#‘Mystic of Cyprus’ Exhibition

[kyreniacommentator]

Exhibition of Paintings – ‘Mystic of Cyprus’ – 10 -14 May 2023

[eurosong]

Undo my ESC - Semi-final 1

Hey there, folks – with this year having so many ESC national finals with results that I personally found lamentable, I thought I’d do a little write-up, Undo my ESC, where I take this year’s entrants and make a feasible change, anything as small as tinkering with a few minor touches or as big as another person winning the national final completely.  Obviously, just my opinion and a light-hearted review, but I hope the people that always unfollow this page because they disagree with something I say on the few occasions I go into personal opinions stop reading here. Let’s take a look, first, at Semi-Final 1. Azerbaijan: she’s a jazz and soul singer. Get her singing a song in one of these styles that is comfortable to her! If the Azeris really think they wouldn’t have a chance with these genres, then they haven’t been paying attention to the last few winners of the contest. Even if she didn’t emulate them, she’d surely get to the final with their qualification rate, and would have more of a chance of standing out than with this generic “bop” (my most hated overused word of this season.) Iceland: Iceland this year may have sent the song with the most excruciatingly hackneyed lyrics in several years. Take a Hallmark card poem, drown it in treacle and you have an idea of how syrupy and twee the song is, almost as if they were some pretty bad satirists trying to write an over-the-top “humankind is one” pastiche song. I didn’t really pay much heed to Söngvakkepnin this year – finding their offerings a tame lot compared to recent years, like the excellent showdown between Svala and Daði Freyr last year – so I don’t have a horse to back, but since Í stormi was winning the contest televote before the superfinal, in this alternate timeline, I will have it win instead. Albania: This song is as close to perfection almost as you can get to me. Some people don’t like the revamped version, but – after what feels like an entire era of bad revamping – I like it and think it makes the song melodically tighter. I guess my change would be that Eugent would get the visa needed to attend the pre-parties, as he really needs all the exposure he can get to get out of this semi-final of death. Belgium: A really nice effort from Belgium, with Flanders stepping it up a gear to match the Walloons’ quality over the past years. Not sure how to change it, except to perhaps incorporate some Dutch in there? The separation of broadcasters made sense when Wallonia was sending songs in French and Flanders in Vlaams, not so much now when they’re both sending English songs. It’d be nice to hear the first bit of Dutch from Belgium since 1996 in, for example, one of the reprises of the choruses. Czechia: The Czechs surprised a lot of onlookers by joining the wave away from internal selections and towards national finals, but there was only ever going to be one winner here, Mikolas Jozef, whose song soared above an otherwise weak crowd melodically – but not lyrically! Even his new “family friendly” version for the ESC feels sleazy, misogynistic, and raises a bunch of questions that I definitely wouldn’t want to have to explain to my students. My change would be that he take the opportunity of writing a new set of lyrics to write something to go much better with the admittedly catchy score. Lithuania: This is gorgeous on every level and is soaring up my personal chart. Ieva’s vocals, powerful in their delicacy, are really moving and add to the poignancy of the lyrics. I originally found the English version sorely lacking compared to Kai myliu, but they have a certain understated simplicity and naïveté that I find lovely. She’s letting the words speak for themselves and I love that. My one change? Make it bilingual and add some Lithuanian to the mix, something she did in the final but is unclear whether she’ll replicate on the big stage.

Israël: Netta was rightfully the breakout star of the Israëli preselection, and having seen interviews of her, she seems genuinely lovely. I wouldn’t change her as the representative picked, but I wóúld go for a different song. Listening to or watching “Toy”, for me, feels like sensory overstimulation, like entering a room with a blur of a thousand noises and flashing lights. It feels too try-hard for me, like they want to be the memetic entry of the year, which some people will vote for just because of the chicken memes rather than the musical value of the piece. I also think that trying to posture it as a #!MeToo anthem is the biggest reach since Brisa Fenoy’s acclamation of Lo Malo. Belarus: As much as I’ve come to ironically appreciate the song and Alekseev’s bizarre accentuation, Farevvahh doesn’t hold a candle to Chmarki for me, which would have been a second unusual and unique pick for Belarus. Estonia: Eesti Laul was a bit of a dud for me this year, unlike the previous year where I loved Spirit Animal and Slingshot liked almost every song in the final -except for the eventual winner (my luck in a nutshell, there.) My pick would have been the sweeping and otherworldly Külm, which would have brought about an overdue return to the exceedingly musical Estonian language at Eurovision. If we have to keep Elina, give her a song (rather than a vocal exhibition) in Estonian, a language whose vocalic richness is perfectly suited for operatics. Bulgaria: The thing letting this darkly atmospheric piece down the most is the female vocalist, Žana Bergendorff, who doesn’t add much to the five-piece combo and has done very little except for gawp distractingly at the crowd in live performances. Bulgaria’s broadcasters teased much bigger names… I would have had them follow through on them. Macedonia: I’ve really grown to like this song from Macedonia, though on first listen – and those first impressions are crucial for folk who haven’t been listening to the songs for months in advance – it seemed a bit messy rather than the musical odyssey I currently consider it to be. It’s a risk, but I’d leave the composition as it is – except for inserting some of the supposed Macedonian we might have got. Croatia: Go back in time and tell Franka not to make a version of Sam Brown’s “Stop” with trap beats? Austria: Another composition that I can barely find fault with and really like. I love the light and shade of this – the dark and despairing verses offset by the build of the bridge and the upbeat, gospel-twinged verses. Only a special voice could pull that off, but Cesár’s husky and soulful timbre is perfect for both. The only part of the song where my attention flags is between the 2nd and 3rd choruses, where I think a fully-fledged third verse would be more interesting. Greece:  Actually have a national final. Don’t eliminate all but one song in the shadiest way possible. And have the winner be Don’t forget the sun/ Μην ξεχνασ τον ηλιο, which I feel brought a truly Greek atmosphere and combined English and Greek effortlessly, avoiding the clunkiness that bilingual songs often have. Finland: I would rather have had a proper UMK with more than one candidate, rather than what we got, 3 songs from Saara Aalto, which doesn’t represent that much choice. If that were impossible – as it seemed YLE was dead set on that path – then I’d probably have gone with Domino instead. Monsters is, musically, a more interesting piece and doesn’t have the atrocious rhyming of “falling, oh” with “domino” (troolee jeenyus riming), but her performance of Domino was considerably less shaky, and I find the chorus a bit gratingly shrill. Armenia: I love that Armenia are sending a song in their beautiful native language, and Qami is a grower with mystical and poetic lyrics. But I can’t lie – I much preferred If you don’t walk me home and would have it win Depi Evratesil instead. Switzerland: I’m going to be honest: in the last few years, I haven’t expected much out of Switzerland except for “non-qualifier” fodder, having brought us only 3 songs I like (Cool vibes, Unbreakable and especially the verbosely charming Hunter of Stars. Come back, Sebalter!) … since their last victory in 1988! I don’t mind Stones, even if I think it’s pop that’s rolled around in the mud a bit to present itself as grungey. However, there was something truly beautiful and stirring in the selection, Chiara Dubey’s “Secrets and Lies”, which seemed elegantly pared back despite also having something of an orchestral flourish. And her voice, as smooth as velvet, crowning the composition. Unfortunately, it had no chance… but I would make it my personal winner of the Swiss selection. Ireland: Ireland’s song this year is not daring or likely to make a splash, but quite lovely, with beautiful harmonies. I find the representative this year to be very unctuous and shifty though, especially his fake news about his video – whence I imagine most of the hype comes from, representing his song about a boy and girl breaking up with a romantic interpretive dance between two fellas falling in love, naturally – that he propagated against Russia.  Cyprus: Just no on every level to the current package, one of my absolute least favourites this year. I’d have a national selection with some Greek language songs. Whilst I begrudge how ERT handled their “national final” fiasco, at least they made a few steps in the right direction. This is the equivalent of flying half way around the world in the wrong direction. And the direct finalists voting in this semi-final:  Portugal: Whilst I have grown to find Isaura’s meditative song about the loss of her gran quite an extraordinary and emotive listen, I found this year’s Festival da canção of great quality and diversity and would have preferred Beatriz’ Eu te amo, Diogo Piçarra’s Canção do fim, or even better, Janeiro’s “(sem título)” as the host nation’s entry. Spain: This is one of my huge favourites this year, so I can pick little fault with it at all, though I think I prefer their pre-revamp version, which was a little more subtle in its lack of additional adornments. United Kingdom: The only thing I was happy about when it came to the result of You Decide, (which should be renamed You decide 50%, a jury decides the rest and we never tell you who réálly was decisive!) was that this prevented the more hideous hymn of unwarranted self-aggrandisement that was “Legends” from getting the ticket. But the eventual winning song, and especially the revamp, which sounds like the producers got bored and let their six year old kid go wild on a Casio, is such a wet weekend for me, especially when it was up against a soaring voice and poignant set of lyrics in Jaz Ellington’s “You”. 

So, that’s my summary of what I consider to be by far the stronger semi-final of this year’s Eurovision, and where only a few of my changes needed to be drastic. Join me soon to go through SF2, as I navigate a nearly wall-to-wall litany of horrors and share how I would like to try to right them!

[animalruth19-blog]

The Definitive Guide to knights

As a subject of fact, now I’m sensation indignant that priests aren't normally out there prior to mass, so does this mean I can’t get Communion tomorrow morning at seven:thirty? Given that I’m “indignant”? Truthfully ~ I uncover it not easy to feel that my Lord and God won't want me to…. The pope, irresolute and harrassed, lastly adopted a Center training course: he decreed the dissolution, not the condemnation from the order, and never by penal sentence, but by an Apostolic Decree (Bull of twenty-two March, 1312). The order getting been suppressed, the pope himself was to determine as towards the destiny of its customers as well as disposal of its possessions. As into the home, it absolutely was turned over towards the rival Buy of Hospitallers to generally be placed on its unique use, particularly the defence with the Holy Areas. In Portugal, nonetheless, As well as in Aragon the belongings had been vested in two new orders, the Buy of Christ in Portugal and also the Order of Montesa in Aragon. As towards the customers, the Templars acknowledged guiltless were being permitted either to join An additional armed service purchase or to return on the secular point out. During the latter scenario, a pension for life, billed to the possessions with the get, was granted them. Alternatively, the Templars who experienced pleaded guilty prior to their bishops had been to generally be treated "based on the rigours of justice, tempered by a generous mercy". The pope reserved to his personal judgment the cause of the grand master and his three 1st dignitaries. They had confessed their guilt; it remained to reconcile them While using the Church, after they had testified for their repentance While using the customary solemnity. To give this solemnity extra publicity, a System was erected before the Notre-Dame with the looking through with the sentence. But for the supreme instant the grand grasp recovered his courage and proclaimed the innocence of the Templars and the falsity of his have alleged confessions. To atone for this deplorable instant of weakness, he declared himself able to sacrifice his lifetime. He understood the fate that awaited him. Promptly right after this unanticipated coup-de-théâtre Considerably of your heritage of humanity which the original Knights Templar preserved and formulated is intriguing record, revealing several “techniques” that are much desired by seekers around the globe, and supplying sensible solutions to many challenges of modern Culture. The priories range twenty-four, and the commanderies, which had been subdivisions from the priories, 656. All these posts had been held In keeping with seniority, the commanderies following three strategies, which were being called "caravans". A most significant modify in the character with the purchase was the transformation of your knights into corsairs. The piracy practiced from the Muslims was the scourge of your Mediterranean and especially of Christian commerce. The Knights of Rhodes, on their aspect, armed cruisers not simply to provide chase towards the pirates, but to create reprisals about the Turkish merchantmen. With expanding audacity they made descents within the Coastline and pillaged the richest ports in the Orient, for example Smyrna (1341) and Alexandria (1365). On the other hand, a fresh Muslim energy arose at this period — the Ottoman Turks of Iconium — and took the offensive versus Christianity. Once the tumble of Constantinople, Mahomet II directed his attention into the endeavor of destroying this den of pirates which manufactured Rhodes the terror of your Muslim world. Henceforth the purchase, thrown within the defensive, lived perpetually on the alert. As soon as, beneath its grand grasp, Pierre d'Aubusson, it repulsed all of the forces of Mahomet II within the siege of 1480. In 1522 Solyman II returned to the attack which has a fleet of four hundred ships and an army of 140,000 Males. The knights sustained this excellent onslaught with their habitual bravery for a duration of six months underneath their grand master, Villiers de l'Isle Adam, and capitulated only when their provides were fully fatigued. Their life had been spared, and they ended up permitted to withdraw. Solyman II, in homage to their heroism, lent them his ships to return to Europe. They dispersed to their commanderies and begged Charles V to grant them the island of Malta, which was a dependency of his kingdom of Sicily, and this sovereignty was granted them in 1530, beneath the suzerainty in the kings of Spain. The Knights of Malta (1530-1798) The letters of the Apostle Paul and also the Acts in the Apostles in The brand new Testomony display that early Christians believed that this institution provided a mandate to carry on the celebration being an anticipation in this life of the joys of your banquet that was to come back in the Kingdom of God. Once the seize of Jerusalem by Saladin (1187), the Hospitallers retained only their possessions during the Principality of Tripoli, and these they misplaced a century later on by the fall of Acre (1291). They were being obliged to seek refuge, below their grand master, Jean de Villiers, from the Kingdom of Cyprus, wherever they already had some belongings. King Amaury assigned them as a location of residence the town of Limassol within the coast. Having turn out to be islanders, the Hospitallers were obliged to modify their way of warfare. They Outfitted fleets to combat the Muslims on The ocean and to safeguard the pilgrims, who had not ceased to go to the Holy Areas. But it was chiefly the conquest on the island of Rhodes, underneath the Grand Master Foulques de Villaret, that brought about a complete transformation in the purchase. An Unbiased View of religious vocation buddhism The Knights of Rhodes (1309-1522) In one sentence, paganism is usually a lifestyle of untruth. In excess of The 2 thousand a long time due to the fact Calvary, Christianity has had to frequently take care of pagan Concepts, pagan legislation; in the word--that has a pagan tradition that hated Christianity for the same reason that it crucified the Incarnate Fact, who became guy to teach the earth the way to provide God in this article in the world, in an effort to have Him in a blessed eternity. After i dug deeper, I found that commencing even previously, Potentially back again for the fifth century, the Heart, that's the spiritual coronary heart in contrast to the human organ, was symbolized by a drinking vessel. Catholics are accustomed to paintings in the Sacred Coronary heart of Jesus, so we understand that there was veneration for Jesus' Coronary heart. It can be unknown to how many of his twelve disciples Jesus imparted his solution teachings, but what survives right now as the Gnostic Gospels, what was located in a cave in Egypt in 1947 and is known as the Naj Hammadi library, comprise the writings of Mary Magdalene and Thomas. I figured that the put experienced a reputation, a code name that may not give absent its area. Within the novel I named it Hafiz Mountain, for the reason that Hafiz in Arabic indicates to protect information, as in crafting, memorizing, or secreting it away, and I figured that’s just what the mystical underground and afterwards the Brotherhood would have named it, or a thing very related. Calvin, whose posture was closer to that of Luther, taught the “actual but spiritual existence” of Christ but in the sacramental motion in lieu of in the elements of your Eucharist. The High Church Anglicans (Particularly Considering that the Anglo-Catholic Oxford movement on the nineteenth century) and the Lutherans (who affirm the true existence of the body and blood of Christ “in, with, and under” the bread and wine) adhere most intently to your traditions of Catholic eucharistic doctrine and practice. In their liturgies equally Anglicanism and Lutheranism operate within the framework of the mass, adopting selected features and rejecting Other people; the liturgical actions in both of those traditions over the nineteenth and twentieth hundreds of years restored supplemental aspects, even though theological interpretations in the Lord’s Supper continued to Exhibit good variety. etc. etc. The checklist is not exhaustive, and any sin that Now we have meditated on before hand, understood its gravity and however preferred to perform it could be a lethal sin. Inside, the oldest section (1132) would be the east choir, which became the prototype for a particular trick of community architecture: the walls are straight on the surface but rounded inside of. Likely to confession annually has not been needed from the Church. What is required is always that you get the Eucharist at least annually. Obviously your can’t acquire inside the point out of mortal sin instead of about to confession so far as I know isn't a mortal sin.