Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves..

Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate known in English as 'Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves' is a chorus from the third act of Nabucco (short for Nabucodonosor, or Nebuchadnezzar in English), an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901 an Italian romantic composer. Nabucco follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted, conquered and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Nabucco).

Known as Verdi's "Jewish" work of art, it recollects the story of these Jewish exiles from Babylon after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem. The opera with its powerful chorus established Verdi as a major composer in 19th century Italy. Here we see the chorus performed at New York's Metropolitan Opera House with James Levine conducting.

The lyrics translated in English from the original Italian:

Fly, thought, on wings of gold,
go settle upon the slopes and the hills
where the sweet airs of our
native soil smell soft and mild!
Greet the banks of the River Jordan
and Zion's tumbled towers.
Oh, my country, so lovely and lost!
Oh remembrance so dear yet unhappy!

Golden harp of the prophetic wise men,
why hang so silently from the willows?
Rekindle the memories in our hearts,
tell us about the times gone by!
Remembering the fate of Jerusalem
play us a sad lament
or else be inspired by the Lord
to fortify us to endure our suffering!

(PostScript) The video I posted here originally has been removed from YouTube due to some violation or other. I hope it's nothing to do with the fact that I embedded it here on this blog. Fortunately I was able to find a replica also on YouTube, but the sound quality is not as good. Anyway, I hope you still find it enjoyable..

AIDS could die out by 2050?

A South African scientist Professor Brian Williams argues that widening the use of HIV-suppressing anti-retroviral drugs to all sufferers, not just those who are very ill, would massively reduce the rate of infection and see the disease die out by 2050. The world could be rid of the scourge of AIDS by the middle of the century, but only if it is prepared to spend huge sums of money on a mass screening and treatment campaign. Read more..

Throwing tantrums needlessly..

Now I feel a bit silly for getting upset because my computer refused to connect to the Internet. I'm knocking myself over the head for having always clicked on "cancel" whenever the prompt to update my security popped up on the screen..

Thanks to Ade the chap who does our office IT, who was gracious enough to allow me a late evening telephone call. We had been on the phone for about 10 minutes when he miraculously diagnosed my computer problem.

"Do you have a PCWorld close to where you live?" Ade asked

"Why, sure.." came the answer.

"Go in there and get yourself up-to-date protection for your computer. Norton, McAfee any such, then uninstall whatever protection that you have and install the new one.."

The truth is that I didn't even know that I had Norton installed on my computer. I do remember though that sometime last year, a friend came round to help me out with my computer, installing this and that, most of which I'd never really understood..

Anyway, it transpired that the Norton 360 on my PC had expired and I had ignored the countless warnings I'd been given over the last several months. So taking Ade's advice I popped into the PCWorld place this morning and obtained the Norton 360 3.0, talking to the store assistant like I was some kind of computer expert, struggling to remember everything Ade had said on the phone last night.

I couldn't wait to get home this evening and having now installed the new antivirus, I'm back online. Its such a relief. With hand on heart I now make this solemn oath: I swear that from this day forth, I shall click on "YES" each time a prompt pops up on my screen to update anything. So help me God!

And I wasn't going to end this without saying my thank yous to Solomonsydelle, CodLiverOil, Naughty feeling, Quitstorm, Free surf and Femme Lounge for advice that was almost the same as what Ade gave me. Thanks all..

Computer troubles..help please

Just to let everyone know why things have been rather quiet around here..

Last Wednesday, I started my desktop computer in the early morning, as is my usual practice. I went to make a mug of coffee, came back to the computer, checked emails and stuff, then leaving the computer still running, I went upstairs to shower and dress for work. This has been my morning routine for years, so I didn't expect that anything would go wrong.

All dressed and ready for work, I returned downstairs for a final check of my emails and blogs that I follow. On arrival at the desk however, I noticed that the computer had restarted itself.. Yeah, it does that sometimes when an update has happened, as I'm sure you all know. So I thought nothing of this and rather than continue the start up process, I clicked on "shut down". I was running a bit late after all...

On returning to the flat in the evening, I went straight to the computer and switched it on.. Everything seemed fine at first until I attempted to go online. My preferred browser is Google Chrome, but it failed to connect. So thinking that this was a problem was with the browser, I tried Firefox and then Internet Explorer. None of them worked. So I thought this might be a problem with Virginmedia, my service provider. I got on the phone and after listening to a machine for several minutes and following its instructions by pressing several buttons on the phone, I finally heard it say, "If the fault is with your broadband Internet, press 4", which I did. Eventually, a rather pleasant gentleman with a Liverpool accent came on the line and introduced himself as Trevor.

I explained to Trevor what had happened. With great patience he talked me through several procedures, checking to see if the fault was with the wiring, or if the computer was in fact connected to the Internet. Trevor could find nothing wrong from his end. The computer was indeed connected to the Internet. But there just seemed to be something in the computer itself that was blocking it from making the connection. Trevor remained on the phone with me for the best part of an hour, but at the end of it all, we both realised that this problem had nothing to do with Virginmedia. The problem was with the computer itself.

Last evening I was speaking to young David, my new-found heartthrob. It was he who suggested that perhaps this has been caused by a virus. Now, I know very little about computers, viruses and stuff like that. Is it possible for a virus to have infected my computer, crippling it and preventing it from connecting to the Internet? Might it be that when I'd found that the computer had restarted itself that morning, it was because of the virus? If indeed the problem is with a virus infection, what can I do to get rid of it?

I'm contemplating purchasing a new computer, but this hurts, since the current one is hardly a year old and has performed flawlessly thus far. I'm having to type this while sitting at my desk at the office and I generally don't like the idea of writing blogs while at work...its so much more relaxed and private at home..

One cold winter's evening..

6.15 pm, on arrival at home..

The dividing lines of Uganda's anti-gay row: BBC's Newsnight video..and more..

The videos are not available to be embedded, but please click on the links.

Newsnight video

Gay Ugandan on climate of fear

Homosexuals could face death penalty in Uganda

The Saxophonist by Anengiyefa (Part 3)

The Saxophonist (Part 3) is now published and to be found here.

Kinshasa Symphony

Above is the trailer of the film "Kinshasa Symphony", which has been selected for Berlinale 2010, the 60th Berlin International Film Festival. The film celebrates its world premiere at "Berlinale Special" on 17 February 2010, 21.45h (rerun 18 February, 18.00h, Cubix 8).

"Kinshasa Symphony" shows how people living in one of the most chaotic cities in the world have managed to forge one of the most complex systems of human cooperation ever invented: a symphony orchestra. It is a film about the Congo, about the people of Kinshasa and about music.

The Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste has been in existence for fifteen years. Initially a few dozen music-loving amateurs shared the few instruments they had at their disposal. Rehearsals were organised in shifts, so that everyone could have a turn. Today there are over two hundred musicians on the platform when the "OSK" gives a concert.

Most of the musicians are still self-taught amateurs. Even for those fortunate enough to have trained for a profession and found a halfway regular job, everyday life in the metropolis of Kinshasa with its eight million citizens is a constant struggle for survival. For many the working day begins at six in the morning, frequently a great deal earlier for the ones who cannot afford to share a taxi and have to walk great distances to get to their workplaces. Despite this they attend the rehearsals that go on well into the night, practically everyday. A staggering example of discipline and enthusiasm.

In the meantime some of the orchestra's repair artists have a whole collection of self-devised and self-built tools that they need to mend instruments. Their methods are as unorthodox as they are effective. Other members of the orchestra make their concert attire themselves, procure the sheet music required and make sure that the children are fed and looked after during the long evening rehearsals.

Armand Diangenda is the founder and conductor of the OSK. He is the grandson of Simon Kimbangu, a martyr greatly revered in the Congo for opposing the Belgian colonists and establishing his own church, the Kimbanguists. Armand plays the cello and is also a composer. "Music often helps me to think straight and plan my life", he says. "And even though the rehearsals are often uphill work with little immediately appreciable progress, making music together is a compensation for lots of problems".

(Culled from: "Kinshasa Symphony, a documentary by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer")

And I say this is absolutely fascinating. :)

There is more of this orchestra here and here.

Living in the shadows..

A documentary reflecting the issues of 'Being gay in Kenya' is in the pipeline and with it, producers say they want to break the myth that gays and lesbians do not exist in the country, as believed by some members of society.

Comprising of first hand experiences of gay Kenyans, the documentary reveals issues of homophobia, stereotyping and stigma in a society in which the majority feel that homosexuality is unAfrican and unbiblical. In the documentary, some participants reveal how they have had to stay in the closet for fear of being identified as gay, while others are said to live double lives in order to fit into society. Others talk of the many gatherings often held, populated by respectable members of society, such as teachers, lawyers and even politicians..

As reported on Behind the Mask. Click here to read more.

UNICEF - At a glance: Haiti - A day in the life of UNICEF staff members on the ground in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: 1 February 2010 - UNICEF has maintained a presence in Haiti since 1949. The earthquake that struck this country with such disastrous force on 12 January has significantly affected the agency's capacity to respond, but staff members have been adapting to difficult conditions on the ground. Click on the link below to read more and watch the video.

UNICEF - At a glance: Haiti - A day in the life of UNICEF staff members on the ground in Haiti

Nigerian soldiers killing civilians

Click on link, but viewer discretion advised

Nigerian soldiers killing civilians

Some interesting facts about "humanitarian relief" to Haiti

Out of every single dollar of the $397 million that the US has sent in "aid" to Haiti after the earthquake, 33 cents pays for the more than 12,000 troops dispatched by the US government in its humanitarian aid effort, troops that have taken control of the country. "In contrast the US is spending only 9 cents out of each dollar on food and another 9 cents to transport the food".

The statistical breakdown of how the US earthquake aid is being spent was undertaken by the Associated Press and reported by AP on Jan. 27. AP also reports that Haitians are being hired at meagre wages to assist the US efforts..

Read more

"We are ready to train your people.." Al Qaeda tells Nigerian Muslims

DUBAI (Reuters) - An al Qaeda group in North Africa has offered to give Nigerian Muslims training and weapons to fight Christians in the West African country, where more than 460 people were killed in sectarian clashes last month.

Read more

Somewhere over the rainbow..

This amazing version of "Over the Rainbow" by Eva Cassidy brought this American singer to worldwide attention. Sadly she left us to be with the Lord in 1996 at the age of 33 but this song and especially this version of it, lives forever..