This photo is great
Here in America, we set aside a federal day to honor 'laborers' with a holiday always landing on the first Monday of September. It also signifies the end of Summer (Pete Sr. and my favorite time of the year) and the coming of Fall (Peter's and Nettie's favorite).
If you are working today, I'm sorry to hear that. For the rest of you all, enjoy the last of your BBQs, block parties, beach days ... no one hated going back to school more than Pete. From the first day that school let out for Summer, he'd have a countdown of the number of hours till we had to go back to school.
Here's something to check out when you have some free time. A band called Voyager released an album called "The Meaning of I." Their song, "Iron Dream" was written about Peter. See this review. If anyone can find a youtube of them doing this song, please post it in comments. Thanks.
http://metaldelirium.net/voyager-the-meaning-of-i/
Love that picture of Peter. He looks like some sort of angry vampire owl...its hysterical. With Peters creative brain I would think school was very boring a lot of the time. I'm sure he always had something else more fun to do. We are now in spring and its great all the animals and nature are beginning to come to life after their sleep. On the week end I saw kangaroos, King Parrots, Red Bellied Black Snakes and lizards, so thats a good start to Spring. I haven't been able to find the song "Iron Dream" or its lyrics anywhere on the internet yet.
ReplyDeleteI read that the album comes out in October (my birth month and my favorite month ^^ ) I think it is now difficult to find that song on youtube, although I'm very curious to hear it.
ReplyDeleteWITH LOVE: Silvia (ITA)
Have never heard of Voyager before this... thank you for mentioning them. I listened to quite a few songs and interviews with the band on YouTube... what a great sound! I am quite disappointed with typical "radio metal" so this is a wonderful breath of fresh noise!
ReplyDeleteListened to Voyager's title track on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCBs5vvOE4E
ReplyDeleteOther tunes may be slower but its BPM rate's fairly high. Can't help but notice Voyager's playing in Brooklyn this coming Sunday, 9/11 at Matchless. Their other confirmed US show is on the following Friday, 9/16 at ProgPower USA in Atlanta. If any of you attend please let us know what you think.
I can imagine that Pete wasn't the only member of the Ratajczyk family who found the dogmatic, structured, slow-paced learning environment of elementary, middle and high school to result in ennui. Frankly, I hated it too. Seemed like pounding away at fundamentals at a mind-numbing snail-like pace with little actual mental stimulus was a form of torture the system delighted in, and the real goal was to discourage independent thought and indoctrinate students into a life of following the orders of others after graduation. Pete must've despised it and gained his vast pool of knowledge outside of scholastic confines during those years. His having conducted a countdown is priceless!
That said, for younger readers dreading that first day back tomorrow, it's sadly a necessary evil to stay there, put up with the torment and get that stupid diploma, preferably with reasonably good marks. Taking music/art/shop classes makes it more bearable. Learning music makes math easier, and studying one's native language to build vocabulary does make life more enjoyable and creative later. Learning specialized terminology outside of class, when the teacher's not looking, will help you to thwart the system you're currently putting up with, the one meant to subjugate you. Believe it or not, studying the evolution of your punctuation system will keep you employed later when you need money or food as well. As someone who hated school, my unsolicited advice is to not just grit your teeth and bear it if you hate it too, but to go beyond it. Learn everything that school doesn't want you to know, like foreign cultures of countries your country has a less than amicable relationship with, or perhaps conduct our own science experiments, or learn a language they don't offer, etc. Also, always consider the source of your information while reviewing it, especially when there's an alternative source the school hasn't sanctioned. Don't just be another piece of human meat your school will eventually have spat out into the workforce, pre-processed. Be more, even if it has to be no thanks to the system.
Hope the last day of summer or winter, depending upon which side of the equator you're on, will be enjoyable. Wishing those in China a memorial week filled with fond memories, and those in the US a happy Labor Day!
hey everyone
ReplyDeletei was so suprised to read your blog and u mention Voyager!!!! they are one of the local metal bands in Perth Australia (where im from)!!!!!! if you are looking for them try typing voyager australia........ !!!!! have a great long weekend !
Hey everyone! Alex from VOYAGER here. Thanks so much for checking us out and mentioning us on here.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know; the track "Iron Dream - In memorium: Peter Steele" Is from our forthcoming album The Meaning of I. I think the track is great and a nice tribute to the man himself (who is one of our singers greatest influences). The album is out in October 11 through Sensory records. It our beat album to date and while you may notice that we don't really sound "Type O" as such, there is a heavy influence underpinning our sound on most our albums if you listen carefully (blame Danny for that :p)
Check out our YouTube Chanel for more vids. Below is a link to myself recording the bass for the album and contains some footage of me getting the Peter Steele tone for the song.
Enjoy and check us out in Brooklyn on 9/11 or Atlanta for ProgPower USA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgRSl3nWCCE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hey there--
ReplyDeleteI tried looking up "Iron Dream" also--no luck. Guess I'll have to check out some of their other videos in the meantime.
And to echo--or rather, elaborate on--what dunebuggy4 said...Yes, school can be a drudge, especially when you're forced to learn something you have no interest in. Of course, the skill level of the teacher and the way he/she presents the information can make or break a class as well. Look for opportunities to take 'unconventional' classes. I took Latin (how many people are cringing?!) for 8 years, and you'd be surprised how it helps with learning not only English, but any other Romance language, esp. Italian. Even today, when I look up a word, I always look at the root; it's usually Latin or Middle English. And always look for opportunities outside the classroom to learn. Puzzles, for example, are a great way to expand several areas of the brain. Reading on your own is another way. Your interest is less likely to wane if you're reading something because you truly want to, instead of being forced to read something because you have to.
I can imagine Peter did a lot of reading, studying and experimenting on his own and didn't just stick to the school curriculum. Look how he turned out. There's no reason the rest of us can't follow that example.:)
Oh--I love this photo. I've always wondered if he's just staring into space, or if he really is directing that look at a particular person!
Have a good week all!
Love & Gratitude--Patty P
as someone who also hated the drudgery of school,this was never my favorite time of year either.while i really do love the fall,i mourn the passing of the easy days of summer and sandals.i really dont know why but most kids do not like school from my mothers generation (she is 82) to my grandkids in middle and grammar school, i really do think its very boring, but necessary. i must admit i do enjoy those cool fall nights.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteUh, no. Labor day is not the end of summer. And memorial day is not the beginning of summer. Summer and winter are astronomical phenomenon based on the axial tilt of the earth. Each season is exactly 3 months, no matter where you are on the planet. Summer is approx. June 23rd to Sept 23rd.
ReplyDeleteClintjcl is essentially correct. June 21st is the the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern hemisphere due to the slanted position of the earth's axis in relationship to the sun. Conversely, Dec 22nd is the other solstice. Equinoxes (when day and night are roughly equal) occur on March 20th and Sept 22nd. Earth is closest to the sun on Jan 4th (Perihelion) each year due to the eliptical shape of its orbit and furthest from the sun on July 4th (Aphelion), but Earth's atmosphere is on average cooler during the time period during which it is closest to the sun because the southern hemisphere receives more sunlight during that time and the southern hemisphere has more water/ocean than land, thus making storage of the sun's energy as heat less viable.
ReplyDeleteOne can see a solstice as either the beginning of a season or the peak of it, therefore summer begins in the northern hemisphere either on June 21st or on May 5th, depending upon one's viewpoint of summer, as May 5th preceeds June 21st by 46 days, and the number of days of summer is 91 according to astronomers.
The only reason Labor Day (or thereabouts) is perceived as the end of summer in the US and parts of Western Europe is because it's when children in traditionally scheduled school systems return to school after having been dismissed from classes sometime after Memorial Day or in late May/early June. 'Summer break' became a standard part of school schedules because family farms with children working on the farm needed them during that time to help with the planting, tending and harvesting of crops.
So, when is summer? That answer depends upon the viewpoint of the person asking or answering that question. Thank you Clintjcl for pointing out the scientific definition of summer. It's an important fact, especially if one is ghostly of pallor, living up north and contemplating outdoor activities in June during daylight hours.
www.nasa.gov
Ok, I think I have to point out that the comment about "end of summer" wasn't a literal one ... but more of a commentary on summer hours, summer fun, and a specific timeframe as to when most people consider summertime activities happening. So, thanks to everyone who wrote in about literally when summer actually does end, you guys are definitely brainiacs ... I sort of like that about you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Darcie! Just thought I'd give a leg-up to young blog-readers who were about to start Earth Science class since Clintjcl mentioned.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what properties the Druids, Galileo and Copernicus assigned the first Tuesday in September, summer's generally over in the minds of children and teens when the pinwheels, ice cream cones and lazy afternoon swimming excursions are replaced by a bookbag, durable shoes and the sound of an early morning alarm-clock. Dreading it's a fairly healthy response.
Hey Silvia!Guess who?=)
ReplyDeleteI've listened a part of the song on the video Alex posted here,it sounds so melodic and nice ;)Cannot wait to listen to it all.Voyager really sound cool.
Emiliano