Hump Day

Truck night last night damn near kicked my ass.  I worked from 9:30 PM to 8 AM this morning checking in and putting away 5 separate deliveries after midnight.  As a result, when I go home this morning, it is I who felt like he was the humpee in a rough sex scene.  After a short chill period, I began preparing for this post, gathering the Music and the Men, before succumbing to the irresistible  urge to nap.  Upon arising, events have conspired to preclude my arrival in these pages until now.  However, I do have Marvelous Music from 2 different composers as well as some Super Sexy Studs Splashing about to keep you entertained.  

As we continue what for lack of a better title is Violin Week here at Nichevo, we explore two very different concerti that while being different, both offer many similarities as well.  Our composers today wrote but a singular Violin Concerto each and no accompanying Sonata.  Antonin Dvorak, born in 1841 and Jean Sibelius, born in 1865, both used traditional themes and folklore from their native lands which inspired their compositions.  Other than his Violin Concerto in D Minor, Opus 47, Sibelius composed 7 Symphonies using each successive work to further develop his own personal compositional style similarly to Beethoven before him.  His works continue to be performed frequently in the concert hall and are often recorded.  You will find his Violin Concerto with a live performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim with Maxim Vengerov as the Soloist recorded at the Kolner Philharmonie posted down below.  In addition to his Violin Concerto in A Minor, Opus 53,  Dvorak wrote 9 Symphonies.  Four of those, including one lost to the composer himself, were only discovered after his passing.  You will find his Violin Concerto over on my tumblr with a marvelous 1965 recording by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra featuring Isaac Stern as the Violin Soloist. 

Then for the aforementioned Super Sexy Studs Splashing about, check out this week's edition of Wet Wednesday down below.  There is also the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr who shows us how to 'Shower in a Sea Shell'.  Thanks for sticking around, join me tomorrow as we celebrate Tchaikovsky's birthday with his Violin Concerto.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Joshua Bell Live

Well I finally got all my chores and errands done making it possible to now listen to some excellent Music.  And ogle some magnificent Men in the course of enjoying the rest of my day off, lol.  Your featured Artist today is American Violinist Joshua Bell, one of the premier Violinists in the world today.  (It does seem I have been on a Violin Concerto binge this week.  Does it not?) I have two live performances to share with you today.  Here in these pages I have Joshua Bell in concert with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America under the baton of Valery Gergiev in their performance of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 35.  While over on my tumblr, you may catch Josh's live performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, Opus 47 with the Oslo Filharmoniske Orkester under the baton of Vasily Petrenko live from the Konserthus in Oslo.  Do remember to see what deliciousness is on the denim menu in Men In Jeans post down below and check out the view of the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for hanging about waiting for me to show up, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

New World of Sound

I entered a whole new world of sound yesterday when I was fitted for my new hearing aid.  The device I got was an Oticon miniBTE (see photo below).  Although it is small in size, it makes a huge difference in my ability to hear what is going on around me.  As I was walking out of the VA Medical Center after my fitting, I was amazed at the things I was hearing that I did not hear on the way in.  Then when I got in the car to come home, I noticed that I did not have to play the music as loudly as before, yet I was hearing the subtle nuances found in the musical performances that I had not heard before.  I was hearing more detail with less volume. 

As you can see from the photo, it is miniscule compared to my standard size mouse and it is unobtrusive when worn.  I spent the whole day discovering the sounds I have been missing.  I did not have to ask people to repeat themselves because I could not hear them, not even once.  I think I will like having a near normal listening experience on a regular basis.  It is amazing the things I did not know I was missing until I heard them for the first time.  And I was missing a great deal with out even knowing it.  Each day will bring new sound experiences for me which excites me to no end.  Isn't technology wonderful when it works for you? 

For your listening pleasure and mine, today's Musical Moment features Symphony Number 2 in D Major, Opus 43 by Jean Sibelius.  The performance is a 1985 recording at the Tanglewood Music Festival by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.  Tanglewood is the summer home of the BSO.  Over on my tumblr, you may also hear Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Major featuring Isaac Stern as the Soloist. 

On display below the play list is a comely collection of lithesome lads who are your Tuesday's Temptations for you to cruise and peruse.  You may also find further inspiring beauty in the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for sharing part of your Tuesday with me, see you again tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

The Regnerus Fallout

The most often cited study used to bash and demean Gay people and our families in the Marriage Equality battle is the New Family Structures study published in 2012 by the University of Texas Associate Professor of Sociology Mark Regnerus.  The study has been thoroughly debunked by almost everyone with a brain other than conservative and or religious anti-Gay wing nuts and whack jobs who use the study in furtherance of their own ideological agenda.  The old saying "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit" comes to mind here.  The preordained conclusion was the basis of the study design created by Regnerus in collusion with and funded (to the tune of nearly $800,000) by the conservative Witherspoon Institute and Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.  

The Human Rights Campaign has just activated a new website, The Regnerus Fallout, which delineates the story, the parties in collusion, background events and other facts relevant to the story.  It also describes the impact on social legislation across the country, provides documentation, news story links and videos to help one and all understand just how onerous this gathering of pseudo science, lies and distortions really is.  The publication of the study by the formerly respected social scientist has done irreparable harm to his reputation and standing in the professional community and besmirched the good name of the Sociology Department of a the University of Texas.  Although it has been thoroughly debunked, those who have no regard for reality or actual scientific evidence continue their attempts to use the study to roadblock any legislation or ordinance advancing Equality for Gays.  To them, the 'sin' of same sex love is reprehensible.  To me, the actual sin of bearing false witness is much more reprehensible than any act of love between two people of the same sex.  Visit the website to educate yourselves about the insidious deviousness of the opponents to our Equality. 

Your Midweek Musical Moment features the Music of Jean Sibelius with a performance of his Lemminkäinen Suite, Opus 22 by Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra recorded live at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam in March 2007.  You may also hear a classic recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor by Itzhak Perlman over on my tumblr.

To help you over the Midweek Hump and headed towards the weekend there is a simply stunning collection of the buff and the beautiful in this week's edition of Wet Wednesday for your visual appreciation.  Be sure to check out the 'Waterfall Wet Dream' Hottie of the Day! also on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see  you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!