GyhYqOy4sBd1HV35XiGFccAnqjc1BcUIy1Mig8uEcy2J8O2N_2RXnoeK81rsJNLgw5e7b6UZFXXCt3z5E7ZMm6Kb4Xb7aRJeS3Pvke4wQ/s320/John%20Williams.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>John Williams took home three Grammy Awards at the 20th annual celebration held February 23, 1978. His composition of <i>Star Wars</i> soundtrack won Best Instrumental Composition for <i>Main Title from Star Wars</i>, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, and Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He had the most wins of that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Eagles went home with two wins: Record of the Year for <i>Hotel California</i> and Best Arrangement for Voices for <i>New Kid In Town</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fleetwood Mac won Album of the Year for <i>Rumours</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/zaJTETd_grg?si=q4MPkwXKQzQU5uQe" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zaJTETd_grg/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-36993096192689255602024-02-23T05:48:00.000-08:002024-02-23T05:48:52.006-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Happy birthday, Emmy winning actress Niecey Nash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa0JGESbrCYsghKdL8Z5Jcv5dFlvaROYaqiQXFsA9m8E2USFf8R27rOS0QbKk-_Ap8DKMucNOZU06j_YzD4VRRy30bknvZkzhCbAMueCbtPb6anvGdZnFuhGifAM8JcuyILiEFbQipoYz7k-jU_3TPTLLN-xvUcEag2XsQFeC1f16FSPXflcAFWmrjqA/s1200/Niecey%20Nash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa0JGESbrCYsghKdL8Z5Jcv5dFlvaROYaqiQXFsA9m8E2USFf8R27rOS0QbKk-_Ap8DKMucNOZU06j_YzD4VRRy30bknvZkzhCbAMueCbtPb6anvGdZnFuhGifAM8JcuyILiEFbQipoYz7k-jU_3TPTLLN-xvUcEag2XsQFeC1f16FSPXflcAFWmrjqA/s320/Niecey%20Nash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Actress, comedienne, director, and producer, Niecey Nash, born February 23, 1970 in Palmdale, California, recently won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her performance in <i>Monster.</i> It was her fifth nomination. She also won an Image Award from NAACP, Critics Choice Award, and a Gold Derby for her work. She was also nominated for her role in <i>Monster</i> for a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, OFTA Television Award, Women's Image Network Award, International Online Cinema Awards, Black Reel Award, Critics Choice Super Awards, Pena de Prata, Awards Daily Cooler Awards, and Astra Television Awards.</div><div><br /></div><div>We came to love her when we watched <i>Reno 911!</i> and <i>Clean House,</i> so it is so wonderful to see her win a prestigious award like this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Congratulations on your win, Niecey!</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/1I5vvRWo1TE?si=FzNyO2muAjcxmHqF" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-46563103738922671932024-02-23T04:30:00.000-08:002024-02-23T04:30:02.432-08:00Bette Davis wins second and last Oscar 1939<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDPaEKvMwRWIX3To_28sGoYWE5ng2Iku8GpZYdkeLsJntCwpiBamVGSP5WciVva6r3rTANjEdrJOFbLw18ZDt-rX30BcGndy-mjnGbe5BJj5BPzAzRiYRrnvuCVvvZWGZiFPf2r9kOIV8g9G6N3oGjyKM5WOlVnVjVTMAC_TpoIjJQk9hY93NdXbJROY/s1225/Jezebel%20movie%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDPaEKvMwRWIX3To_28sGoYWE5ng2Iku8GpZYdkeLsJntCwpiBamVGSP5WciVva6r3rTANjEdrJOFbLw18ZDt-rX30BcGndy-mjnGbe5BJj5BPzAzRiYRrnvuCVvvZWGZiFPf2r9kOIV8g9G6N3oGjyKM5WOlVnVjVTMAC_TpoIjJQk9hY93NdXbJROY/s320/Jezebel%20movie%20poster.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Bette Davis took home the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in <i>Jezebel</i> at the 11th annual ceremony held February 23, 1939. She had been nominated twice before and won the award for her work in <i>Dangerous</i> in 1935. After this, she racked up eight more nominations, but failed to win any of them.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Jezebel</i> took home another prize, Best Supporting Actress for Fay Bainter for her performance.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Jezebel</i> had been nominated for Outstanding Production, Best Scoring for Max Steiner, and Best Cinematography.</div><div><br /></div><div>Walt Disney was given an Honorary Award "for creating <i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i>,". The Academy gave him one statuette and seven miniature statuettes indicating the seven dwarfs. This is a rare case of a film being recognized in two consecutive years. <i>Snow White</i> had been nominated for Best Score the previous year. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/qchqcBdXQpY?si=TdwV0LcYjTMXXJBY" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qchqcBdXQpY/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-34182944680676660192024-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:002024-02-21T07:42:25.078-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Hannah Atkins, first African American woman elected to Oklahoma House of Representatives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiocBT_Hc-YtMoB6A1QA1aFzht82PgSP-sKk8eNQvjNSgUjLWn8dLRUXVE3VJmNbNkUkna2Z7nv2I8cXDa-6H2IuAsQAF8aES-P7XaNt7HgNmF62BOTLMADyJCm1zbhyqFkJ9QXC5CAmajXP1ZxZgdcl2btD0Hipgwcz8uHtWv-hKGWsKvxibDkiISDzc/s240/Hannah%20Atkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiocBT_Hc-YtMoB6A1QA1aFzht82PgSP-sKk8eNQvjNSgUjLWn8dLRUXVE3VJmNbNkUkna2Z7nv2I8cXDa-6H2IuAsQAF8aES-P7XaNt7HgNmF62BOTLMADyJCm1zbhyqFkJ9QXC5CAmajXP1ZxZgdcl2btD0Hipgwcz8uHtWv-hKGWsKvxibDkiISDzc/s1600/Hannah%20Atkins.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Hannah Atkins, born November 1, 1923 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is the first African American woman to be elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She graduated from St. Augustine's College (now University) in Raleigh in 1943. In 1959, she worked at Fisk University in Nashville, until she and her family moved back to Winston-Salem. In 1953, they moved to Oklahoma and Atkins became a branch librarian for the Oklahoma City Public Library. In 1962, she became a reference librarian for the Oklahoma State Library. She then worked her way up to chief of general reference and acting law librarian. </div><div><br /></div><div>She worked as an instructor of law and instructor of library science at Oklahoma City University.</div><div><br /></div><div>Atkins was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1968 and served until 1980, fighting for health care, child welfare, mental health reform, women's rights and civil rights. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1980, Jimmy Carter named her to the General Assembly of the 35th Session of the United Nations. She returned to Oklahoma in 1982 and worked as consultant to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, assistant director of the Department of Human Services, Cabinet Secretary for Social Services, and Secretary of State. She had oversight of the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Corrections, and the Pardon and Parole Board. She was the highest ranking woman in Oklahoma state government until her retirement in 1991. </div><div><br /></div><div>She continued to serve as a member of the Oklahoma Task Force for the Bombing Memorial.</div><div><br /></div><div>She passed away in June 2010.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/m-wHNE93KT0?si=IU5RCXD87Cx4C3VO" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-53310963695718557292024-02-21T06:57:00.000-08:002024-02-21T06:57:22.338-08:00"The Day the Earth Stood Still" wins Golden Globe 1952<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CHThssKy64gyNUwKbmv6d7Wo2mvRVYZnUQ6-RmJEfTT90FSG5Vd8N0Bk1ehun96QVWagV0z7IkZeDTXtQMVHJ7wnzwGy0iPCWyyGoHPiKTgFt_VSRUXIqqI1I78PDSOSiidmGq6KpI3fqenX6faQ2aCrCwnnIXU6DeFQuPA9wbnq3h-hRRcwnsFrqbQ/s1208/Day%20the%20Earth%20Stood%20Still%20movie%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CHThssKy64gyNUwKbmv6d7Wo2mvRVYZnUQ6-RmJEfTT90FSG5Vd8N0Bk1ehun96QVWagV0z7IkZeDTXtQMVHJ7wnzwGy0iPCWyyGoHPiKTgFt_VSRUXIqqI1I78PDSOSiidmGq6KpI3fqenX6faQ2aCrCwnnIXU6DeFQuPA9wbnq3h-hRRcwnsFrqbQ/s320/Day%20the%20Earth%20Stood%20Still%20movie%20poster.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div>One of the most beloved and iconic science-fiction movies of all time, <i>The Day the Earth Stood Still</i>, released in 1951 barely got a nod from the Golden Globe awards ceremony held February 21, 1952. Many great movies were released that year but few of them have had the staying power of Robert Wise's masterpiece.</div><div><br /></div><div>It won a Golden Globe for Promoting International Understanding. Huh? That's not a category any more. It received a nomination for Best Music, Original Score for Bernard Herrmann, but lost to <i>September Affair</i>. Herrmann's music is eerie and perfect for an alien encounter. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Day the Earth Stood Still</i> was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1995. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/sVRptT6fa7I?si=-ZUiKImHT7AzPG7M" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-46536806514050566592024-02-20T09:56:00.000-08:002024-02-20T09:56:22.514-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Perry Henry Young Jr, first African American commercial aviator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOGkJhs1PFyxIhAg47vtqvBd0VJAFhGnw9gFRTMMr_1cdCfOLcoodnnKdyj5mOmg0Cg12iOmxLyz6dygs3txl2TcCzkh_QufD6BNSMhQsYAeMKh1paM7VJaddtn52GQKI5q0WcqA8C96HXqzD7-792M8OU-euh4iqHqzNn7ve43siGF1bdb2AHRc8F_8/s800/Perry%20Young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOGkJhs1PFyxIhAg47vtqvBd0VJAFhGnw9gFRTMMr_1cdCfOLcoodnnKdyj5mOmg0Cg12iOmxLyz6dygs3txl2TcCzkh_QufD6BNSMhQsYAeMKh1paM7VJaddtn52GQKI5q0WcqA8C96HXqzD7-792M8OU-euh4iqHqzNn7ve43siGF1bdb2AHRc8F_8/s320/Perry%20Young.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Perry Henry Young, Jr., born March 12, 1919 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, became the first African American to fly for a commercial airline in the US. His family moved to Ohio and began attending Oberlin College. He earned his private pilot's license at 20 and dropped out of college to pursue a career in aviation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, Young could not find work as a commercial pilot due to racial discrimination. When the US entered WWII, he got a job as one of 40 African American flight instructors for the 99th Pursuit Squadron, and trained over 150 Tuskegee Airmen during his tenure. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the war, he still could not find employment as a pilot. In 1946, he tried to establish a small airline in Haiti, but it closed. He remained in Haiti, flying for the Societe Haitienne-Americaine de Development Agricole and in 1953 began working for the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority as an executive pilot. </div><div><br /></div><div>He worked on Baffin Island, Canada as an aviation mechanic, and then moved to the Virgin Islands to pilot for KLM, flying passengers to the Dutch islands. </div><div><br /></div><div>A helicopter airline, New York Airways, had previously rejected Young because he did not meet their minimum helicopter flight time, but decided to 'break the color line'. They contacted him in the Virgin Islands and hired him on December 17, 1956. He took his first official flight as a copilot on February 5, 1957. </div><div><br /></div><div>He continued to fly for NYA until they went out of business in 1979. He flew sightseeing helicopter tours in New York until he retired.</div><div><br /></div><div>He passed away in Middletown, New York on November 8, 1998.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/UR7GUkOgzEw?si=iOKCBwhRby6r0Co5" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UR7GUkOgzEw/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-89088891847071267062024-02-20T04:13:00.000-08:002024-02-20T04:13:49.531-08:00Marj Dusay, Star Trek and soap opera actress, born 1936<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0uO6W5PyEgXofo55fatJ7ZsJ_JnuUgRTGxt6wTJuTOKEoV3Bc2cOro99kbGtdEnPOiyqZlPDqf4GCmU8ufQdbLQQmN8pRVt6v29dxyjwDlEQW2tLvPX50c2c58JND6IRF1cdM6d8KhPUfPsS1xCUmVOFa8zSorhKHlo-dipurFD9N2R3iRsH3KKCvss/s1200/Marj%20Dusay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0uO6W5PyEgXofo55fatJ7ZsJ_JnuUgRTGxt6wTJuTOKEoV3Bc2cOro99kbGtdEnPOiyqZlPDqf4GCmU8ufQdbLQQmN8pRVt6v29dxyjwDlEQW2tLvPX50c2c58JND6IRF1cdM6d8KhPUfPsS1xCUmVOFa8zSorhKHlo-dipurFD9N2R3iRsH3KKCvss/s320/Marj%20Dusay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Marj Dusay, born February 20, 1936 in Hays, Kansas, had a lengthy career in soap operas or daytime dramas such as <i>All My Children</i> and <i>The Guiding Light</i>, but to us Trekkies, we know here from the infamous <i>Star Trek</i> episode <i>Spock's Brain</i>, widely considered to be the worst of the original series.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the first episode of the third season, the crew of the Enterprise has to deal with a woman who has abducted Spock's brain for her planet's 'controller'. The woman Kara, played by Dusay, utters the phrase "Brain and brain! What is brain?"</div><div><br /></div><div>A dubious role to become famous, but it worked for Marj.</div><div><br /></div><div>She passed away in New York City in 2020 at age 83. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/6o7UDpn1mKI?si=PgLJab1wP6iPEHQP" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6o7UDpn1mKI/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-7453553849618894622024-02-19T08:57:00.000-08:002024-02-19T08:57:12.342-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: "We Shall Overcome" civil rights anthem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhmrEu8bY3PrezwLIixqzu_zY4y9w02UpIX-dEwrl0ljcU4WbrrDyQqQXstrH8LHNoaE102JgEDk-04lEQj9HeHojFA9LEmRk5b4lwZUZ9tfQV9F5DCUNTM3AV-FZjoEn3fJrYYzhEFcL_TJBFveBoNiJWOT8s91ITyFWa2NZYzz1-__KSpDsnEXqDTY/s474/We%20Shall%20Overcome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="474" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhmrEu8bY3PrezwLIixqzu_zY4y9w02UpIX-dEwrl0ljcU4WbrrDyQqQXstrH8LHNoaE102JgEDk-04lEQj9HeHojFA9LEmRk5b4lwZUZ9tfQV9F5DCUNTM3AV-FZjoEn3fJrYYzhEFcL_TJBFveBoNiJWOT8s91ITyFWa2NZYzz1-__KSpDsnEXqDTY/s320/We%20Shall%20Overcome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>We Shall Overcome</i> is a gospel song that has become an anthem for the civil rights movement in the US. It is believed to have "descended" from Charles Albert Tindley's <i>I'll Over Come Day</i>, first published in 1901. Tindley, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, authored about fifty gospel hymns.</div><div><br /></div><div>In October 1945, members of the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, and Allied Workers union began a five-month strike against the American Tobacco Company. One of the strikers, Lucille Simmons, led a slow version of the song, <i>We'll Overcome (I'll be All Right)</i>, to keep up the spirits of the members, mostly female and African American, during the cold winter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pete Seeger changed the lyrics to "We Shall..." in 1947 and added a few verses. In 1952, it was first recorded and released by Laura Duncan and The Jewish Young Singers, where it is identified as a Negro spiritual. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1957, Seeger performed the song for an audience that included Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said how much the song stuck with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joan Baez led a crowd of 3,000 people in singing <i>We Shall Overcome</i> during the August 1963 March On Washington. LBJ used the phrase "we shall overcome" March 15, 1965 in a speech to Congress after the "Bloody Sunday" attacks on civil rights demonstrators during the Selma to Montgomery marches.</div><div><br /></div><div>Martin Luther King Jr. used the lyrics from <i>We Shall Overcome</i> in a speech delivered on March 31, 1968, just four days before his assassination. At his funeral over 50,000 people sang <i>We Shall Overcome</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>It has become an international phenomenon as it is sung wherever people's rights are being violated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the Turtle Creek Chorale's performance with the Women's Chorus of Dallas. I am proud to be part of this recording.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/ZxDXjz-4Hz4?si=61U7gIfd_ZwgN8zU" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-10846654910523351032024-02-19T06:03:00.000-08:002024-02-19T06:03:57.569-08:00Ella Fitzgerald wins 8th Grammy Award 1977<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5kkc_vM9sjVuRqb_6dTHcpIAXdHVomtJlaFZ-BwaHYhUH8OsLzdWN23lHyX3rpyPw5Is8qcy9ruNTdmOaNXWZDNtmT2W_WntiVkDmn4R7Vt88U1qLuQVw-Pq0_i0eJ2Yj0z3LGFFi_IKPmb8v85cLCjPZ29uyqlkErCGczmEjH4SGFUMcmSdn57OanU/s458/19th%20Grammy%20Awards%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5kkc_vM9sjVuRqb_6dTHcpIAXdHVomtJlaFZ-BwaHYhUH8OsLzdWN23lHyX3rpyPw5Is8qcy9ruNTdmOaNXWZDNtmT2W_WntiVkDmn4R7Vt88U1qLuQVw-Pq0_i0eJ2Yj0z3LGFFi_IKPmb8v85cLCjPZ29uyqlkErCGczmEjH4SGFUMcmSdn57OanU/s320/19th%20Grammy%20Awards%20poster.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Ella Fitzgerald, first lady of jazz, won her eight Grammy Award at the 19th annual ceremony, held February 19, 1977. She won Best Jazz Vocal Performance for <i>Fitzgerald and Pass...Again</i>, the second album of four she recorded with guitarist Joe Pass.</div><div><br /></div><div>George Benson won Record of the Year for <i>This Masquerade</i>. It was in contention for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. I recognize every other album and song nominated in these three categories, and Benson's is the only one I do not know and, after listening to it just now, have never heard it before. I suppose his music did not get any airplay in my area back then.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Songs in the Key of Life</i> by Stevie Wonder won Album of the Year, and Barry Manilow's <i>I Write the Songs</i> won Song of the Year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Starland Vocal Band won Best New Artist, beating Brothers Johnson, Boston(!), and Wild Cherry. Unfortunately, they are best known for their only hit, <i>Afternoon Delight</i>, which won Best Arrangement for Voices (duo, group or chorus).</div><div><br /></div><div>Natalie Cole won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for her <i>Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Helen Hayes, with Henry Fonda, James Earl Jones & Orson Welles, won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording for <i>Great American Documents</i>. This win made Helen Hayes become the second person to become an EGOT, someone who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/maaDBcOauFw?si=oumU_gJ_gOr5WwNw" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-55497451141506734092024-02-19T05:31:00.000-08:002024-02-19T05:31:14.936-08:00Happy birthday, cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OSyYrDKl1L-A1mmXKer6gHk-47qHMZlCiCTrPntSzYzxNObSStyeTSEOKo8eglTIztmbmclGV_vN9NnzgjjnNuFnb9hgdDURctNvFRSOSWn3iepY2iMV1DVDYt0OfX3kosWDFC6iL3F5RsR0t4F-hi0rM4xomm9lO2ZtUmnzV1Cl2GewK1N3kHebziM/s1032/Sergey%20Prokopyev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OSyYrDKl1L-A1mmXKer6gHk-47qHMZlCiCTrPntSzYzxNObSStyeTSEOKo8eglTIztmbmclGV_vN9NnzgjjnNuFnb9hgdDURctNvFRSOSWn3iepY2iMV1DVDYt0OfX3kosWDFC6iL3F5RsR0t4F-hi0rM4xomm9lO2ZtUmnzV1Cl2GewK1N3kHebziM/s320/Sergey%20Prokopyev.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Sergey Prokopyev, born February 19, 1975 in the former Soviet Union, has been in space twice, spending over 567 days in space.</div><div><br /></div><div>His first mission was aboard <i>Soyuz MS-09</i> as commander to the International Space Station in June 2018. He remained on board, participating in <i>Expeditions 56</i> and <i>57</i>, before returning to Earth in December 2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>His second mission was aboard <i>Soyuz MS-22</i> as commander in September 2022 to the ISS. He participated in <i>Expeditions 67-69</i>, spending a year in space, before returning to Earth in September 2023 aboard <i>Soyuz MS-23</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nMxGtDzz1Go?si=FoufC6WA3wKDzlJL" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nMxGtDzz1Go/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-51014924228781439902024-02-16T08:40:00.000-08:002024-02-16T08:40:18.348-08:00"Ghost Rider" released 2007<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5W4dMOzDeiFyWSxMfauPdn2gPlsRIsyVU0wQPDu9NycUPnocxpqSrrJmg_5t95_yIMEeyDaOuOyQZs38JhZIPgBzNo0Eqja6dAIm2dU90WTdjNH5DhdlDJnJJpj1iRTvjbxwwsN6DmpGsOpyWMyonPiO0hOzid9uHeWaijs3nTlnRMhrs7AWaJVW4w/s383/Ghost%20Rider%20movie%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5W4dMOzDeiFyWSxMfauPdn2gPlsRIsyVU0wQPDu9NycUPnocxpqSrrJmg_5t95_yIMEeyDaOuOyQZs38JhZIPgBzNo0Eqja6dAIm2dU90WTdjNH5DhdlDJnJJpj1iRTvjbxwwsN6DmpGsOpyWMyonPiO0hOzid9uHeWaijs3nTlnRMhrs7AWaJVW4w/s320/Ghost%20Rider%20movie%20poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Marvel Comics' supernatural hero, <i>Ghost Rider</i>, came to the silver screen February 16, 2007. Stunt motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze (played by Nicholas Cage) sells his soul save his father, and becomes the Ghost Rider. </div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed the movie, even though it didn't receive many positive reviews and Cage was nominated for a Razzie for Worst Actor. However, it was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is one of the few Marvel movies in which Stan Lee did not have a cameo, since he was not involved in creating the character of Ghost Rider.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nu6R7ypaz5g?si=0RLqL-2suWbScqIV" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-53945080743406458042024-02-16T06:45:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:45:41.051-08:00Celebrating Black History Month: Crispus Attucks, first casualty of the Revolutionary War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v7sAIBe0cK9hyphenhyphen4dwy1QAYI2_jBWogiWkhlWCt4gt0nBR6uQOCPVTgnK5L4UM4oqSDwnA2ozV4MZ86rzyYv97v8la4jHuJ_uv0E5csXYChFEiQ0T8aKPMqVEcQXUvNYIpGlPUeNBiQgoe5xrVHM265oa1t3Cc5NOCceJtGdptbYrzegSqqXPeqiHEf-4/s1024/Crispus%20Attucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v7sAIBe0cK9hyphenhyphen4dwy1QAYI2_jBWogiWkhlWCt4gt0nBR6uQOCPVTgnK5L4UM4oqSDwnA2ozV4MZ86rzyYv97v8la4jHuJ_uv0E5csXYChFEiQ0T8aKPMqVEcQXUvNYIpGlPUeNBiQgoe5xrVHM265oa1t3Cc5NOCceJtGdptbYrzegSqqXPeqiHEf-4/s320/Crispus%20Attucks.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Crispus Attucks, born in 1723 in Framingham, Massachusetts, which was then still part of the British Empire, is considered to be the first American killed in the American Revolutionary War. Although born a slave, he managed to escape, and his owner at the time Deacon William Brown advertised for a runaway slave Crispas. Attucks spent time on the sea and working around the docks on the Atlantic seaboard. </div><div><br /></div><div>Colonial unrest had been growing since the Stamp Act imposed by Great Britain, which significantly raised taxes. On March 5, 1770, a scuffle between the townspeople and the 29th Regiment of Foot, after a British officer was accused of theft. The colonialists threw snowballs and debris at the soldiers. A group of men including Attucks approached with clubs and sticks. </div><div><br /></div><div>The soldiers panicked and opened fire. Attucks was the first to die. Four other colonists were killed and six were wounded, in what was to become known as the Boston Massacre. John Adams defended the soldiers and although two were found guilty of manslaughter, none of the soldiers were put to death. Adams described the colonial mob as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tars". </div><div><br /></div><div>The colonists regarded Attucks and the others as heroes and buried as such in the Granary Burying Ground. Attucks' actions that night helped galvanize the colonists against the British. It was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. </div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/72AU81SifDg?si=XmMA2PekonsIsl3z" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126767933660920068.post-67006518290051734652024-02-16T05:47:00.000-08:002024-02-16T05:47:47.883-08:00Happy birthday, Avengers and Godzilla actress, Elizabeth Olsen!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisk5oqIcSR3Zdky7rCnHMnU6hqWWIAC9Fg1RhZhwgxBnHjrI-eZXaKJaAK2vPBs_sa6dBZVvd9KtdV6su0SlpvEoIIsxS0Jms6l3zBZAK-d-MyiAZjw0Pmn0GijZZMbVIIziyyZ7Nq-cJuDGH5wdyuL0kU2j2PZCeiLeMSlvC9-G0l9Vs73dii02iCfto/s1200/Elizabeth%20Olsen%20Godzilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="729" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisk5oqIcSR3Zdky7rCnHMnU6hqWWIAC9Fg1RhZhwgxBnHjrI-eZXaKJaAK2vPBs_sa6dBZVvd9KtdV6su0SlpvEoIIsxS0Jms6l3zBZAK-d-MyiAZjw0Pmn0GijZZMbVIIziyyZ7Nq-cJuDGH5wdyuL0kU2j2PZCeiLeMSlvC9-G0l9Vs73dii02iCfto/s320/Elizabeth%20Olsen%20Godzilla.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /><div>Elizabeth Olsen, born February 16, 1989 in Los Angeles, California, is noted for her roles as Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 2014 reboot of the <i>Godzilla</i> franchise. She has twin older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who were child stars, but even though no longer acting are still busy with many projects such as fashion design. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2021, Elizabeth was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her performance in <i>WandaVision</i>.</div><div><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/sj9J2ecsSpo?si=7jBEqk7efOtDOfQM" width="480"></iframe>Alan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01489099502884256516noreply@blogger.com0