Classics in Film, Streaming, Saucers

I have been reflecting lately on the ability of some people to remain calm in stressful situations. Specifically, athletes like Patrick Mahomes. NFL quarterbacks face supreme pressure to read the defense and get rid of the ball in a matter of seconds. Mahomes does this well. He almost always makes the right decision. He stays calm. Well, completely unrelated to Patrick Mahomes, but related to classical music and the art of staying calm in difficult situations, I re-watched a great movie called Fearless which was released in 1993. It stars Jeff Bridges who plays a man who survives a plane crash...one of the only to survive, and the only one not to be injured...he walks away unscathed. In the aftermath of the crash, he pulls away from his family, and everyone else in his life for that matter, while trying to process the trauma...trying to understand why he was the fortunate one. The crash scene is very vivid and realistic. And as the scene unfolds, music from composer Henryk Gorecki plays; specifically the first movement of his Symphony no. 3 known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Souls. I think it is a brilliant choice by the director, Peter Weir. 

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I spent some time a few weeks ago re-organizing and cataloging my CD collection....you do know what a CD is, right? Some of you do...but many younger people don't. Like the album and cassette tape, the CD has pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur. But I still listen to them, as well as my albums. But face it...the digital age has given all of us seemingly infinite power to access and enjoy music far beyond a CD/album/tape collection. And I must confess that my Amazon music subscription is my primary source of music these days. It just blows me away....I can find just about anything I want to listen to with a simple search and click of the button. I do think the sound and nuance of albums...and analog music overall...is still superior... but hey...the upside of music streaming is undeniable.

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I drink coffee everyday. My morning ritual starts with putting cold water in the kettle, grinding my beans, bringing the water to a boil, scooping the coffee into a French press, stirring, waiting, pressing and sipping. It's a highlight of my day. Just as I enjoy the first sip of a cocktail/wine in the evening, this first sip of coffee is essential for my enjoyment of the day, and life itself. And I have several mugs I enjoy drinking from. But what happened to saucers? When was the last time you used a saucer? I can't recall. And this is a shame. Saucers are elegant. They bring coffee drinking to a higher level of sophistication. Yesterday, I pulled out our fine set of china and served myself coffee in a proper cup with a saucer. It was beautiful, don't you agree?