Sunday 28 September 2014

Music on Sunday; beautiful film soundtracks




I love watching films but what would films be whithout music. So here are some classical film soundtracks; even better with headphones on.






One of my favorite films: the Time Traveler's wife







Loved this movie!





And because I really am a Trekkie at heart and a Cumberbatch fan: (and the music is so good for this film)



© KH

Saturday 27 September 2014

Wednesday 24 September 2014

History; Richard III - War of the Roses

King Richard III

History, I love it, always have especially British history. I love reading historical novels and curently I'm reading about the War of the Roses- Stormbird by Conn Iggulden. 
My favorite actor Benedict Cumberbatch is as we speak busy playing Richard III for the BBC for the Hollow Crown series. 

 Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III

But who was Richard III and what is the War of the Roses? 

War of the Roses


Maybe this family tree clarifies it better. 


In the opening battle of England's War of the Roses, the Yorkists defeat King Henry VI's Lancastrian forces at St. Albans, 20 miles northwest of London. Many Lancastrian nobles perished, including Edmund Beaufort, the duke of Somerset, and the king was forced to submit to the rule of his cousin, Richard of York. The dynastic struggle between the House of York, whose badge was a white rose, and the House of Lancaster, later associated with a red rose, would stretch on for 30 years.
Both families, closely related, claimed the throne through descent from the sons of Edward III, the king of England from 1327 to 1377. The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV in 1399, and rebellion and lawlessness were rife during his reign. His son, Henry V, was more successful and won major victories in the Hundred Years War against France. His son and successor, Henry VI, had few kingly qualities and lost most of the French land his father had conquered. At home, chaos prevailed and lords with private armies challenged Henry VI's authority. At times, his ambitious queen, Margaret of Anjou, effectively controlled the crown.


 Margaret d'Anjou

In 1453, Henry lapsed into insanity, and in 1454 Parliament appointed Richard, duke of York, as protector of the realm. Henry and York's grandfathers were the fourth and third sons of Edward III, respectively. When Henry recovered in late 1454, he dismissed York and restored the authority of Margaret, who saw York as a threat to the succession of their son, Prince Edward. York raised an army of 3,000 men, and in May the Yorkists marched to London. On May 22, 1455, York met Henry's forces at St. Albans while on the northern road to the capital. The bloody encounter lasted less than an hour, and the Yorkists carried the day. The duke of Somerset, Margaret's great ally, was killed, and Henry was captured by the Yorkists.
After the battle, Richard again was made English protector, but in 1456 Margaret regained the upper hand. An uneasy peace was broken in 1459, and in 1460 the Lancastrians were defeated, and York was granted the right to ascend to the throne upon Henry's death. The Lancastrians then gathered forces in northern England and in December 1460 surprised and killed York outside his castle near Wakefield.
York's son Edward reached London before Margaret and was proclaimed King Edward IV. In March 1461, Edward won a decisive victory against the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton, the bloodiest of the war. Henry, Margaret, and their son fled to Scotland, and the first phase of the war was over.

Yorkist rivalry would later lead to the overthrow of Edward in 1470 and the restoration of Henry VI. The next year, Edward returned from exile in the Netherlands, defeated Margaret's forces, killed her son, and imprisoned Henry in the Tower of London, where he was murdered. Edward IV then ruled uninterrupted until his death in 1483. His eldest son was proclaimed Edward V, but Edward IV's brother, Richard III, seized the crown and imprisoned Edward and his younger brother in the Tower of London, where they disappeared, probably murdered. In 1485, Richard III was defeated and killed by Lancastrians led by Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field.



Henry Tudor was proclaimed King Henry VII, the first Tudor king. Henry was the grandson of Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V, and Owen Tudor. In 1486, he married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York, thereby uniting the Yorkist and Lancastrian claims. This event is seen as marking the end of the War of Roses; although some Yorkists supported in 1487 an unsuccessful rebellion against Henry, led by Lambert Simnel. The War of Roses left little mark on the common English people but severely thinned the ranks of the English nobility.


source 

© KH

Sunday 21 September 2014

Music on Sunday; Brahms

 

It's time for some classical music again; this time Johannes Brahms 
I grew up with (among others) classical music. My parents listened to that a lot. I can still hear my dad whistle with some pieces (I do that now too :) )  As a kid I didn't care for it much but now I'm older (hopefully wiser as well ;) ) I love it! It's soothing and relaxing I think. So from time to time I will post classical music as well here.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do; 



This conductor is fascinating to watch;




If you feel like listening for a little more than 45 min: 




© KH


Wednesday 17 September 2014

Wordless Wednesday, Scottish Castles

Eilean Donan Castle

Castle Stalker

Edinburgh Castle

 Stirling Castle

 Stonehaven Castle

 Glamis Castle

 Cawdor Castle

 Dunrobin Castle

 Castle Stuart

 Inverary Castle

© KH

Sunday 14 September 2014

Music on Sunday; Yes for Scotland

http://www.ukchamberofshipping.com/media/uploads/zinnia/yes.jpg 

With only four days away from the referendum even I'm getting excited and I'm not Scottish (sadly enough) But for centuries the Scots have fought their way to Independance now and why not! If your heart is in that country (and if you have followed my blog for some time you know mine is) you just know there's no other way than independance for Scotland. So today's blog is about the love for a country and it's music, it's heritage. You just have to say YES!








© KH

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Wordless Wednesday; 10 impressive places to visit around the world

Dallol Volcanic acid pool, Ethiopia

Nigardsbreen Ice Cave,Norway

Fingal’s Cave Staffa Island,Scotland

Badlands National Park,South-Dakota

Badwater Salt Flats,California USA

Hraunfossar Waterfalls,Húsafell Iceland

Fernando De Noronha,Brazil

Thor’s Well,Oregon USA

Baatara Gorge Waterfall Tannourine,Lebanon

Ben Bulben County Sligo,Ireland

© KH

Monday 8 September 2014

Autism is not a trend



For those who didn't know already; I have a child with a mild case of Autism called Pdd-nos or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. In short; His brain is full of thoughts sometimes. So full that he has difficulty functioning in 'normal' situations or in school and with tasks. He however would say that; he's a normal 17 year old and there's absolutely nothing wrong with him. He also has ADHD or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder which makes life with him quite 'interesting' to say the least. He is my barometer; one can always count on him to predict the weather. He is very hyperactive when the weather is changing for example, due to the air pressure I've always suspected. 
We have come a long way my son and I. The schools he was on never understood what he had and never wanted to deal with his autism. All my life I have fought for him and his place in this world as a mum would do. 




After his dad and I got a divorce and I met someone else it turned out he also has the same as my son. No autism is the same and hub's is different from son's, less mild and just different. Maybe it's the way his mum handled it, or not handled it I guess. 

What bothers me a lot lately is that everyone is using the term Autism in sentences or sayings as if it is normal to call a random person you don't know autistic. As if someone who is different or a bit withdrawn immediatelly is an autistic person and furthermore, if it's okay to call them autistic! It is not! It never is! Not everyone is and the ones who are have often more feelings in there pinky than the people who call others names. Just because they are autistic doesn't mean they don't have feelings! They have very much so! They are very emphatic, emotional, and yes often very social or they try to be! The whole image of autism is so wrong it hurts. 
Plus what people forget as well is that it's a struggle every day, not only for the people with Autism but for the parents and the partners. 



It really is great that autism get's a lot of attention and that people would be more aware of what it means but let's not over do it. I won't get into the wild west stories coming from the US about how you can 'get' autism or worse how you can 'cure' it. I think it's awful enough people believe those stories. It's genetic it always has been. I don't want to put my boys through any of those horror stories. They have a tough enough life as it is trying to fitt in. 

In an ideal world everyone is accepted with what they have no matter what. In an ideal world no one feels the need to call people names for what they have. Nobody is perfect anyway. But this isn't an ideal world and we have to make do with what we have and what we are. But what we all can do is try to make it a better world and start with ourselves and try to convince everyone that calling someone something isn't the way to that Ideal World. A better world starts with ourself. 

Please share if you agree. Thank you.

© KH

Sunday 7 September 2014

Music on Sunday; Music used in Stargate

http://wallpoper.com/images/00/38/95/63/stargate-universe_00389563.jpg

I am a huge SciFi geek/fan whatever you'd like to call it. Especially of Stargate and Star Trek. I have the DVD boxes of all the series and watch them on a regular basis. What I've noticed in for example Stargate Universe is the music. It is different than in most other scifi series. But I like it a lot.
You can compare it a bit, music whise that is, with Grey's Anatomy; a show about a hospital so no scifi there but with music that's fitting as well. The lyrics, the whole atmosphere you're being brought into. I love that about a good tv show.

Here some songs from tv series;
I will try to search for songs with parts of the tv series; 






In 'Human' where Robert Carlyle as Dr. Rush is attatched to an ancient chair and caught in a lucid dream where he is home with his wife in Scotland we hear The Jam singing English Rose with these lyrics;

I’ve been to ancient worlds
I’ve scoured the whole universe
And caught the first train home
To be at her side.




This one is from SG1 really one of my favorites; 



I always wondered which song this was, it's short, but enough... ;) 

From Stargate Atlantis; 



also from Atlantis same episode;



one more from SGU although I could go on forever ;) 



© KH