Challenges and Survival #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Today's prompt is: "According to CoolKidFacts, November is a shopaholic’s dream month with the various promotions kicking off early on around the globe. Build your playlist of songs inspired by things on your holiday wish list to “shop” specific songs/lyrics. Just have fun!

But I am going to deviate because it's November 9.

On November 9, 1965, the Northeast United States (including most of New York City, including where I lived at the time) was struck by a major blackout. It started around 5;16 pm, originating near Niagara Falls,  Canada, and caused a chain reaction that resulted in some 30 million people losing power. Most of New York City, including where I lived, was blacked out.  My father was one of some 800,00o riders stranded in the New York City subways. As for me, I've told the story of the blackout before - including my personal experience during that night. 

This night shaped the person I became.  The strength I developed helped me through other rough times in life.

We all face challenges in life, and this is reflected in our music.  Let's listen to some songs.

I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor's 1979 hit.

Fight the Good Fight - Triumph

This is a band I like, and I'm going with one of their 2015 songs.  Here is Throne from Bring Me the Horizon

1981 brought us the iconic Don't Stop Believin' from Journey.

1974's The Show Must Go On from Three Dog Night.

And now (trigger warning) a grim topic I must touch on today.  I normally don't, but today is an exception.

November 9-10 marks the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, when at least 91 Jews were murdered and 7500 Jewish owned businesses were vandalized during a night of state sponsored terrifying violence against Jews in several European countries. Police were ordered not to interfere.

Hate is rising in our country, and in other countries, today. 

I want to introduce a Rush song called Red Sector A.  I've had it on my blog before and I am featuring it again today.

Neil Peart, who wrote the song's lyrics, said that the song was inspired by stories told by bandmate Geddy Lee's mother, who was a Holocaust survivor (as was his father).  The lyrics intentionally leave the context of the song open.

As the Simon Wiesenthal Center said on their website, "Kristallnacht’s warning was never only about broken glass. It was a lesson in what unfolds when a society quietly decides that Jews no longer belong." And this applies to other hatreds of "the other". Let music continue to inspire us.

And that's a wrap.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

When Seasons Collide Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

Last week, my spouse and I took a walk in our local park to see the last of the fall foliage. 

One tree. 

Two trees.

Mixed in with the fall foliage were lights being erected for a holiday (really, Christmas) light show that will begin later this month.  More and more fall and the Holidays are colliding.

Finally, this one says "Let it Snow."

 I say "Objection!"  But sadly, we may get our first snow (maybe flurries, maybe more) Friday. 

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

 

Fall Color and Christmas #SkywatchFriday

We have had such mild weather where I live in the Southern Tier of New York that our fall foliage is hanging on (although, yesterday, we had a little rain and breezes brought a lot of leaves down).

On November 4 my spouse and I went to a local park to walk and see the foliage that remained.  Also, we wanted to soak in those blue skies.

The sky was so blue with just hints of clouds.  We had a pleasant walk.

At the same time, workers were putting up lights for the annual Christmas lighting display, which will open later this month. 

This isn't the first time Christmas and fall color have intersected but this unseasonable weather has disoriented me a little.

Next week, back to reality as the weather becomes more seasonable and the fall/winter dreary clouds assert themselvs.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers each Friday for #SkywatchFriday.
 

Flag and Geese and Migration Thoughts #WordlessWednesday

Today, for Wordless Wednesday, an American flag with a formation of Canada geese flying by. 

I wonder if they were migrating, or just searching out a local place to eat.  What is interesting is that we've been hearing a lot of red winged blackbirds recently.  They aren't year round residents where I live but we have never heard them this late in the year.

I even saw a couple of American robins the other day.   I tried taking pictures of one but it was too far away (see lower left of middle-I apologize for blurriness). It's been so mild these past couple of weeks and I don't know if bird rhythms have been disrupted. I've seen American robins in winter at a local walking trail and know they don't necessarily migrate if there is enough food in the area, but it still made me think.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

Ah! Dominic! Ah! Star Trek #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Today's prompt is: You Pick.

Lately, Rock and Roll Heaven has been choosing the themes for You Pick weeks.  Today, it is my sad duty to host another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.

Guitarist and vocalist Dominic Ierace, better known as Donnie Iris, died October 26 at the age of 83.  He had been battling bladder cancer for several years.

Iris had been a performer since age five, encouraged by his mother who sang in a family member's local orchestra.  He started performing at weddings at age five.

His career was a lot more extensive than I had realized.

His first hit was with a group (not the first group he formed) he formed called The Jaggerz. Their hit The Rapper (1970) was co-written by Ierace, who later became known as Donnie Iris.  Iris made the name change, he said, because Donnie Iris was easier for people to remember..

Iris eventually joined the group Wild Cherry after their hit Play That Funky Music but was not involved with that song.  Eventually, he helped to form Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.

In 1980, he co-wrote the hit Ah! Leah which was on his first solo album.

 In 1981 he had another hit, Love Is Like a Rock.

Iris had at least two other hits.  I am not familiar with either:  My Girl and Sweet Merilee.  Here is My Girl.  

 Subsequent releases were never as successful as these.  His last studio album was Ah! Leluiah, a play on Ah! Leah, from 2010.  But 

Finally, you may be aware that two main characters from the Star Trek universe passed away this past week, and, in tribute, here are the two Star Trek themes from both series.

Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov starting in the second season of the original Star Truk died from COPD October 25  at age 90.  Fun fact, the vocalization in the second half of the theme was eliminated from seasons two and three so royalties would not have to be paid. 

Shakespearean actor Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek the Next Generation died October 28 at age 86.  He died from natural causes after a period of declining health, including a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. 

Star Trek the Next Generation Intro. 

An AI tribute.  I normally do not post AI content but I liked this one. 

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another, hopefully happier, episode of Music Moves Me.

Halloween Shadow and More Scarecrows #ShadowshotSunday

It's the first of November already. And the start of Standard Time in our part of the United States, too.  It's time for some shadows.

Fall color and shadows taken October 31.

Although it's November 1, I decided to feature a couple of more scarecrows from a recent contest in a local park.
 

This was called Freedom for All.

If you dare to try, you can.

Joining with Lisa at This and That: A Blog for her #ShadowshotSunday.
 

 

Blue Skies Fall Color 2026 #SkywatchFriday

While both coasts of the United States suffer from rain, king tides, and floods, we in the Southern Tier have had the most marvelous skies.  Combined with fall color, let's enjoy the color before it is gone. 

October 27, first picture, red maple and blue skies.  

Interesting ripples in the sky

Second and third pictures,  October 28, the clouds we normally experience returned later in the day, and colors were muted..

Sooner or later, the clouds had to return. 

 But the next day, the sky was blue once more.  Here, Canadian geese fly overhead. 

A final look at lovely foliage.

 

Joining Yogi and other sky watchers this Friday for #SkywatchFriday.