Carmen Enid, Carmen Possum, Comme Ci, Comme Ça

Mini UPDATE just to say hello to my 4 activity trackers.  I'll keep you coming back to my blog, and I appreciate the addition you make to my blog traffic.  :D

Hehehe--and you thought I couldn't see you just because you have Blogger stats turned off, huh.  You forget you're messing with a techie geek over here.  Yup--that's what I was doing instead of posting a new blog entry: *I* was watching *YOU*.  Now then--as I type this, I'm watching CSPAN's rebroadcast of Richard J. Danzig's presentation on the topic of cyber security, and just got a chuckle out of his citing the Stuxnet incident with Iranian centrifuges, and, keeping in mind what I was saying about technical ongoing surveillance Iran agreed to in the #IranDeal, and then commenting that we should be interested in leaner software that doesn't present all kinds of bells/whistles capability because those are also vulnerabilities to exploit, too...and thought of Microsoft bloatware.  I'm certain that both the EU and the IAEA know better, too.

Where bloatware has been the Microsoft business model since Gates ripped off Apple's Excel and operating system to come up with Windows, while still responding to CP/M commands, any Microsoft product would necessarily be out of  the picture.  Big question, though--who else is out there that's better AND as ubiquitous, hm?  Yeah. Big snag there.

As gri might say--grivitational pull is everywhere.

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I'm glad that schedule conflicts don't happen often--you know, like they did for OK Mozart & DeadCENTER, as posted about earlier, but I anticipate similar situations for the upcoming FLY Film Fest in Enid later this year--it's what happens at film fests, alas.  But a schedule conflict occurred tonight between the City Commission meeting and the wrap up of Enid Symphony's Summer Wine series...and...they wrapped up with selections from the opera Carmen.

Ah, yes, the French via Seville.  I've said it before and I'll say it again--much of Spain's story is French, alors.

I did manage to deal with both, and entirely by conventional means this time, and boy was I glad I did--one of the singers tonight was the same guy who stole the show at the July 4th fireworks thing: tenor Brett Payne. Yowza.  But I don't intend to cut Doug Newell short--he's pretty much a treat in his own right, beginning the evening's fête thus (and I apologize for Blogger's crappy restrictions on video quality)

Doug Newell indulged in a lengthy but most entertaining background story of Carmen composure before the singers came out and actually sung, but here I must confess that, by and large, I can't stand opera as a rule.  There are a few rare exceptions to that rule, and Carmen's one of 'em.  And Doug Newell makes exceptions more exceptional, without a doubt.

I'll now fast forward to the end of the presentation, but because of Blogger restrictions, need to cut it off just as Brett Payne takes the stage.  What Blogger forces me to do is post better, longer videos elsewhere in cyberspace, so if you're on Facebook, you'll get to see those next, there, and in better quality.

I'll have some more to post about the Enid City Commission, but not tonight.  It's been a big day and at this point, I'm winding down.  But by all means stay tuned, you know there'll be more here. Oh--about the possum...well, that's a favorite sort-of-Latin poem from 'way back in time, and those of you who know that I'm a Red Green fan, you know that I'm fond of their sort-of-Latin motto as well.  Quando omni flunkus moritati.

But while you're waiting for the rest of the stuff I want to post about, enjoy Carmen Possum:

THE NOX was lit by lux of Luna,

And 'twas a nox most opportuna

To catch a possum or a coona;

For nix was scattered o'er this mundus,

A shallow nix, et non profundus.

On sic a nox with canis unus,

Two boys went out to hunt for coonus.

The corpus of this bonus canis

Was full as long as octo span is,

But brevior legs had canis never

Quam had hic dog; et bonus clever.

Some used to say, in stultum jocum

Quod a field was too small locum

For sic a dog to make a turnus

Circum self from stem to sternus.

Unus canis, duo puer,

Nunquam braver, nunquam truer,

Quam hoc trio nunquam fuit,

If there was I never knew it.

This bonus dog had one bad habit,

Amabat much to tree a rabbit,

Amabat plus to chase a rattus,

Amabat bene tree a cattus.

But on this nixy moonlight night

This old canis did just right.

Nunquam treed a starving rattus,

Nunquam chased a starving cattus,

But sucurrit on, intentus

On the track and on the scentus,

Till he trees a possum strongum,

In a hollow trunkum longum.

Loud he barked in horrid bellum,

Seemed on terra vehit pellum.

Quickly ran the duo puer

Mors of possum to secure.

Quam venerit, one began

To chop away like quisque man.

Soon the axe went through the truncum

Soon he hit it all kerchunkum;

Combat deepens, on ye braves!

Canis, pueri et staves

As his powers non longius carry,

Possum potest non pugnare.

On the nix his corpus lieth.

Down to Hades spirit flieth,

Joyful pueri, canis bonus,

Think him dead as any stonus.

Now they seek their pater's domo,

Feeling proud as any homo,

Knowing, certe, they will blossom

Into heroes, when with possum

They arrive, narrabunt story,

Plenus blood et plenior glory.

Pompey, David, Samson, Caesar,

Cyrus, Black Hawk, Shalmanezer!

Tell me where est now the gloria,

Where the honors of victoria?

Nunc a domum narrent story,

Plenus sanguine, tragic, gory.

Pater praiseth, likewise mater,

Wonders greatly younger frater.

Possum leave they on the mundus,

Go themselves to sleep profundus,

Somniunt possums slain in battle,

Strong as ursae, large as cattle.

When nox gives way to lux of morning,

Albam terram much adorning,

Up they jump to see the varmin,

Of the which this is the carmen.

Lo! possum est resurrectum!

Ecce pueri dejectum,

Ne relinquit back behind him,

Et the pueri never find him.

Cruel possum! bestia vilest,

How the pueros thou beguilest!

Pueri think non plus of Caesar,

Go ad Orcum, Shalmanezer,

Take your laurels, cum the honor,

Since ista possum is a goner!

And now a public service announcement for tourists headed to Enid:

Yes--what a lovely shrubbery. City watered, Main Street Enid manicured, lush.