John Denver: Explanation of His Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_4FS38z8pY
You probably want to watch this clip slowly, pausing as you need to to read the information from the report of this accident.  John Denver passed away in a plane crash over Monterrey Bay in 1997 before his 54th birthday.
This is a short documentary which puts to rest any theories about the death of John Denver.  Rumors circulated that is was a suicide, or drug involved affair.  Neither of these was true.  This report gives two reasons for the accident. in which John Denver nosed dived into the ocean.  The first, is Denver declined topping off the tanks.  Had he done this the accident would have been avoided.  One tank would have sufficed for his short trip.
This was a new plane to Denver, and his first time flying this plane solo.  The other cause was Denver inadvertently putting the plane into a nose dive.  This was because of a design flaw in the fuel switch.  The plane had two tanks, one in each wing.  If the fuel from one ran out, a switch had to be manipulated to access the fuel in the other wing.  However the switch had been moved to behind the pilot, to avoid the fuel line running through the control area.  It was hard to get to, and two test pilots had triggered a nose dive when the attempted to do this.  They were up high enough to come out of the nose dive.  Denver was not.  His plane nose dived into the ocean at 125 miles per hour and disintegrated, killing Denver instantly. 

Movie Review: Six by Sondheim

Movie Review: Six by Sondheim

This is an HBO 2013 documentary special about the career of Stephen Sondheim.  James Lapine, who often wrote with Sondheim directed and produced.   It focuses specifically on six songs, but tells a much broader story.  Sondheim was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein and his wife.  His first break came when he wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, with Hammerstein writing the music.  They particularly focused on "Somethings Coming," a song added to the beginning of the musical to introduce Tony, and to put him in a sympathetic light.  
Sondheim describes his writing as being a difficult process, with delving into the characters, to come up with the style and lyrics the characters would use.  Hammerstein taught him that a song has a beginning, middle and end, but also must move the story along. 
The documentary also focused on "Opening Doors"  from Merrily We Roll Along.  This is the closest to an autobiographical musical, as it explores persons who are struggling to make it in the Broadway business.  One song was about the piece being hummable, which concept Sondheim did not like. 
"Send in the Clowns"  from A Little Night Music was an after thought type of song, added so the character Desiree could explain her disappointments.  The documentary showed many different artsts singing part of this song; it has been covered many times.
"Being Alive" from Company is Sondheim, who was not married, explaining why marriage is important.  He had asked many of his friends about marriage.
Carlotta, a woman who has been through the entertainment world for many years sings "I'm Still Here" from Follies.  The song was written at the last, and took the place of "That Boy can Foxtrot."  Sondheim felt that song wasn't working, as it was humorous, but quickly got old.  The new lyrics are a list of things the character had gone through, and she is "still here/"
"Sunday" Sunday in the Park with George Sondheim explains has almost a funeral type feel, but it is not a funeral song, but a bit more. 
Broadway Baby from Follies plays as the credits are given, giving this production a seventh song.

Documentary Review: The Fall of Saigon

This documentary portrays one of the most tragic moments in U.S. history.  It is presented by a You Tube site Maharbal which says it was posted in 2014.  These events actually took place 40 years ago this past week.  I was a senior in high school.

I lived through these events, and the nightly news which tried to tell the public what to think about them.  I thought they were tragic at the time.  In a very real sense the United States abandoned its allies and left them hanging in the wind to a fate worse than death.  I think events since the fall of Viet Nam have born this out.  However at the same time, Viet Nam has been a united country since.
I had a friend from work, who served as a doctor in the South Vietnamese Army, and was subjected to the re-education camps.  What a horrid life under communism.  And they say this was freedom. After released form the camps, he talked about the life of the people.  They could not be seen to have any wealth.  If you had chicken, you closed the curtains so no one could see and report to the government. We have all heard of the killing fields.  Millions of people died, so we could have peace.
Sometimes answers are not easy.  However I have a hard time getting my brain around the idea that this was the right way to go.  This documentary focuses on the last push towards Saigon,  from several sides, the government of Viet Nam, the U.S. military, the South Vietnamese military, and the North Vietnamese military.  It also focuses on the thousands who were left behind.  What a tragedy.

The Armenian Holocaust

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Holocaust.  You may ask, What is that.  I had not heard of it until today.  Briefly this was an effort by the Ottoman Empire it rid itself of the Armenians by forced exodus and by murder and massacre.  It began on April with the murder of a couple hundred prominent Armenians.  From there it became a general policy which resulted in between one and 1.5 million deaths.  This was Hitler before Hitler.

Martin Handcart Pioneers: Sarah Franks and George Padley

Sarah Franks Mackay

Sarah Franks and George Padley were engaged to be married before they traveled with the Martin Handcart Company.  At least four other couples were on the journey, mostly on the ship on the Ship Horizon.  However Sarah and George decided to wait until the reached Salt Lake City so they could be sealed in the Endowment House.  However, the journey took its toll on both Sarah and George.  Their bodies began to break down.  In the ultimate example of sacrifice, George would take from his already skimpy rations, and share with Sarah.  George also took severe cold in crossing the Sweetwater river just before the company reached martin's Cove.  His body could take no more and he passed away in the cove.
Sarah was worried about the possibility of the wolves getting to her beloved's body.  She used her own shawl, which she needed for warmth, to dress him, and insisted his body be tied inn a tree. President Faust visited Martin's Cove as part of the Second Rescue.  President Kim w. McKinnon of the Riverton Wyoming Stake told the story of Sarah Franks and George Padley.  President faust "was very moved by the story.  With a tear in his eye he said it had to be one of the great love stories of the western migration."  
It wasn't until 1998 that Sarah was sealed to George, after this had been approved by the First Presidency.  She had married Thomas Mackay and raised a large family.   She would honor and love George for eternities, but she also loved Thomas.  Her dream of Zion was fulfilled in a different way than she had hoped.  
  

Peter McBride: Mormon Handcart Pioneer

Peter McBride, from Scotland, traveled with the Martin Handcart Company with his family.  He was six.  His father served the company as the music leader.  Upon arriving by train at Iowa City, Iowa, some of the company walked to the pioneer camping site that evening.  They were caught in a tremendous down pour.  Peter was walking with his older brother Heber.  What should have been a short walk, took considerably more because of the mud.  They became disoriented, and would not have found the camp except for the campfires they could see after dark.
Like most young boys, Peter was lively.  His father would pass away after the last crossing of the Platte while the company was in the Red Buttes area.  After his father was buried Peter could not be consoled.  Finally he was able to get out, "My fish hooks are in my father's pocket and I want them back.
After making it to Martin's Cove, the wind blew all the tents down one night.  As the company leaders inspected how many had perished during the night, when they come upon the McBride tent which had fallen the wondered how many were dead inside.  Peter's brother explained they had all gotten out.  However when she realized her younger brother had not, she indicated he must have perished.  Peter tells the story this way:

The wind blew the tent down. They all crawled out but me. The snow fell on it. I went to sleep and slept warm all night. In the morning I heard someone say, "How many are dead in this tent?" My sister said, "Well, my little brother must be frozen to death in that tent." So they jerked the tent loose, sent it scurrying over the snow. My hair was frozen to the tent. I picked myself up and came out quite alive, to their surprise.  (McBride, Peter, CH)

Peter must have been a bright spot on a trip which such suffering.

Book Review: When Abraham Talked to the Trees

When Abraham Talked to Trees by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000.

 

This is a story about how Abraham Lincoln developed his skill at public discourse.  Abraham loved to talk, and he read considerable to learn stories.  He would tell the stories to his family.  Sometimes they would listen.  Other times they might become bored.  Abraham would talk anyway; whether to his family, friends or the trees.