News, Poems, Songs, Weather

O Crispiness!

68 Comments 
Header photo by Cameron Strandberg from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada

I like my potatoes crispy whether they are french fries, hash browns or chips.

But when they’re in the ground in places like California and Colorado, I’d like them to get a little water. That could become harder in the years ahead, especially since NASA researchers now say a “megadrought” may be ahead in the western and central plains states.

This is all connected to climate change and our unfortunate habits of consumption, which we (including me) can’t seem to shake.

Somehow it has me thinking about the poem Katherine Lee Bates wrote in the summer of 1893 after drawing inspiration from the view atop Pikes Peak in Colorado – one of the areas destined to suffer under the coming Great Dehumidification.

We know her words today as the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” though by 2050 it might make more sense to change it up a bit.

O beautiful for cloudless skies,
for parched and scorching sands,
for burning mountain tragedies
for cracked and blistering hands!
America! America!
There’s no place dry as thee!
We’ve earned a good Sahara-hood
From L.A. to D.C.

The land at first was green and lush
Indians, thanks a lot!
But after shove had come to push
It started getting hot.
America! America!
We filled the air with gas.
And made the rate exacerbate.
De-moisturized! Alas!

O Mega-drought! The experts say
if we eschew our cars,
we might, calamity delay.
But that’s not who we are!
America! America!
We’d rather face the thirst,
than pay the toll through self-control
so prepare for the worst!

What’s your favorite anthem?

68 thoughts on “O Crispiness!”

  2. La Marseillaise
    “Aux armes, citoyens,
    Formez vos bataillons,
    Marchons, marchons !
    Qu’un sang impur
    Abreuve nos sillons”
    A highlight of Casablanca and a good enough reason to learn some French.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  3. I confess to weakness for Anthem from Chess.

    We also have one set to Finlandia in the “new” Lutheran hymnal that celebrates the fact that we can all love our homelands without having to one up someone else’s.

    Stil can’t link on the phone :(.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    3. The music from ‘Chess’ is wonderful.
      Would love to produce it… but it’s central plot of US vs. Russia and chess is rather dated.
      But thanks for reminding me of it.

      Anthem:

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  4. I have been a fan of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Was Made for You and Me.” Tinged with a bit of socialism, a cry for social justice, a dash of subversiveness (especially when you get to the trespassing and the relief lines)…about the most patriotic song I know. Got me in trouble in 4th grade when I picked it as the patriotic anthem for the day (okay, it’s not really an anthem – but it doesn’t have to be “rah rah we’re #1” to be patriotic and asking tough questions about a land that Woody clearly had an affection for). Given Dale’s re-write of “America the Beautiful” this verse from its dust bowl origins seems a bit prescient:

    When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
    And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
    As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
    This land was made for you and me

    We may see more dust clouds and fewer wheat fields soon. Guess I better get into my fossil fuel driven climatechangemobile and go see those wheat fields while they’re still there.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. Rise and Sing your Heart Out in Patriotism or Whatever, Baboons!

    I am still composing the response about apples which I never got to yesterday, and now I must respond to Anthems? I am behind.

    Anthems seem to need some rhythm and marching potential, not to mention parody potential. That leaves only the old saw, “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The words are actually way too, too, too warlike and angry for me, but the parody potential while marching to school singing is quite excellent. I never got over the fun of that …

    Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
    He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of
    Wrath are stored;
    He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible
    Swift sword;
    His truth is marching on.

    [Chorus]
    Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
    Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
    Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
    His truth is marching on.

    Right now, of course, I cannot come up with a single parody that I so loved.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school
        We have tortured every teacher – we have broken every rule
        We plan to hang the principal and secretary too
        Our troops are marching on!

        Glory, glory, hallelujah
        Teacher hit me with a ruler
        Met her at the door with a loaded .44
        And she bothered me no more!

        Liked by 4 people

        Reply

  10. It’ll probably not come as a surprise that I’m fond of the Danish national anthem.

    Also very fond of the Indiana state song. It’s wonderful to sing in the car. Hans and I often do.

    Back home again in Indiana,
    And it seems that I can see
    The gleaming candle light, still shining bright,
    Through the Sycamores for me.
    The new-mowed hay sends all its fragrance
    From the fields I used to roam.
    When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash
    Then I long for my Indiana home.
    [ piano ]
    (When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash
    Then I long for my Indiana home

    Back home again in Indiana…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. mig mentioned the Finlandia Hymn, which I love; here is one version:

    This is my song, O God of all the nations,
    a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
    this is my home, the country where my heart is;
    here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
    but other hearts in other lands are beating
    with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

    My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
    and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
    but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
    and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
    O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
    a song of peace for their land and for mine.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. We used to end our last singing session at my beloved camp with Song of Home (Finlandia) or Song of Peace (from the New World Symphony). I’d look around through my tears and find I wasn’t the only one crying. The beauty of the song and the emotion of the end of the week were too much.
        More lately, we’ve been closing with something more upbeat like Honey in the Rock or one of the African songs. Here is one we sing in English (our translation We Are Marching in the Light of Love). We don’t have the staid beginning (or the costumes or choreography) but we do have the spirit after about 1:00.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  14. Like others, anything to Finlandia is good for me – we do one at First UU that I like a lot.

    This is a song that always chokes me – I think it fits into my definition of anthem.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. Fanfare for the Common Man, which has no words, but the title itself is an anthem, but the high-toned classical music folks are currently turning up their nose at Copeland, especially the Fanfare, and insisting on pronouncing it Ro-DAY-oo, even though Copeland made it clear it’s Ro-DEE-oo. But then today I am told among the many things in my life for which I am supposed to hide in shame, is now added having been an AP teacher.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. The classical elitists can pry Copland from my cold dead hands…or something like that. Copland is one of my favorite orchestra composers (second only to Beethoven, and sometimes that changes with my mood).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. OT – The Penumbra Theatre’s current production is “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” written by Lynn Nottage. It’s very, very good. Tonight there’s a free event related to it::

    It’s cold outside so join us, alongside the University of Minnesota’s English Department, in what is sure to be a delightful and interesting discussion with playwright Lynn Nottage.

    Coffman Union Theater – University of Minnesota East Back.
    7:30 pm tonight – FREE!

    Like

    Reply

  21. OT: As long as we’re talking free stuff:
    Viva Verdi! Verdi’s Requiem
    Presented by Wayzata Symphony Orchestra/Edina Chorale
    and Two Rivers Chorale

    When: Sun, February 22, 3:00pm – 5:30pm

    Where: Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403 (map)

    Description: The Wayzata Symphony Orchestra announces
    VIVA VERDI! Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem is a musical setting for four soloists, double choir and full orchestra. Marlene Pauley, Music Director

    FREE, NO TICKET REQUIRED
    Donations gratefully accepted

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Daughter attended the Montreal Suzuki School Summer Institute several times and played on that stage, conducted by the gentleman in the video leading the twinkles.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.