Author: The Hinoeuma

Tune Tuesday: The Hills 2015

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The Weeknd The Hills Vevo Image One
Photo Credit: YouTube

Switching things up a bit…~Vic

Five years ago, today, the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, R&B/Hip-Hop and Canadian Hot 100 charts was The Hills by Canadian singer The Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye). Released May 27, it was the 5th track from the album Beauty Behind the Madness and the second single released.

“When a song takes its hook from a horror film, Wes Craven’s 1977 cult classic The Hills Have Eyes, you know there’s bound to be trouble.

Brian Mansfield
USA Today
June 2, 2015

Certified Diamond (RIAA 2019)
♦ The song was featured in an Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium commercial featuring Zoe Kravitz.
♦ The song was used in the TV show Life in Pieces, Season One, Episode 21.

FFTD: Gated Tulips

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That’s not really a genus or a family but, they do look cute peeking through the iron gate. ~Vic

Tulips Through The Gate Image
04-10-2019

Flower for the Day

Sir Thomas Sean Connery

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Sean Connery Far Out Magazine UK Image One
August 25, 1930 ~ October 31, 2020
Bond. James Bond.
Photo Credit: Far Out Magazine UK

I just found out about the passing of actor Sean Connery. There are certain actors I have a thing for and he is one of them. Our birthdays are five days apart and we both have Scottish (and Irish) ancestry. He enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of 16, was assigned to the HMS Formidable as an Able Seaman and was medically discharged at 19 for ulcers.

Darby O'Gill Connery Time Magazine Image Two
Darby O’Gill & The Little People
Image Credit: Time

One of his early endeavors was as an artist’s model. He was into bodybuilding and was in a Mr. Universe contest, though the actual year is disputed. He was a footballer, playing for Bonnyrigg Rose and was once offered a contract to play professionally:

“[I] realised that a top-class footballer could be over the hill by the age of 30 and I was already 23. I decided to become an actor and it turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves.”

He was a member of the Scottish National Party and campaigned for Scottish Independence, financially supporting the party until the UK passed legislation to prohibit overseas funding. One of his two tattoos was “Scotland Forever.”

He managed to make it all the way to 90 but, according to his son Jason, he had been unwell for some time. He passed peacefully in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas. I think it altogether fitting and proper that Sir Sean left on Halloween during a full Blue Moon. Godspeed. ~Vic

Sean Connery Hunt For Red October
The Hunt for Red October
Image Credit: Reddit

Career Highlights:
His acting debut (uncredited) was in the UK film Lilacs in the Spring (titled Let’s Make Up in the US) in 1954, a British musical starring Errol Flynn. On UK TV, he played MacBeth, Alexander the Great and Count Vronsky. His first appearance on US TV was on The Jack Benny Program in 1957. His first credited film roll in the US was a UK/US collaboration in the movie Action of the Tiger, also in 1957. He was the first James Bond (and some say the only one), he played a savage in the distant future, became Robin Hood, was a Marshal in outer space, was King Agamemnon, was a sword-wielding immortal, did a turn as a Franciscan friar, was an Untouchable, a Provost Marshall in San Francisco, was the father of Indiana Jones, a Russian submarine Captain, appeared as King Richard, became a doctor, was a detective, a professor, played King Arthur, played an ex-con & an art thief, was a reclusive author and, was the voice of The Last Dragon. He was only in one Western in 1968. His last time on the big screen was in 2003 playing Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and his last time on TV was playing character John Muir in an episode of the documentary Freedom: A History of US, also in 2003. He did voice work up to 2012.

Awards:
1987 Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor/The Untouchables)
1987 BAFTA (Best Actor/The Name of the Rose)
1998 BAFTA Fellowship
1972 Golden Globe (Henrietta Award/World Film Favorite-Male)
1987 Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor/The Untouchables)
1995 Golden Globe (Cecil B. DeMille Award)

Indiana & Henry, Sr., Pinterest Image Four
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Photo Credit: Pinterest

Nominations:
1987 BAFTA (Best Supporting Actor/The Untouchables)
1989 BAFTA (Best Supporting Actor/Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
1990 BAFTA (Best Actor/The Hunt for Red October)
1965 Golden Globe (Henrietta Award/World Film Favorite-Male)
1968 Golden Globe (Henrietta Award/World Film Favorite-Male)
1989 Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor/Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

www.seanconnery.com (Web Archive)

Additional Reading & Sources:
BBC News
Belly Buzz (Web Archive of Connery’s Military Service)
List of Work (IMDb)
List of Work (Wikipedia)
Muscle Memory (As Tom Connery)
Scottish Junior Football Association (Web Archive)
Scottish Roots
Talk-Talk UK (Archive Today Copy of Connery’s Biography)

Hunter’s Blue Moon Halloween 2020

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I did a complete write-up in 2018 on the Hunter’s Moon so, I won’t repeat it, here. That being said, this is a Blue Moon as October’s first full moon fell on…well…the first.

Blue Moon Image One
Blue Moon with Mars from the Parking Deck
10-30-2020
Click for a larger view

From Moon Giant:

Humans through the ages have always found autumn’s full moons to be creepy and not without good reason. [T]his year, the moon will be extra exciting. The month starts with the Harvest Moon on October 1st and a second Blue Moon on Halloween, October 31st. The Harvest Moon is the Full Moon that falls closest to the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd. In most years, the September Full Moon lands closest but, this is one of the rare years that the October Full Moon falls very early in the month and closest to the Equinox. This makes the first Full Moon the Harvest Moon and, the second, the Full Hunter’s Moon.

Moon Over The Eno Image Two
Moon glow over the Eno
Click for a larger view

More from Moon Giant:

The modern day definition of a Blue Moon is when there are 2 Full Moons in one month. A Full Moon occurs roughly every 29.5 days and, on the rare occasion when the Full Moon falls at the very beginning of a month, there is a good chance a Blue Moon will occur at the end of the month. Depending on the exact time of the Blue Moon it is possible that some places in the world don’t technically have a Blue Moon. The modern definition […] was derived from an earlier idea of what a Blue Moon was. This earlier definition says a Blue Moon is when there are [four] Full Moons in a season rather than the usual [three]. The Blue moon is the 3rd Full Moon out of the 4. This definition gets a bit complicated and its origins are murky. One school of thought has to do with the naming of the Full Moons. Many cultures named the Full Moons each month to reflect the times for planting, harvesting or seasonal conditions. When an extra Full Moon was thrown in it was referred to as a Blue Moon to keep the Full Moon names constant throughout the year. The idea of a Blue Moon being the extra full Moon in a season (or when there were 13 in a year) was widely used in 19th, and early 20th [century], Farmers Almanacs and the more modern version seems to have come from an article written in the 1930s that misinterpreted the Farmers Almanac definition. The article was titled “Once in a Blue Moon” and from that point on, the term became part of the popular culture.

Moon Over The Riverwalk Image Three
Mars & Moon over the Riverwalk bridge.
Click for a larger view

From Time and Date:

Why is it called a Blue Moon? The historical origins of the term and its two definitions are shrouded in a bit of mystery and, by many accounts, an interpretation error. Some believe that the term “blue moon”, meaning something rare, may have originated from when smoke and ashes after a volcanic eruption turned the Moon blue. Others trace the term’s origin to over 400 years ago. [F]olklorist Philip Hiscock has suggested that invoking the Blue Moon once meant that something was absurd and would never happen. This Halloween Blue Moon […] is also a Micro Full Moon.

Barfing Pumpkin Daylight Image Five
My drunk, barfing pumpkin.
10-31-2020
Click for a larger view.
Drunk Pumpkin Image Four
All lit up.
Click for a larger view

100% illumination occurred at 10:49am EDT. ~Vic

Flick Friday: Just Plane Beep 1965

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Just Plane Beep Amazon Internet Animation Dbase Image One
Image Credit: The Internet Animation Database &
Amazon

Fifty-five years ago, today, the short, animated film Just Plane Beep was released. Produced by David DePatie & Friz Freleng and, directed by Rudy Larriva, Paul Julian was the uncredited voice of the Road Runner.

Synopsis from the Looney Tunes Fan Site (possible future broken link as Fandom is in the middle of a migration):

Wile E. Coyote chases Road Runner on foot but, Road Runner produces dust and runs off the side, smacking the coyote against a wall. While lying down on the ground, a paper for Acme War Surplus is blown towards the coyote and he sends a coupon in the mail. He receives a World War I bi-plane kit and plans to catch the Road Runner using it.

Needless to say, things don’t go well. ~Vic

Additional Reading & Sources:
Big Cartoon Database
IMDb
IMDb Movie Connections List
Internet Animation Database
SuperCartoons
Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Filmography 1965 (Wikipedia)
Wile E. Coyote & the Road Runner (Wikipedia)

Wayback Wednesday: Gulliver’s Travels 1726

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Gullivers Travels Wikipedia Image One
Image Credit: Wikipedia & Wikimedia

Two-hundred, ninety-four years ago, today, the book of satirical stories, Gulliver’s Travels was published. Written by Irish clergyman Jonathan Swift, the original title was Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships. That has to be the longest book title in existence. I’ve never read any of it, nor have I seen the various movies that have been put out. That being said, there are several well written summaries and opinions on the material and, I’m not reinventing the wheel. ~Vic

Gulliver’s Travels Study Guide on Grade Saver:

Gulliver’s name probably is an allusion to King Lemuel of Proverbs 31, who was a weak-minded prophet. Swift may also be connecting his character to a common mule, a half-ass, half-horse animal that is known for being stubborn and stupid. A gull is a person who is easily fooled or gullible. At the same time, Gulliver represents the everyman with his average intelligence and general good humor. The reader is able to identify with him and join him in his travels. Even though Swift constantly alludes to events that were happening while he was alive, the story rings true today, bringing light to our own societal issues and to patterns of human nature. Throughout Gulliver’s voyages, Swift goes to great lengths to scrutinize, parody, and satire various aspects of human, and often English, society.

Lilliputians Blogspot Image Two
Image Credit: Meisterwerke on Blogger

The Imaginative Conservative:

A mock work of travel literature, Jonathan Swift’s famous novel is a far deeper work than one of just Juvenalian and Horatian satire. It is an indictment against the prevailing spirit of Enlightenment philosophy and utopianism, an esoteric defense of Christianity against its Enlightenment critics, and a prophetic vision into the future degeneration of humanity in following the dictates of the natural philosophers of modernity. Swiftian irony is one of the great joys of the work. [Where] traditional literary narrative has the travelling protagonist return home to comfort and love, Swift’s Gulliver returns home deranged and a hater of humanity.

Additional Reading:
1939 Animated Movie (IMDb)
1977 UK Movie (IMDb)
1996 TV Mini-Series (IMDb)
20th Century Fox 2010 Movie (IMDb)
Britannica
Gulliver’s Travels (Wikipedia)
Jonathan Swift (Wikipedia)
Wikisource Text of the Book

Movie Monday: Die Rote Hand 1960

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Die Rote Hand-The Red Hand Wikipedia Image One
Image Credit: Wikipedia & Wikimedia

Sixty years ago, today, the Italian-German film Die rote Hand or The Red Hand was released. Directed by Kurt Meisel, written & produced by Ernst Neubach, it starred Paul Hubschmid, Hannes Messemer and Eleonora Rossi Drago.

Finding specific information on this film has been difficult. It appears that this was based upon a French terrorist organization’s bombings and assassinations that took place in Germany in September 1956, June 1957, October 1958, March 1959 and November 1959. IMDb doesn’t have a summary or synopsis but, I did find a translated plot from the German side of Wikipedia (Translate The Web Link):

This arms dealer drama takes place in Germany and Switzerland […] during the Cold War.

Manora Khan, consul of an unspecified Asian country, intends to hunt down his Cuban colleague Maria Gomez’s supply of weapons intended for her country. To this end, he orders the help of the smart Johnny Zamaris, with whom he has a common past: Johnny had once [been involved with] his great love, the actress Violetta Scotoni. [It] soon becomes apparent that no one is what he seems to be […]. Consul Khan turns out to be the leader of a secret organization called “The Red Hand” that deliberately kills competing gun-pushers. Competitor Johnny is more than just a smart Sonnyboy [sic]. [In] truth, he works as a defensive officer in his country, with the task of smashing “The Red Hand” again. Both men, who once competed for Violetta, die while serving in their respective [fatherlands], with Johnny being knocked down in the back of a black sedan with a machine gun after a final tender embrace with Violetta.

The writer and producer of this film was born in Austria but, emigrated to France after Anschluss. Unhappy with a Der Spiegel report, he wrote an opposite viewpoint. Der Speigel, in turn, panned the film.

I couldn’t find a trailer on YouTube. ~Vic

Additional Reading:
The State as a Terrorist: France and the Red Hand (Perspectives on Terrorism)

POTD: Tree Art

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This is a companion piece to my Virus Humor post back in April. It takes talent and patience to do this. And, a sharp knife. ~Vic

Tree Art Image
Just waiting for the phallic symbol and woody jokes.
04-15-2020

Picture of the Day

Shutterbug Saturday: Halloween Local 4.0

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The mood of our country isn’t really conducive to decorating or celebrating. There are a few highlights, here but, our town isn’t showing a lot of Halloween spirit. It’s a complete shame but, I managed to get a few shots. ~Vic

Halloween Local 3.0

Pumpkins In A Row Image One
Pumpkin Row
09-26-2020
Click for a larger view
Pipe Skeleton Image Two
The skeleton guy has shoes, now.
10-14-2020
Click for a larger view
Skeletons Image Three
I love the bird skeleton.
09-26-2020
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Great Pumpkin Image Four
It’s the Great Pumpkin!
This was on a box, on the ground, at our local market.
10-07-2020
Click for a larger view
Gargoyle Image Five
Gargoyle in a local bar.
10-01-2020
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Insurance Decoration Image Six
Local insurance company.
10-07-2020
Click for a larger view
Local Insurance Company Image Seven
They did a nice job.
10-07-2020
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Pumpkin Decoration Image Eight
A neighbor’s decoration a block away.
I love the starfish pumpkin.
10-01-2020
Click for a larger view
Pumpkin Decoration Image Nine
Lovely decoration.
10-01-2020
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Pumpkin Decorations Image Ten
Lumpy pumpkin.
10-01-2020
Click for a larger view
Ghost & Skeleton Decoration Image Eleven
Spooky ghostie & bat skeleton.
10-10-2020
Click for a larger view
Glowing Ghost Image Twelve
Glowing ghostie.
10-08-2020
Click for a larger view
My Front Yard Image Thirteen
My front yard.
The pumpkin will be carved for Halloween.
10-20-2020
Click for a larger view

Chris Thomas: Consciousness Change

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A Magazine Article From: The Chris Thomas Files

Samuel Austin Unsplash Image One
Photo Credit: Samuel Austin on Unsplash

There is a point at which all of the changes that have been spoken of in the last few years come about. As we moved into November 2010, all of the long awaited shifts in energy began in earnest and we started a new phase of development as the energies we have available to us entered a new, and final, phase of acceleration. Many felt this new phase begin and welcomed it in, whilst others started to feel that they were under pressure, almost to the point of feeling under some kind of ‘attack’.

So What Is Going On?

If you look at the graph below (graph is visible in the PDF, below), what is represented there is the way in which the energy frequencies connected with us and the Earth have changed in recent years. In order for us to be physical on this planet, the Earth has always produced a ‘base-note’ frequency of 7.56 Hz (that is a frequency of 7.56 cycles per second). Don’t worry if you do not understand cycles per second or Hz, it is the values of the level of change that are important. The Earth’s own frequency is that which allows the soul to take on physical form and also, through our ‘root’ chakra, connects us to the Earth. At the time of Atlantis, we had the whole of the soul within the physical body…not the physical self/higher self soul division we have become used to. The problem was that we knew that the Earth’s base-note frequency was too low to maintain our original ‘whole soul’ state but, we did not know what this frequency needed to be raised to in order for us to be in that state again. For the past 7,000 years, we have been investigating what the new frequency needed to be, and in the year 2000, we finally worked it out. Once we had arrived at the answer, the Earth responded immediately and raised her base-note frequency from its original 7.56 Hz to 3,500 Hz (3.5 kHz) in May of that year (green line on graph in the PDF, below). Unfortunately, humans being humans, we were a little low in responding in the same way and it has taken us a further ten years to arrive at the point where we can accelerate our own energies.

andreas Wagner Unsplash Image Two
Photo Credit: Andreas Wagner on Unsplash

A New Phase Of Existence

This is what happened at the start of November 2010. As can be seen from the graph (blue line in the PDF, below), we had raised our own frequencies a little (to around 13 Hz) but, then, the graph begins to curve and then rise. By the start of November 2011, we will have caught up with the changes the Earth has already made and be in a position to resonate at 3.5 kHz, allowing us to reintegrate the whole of the soul back into the body and, for the first time in 7,000 years, become true Human Beings…once, again. Once we have achieved that new state, we begin an entirely new phase of human existence which has no time limit. The November 2011 date then allows us an extra year to sort ourselves out before the end of the calendrical cycle of the ‘Fifth Sun’, of the Mayan Calendar, that ends on the 21st December 2012. The important thing to remember about the Mayan Calendar is that it does not mean the end of the world. [I]t just means that we have completed the last cycle of our old way of life and we are set to begin an entirely new level of being. As we do begin our new consciousness, the calendar ’rounds’ begin afresh and, this time, there are no limits and no end-dates.

What we are becoming is very difficult to describe as we do not have an adequate vocabulary to describe our new way of being. One thing is for certain…it will be beyond our wildest imaginations. There are, of course, those who have attempted to prevent us from reaching this point by attempting to create ‘A New World Order’ (sound familiar?). This acceleration, in our own levels of consciousness, will ensure that this ‘opposition’ will not, and cannot, succeed, but it will not stop them from trying. [So], 2011 and 2012 are likely to be periods where our transition will appear difficult (like now). Just think of this time as though you were riding on a surf board…whatever the seas of change throw at us, just ride over the waves [and] do not become drowned in the falsely created currents that would hold our change back. It might be a bumpy ride for a little while but, our destination is a new paradise on Earth.

© 2011 Chris Thomas

Cygnus Review Magazine (Issue 2, Page 12, February 2011/Download & Share)
The Blog Post (Cygnus Review Blog…with the wrong author credited)

POTD: Hiatus

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I’m taking a break from blogging for a while. I’m kinda burned out. In fact, I’m burned out on a lot of things. I’m not sure when I will return. ~Vic

Sunset & Adirondacks Image
Backyard Haven
02-25-2020

Picture of the Day