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."

The "Apple Lady"

Well,now, that in Autumn she brings varying kinds of Apples from her farm, just across the border in Slovenia, I call her "The Apple Lady."
"These apples: Gala, very good for eat. .. these, little sour they taste .. make good Apple strudel.."
You buy the apples! Advice is for free.

All during Spring and Summer, every Tuesday, come rain or shine,  she brings all kinds of vegetables.
She brings Beans, Peas, Radishes, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Beats, ....  you think of it, she brings it.
Her German is very fundamental, I'd almost have to say, halting. My Slovenian is non-existent.

Under a thatch of silver hair two bright blue eyes peer.
Smiling.
In fact, her whole face smiles and it is difficult NOT to buy something from this lovely Slovenian lady, who supplies Bleiburg with the freshest of vegetables and fruits, better and fresher than in the Supermarket.... each and every Tuesday....like clockwork...

I buy something, she weighs it, says: "Four Euros, fifty cents"
I pay with a Fiver and say: Okay.
She puts another two apples, or a bunch of radishes into my basket.
She smiles!
I leave another 50 cents on the edge of the small table.
We grin at each other... It's a game we play....
...the silver-haired, blue-eyed Slovenian Lady and I.

It's Tuesday and the "Apple Lady" is in town.

Xmas tree in Bleiburg

When the City puts up the Christmas tree in Bleiburg, you know that Christmas cannot be far away.
In years gone by the workmen put up the tree with the aid of long poles with which they brought the tree into an upright position. Nowadays, of course, this is done with a large crane.
well, even Christmas trees have to come into the modern age.

Krampus Run

"Krampus" is the local name for "Devil" or "Satan" or "Beelzebub"  etc.
When I was a child, Krampus, accompanied by St. Nicklaus visited families (on invitation by the parents).  Krampus wanted to know if you were a "good boy" or a good girl throughout the year and 
St. Nicklaus brought nuts and figs or other small presents to the good kids.
This custom has morphed into today's "Krampus Run," where local boys, young men, dress in the most hideous devilish costumes and proceed in a long line up and down the main square, accompanied by truly infernal music.
As every year for the last ten years, I roamed our main street and took come pictures.

I am asking:

How did the devil, who resides in fire and brimstone Hell

remain so neat and white-furred, amid all the smoke and soot?

Now, this is the way I remember him.

Don't give me this rubbish of the white furred creatures.

Sigi Kulterer

An internationally renowned artist, Sigi lives with his wife Erika in the very neighborhood of Bleiburg. To see just how wide his fame has spread, visit his website: www.sigi-kulterer.com
Although it is written in German any interested reader will obtain enough information about Sigi and his Art.
I shall show here only a very few of his art works, with which the Artist speaks, among other themes, of the plight of children, not only in religious institutions, but also at home.
Let the pictures talk to you.

...and the Wall came tumbling down

The Wall

“Mr. Gorbachev! Open this Gate!”

“Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this wall”

So went the call in 1987 from the Leader of the Free World, Mr. Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, to the Chairman of the Communist Party of the UdSSR., Mr. Michael Gorbachev.

Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this wall!

In February 1945, the defeat of Nazi Germany was imminent, the leaders of the three most important powers of the world met in Yalta.

Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, (USA) Mr. Winston Churchill, ( U.K.) and

Genosse Joseph Stalin (UdSSR) had come to decide the fate of Germany after the conclusion of World War 2.

The division of Germany into four territories was decided upon.

There was to be an American, a British, a French and a Russian sector.

The Russian occupied sector became “The German Democratic Republic” (the GDR), the rest of the country got to be “West Germany.”

The GDR quickly became the most brutally run Communist Dictatorship, with the word “Democratic” the most cynical designation.

Between 1945 and 1961 almost four millions citizens fled from East to West Germany for a better and free existence. In order to prevent a continuation of this mass flight, the GDR erected in 1961 a wall of concrete, 3.5 meters high and topped by barbed wire, guarded by watch towers equipped with search lights and machine guns. This, so the East German government cynically announced was to protect East Germany from the “Fascist Element” of the West.

In fact, the official name for this monstrosity was: “The Anti Fascist Protection Rampart”.

During the existence of this abomination, over 100,000 people tried to escape. Only about 5000 succeeded in their effort to cross from East to West Berlin.

The border patrols were under “shoot to kill” orders and an estimated 150 to 200 persons were killed while attempting to flee across what was called “the death strip” into the West.

On the 9^th day of November of 1989, two years after President Ronald Reagan's call, the wall came down, and the East Block of Communist Nations began to crumble.

This Saturday, the 9^th day of November 2019, Germany, in fact the rest of the world, may celebrate the 30^th anniversary of this epic event.

Bertstravels

visited this wall, or what was left of it, in July of 1990.

The Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charley,

All's Okay again.

Room 7, Station F

I'm sitting here on the side of my bed in the Landeskrankenhaus in Klagenfurt, Austria.

My good friend, Gionluca Serafini will pick me up tomorrow at 11.30 AM and bring me home to Bleiburg.

Outside, for the first time it is drab and dreary. Heavy cloud cover hides the Sun which has been blazing from the bluest of blue skies during the last two weeks or so.

Do I care?

You bet I don't. Tomorrow is coming-home-day, after 16 long days in Hospital.

Tomorrow is returning to Bleiburg day, where, so Christin tells me, many friends have been asking for me.

Tomorrow the weather does not count. It could rain in buckets or hail or snow.

Tomorrow will be a great day!

Tomorrow is coming-home- to-Christin-day.

Each day, which I spent here, I heard helicopters soaring in, landing on the roof of one of the hospital's wings. I don't see it, but I imagine that after the motor noise has ceased, stretcher bearers are rushing up to the 'copter, unloading victims of car crashes, of industrial accidents, and other life threatening problems, and I am secretly glad that I am sitting here, with a repaired right lung and not lying on a stretcher in the Helicopter or in an Ambulance.

What a great day it is today and what a great day it will be tomorrow

Bertstravels

still counts his blessings.

Imperfect book?

My very good friend, Andy, suggests I should "take it easy" since Grimms Fairytales scare kids, and the bible, just like those tales, is just an "imperfect" book.
Did you say, "imperfect"? To me, the word "imperfect" means something pretty close to the truth, with a little mistake here and there. This attribute cannot be used in connection with a work so full of contradictions, impossibilities, description of murders of entire "kingdoms", threats of everlasting fire and brimstone in everlasting Hell, where you go if you miss Sunday Mass, or kill somebody ( both classified as "Mortal Sins") and die before confession and absolution, given to you by a man, who just a little while ago buggered a little boy.
The Messers Grimm did not have a patch on the Bible, which for 1.5 Billion people is the guide line work and which claims to contain the truth, You would be totally surprised if you would find out how many Christians maintain that every word contained in the OT and the NT is true.
But that, my dear friend, is the end of my blabbering for one day.
Bert

REFLECTIONS here or there

You may reflect while sitting in a boat drifting in the Kafue River in Zambia, counting Hippos, Crocs, and Reflections,

or

you may reflect upon your life, while sitting on the side of your bed in a Hospital in Klagenfurt.

Which would you prefer ?

Can this story be true?

A Wall for Colorado!

When Mr. Donald Trump was elected to the Presidency of the United States of America, 

I wrote in my Blog and probably also on Facebook, that America had survived many disasters.

America survived the War of Independence, the Civil War, WW I and WWII, and various Economic Disasters

America, so I prognosticated, will also survive the Presidency of Mr. Trump.

I still believe this to be true in spite of … well, in spite of....

But now I have to ask myself: Although Donald talks about Yemen and Syria and Turkey... does he know where these countries are? 

I am inclined to doubt it. He does not seem to know where Colorado is. (I sincerely hope that he knows the location of Washington DC)

It is reported that the President of the USA made an offer to the Governor of Colorado to build a wall along his border with Mexico.

Isn't this generous?

There is, however, a small problem! Colorado does not have a border with Mexico.

It does have a border with several other States of the USA. 

One of them being “New Mexico”

Oh well, who cares? Mexico, New Mexico, it's all “Mexico” to Donald.

So, let's build a wall.

Bertstravels

is willing to give free Geography lessons.

Austria's National Holiday

26^th October

On this date Austria celebrates its “National Holiday!”

Because on this day in 1955 the last of the “Liberating Forces” left Austrian territory and Austria declared its everlasting Neutrality.

With this sentence alone we have started two points of discussion:

At the end of WWII, on the 8^th day of May 1945, was Austria “defeated” or was it “liberated”?

I believe that the German Army and the Regime of National Socialism was “defeated”. The people of Germany, along with the people of Austria, however, were “liberated” from the scourge of the brutal Hitler dictatorship.

Since the Allied Forces were physically present in these territories, it can, of course, semantically be said that they “occupied” them.

Had it not been for the stubborn insistence of the Russian leadership to remain in their half of Austria, the rest, the American, the British and other Western Allies, would have, so I believe, withdrawn at a much earlier date. But the scepter of communist expansionary tendencies convinced the Western Allies to remain until finally, in 1955, the Russian forces agreed to leave Austrian territory.

In fact, the USA had, years before, publicly declared Austria not defeated, but liberated.

So, after having argued about this single issue, let's briefly examine, and argue about the concept of “Neutrality.”

The Dictionary definition is very simple: Not to take either side in the case of a dispute.

In practice it is not quite as simple.

Switzerland, for instance, has cleverly and steadfastly remained neutral in any physical conflict. In matters of Economics and Ideology Switzerland is clearly allied with the West, and does therefore not occupy “neutral” territory.

While it is relatively simple to remain neutral in the case of armed conflict, for instance, it is not quite as simple in the case of “Democracy” vs “Dictatorship.”

In this case it is impossible to remain aloof, to remain neutral.

I am very glad that Austria is a Free Country, and I hope sincerely that it will be able to remain “democratically” neutral in all other respects.

That's what Bertstravels hopes for.

Is this fair?

.Who is Placido Domingo?

There is hardly anybody who does not know this Star -Tenor. 
Even if you are not an Opera fan, you likely ran across his name as one of “The Three Tenors.”

Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and said Placido.

They were the “ni plus ultra” of the world of Tenors. There were many others, of course, among them such Greats as Jussi Björling and Benjamino Gigli. ( about this last named, I can tell you a funny, personally experienced story.)

But back to Placido Domingo:

Recently, several ladies accused Placido of “sexual molestation” going back to the 1980s, that is some 30 years ago.

As a direct result of these accusations Placido resigned his position as General Director of the Opera Los Angeles, (which he helped to found some 30 years ago), stepped back from his engagement with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and was forced to cancel, or canceled several other appearances.

The question of why the women did not come forth with their accusations then and there, is really not a fair one, since back then, in ancient history, and long before the

“me too” movement, women felt largely dis- empowered and, in some cases feared for their jobs if they spoke up.

It seems to me, however, that it is in the very nature of man to make a pass at a woman.

Nature seems to have organized things, so that men are the aggressors and women the more timid partners in this duality.

The prettier she appears, the more likely it is that such an advance will be made.

If men had always refrained from such overtures (pardon the operatic pun), the human race would not have flourished. (maybe that would have been better for the world.)

Twenty, thirty years ago, the largest part of society would have said: “What a macho, macho guy he is and smiled indulgently.

Today, for the same infraction, Opera Houses (in this case) divorce themselves from the alleged perpetrator or accept his resignation, regardless of how beneficial the association may have been. Sponsors cancel their contracts which they have with Sport Heroes, and the man, who put his arm around a pretty woman and kissed her shoulder, 30 years ago, gets put in front of the door in mid-winter.

Yes, thirty years ago.

Most States of the USA have a “Statute of Limitation” of varying numbers of years for different crimes. With exception of murder, which has no such limit, they amount to anywhere between 2 and 15 years.

However: Placido Domingo is charged in the press for “a crime” he committed some 30 years ago and must pay the penalty, although he has not been charged by any Prosecutor, has not been tried in a Court of Law and has not been convicted by a Judge and Jury of even a traffic infraction.

He is charged with sexual molestation today and fired tomorrow.

Please do not take from the above that I condone a man's disrespecting the dignity of a woman, or that I consider an unsolicited advance by any man upon any woman as acceptable, but consider it as a plea to be fair to an accused, and not have him accused, tried, convicted and sentenced by public opinion based on some report in the Media.

The loss of Placido Domingo to the world of Opera would be tragic, indeed.

Bertstravels
will continue to listen to his records

Is this true? (:-))

Had an exchange with a friend about  Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Lot was given a chance to save the two Cities from destruction if he found ten good persons in either. He could not and therefore destruction rained on both. So the Bible tells us!

(when Lot and his family left the City, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of Salt. Is this not a harsh penalty for being sadly curious about what is happening to your home town?)

Is it believable that in two cities there was not one single good person? Either Lot did not look very carefully, or the story is just a "story".(and a bad one, at that.).                                                  When God sent the Flood and drowned everybody but Noah and his family, does that mean there was not one innocent person, other than Noah and his family on the entire world??? What about new born babies and children who hadn't yet had a chance to be "bad"? What about faithful, good husbands and devoted loving wives and mothers? Was really everybody bad? Did "God" really think He made a mistake in creating this sad lot? Did he not know that He was all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, all etc etc etc and therefore He could not possibly have made a mistake. ... and don't, dear Joe, give me this excuse about "Free Will"... despite Free Will, man could not have surprised God...since He knew all there was, all there is and all there will be.                                                      In the "Form" in which He is described in ALL Scriptures of ALL Religions He does, in my humble opinion,  not exist. If He exists it must be in another form, about which Man cannot write or speak.

Let me go back to the story of Lot. Did not two Angels seek asylum in his house and several men appeared evidently wanting "to know" the persons in Lot's house. "To know" is a term used for sexual intercourse. Lot refused and... now get this--- offered his daughters so that the men "could do with them as they wanted".                                Holy Cow! What a good father!                      Would not a good man have fought these men to the end and, if necessary died in the effort? But Nooo... Lot wanted to protect the supernatural Angels and offered his daughters for rape and fornication...

What is this rubbish all about? 

The Brothers Grim collected better Fairy Tales.

just a coupla pix

You've probably seen these before. 

Have another look!

They're worth it !

That's not 'all there is'

there's plenty more.

Butterflies

I thought I'd show you two pictures

of some of the most beautiful animals there are.

Yes, I know there are beautiful birds

and Elephants and Hippos are also beautiful.

But "butterflies" surely take the cake.

and I don't even know their names! It's shameful!