Geniuses 3

It would be a mistake to think all geniuses are to be found in the sciences; or as engineers or inventors.  That would straight away exclude all sorts of alternative and motley geniuses and limit our survey.  My definition of genius, if you need reminding, is “an extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity”, and (goes without saying), “has captivated me”.

But – and here’s my dilemma for this specimen – this fortnight’s genius offering is a writer whom I can barely understand.  Can that really count?  This guy wrote 37 plays and 154 poems; invented thousands of his own words; has been translated into 180 languages; and is as oft-quoted as the Bible.  Have you guessed who he is?  Yes, it’s the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare.  And although I’ve tried, I can only half understand his stuff.  Because not only is his intellect on another plain, but he was writing for a people whose English barely resembled ours.  Even in his own time (late sixteenth century, early seventeenth) he was writing not for the contemporary sophisticates, but for the rank and file – the ordinary people.

Shakespeare was first forced on me in the fifth form, when we had to study Julius Caesar, and the teacher reckoned that all those clever speeches and couplets and phrasings were intentional, not just flukes, as I suggested.  In the sixth form it was Henry IV Part Two.  By the seventh, I’d had enough.  But in later decades he lured me back.  I’ve been to several of his plays, but, knowing how difficult it is for a Kiwi rank-and-file to follow his work, I’ve tried to read a play before viewing, presuming that would give a leg-up to better understanding.  And it has helped – for Romeo and Juliet, Midsomer Night’s Dream (which is hilarious in places), King Lear, Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing (these two in Stratford-Upon-Avon itself), and Hamlet and Julius Caesar (again) (both of these at the seasonal Pop-Up Globe theatre in Auckland).

You see, I’ve tried, and his writing really is clever if you can break into it – genius level, perforce [another word he invented]. How could anyone write that stuff, even today, with all our learning and sophistication, let alone four and a half centuries ago?

But, given all the a-foregoing, and in just over five hundred words, how can one describe his genius, let alone explain or analyse it?  Fortunately, dozens of other sophisticates have already.  Some of the shorter ones are listed at the bottom of this blog – check ‘em out. The uncredited Daily News article says, “More than any other writer, he had the capacity to think himself into the minds of other human beings, and to summarise the great range of our emotions in words that are simple and supremely eloquent.”  Harold Bloom, in a best-selling Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (1998), says, “… supreme literary talent is the necessary precondition for the composition of [Shakespeare’s great works] that have shaped our language, embedded themselves in our individual and collective imaginations, and inspired so much work by other artists.”

Because I had to concentrate, and climb the mountain to even begin to enjoy the view, I’ve been captivated by the genius of William Shakespeare.  If you’re tempted, Julius Caesar is as good a place as any to start climbing.

Ken F

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shakespeares-Genius-1733556https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/oct/27/anonymous-william-shakespeare-genius
2. https://www.dailynews.lk/2017/03/27/features/111556/what-made-shakespeare-genius
3. https:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3554782/What-Shakespeare-genius-grammar-school-boy-died-400-years-ago-today-snobs-sneer-humble-origins-completely-missing-point.html
4. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/oct/27/anonymous-william-shakespeare-genius
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5SYcPN38ZVbsBWZqJhShxzW/was-shakespeare-a-genius
6. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1075391.The_Genius_of_Shakespeare

Geniuses 2

Continuing this brief series, and introducing you to my first considered genius, recalling the working definition of genius as an “extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity” (see Geniuses 1), as perceived by me:

Isaac Newton would make most people’s list, so is probably the least provocative of mine.  Newton was born in eastern England’s Lincolnshire in the mid seventeenth century, son to a share cropper.  There were no signs of genius early on.  In fact, the only event recorded of his early life involved his being bullied at school.  The best he might have expected from life was to leave school at twelve and become a share cropper himself.  However, a local landowner saw potential in him and arranged and paid for him to complete his schooling (where he blossomed in his final year – as a seventeen-year-old) and so to Cambridge University.

Unfortunately, after a promising start, the Black Plague saw the university closed down and Newton sent home to the countryside.  But it was here, during the next two years, that his genius erupted.  First, after seeing a spectrum on a wall, produced by sunlight through a jug of water on his bedroom table, he was prompted to investigate the make-up of light, and he proposed that ‘white’ light must be made up of component colours.  A falling apple also prompted him to propose the presence of an attractive force between any two bodies in space – a gravitational force.  This in turn set him to realise that the moon must be held in place by the same attractive force (but didn’t fall to earth like the apple, because it was moving sideways in a circular orbit).

When Newton finally returned to Cambridge, and word of his ideas got around, he was persuaded (primarily by Edmund Haley, no less, who later used Newton’s theories to predict the return of Haley’s Comet in 1758) to write down and publish his findings, which he did in Latin (!) – the academic language of the time – in two huge volumes titled Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy).  However, in attempting to prove his theories Newton realised that the Maths of the day was inadequate for his purposes, so he ‘invented’ a whole new branch of Maths (also presented in his Principia) which we know now as Calculus.

This, and his many other stunning additions to scientific and mathematical knowledge (too many to list here, although his invention of the reflecting telescope is especially impressive, but see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton) and to British leadership (for example, he was ‘Master of the Royal Mint’ for thirty years)) established his genius beyond contest.

These, and many other details of his astonishing giftedness, struck me with awe (as a teacher of Maths and Physics).  But what lingers in my thinking above all his technical genius is the high level of curiosity that drove him.  He could never look at something without wondering why or how.  Whereas most of us, in observing an apple fall from a tree, might say, “Huh.  Look at that.  Whaddya know?”, Newton thought, “Huh.  I wonder why that apple fell vertically downwards, not sideways, or even upwards?”

To my mind, it was that curiosity and questioning mien that led him to see so much, and “creatively manifest” his insights in his published works and scientific influence, in his own time and down through the centuries; to the point where Newtonian Physics, and the Calculus, are foundational to every student’s senior Maths and Science studies today.

May the genius of Sir Isaac Newton awaken us all to the wondrous world and cosmos we share.

Ken F

Lockdown Stuff 2

A couple of one-liners to start with. All right, three …

I’ve had amnesia as long as I can remember.

I intend to live forever. So far so good.

They say when a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.


Next, a couple of real howlers!

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.  
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.
“I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said to her, “but in just a few years, my father will die, and I’ll inherit 20 million dollars.”  
Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.

Two Kiwis Hemi and Bob are walking down a street in Bondi. Bob happens to look in one of the shop windows and sees a sign that catches his eye. The sign said ‘Suits $10.00 each, Shirts $4.00 each, Trousers $5.00  per pair’.
Bob says to his pal, “Hemi, look! We could buy a whole lot of  those, and whin we get beck to InZid, we could make a fortune.
“Now whin we go unto the shop, you be quiet, okay? Just lit me do all the talking cause uf they hear our accint, they might not be nice to us. I’ll speak in my bist Aussie accint.”
“No worries,” smiled Hemi, “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
They go in and Bob says, “I’ll take fufty suits et $10.00 each, 100 shirts et $4.00 each, and fufty pairs of trousers et $5.00 each. I’ll beck up my truck and…”
The owner of the shop interrupts, “You’re from New Zealand, aren’t you?”
“Well… yis,” says a surprised Bob. “How the hill dud you know thet?”
The owner says, “This is a dry cleaners.”


Finishing with this ancient blessing:

I wish you enough
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through any good-byes.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and joyous.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how grey the day may appear. But I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

Happy days in lockdown, one ‘n’ all.

Ken F

Lockdown Stuff

Greetings, all you good people in lockdown. How are you faring? We’re all in this together, huh, but in our own homes, so there’s not much fellowship to be had, huh. Well, as the St Francis Web-guy, and in talking with Rev Joan, I thought I’d put up a few things to maintain some morale in these uncertain times. So, check out some of the the things below. You’ll find something there for you – plenty of inspiration, hopefully, and including some fun stuff and some interesting stuff. All jumbled up, so you can figure out which is which as you make your way through them. [Some are all three!] And I’ll add to it as long as we’re in lockdown, so keep coming back to see what’s been added.

So, yeah, I’ve added some more links (Monday morning), below, in the second half of the page. Scroll down – you’ll find a real smorgasbord. Plenty of distracting amusements.

Enjoy, peeps.

First of all, let’s remember who we are – and whose we are: a prayer to begin:

We are not people of fear:
we are people of courage.
We are not people who protect our own safety:
we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety.
We are not people of greed:
we are people of generosity.
We are your people God,
giving and loving,
wherever we are,
whatever it costs
For as long as it takes
wherever you call us.
Amen
(A Prayer from Church of England)

If you have a family with you, here’s a week of family blessings you can use (or adapt), daily:
Sunday
Risen Son, bless us with life!
Creator God, bless us with rest!
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us.

Monday
As the new day dawns and our week begins,
bless our feet in paths of peace
and our hearts with hope and courage.

Tuesday
Gentle Jesus, go before us in goodness
Graceful Jesus, go behind us in mercy
God of power, teach us to walk beside you
And to rest in your arms of love.

Wednesday
Jesus, our friend,
hold our hands,
hold our hearts,
hold our nerves steady
as we believe and trust in you.

Thursday
Creator God, bless us with joy.
Bless us with purpose,
bless us with love
and may we be a blessing
to your creation this day.

​Friday
We bless this day with the freedom of God
and say “Be still” to the storms of the sea,
we bless this day with the beauty of love
that was poured out for you and for me.

Saturday
We rejoice in the gift of each other
We rejoice in the gift of you
We bless each other with joy today
We bless each other in you
Art Gallery, Paris

Seeing world travel has been squashed by Covid, different tourist highspots are making some amazing online offerings. Do you know, you can go through the Louvre Museum/Art Gallery in Paris? Click on this link Louvre site des collections, and pick your way thorough the art works there, complete with descriptions and provenance. You’ll need time – there are nearly 500, 000 items!!
The default language is French – hey, why not? – but there are buttons to allow you to convert to English, and when they’re not available they provide a different little button that allows you to use Google Translate.
Ring me if you can’t make these work (027 652 6100), because this is truly a wonderful site (sight?!) if you can make it work. Here’s the link again: Louvre site des collections

Here’s an interesting, slightly different, church service from Wellington last week.

You might enjoy it, in lieu of getting out to our usual Sunday service.

If you’d like access to an online copy of the Anglican Prayer Book:

http://anglicanprayerbook.nz/

Here’s a great idea if you need something to keep your (or your family’s) morale up during lockdown.

[Click on the link:] https://www.sunzbreakthrough.org.nz/resources/stopandnotice?fbclid=IwAR2W2v2I3KDMbvND-G_qoeudh-9DmUrStBxeanuMZDcvaQ9TAslidToP24c

And … here are two daily devotionals

The first is from The Word for Today. The second is from a group called 24-7prayer, but is actually only available as a cellphone app. (Go to their site and surf around – you’ll see how to download their app onto your phone.)

https://www.rhema.co.nz/the-word-for-today; https://www.24-7prayer.com/dailydevotional

  • The Sphinx: Great Sphinx of Giza If you click on this link it takes you to Google Earth’s photo of the Sphinx (Egypt). Except, it’s more than a photo. It’s 360 degrees. If you left click somewhere on the photo and ‘drag’ your arrow, you’ll see all around, including two pyramids, other ruins, and the party of tourists that you’re with!
  • New Life Church, Sydney: https://live.church.nu/ This online church comes with Barry’s and Keri’s recommendation. Click on the link and you’ll find You Tube recordings of their recent services/sermons, plus other stuff. They also offer live online services, which you’ll be able to connect to next Sunday.
  • Whist. Have you ever played Whist? It’s a card game. But this is an online version that you can play alone, or with someone else in your household. (There are instructions (click on “Rules”), so when you understand the game you can play with someone else in your household, with real cards. Whist | Play it online
  • Speaking of which, what about online chess?! Go to this link: Lichess.org. Go to the ‘Play’ button, select ‘Create a game’. You might have to register, and it might take a bit to figure out how to make things work, but once you do, you’ll be able to play against the online computer, or against another live person somewhere else in the world – someone here in Tairua or – who knows – someone in Latvia!
  • This site is similar, but for card games: Card games
  • RNZ Podcasts: Some fascinating interviews and programmes – more than you’ll ever have time to listen to. Some really interesting stuff, ideas and opinions: https://www.rnz.co.nz/series Scroll through and select one/some.
  • Max Boyce. [My personal favourite]: This Welsh comedian is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever heard. Boyce put out a hilarious album in 1974. I can only find it on Spotify, so to listen to it you’ll probably have to register with Spotify – but it’s free and it’s worth it just to hear this 70s comic offering. Go to this link: Ode to Barry Island · Max Boyce
    However, he’s put out an updated version recently that is free on You Tube. You can just view this if you like, although listening to the 70s one first will heighten your enjoyment of the second. Find the second here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8G_ouF1PeU Being Welsh, you’ll have to strain sometimes to understand his accent, and he even speaks (and sings) in Welsh sometimes. But …

    Good clean hilarious fun. We all need a good laugh right now.

Happy Lockdown, all.

Ken F