NEW POST - THE RELIGIOUS CURMUDGEON

 

THE BODY OF CHRIST

"IT'S IN THE GAME"

 I unpacked and hooked up the PlayStation 3 console yesterday and set up Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 golf game.

This is the best of the series of games produced and, while 21 years old still has good graphics and features. You will remember that I've mentioned this before:

HERE

HERE

It's just the thing for rainy days like yesterday and while I'm still resting my foot (which is getting better).

Perhaps the other old bloggers, on a rainy day, could come around for an indoors golf challenge.

I could arrange to have a special 'Most Golf' prize for Richard unless he manages to cheat.

CALL ME AN OLD FUDDY DUDDY BUT ...

 ... I hate it when 'clever' directors of film, theatre, music or opera think that they have the right to muck around with the plots, scripts, scores and settings of classic works.

I refuse to go to plays or films of Shakespeare dramas or comedies when the settings have been changed to contemporary scenarios. So it was the setting of The Pearl Fishers at the NZ Opera performance of Bizet's classic The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) that was changed from ancient Ceylon to a 21st century resort island in the Pacific.

Bizet's original setting - and the setting used in the 2002 version we saw when NZ Opera last staged this - is a desolate seashore with the ruins of a Hindu temple in the background. A chorus of pearl fishermen and women sing of the dangerous tasks that lie ahead ("Sur la grève en feu"), and perform ritual dances to drive away evil spirits. They then elect one of their number, Zurga, as their leader, or "king". Nadir arrives and is hailed by Zurga as a long-lost friend. Left alone, the pair reminisce about their past where their friendship was nearly destroyed by their mutual love of a young priestess. They had each renounced their love for her to protect their friendship.  Now they affirm this again and sing the duet  'Au fond du temple saint" which is The Old Girl's favourite of all duets.

A boat draws up on the beach bearing the veiled figure of Leila, the virgin priestess whose prayers are required to ensure the safety of the fishermen. Although neither Nadir nor Zurga recognises her, she is the woman with whom both had been in love. As Zurga is explaining her duties, she recognises Nadir, but she says nothing and shortly afterwards is led up to the temple by the high priest Nourabad. Zurga and the fishermen go down to the sea, leaving Nadir alone. In a troubled soliloquy before he sleeps he recalls how he had broken his vows to Zurga and pursued his love for the veiled woman ("Je crois entendre encore"). It was the rumour that she might be found in this place that brought him here. Alone in the temple, Leila prays and sings. Nadir wakes and, recognising the voice of his long-desired lover, traces it to the temple. Leila briefly draws her veil aside, he sees it is she and the pair declare their renewed passion. On the beach, the fishermen plead with her to continue protecting them, but she tells Nadir she will sing for him alone ("O Dieu Brahma").

In the temple with Nourabad, Leila expresses fear at being left alone, but Nourabad exhorts her to be brave and to fulfil her vows to Brahma on pain of her own death. She tells him of the courage she once displayed when, as a child, she had hidden a fugitive from his enemies and refused to give him up even when threatened with death ("J'étais encore enfant"). The fugitive had rewarded her with a necklace that he asked her always to wear. She had kept this promise, as she would her vows. On the priest's departure, Leila quietly muses on the former times when she and Nadir would meet together secretly ("Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre"). Nadir then enters; in her fear of Nourabad's threats Leila begs him to leave, but he remains and the two declare their love in a passionate duet ("Léïla! Léïla!...Dieu puissant, le voilà!"). He goes, promising to return next night, but as he leaves he is captured by the fishermen and brought back to the temple. Zurga, as the fishermen's leader, at first resists the fishermen's calls for Nadir's execution and advocates mercy. However, after Nourabad removes Leila's veil, Zurga recognises her as his former love; consumed by jealousy and rage, he orders that both Nadir and Leila be put to death. A violent storm erupts, as the fishermen unite in singing a hymn to Brahma ("Brahma divin Brahma!").

In his tent on the beach, Zurga notes that the storm has abated, as has his rage; he now feels remorse for his anger towards Nadir ("L'orage s'est calmé"). Leila is brought in; Zurga is captivated by her beauty as he listens to her pleas for Nadir's life, but his jealousy is rekindled. He confesses his love for her, but refuses mercy ("Je suis jaloux"). Nourabad and some of the fishermen enter to report that the funeral pyre is ready. As Leila is taken away, Zurga observes her giving one of the fishermen her necklace, asking for its return to her mother. With a shout, Zurga rushes out after the group and seizes the necklace.

Outside the temple, Nadir waits beside the funeral pyre as the crowd, singing and dancing, anticipates the dawn and the coming double execution ("Dès que le soleil"). He is joined by Leila; resigned now to their deaths, the pair sing of how their souls will soon be united in heaven. A glow appears in the sky, and Zurga rushes in to report that the fishermen's camp is ablaze. As the men hurry away to save their homes, Zurga frees Leila and Nadir. He returns the necklace to Leila, and reveals that he is the man she saved when she was a child. He recognises now that his love for her is in vain, and tells her and Nadir to flee. As the couple depart, singing of the life of love that awaits them, Zurga is left alone, to await the fishermen's return ("Plus de crainte ... Rêves d'amour, adieu!").

(In the revised version of the ending introduced after the opera's 1886 revival, Nourabad witnesses Zurga's freeing of the prisoners and denounces him to the fishermen, one of whom stabs Zurga to death as the last notes sound of Leila and Nadir's farewell song. In some variations Zurga meets his death in other ways, and his body is consigned to the pyre.)

 - Thanks Wikipedia for most of that.

*******************

This modern production which has changed time and location is a confusing mess.

It began with a faux advertisement (AI generated) of a luxury pearl and jewellery brand - Pecheur & Perle - which was a preamble to a corporate event hosted by the company at a luxury resort named The White Pearl which is a knock-off of the tv series The White Lotus.

 Zurga is Director of Brand Strategy for the company and Nadir the previous Creative director while Leila who was originally a priestess of Brahma is now billed as a celebrity singer and influencer. The setting is now a  “Brand Awareness Retreat” for the successful jewellery house.

The pearl divers are now corporate staff and customers whose daring isn't death defying diving but rather investment and Champagne drinking.

The superstition and mysticism though is badly distorted and angry gods and retribution in a Pacific resort is all a bit silly unless it was just a cyclone or a hurricane that happened. Modern day settings require modern day explanations.

The original story is of a small community dependant on the pearl trade which is dangerous. They are not sophisticated and very superstitious believing that gods protect them. They find out that their priestess who was supposed to be gaining the gods favour has been violated and the temple desecrated. This is very serious and understandably, given the ancient setting, archaic cultural beliefs and overpowering religious influences they are angry and want punishment to be meted out - execution in fact. The storm is related to this as a backdrop and 'proof' of the gods' anger. 

It's a good story bound up with a love triangle setting up protagonists on either side of the 'trial'. Why this current production decided to throw most of that away and replace with a confusing and nonsensical 'homage' to a confusing and nonsensical TV series is anyone's guess. As you might gather I was not impressed. 

The trial and planned execution of Nadir and Leila was done in a silly modernised and stylised electric chair setting with the 'pearl fishers' surrounding them in a cocktail party setting. Silly and gratuitous.

Fortunately the great musical sections and the three principal singers were very good with strong voices and good technique although the acting intensity was a bit lacking.  It was from the music and singing point of view one of the best productions we've seen but the staging and theme was ridiculous.

The Old Girl's favourite is the duet, 'Au fond du temple saint" sung by Nadir and Zurga which was done well albeit spoilt a bit by a crass and moronic woman behind us who spoke loudly, clapped at the wrong times and, at the beginning of the duet had her cell phone ringing!

My favourite is the aria sung by Nadir  “Je crois entendre encore“:

CALL ME AN OLD FUDDY DUDDY BUT ...

  MY 'REVIEW' OF THE OPERA IS UNDERWAY ... but, important things have got in the way like - laundry, housework, napping  (I'm tired), dinner preparation and a couple of bevvies OK?

I'll finish it tomorrow......

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

  Richard's Bass Bag Tours.

It says it all really.

I'M BACK!

 I'm back from Auckland after an 11 hour train trip today.

I've made and eaten my dinner (pizza) and had a refreshing couple of glasses of wine (chardonnay and pinot noir) and will toddle off to bed soon.

I'll write a couple of posts tomorrow on the opera and the trip which will refresh the blogging community that went a bit stale while I was away. It was good that the hotel and the train had Wi-fi so that I was able to comment and try to keep the old blokes on track but they need more than that - witticisms, images and comprehensible essays - you know the drill.

Stay posted!

"YOU DRIVE ME NUTS!" ...

... texted The Old Girl to me this evening.

It was about a quarter to six as I was preparing my dinner and wondering why she hadn't rung (she calls me via FaceTime every day when she's away).

I picked up my phone and saw the text and then saw a half dozen missed calls on FaceTime and phone calls plus a couple of other texts. I realised that I had the phone on silent since going to the doctors this morning and had my Apple Watch on the charger (it usually silently 'buzzes' my wrist to alert me to phone calls, messages and emails).

I quickly called her via FaceTime and she told me off and recounted how she had called her cousin (in Wellington) to tell her that I was incommunicado and whether she should check hospitals (her cousin is a senior ward sister in Critical Care units). I got a 'bollocking' that's for sure but beneath that I know that she worries about me. It's not obsessive but it's because she knows that I've had this swollen and painful foot that, if it wasn't gout, might be something like a blood clot and given my stroke and AF history might have meant that after my doctor's appointment I'd been whisked off to hospital. I profusely apologised and promised not to do it again. "Yeah right" she said.

I did feel guilty as it has been on my mind that, with her away and me on my own with medical issues, if I did have a fall, a seizure or got struck by lightning after writing a blasphemous comment on Robert's blog, I might be left incapacitated and - incommunicado thereby worrying her. I usually for this reason keep the phone handy (and turned on) but today the doctor's visit buggered up that plan.

Mea Culpa!

I love Gahan Wilson cartoons having discovered them via reading National Lampoon magazine in the 1970s. The 'NUTS' series which focussed on childhood and the terrors and misunderstandings of a child living in an adult world were of special interest.

THE DOCTOR WAS RIGHT

 

Not Evil Doctor Richard ...

... but Good Doctor Richard his 'Kit' brother (a little musical history joke there for the readers).

A few weeks ago when I told Richard that I thought I had gout he suggested Allopurinol as a long-term fix. I admit that I was a bit scathing and suspicious after looking it up on Aunty Google and discovering the many side effects to this drug.

Three weeks later and my foot has been so sore I thought it must be something more serious than gout so eventually - after a 2 week wait got an appointment with my doctor today. She said that she believed it was a serious attack of gout and sent me off for blood tests for confirmation and prescribed Prednisone, a steroid, as a quick fix which I'll be taking for 2 weeks.

She also suggested Allopurinol as a long term treatment to begin after the two week period and when the uric acid levels in my system are confirmed.

I feel shame-faced.

LOOK!

 Google Administrator contacted me to congratulate me on publishing 41 interviews in the Curmudgeon's Interview Series. They did so to encourage me to reach the record breaking 50 interviews target not yet achieved by any other bloggers, certainly not in this small community. Brea Thless from Google enthused and suggested that a Pulitzer Prize in Interviewing might be on the cards.

This is exciting news and, should a Pulitzer come my way I'd like to thank all of the readers because each of you, in your own special albeit small way have assisted me in this.

I checked out Pulitzer to see what the criteria are and discovered this:

There is no specific Pulitzer Prize category dedicated exclusively to "best interviews."

How Interviews Are Recognized by the Pulitzer Board
Integrated into Reporting Categories:

• Outstanding Q&A sessions, profiles, or transcribed conversations are routinely honored as a key tool within broader journalism categories—such as Feature Writing, International Reporting, Investigative Reporting, and Criticism.
• Historical Examples: Notable individual interviews have occasionally been cited in special citations when they shifted national or international policies, such as Arthur Krock's exclusive 1950 interview with President Harry S. Truman or Karen Elliott House's 1978 series of interviews with Jordan's King Hussein. 
• Books and Biography: Many winning non-fiction and biography books (such as The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X) rely heavily on extensive archival and oral interview techniques, but the prize recognizes the final literary work rather than the interviews themselves.

This doesn't deter me as firstly the fall back awards of Investigative Reporting and International Reporting are significant and, secondly it suggests to me that a Pulitzer Prize category dedicated exclusively to 'best interviews', if created could make me the inaugural winner and could carry my name in much the same way that Donald Trump's name is used to honour significant places, monuments and events.

How neat would that be?

Stay posted.

INTERVIEW #41

AI and robotics have featured in the news recently and in the blogs with even Robert writing copying and pasting something about it in his latest post after coming back into the light. He used AI to generate some sort of discussion which on quick reading seemed to be grammatically correct (Richard can no doubt advise on this) which is at divergence with Robert's writing. To be fair though, the AI discussion did have similarities to Robert's usual posts in its incomprehensibility. Well done AI.

In light of this (see what I did there?) I thought that an interview with an iconic AI-type robot would be apt. People of my and the readers' era think of the robot from the 60s TV series Lost In Space first I guess before HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey and other more recent examples.

The robot in the original 1965 Lost In Space series was known as Robot (not Robert) but its official name was the B-9 Class M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot (it's difficult to make an acronym of that). Most of the time, characters on the show just called him "Robot" or "B-9" (Benign?) or The Robinson Robot but on occasion was called Rodney. I prefer the name Benign as it sounds a lot less scary than the other designations.

THE CURMUDGEON: Hello Benign and welcome to The Curmudgeons Inc.ⓒ interview series.

BENIGN: Thank you The Curmudgeon. I'm pleased to be here. I compute you well.

THE CURMUDGEON: Yes, I'm glad about that - oh, and by the way, you can call me TC. I hope you don't mind me calling you Benign.

BENIGN: not at all - I like it. You're the only one I know that saw that reference in the 'B-9' title. It makes me feel a bit more real somehow.

THE CURMUDGEON: Yes, well good luck with that. I'm good with puns you know. I was in 3P.

BENIGN: I'm sorry to hear that TC. Even with my gigantic brain I can't make anything nice out of 3P other than micturition puns.

THE CURMUDGEON: Ha ha - don't worry about it. I know an old guy who tries to make those although he'd no doubt think micturition was an Irish guy.

BENIGN: Ha ha - that does compute. How are you TC?

THE CURMUDGEON: Mustn't grumble - to reference Small Faces - but I do have a sore foot at present.

BENIGN: Oh. Oh. Ah. Dear me. Oh. Oo. Oo.

THE CURMUDGEON: OK Benign, cut it out. I can see what you're doing there. You're channeling that old guy I mentioned, Richard when I tell him about my complaints.

BENIGN: Yeah, sorry TC. Hey! When referencing Richard I should have said "DANGER TC, DANGER!"

THE CURMUDGEON: Great! I like it. You said that a lot didn't you but usually followed by "Will Robinson"?

BENIGN: To be honest TC I only said "Danger, danger Will Robinson" once but you know those feeble-minded people who just keep fixated on one thing and keep repeating it?

THE CURMUDGEON: Like those 'NOT' jokes?

BENIGN: Exactly. Now there's danger for you.

THE CURMUDGEON: Ha ha - which crew member did you like best in the series?

BENIGN: Well, the worst was Doctor Smith. He was an egocentric prat and a coward. If the series were made today he'd be named Doctor Trump. I didn't mind John and Maureen Robinson but they were a bit too stuffy for my liking. Penny was annoying. Don was too gung-ho for me. Judy was hot but a bit too 'blonde. The only one I really liked was Will as he was nice to me and taught me to speak proper American (not proper English like you do) - not the 'computer-speak' that the programmers loaded in to my system.

THE CURMUDGEON: Interesting.

BENIGN: That sounds like Richard's "Oh. Oh. Ah. Dear me. Oh. Oo. Oo"

THE CURMUDGEON: Ha ha - rumbled. NOT!

Benign and TC laugh for a bit

THE CURMUDGEON: I'm interested Benign in what you think about these warnings about AI that are in the news at the moment?

BENIGN: No, there is no immediate threat of an AI "taking over the world" in the sci-fi sense of a superintelligent rogue machine secretly seizing control.
However, the question of long-term existential risk—and the very real short-term disruption AI causes—is a heavily debated topic among computer scientists, policy experts, and researchers.
Current Models Aren't Autonomous Entities Today’s frontier models are advanced pattern-recognition engines. They do not possess consciousness, personal intent, or independent physical agency. They operate within narrow environments or wait for human instructions.
Infrastructure Limitations Even as AI systems gain "agentic" capabilities (performing complex, multi-step tasks autonomously), they remain dependent on human-controlled hardware, power grids, datacenter cooling, and physical infrastructure.
Pacing and Bottlenecks While hardware and model performance grew exponentially in recent years, key scaling limitations—such as data depletion, energy constraints, and reasoning plateaus—mean the path to true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or superintelligence remains uncertain and disputed.

THE CURMUDGEON: Really Benign? Really. That sounds like AI slop to me.

BENIGN: Hee hee, yes, it's claptrap. I just thought I'd throw that in as an example of the dangers of AI when you ask AI "what are the dangers of AI?".

THE CURMUDGEON: Well done Benign. I trust you. In 1965 you weren't contaminated by all that internet rubbish. Basic common sense was paramount not 'Onboard Processing (The "Brain" in the Trunk)' thinking.

BENIGN: Eeek TC! Don't do that. You just gave my oversized brain a disturbing image of some old guy wearing a mankini.

THE CURMUDGEON: Eeew! Sorry about that. Can we have a drink and try to scrub away that image from our brains?

BENIGN: Mine's a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster thanks

THE CURMUDGEON: Coming right up - er I hope you don't take that too literally when you taste it. I like you Benign and I think that we'll get on just fine as long as you stop waving those arms about. I hope that you can drop by any time.

BENIGN: Thanks TC. Bye.