Will they ever learn?

I haven't written about the Catholics in quite a while.
The whole thing is simply too stupid to worry about.
But here I am again: This time with two issues:
Pope Franciscus spoke to members of the "Civil Service" of the Vatican and said that, in order for the Church to stay relevant in an ever deeper secularized world, it must reform.
Quoting the late Arch-Bishop of Milan he said: "The Church has stopped developing 200 years ago. Why does it not move?  Are we afraid?"
Dear Franciscus: I believe that the Church has developed backwards during the last 2000 years.
Start with the teachings of the man Jesus Christ and follow the development of his institution over the next two hundred  Centuries and you will have to admit that the whole movement went downhill from then onward. Until today where it is the most contradictory, most deceitful movement extant.

The second issue worthy of a line or two: 
Very recently, after the then governing Bishop Schwartz was moved to another position, ( that's what the Catholics are great at: a Criminal is not punished. He is just transferred to another post ) his successor, Archbishop Josef Marketz suggested that he would be in favor of abolishing the Celibate, and actually allow Priests to marry. In an interview he allowed that it would be easier for a Priest to work in his constituency, if he knew what Every Day Life was all about.
Now my imagination is clicking in: 
Joe gets a call from Rome... from the Franciscus himself, who tells Joe that this is a no-go. ... and who does he think he is, saying things like this in public.? The common folk might agree with it and where would we be then? Now you back out of this mess you got yourself into... and make it fast. You hear?"
The very next day the new Bishop told "Kathpress" that he was of course in favor of the Celibate, since the "unmarried state of Catholic Priests was the format of life chosen by Jesus Christ and the Priest would be free for his service to the people."

Now this is a quick change. quicker than you can find in a Vaudeville performance.
Today: No Celibate! Tomorrow: Yes, of course Celibate.
And these jokers aren't even ashamed of themselves.

Bertstravels
thinks it's funny

Tonc Feinig plus Six

MUSIC FROM THE SOUTH.

We, that's Christin and I, drove to Villach yesterday, in order to listen to Tonc Feinig  on the Piano, Daniel Nösig - trumpet, Wolfgang Puschnik - Alto Sax, Michael Erian - Tenor Sax, Marius Vavti on the Slide Trombone, David Dolliner on  bass and, last but not least, Klemens Markl on drums.

If you want to hear the best of the best on their respective instruments, this was the place to be.

What a Concert in the so-called "Kulturhofkeller. A real basement dive, suggesting what a Jazz-dive must have been like in the early days of Jazz.

The place was jammed to overflowing and, I guarantee you, there wasn't one of the crowd who was not swinging in their soul.

The lighting was dim, as befits such a place, very conducive to Music, but not to photography without a flash. 

My camera goes up to 6400 ISO, and I hand-held at 50 shutter-speed.

The images below are the best I could do.

Well, why were you not there? You could have not only seen this band but, far more important, you could have heard one of the greatest Septets not only here in "the South of Carinthia", but anywhere.

Tonc` Feinig

One of the finest on the keyboards, anywhere !

Marius Vavti

You cannot get much smoother on the Slide.

In the background, David Dolliner on the Bass

Wolfgang Puschnik

On the Alto Sax.

In years from an earlier generation, but in Music: Very Much Today, if not Tomorrow.

Klemens Marktl

The MASTER OF PERCUSSION:

What can I tell you about 

Daniel Nösig?

Silver notes tumble out of his horn, in an almost breath-taking cascade.

David Dolliner

A young man who turns the Rhythm instrument into the 6th presenter of Melody.

Now, aren't you sorry that you did not go to Villach, last night.

Just as well you didn't. You would not have gotten a seat.

Two Great Ones

Two of the absolutely Great Ones on their respective instruments.
There is Tonc Feinig on the keyboards and his percussionist, 
Klausi Lippitsch.
Unfortunately you can't hear them on my Blog, so you will have to buy the CD.
It's fabulous at twice the price.
It is unusually exciting music.

Tonc (say: Tontsch) Feinig on the Keyboard, and vocal.

Clearly and without doubt, one of the very best.

Klausi Lippitsch

a percussionist "par excellance."

7th December 1941

On this day, in 1941, the Japanese Navy, Air Service did the biggest favor to England and to the rest of Europe, when they bombed in a sneak attack,  part of the U.S. Pacific fleet, anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The following day, Germany declared war on the U.S.A.
As an obvious direct consequence the isolationist mood of the people of America changed dramatically, allowing President Roosevelt to actively assist Great Britain in its struggle against Nazi Germany. The overpowering might of production and its military strength ultimately enabled the United States of America together with its allied forces to defeat the most brutal dictatorship Europe had ever known.
So lets all give a heartfelt "Thank You" to the Japanese for their ill-considered, cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor. 

Bertstravels

What a Pun !!!

A man sat in his boat in the middle of a lake.
He wanted to have a leisurely smoke and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. 
To his dismay he discovered that he had neither matches nor a cigarette lighter.
How was he going to have a smoke? He thought a while, then the answer to his problem hit him:
He pulled one cigarette from the pack and threw it over board.
This way the whole boat became one cigarette lighter.

Bertstravels
just loves puns.

Sport in Bleiburg

One would almost think that Bleiburg has ONLY "art".
One Vernissage yesterday, another one today, there is bound to be somebody showing his or her paintings, writers give readings of their most recent work, their most recently published book.
There is a concert by the "Jauntal Brass band at the "Grenzland Heim," a Jazz band plays up a storm at the Kulturnidom, a Duo of Tenor Sax and Guitar perform classical music at the Werner Berg Museum. There is, of course, the main event at the WBM, where, at present, there is an exhibition of some 40 works by an artist who does not object to the definition of " non contemporary art"
(see a recent entry in this Blog ), yesterday you could have gone, (we did) to an exhibition of Watercolors in the small "Gallery EMO."
Tomorrow we are going to the Kulturnidom for a Choir Concert. There will be Choirs from Austria, Slovenia and Italy.
I could go on and on, until you'd think that "Art" is all there is in Bleiburg.
If, indeed, you thought that, you'd be wrong, wrong, wrong.
Bleiburg has the Austrian and European Champion "Volleyball" team.
We went there yesterday and I snapped some pictures. (what else did you expect?)

 "Aich Dob" is

"Austrian Champion" as well as "European League Champion"

You must realize that "Aich Dob" is a tiny Village just outside of  Bleiburg 

(which in itself is just a tiny town)

Admittedly there are no longer any local-grown talents on the team.

Rich sponsors made it possible to build a really good cadre.

A smashing serve puts our team "one point up".

Another point won!

After each point won, the team hugs and celebrates.

The Opponents, the Klagenfurt Volleyball team,

although featuring some good players don't stand much of a chance.

"Blocking" is an essential art of this game.

"Sport Klub Aich Dob" wins this one "hands down".

... and after the game, the players of A.D. applaud their fans.

Dr. Harald Scheicher....

... is a medical doctor in the nearby District Capital of Völkermarkt. 
He is a well respected and well liked "Medico".
Harald is also a respected Artist and recently several of his works were exhibited in the Werner Berg Gallery in Bleiburg.

What makes Harald differ from so many of our modern Artists

is the fact that "things" Harald depicts 

can actually be recognized without fancy explanations.

A flower is a flower,  a tree is a tree

and a mother and child, is truly a "Mother and Child".

In all this "recognizability" however, lies a language with which 

the picture speaks to the viewer, while drawing his eye inevitably

to its essence.

Although there is a mountain range in the background,

it is the birch tree which forces you to look at its torn bark

"The Children of Naples" show the unencumbered Joy 

with which all children should be gifted.

Neither the cross in the background

nor the skull-like contraption up front

seems to prevent them from "being children."

This "Still-life with Fruit"

shows the artist from a totally different perspective.

The meticulous pattern of the cloth is maintained 

despite the haphazard manner in which fruits, cups and jugs are placed upon it.

A sleeping child, a protective mother, 

probably dreaming about the child's future.

All of it encapsulated in tones of Blue. The color of hope.

Hello, Harald! Where goest thou?

Straight into the vagaries of Cubism?

Although you call this work: "Dilapidated Barn"

all the woodwork is beautifully aligned, not a board askew.

There is "order" and "discipline" in this "dilapidation."