Saturday, December 2, 2023
Perhaps Leonard Bernstein’s primary gift to music was his ability to give the gift of music to the world’s children.
The Washington Post
Bravo, Bradley Cooper: ‘Maestro’ is a grand, messy symphony of moments
The director and star of the Leonard Bernstein biopic tells the conductor’s story, and that of his wife (Carey Mulligan), with electric, sometimes scattershot verve
Review by Ann Hornaday
November 29, 2023 at 11:55 a.m. EST
"R. At area theaters; available Dec. 20 on Netflix. Contains some strong language and drug use. 131 minutes."
Music was always a huge part of my brother & my life. Our mom Asunta Pitcherella sang to us as babies. My grandmom Cavallucci was the choir director and organist at the Holy Rosary Church just down Black Horse Hill Rd. In Coatesville.
My brother Joe known as "Snap" had a huge collection of 45 & 33 ⅓ Rhythm and Blues and Jazz records. I learned to play the bongo drums and appreciate Afro-Cuban music. My brother would take his friends to New York area Jazz clubs. They went to the “Five Spot” in Harlem.
I remember this album:
My brother taught himself the Blues harp (harmonica.) He wrote James Cotton about a technique issue. Jame Cotton came to Philly at Warm Daddy’s on Front St.. My brother was having back problems and rode on back seat of my Chevy. We spoke to Mr. Cotton. Afterwards I asked my brother if he understood him. “Not a word.”
Muddy Waters & James Cotton- Got My Mojo Working 1966:
Joe played with a local Chester County blues band.
When he moved to Montana he couldn’t find a blues band.
He bought a Horner “Chrometta” and worked it so he could use his microphone and found a country & western band to play in.
1961 in Scott Senior High School, Coatesville PA all the kids in Mr. Daghir’s Meistersingers were nuts about Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
Jerry Daghir taught more than music. He taught us how to live our lives. He took some of us under his wing telling stories of Lt. Daghir and his Black sergeant who kept him alive in Korea. He lobbied Coatesville High School football and basketball teams for black athletes with good voices. He molded us.
Mr. Daghir said that Leonard Bernstein was not a great composer. But he might be the greatest at spreading the love of classical and modern American music to the world.
The values of “The Greatest Generation” were taught to us by the large number of veterans who used the “GI Bill” to get a degree in education and by my Mom, Dad Aunts and Uncles.
Coatesville Meistersingers-- Its tradition
When we bought our first home in West Mt. Airy Philadelphia we had an oppurtunity to sing at the Unitarian Church of Germantown. The choir director was Joseph D. Chapline Jr.
Take a short walk in Philadelphia and you will hear a melody. It might be played on a violin. Maybe a saxophone. Maybe a mockingbird. You will hear music in Philadelphia.
Joseph D. Chapline Jr.
August 2, 1920 – August 8, 2011
Joseph Chapline - Renaissance Man Joseph Chapline, age 91, died peacefully on August 8, 2011 at his home in Newbury, NH surrounded by people he loved and cherished mementos from his accomplished life.
Born August 2, 1920 in Philadelphia, his love of music developed when he began singing in choirs at the early age of 10. He went on to graduate from Ursinus College with degrees in history and political science as well as a fascination of the English language. Soon Mr. Chapline became a research associate in mathematics at the Moore School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
While there, he contributed to the WWII effort by working on the Differential Analyzer. Shortly after the war, Chapline helped to develop the Binac and Eniac; two of the worlds earliest computers. In addition, he mastered the craft of technical writing and produced a comprehensive manual on how to properly operate and maintain the Eniac. Chapline taught well over 200-classes in technical writing.
In 1953, Chapline returned to his childhood passion of music and was hired as the organist and choirmaster for the Unitarian Church of Germantown in Philadelphia. In addition to the providing the music during weekly Sunday services, Mr. Chapline presented and conducted Bach's Christmas Oratorio nine times and twice performed Britten's Noye's Fludde with his wife, Julea. While there, he championed the cause for a new tracker-action pipe organ, which was graciously dedicated to the church in 1963.
By 1964, Chapline honed his talents and focused his energy on a new challenge, creating intricate and beautiful pipe organs. Influenced by E. Power Biggs and other established concert and church organists in the Philadelphia area, Chapline toured organ factories in Germany and came home ready to try his hands at building and rebuilding organs.
Within a year, Chapline mastered the craft and successfully began Chapline Organs. He built and refurbished many fine instruments over the years including the Hook and Hastings Organ which he played at Trinity Episcopal Church in Claremont, NH until his retirement in 2009 at the age of B9.
During his long and productive life, Chapline hand built 15-instruments and rebuilt 15-others. After thirty years as the Musical Director of the Unitarian Church of Germantown, Chapline retired and moved to Newbury with his wife, Julea. Living on Lake Sunapee was the realization of a life-long dream for both of them. And, although retired, for the next l8-years while living in Newbury,
Chapline dedicated his time to being the primary organist and choirmaster at St Paul's Episcopal Church in Concord, NH. Throughout his remaining years, he also played other organs and led many different choirs in various worshiping communities including Jewish Synagogues, Protestant, and Roman Catholic Churches. One of the priests at St Paul's Episcopal so poignantly stated "he played with insight and depth and joy and enthusiasm Joe Chapline did indeed play music with all of his heart.
Joseph Chapline's beloved wife Julea (Stad) Chapline, died in 1991. He is survived by his children Suzanne Chapline Day and Philip Chapline, five granddaughters, three great grandchildren, all of whom are living in the Philadelphia area and his partner, Rod Torbert of Newbury. A Service in Celebration of the life of Joseph Chapline will be held on Saturday August 20, 2011 at 2 pm at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Centre Street, Concord, NH. A reception for all who attend will be held following the service in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Lake Sunapee VNA & Hospice, PO Box 2209, New London, NH, 03257-2209. Bennett Funeral Home, located at 209 N. Main Street in Concord is graciously assisting the family with these arrangements.
I can’t sing anymore. My throat is messed up by too many plastic tubes shoved into my trachea during surgery.
But I can listen and play music in my head. 😊
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
At York Academy of Arts Niles Blanchard my public speaking teacher in art school worked as a United States Supreme Court lawyer & raised sheep on his Maryland farm. He raced with Barney Oldfield.
Likely in a car that looked like this:
Mr. Blanchard as we called him lived on a sheep farm in Maryland. Probably in his late 60s at the time, he would get in the sheep dip. On a class bus trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art he was necking with his wife like a teenager. I think he was a free spirit all his life.
In 1965 he drove a Volvo P-1800.
Later I learned my eye doctor in Philly refurbished Volvo P-1800s.
My son Jeff refurbished his 2003 Porsche Boxster:
In his mind he swore to protect & defend EMPEROR TRUMP - "Trump’s REJECTION of Constitutional Oath BACKFIRES in his FACE." Cris Christie is a rare bird, a rule of law Republican who supports & defends the Constitution.
“MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on how Republican Chris Christie predicted that Donald Trump will be convicted, ineligible to vote, and how Trump’s rejection of the of the oath to “support the Constitution” will backfire in his face.”
It’s good to see that not all Republicans are for fascism, not anti-Semitic white supremacists. That some Republicans support the Constitution & rule of law.
I would still vote for Joe Biden. I remember Chris Christi’s “Bridgegate.”
“The Fort Lee lane closure scandal, better known as Bridgegate,[1][2] was a political scandal in the U.S. state of New Jersey in 2013 and 2014. It involved a staff member and political appointees of then-governor Chris Christie colluding to create traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey by closing lanes at the main toll plaza[3][4] for the upper level of the George Washington Bridge.[5]"
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
NYT-“Gold Bars and Tokyo Apartments: How Money Is Flowing Out of China.” Nowhere near 1948 when Mao came. Kuomintang army stayed alive making heroin. CIA in Vietnam was financed with Kuomintang heroin. Soldiers came addicted to Coatesville PA VA hospital
NYT-“Gold Bars and Tokyo Apartments: How Money Is Flowing Out of China.” It ain’t anywhere near like 1948.
Gold Rush, Shanghai, also known by other titles like Gold Rush. The Last Days of Kuomintang, Shanghai, is a black and white photograph taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1948.[1]
History and description
Cartier-Bresson went to China in December 1948, on assignment for Life magazine, initially for a short trip, but ended up staying for a much longer time, as he documented the historical events and the general environment as the Kuomintang government fell while the Chinese Communist Party was about to seize power and to proclaim what would become the People's Republic of China, in 1949.[2]
This is one of the most famous pictures out of the large amount that he took during this period. It was taken in Shanghai, on 23 December 1948, and documents what happened when the currency crashed and the Kuomintang decided to distribute 14 grams of gold by person. This resulted in thousands of people who waited in line to trade the gold for money, often suffocating to the point of death.[3]
The picture shows one of these events, it was entirely spontaneous, despite what might appear as a choreographed composition, and depicts a crowd of desperate customers, both men and women, pressing themselves as they try anxiously to reach the bank where they want to sell their gold. Cartier-Bresson waited carefully for the dramatic shape to take place and then captured it for posterity.[2][4]
FROM:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"French Connection" Heroin.
France was broke & couldn't finance its colonial war in Vietnam. The French Foreign Legion financed its Vietnam War by selling Heroin. The United States basically took over the French Colonial War in Vietnam in 1954.
The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade Paperback – May 1, 2003
by Alfred W. McCoy (Author)
I asked then Chester County District Attorney Joe Carroll if he had seen "American Gangster." He hadn't. I told him to watch it.
"American Gangster" sheds light on the CIA, DEA, U.S. Airforce participation in selling heroin in the United States. And why then Chester County DA Bill Lamb's prosecution of about 40 people in 1976 fell apart. And why President Carter formed a unit to investigate the Chester County FBI.
Once you realize that the CIA was financing its clandestine operations by adopting the French Foreign Legion financing of itself by selling heroin. You can begin understand why then Chester County District Attorney Bill Lamb's prosecution of about 40 people in 1976 fell apart.
Daniel Joseph was the star witness in 32 arrests. Richard Legree of Coatesville PA was one of the 32 people arrested.
Richard Legree was called the “Biggest drug pusher in Chester County” by Bill Lamb.
Mr. Legree began serving his sentence at Graterford Prison. All of Chester County District Attorney Bill Lamb’s prosecution fell apart when Joseph was murdered while protected by federal marshals.
Informant’s Death Probed Reading Eagle June 23, 1977
“The shroud of mystery that surrounded the life of Reading drug informant Daniel Joseph shows no signs of lifting now that he is dead.
Joseph, also known as Danny Joe and Richard Ledwith, formerly of the Park Apartments, Eckert Avenue and Clymer Street was found dead Monday in a Richmond Va., apartment house where he was being housed by U.S. Marshals under the Federal Witness Protection Program.
The protective measures were deemed necessary, according to Chester County Dis. Atty. William H. Lamb because of threats against Joseph’s life ally friends of two narcotic agents he was scheduled to testify against and by friends of some of the 40 people arrested in April 1976 raids which resulted from his undercover work.
Dist. Atty. Lamb has charged that some of the threats came from unidentified members of the Reading Bureau of Police.
Police Chief Benard J. Dobinski this morning reiterated his displeasure with the allegation and again challenged the Chester County district attorney coproduce evidence of the charges.
“As far as I am concerned, until he comes to me with evidence to substantiate the charges I will continue to view them as asinine,” the chief said.
Yet the suspicious death of the informer, whose elusiveness led to the prosecution of Lawrence Palmer and Gordon Roberts, two Reading based agents with the state Bureau of Drug Control for withholding his whereabouts from Chester officials, was given rise to a new round of threat allegations.
Joesph, who was given the new identity of Jay Chapman by his federal watchdogs, was found dead in his LaMancha Appartment in Richmond, a syringe lying next to his body, Dist. Atty. Lamb reported.
According to Dist. Atty. Lamb, Joseph had been a heavy drug user for about five years but recently told hime that he was off heroin for about six months and was looking for a job.
A spokesman for the Richmond medical examiner’s office said an autopey has been completed buy no cause of death has been established pending additional lab work.
“It’s too early right now to speculate on the cause,” Dist. Atty. Lamb said, but we can’t rule out the possibility of murder, especially after the threats he received.”
Dist. Atty.Lamb had intended to use the witness to testify in the trial of Palmer and Robert but that testimony was made unnecessary by the drug agents’ guilty plea to one count of obstructing justice. Palmer and Roberts were sentenced to 23-months probation.
Dist. Atty. Lamb said his testimony was needed, however, in the trials of about 40 drug suspects arrested in the April 1976 raids and scheduled for trial in two weeks.
He sais Joseph’s death “ will have a material affect on around 15 to 20 cases still pending.
“We stand a very distinct possibility of losing them…” he said
Federal officials probing the death remained mum on the details, but promised full disclosure when circumstances permit.
According to Dist. Atty. Lamb, Joseph was not guarded around the clock by the U.S. marshals.
The last time the officials saw Joseph alive, he said, was on Thursday.
The district attorney said he asked David Marston, U.S. attorney for the eastern Pennsylvania, to investigate the death.”
Frank Lucas went direct to the Kuomintang in Laos. High grade white heroin transported by the U.S. Air Force some of it in fake bottoms of caskets of the dead returning from Vietnam.
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Saturday, November 25, 2023
According to Justice Thomas, only gun laws existing from 1781 to 1865 are legal. Inferring that only flintlock & percussion firearms are legal for ordinary citizens to possess. One of the more modern being Wild Bill Hickok’s Navy Colt Revolver
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_1851_Navy_Revolver |
“Thomas writes that courts should determine whether a modern-day gun regulation fits within the nation’s historical traditions by drawing ‘historical analogies’ to early American gun laws.”
Thomas’s opinion suggests that these analogies may need to be drawn to laws that existed in 1791, when the Second Amendment was ratified; or that they may need to be drawn to laws that existed in 1865 — when the Fourteenth Amendment, which requires states to comply with the Second Amendment, was ratified."
“In any event, there are fairly obvious reasons why it is hard to draw reliable analogies between modern-day regulations and laws from earlier centuries."
MORE AT:
Vox
The Supreme Court’s new gun ruling means virtually no gun regulation is safe
New York State Rifle v. Bruen is poorly reasoned. But its implications are potentially catastrophic.
Ian Millhiser Jun 23, 2022, 3:00pm EDT
So is the most modern type of firearm that ordinarily Americans can carry a percussion cap like Wild Bill Hickok’s Colt Navy Revolver?
FROM:
Bullock & Wild Bill Confront Ned Mason - Deadwood
The premier firearm of 1781 the flintlock musket.
The first modern smokeless powder firearm was the 1886 Label.
1886 Lebel Rifle: The Gun That Changed The World
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