Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Harmonists

HARMONISTS, n. A sect of Protestants, now extinct, who came from Europe in the beginning of the last century and were distinguished for the bitterness of their internal controversies and dissensions.

2010 Update: A pietistic sect remembered more for the quality of its preaching than for the sensitivity of its hearing.

22 comments:

TLP said...

Harmonists: Barber Shop Quartet, accompanied by Bob Dylan on the harmonica. (But dear God don't let him sing!)

Jim said...

Thanks for the info, Doug!
Shucks, though, I was thinking this was the little scruffy looking guy in the CW orchestra who played the harmonica.
I too think of Dylan with that bit. He plays a mean harmonica.
..

k. riggs gardner said...

Bob Dylan has nine grandchildren and sports a bumper sticker on his car that reads “World’s Greatest Grandpa.”

tilden talks... said...

...people who play harmonies on harmonicas at hoe-downs with hot digs and ho-ho?

the amoeba said...

distinguished for the bitterness of their internal controversies and dissensions

Well, they were led by a Rapper. What did you expect?

Thanks to them, I have to go to Pennsylvania to live in Harmony (formerly Murdering Town). No wonder the globe's so messed up.

Anonymous said...

HARMONISTS, n. - US Congress

pia said...

These definitions were about as far from the word as a word can go. It sounds so peaceful
TLP--sometimes I feel that way about Dylan but really he's the original--and my only crush on a high school classmate was on one boy who knew every lyric to every song--even then a lot--and sang them to me when our families went away together just after graduation. (I'm into truly vapid stories today)

k. riggs gardner said...

And speaking of truly vapid Pia stories, remember the time she told this snoozer: There used to be a street, on Long Island named Guinea Woods Road, named for the bird but it was sooooo politically incorrect it was changed.

I mean really. What was up with that?

Cooper said...

The Beach Boys with celibacy.

TLP said...

Pia, my kids and I love Dylan. He's a wonderful poet. But the poor guy can no longer sing a worth a lick. Once we went to see him in concert, and he started a song and was going along with it, when a ripple went through the crowd.." Oh! He's singing 'Maggie's Farm!' " He sang it so out-of-tune that it took several bars to know what the song was! That's okay. He's still the man.

k. riggs gardner said...

TLP, that wasn't fair. You only gave Cooper one minute to say: The Beach Boys with celibacy.

quilly said...

Well, I can tell I am way out of touch. I thought Harmonists were NCIS fans. Alas.

Jim said...

I do believe the NCIS fans are Harmonists. The first rule for their code of conduct on the NCIS fan site is to "Play nicely with others:
(with their peers,
don't use offensive language,
remember their are no stupid questions,
report inappropriate behavior,
do not post in UPPER CASE,
this is NOT "The Dating Game,"
respect the cast of NCIS)"

There is a whole lot more too.

These are just about like the rules of conduct for my blog.
They seem like fairly appropriate rules of conduct for Doug's site. We could help him adapt for them.

The link: http://cbsncis.wetpaint.com/page/NCIS+Fan+Site+Code+of+Conduct which you'll have to paste to your URL toolbar.
..
BTW, McGee of NCIS plays the harmonica. Makes him a double Harmonist.
..

Jim said...

I was just told that Dr. Nathaniel "Nate" Getz of NCIS also plays the harmonica.
..

k. riggs gardner said...

jim dandy to the rescue or was that general george custer

k. riggs gardner said...

Remember last year's definition of Table D'Hote? Jim said ... Table D'Hôte: Not necessarily a good choice for Americans in Paris.
À la carte is better unless one is really hungry. Mrs. Jim has appetizers, I have an entree, and we go down the street much later for desert. We share every single item half and half. That gives us half the fare (if we want those selections) at half the price, or less. The servings are much larger than one expects in the U.S. MacDonald's in Paris stinks. One good thing though, if you want, they serve beer and wine. No senior prices or drinks there, sorry. It doesn't hurt to ask everywhere.
..

Then T&I said ... Hog trough. (I miss T&I. Weirsdo, too)

Ariel the Thief said...

I don't know the word, so I googled, and found this (among others): "harmonist - a scholar of literature who shows parallels or harmony between passages from different authors." And I thought that was what lawyers are for. LOL!

Jim said...

Ooops, do I smell another lawyer bashing here?

I am ready for Paris again. Our Karen left for her two-three year stint in London. When we visit her we can catch the Chunnel train to Paris real easily.

In the meantime first it will be London to Copenhagen, take an eleven day Baltic cruise, and then back to London. That is coming up in less than a month. For a month.
..
BTW, I am glad someone asked for all that. I have essentially shut my blog down until we get back. But I am sure it will sneak in there on my blog somehow before we leave.
..

k. riggs gardner said...

Bon Voyage.

Omnipotent Poobah said...

harmonist: a person who creates harm, as in "The CEO of BP is a harmonist."

Doug The Una said...

TLP, it's too late for that now. Where were you in 1963?

Jim, he does do that well, doesn't he. Writes a heck of a song, too.

Karen, now that is relevant information I didn't have.

Hopefully, Tilden.

Amoeba, murdering can be in harmony, you just need a third victim and a fifth.

Thom, I just imagined 435 jowly snorers in sync.

Pia, vapid stories are welcome. Where were we in the canon, then? Hurricane and Jokerman are great songs but not romantic.

Karen, keep casting your shark net. One of these days it will come up full.

Actonbell, the prospect of Dylan singing harmony scares the bejeebers out of me.

Quilly, I actually don't get that but Jim will.

Jim, that's funny. Does it work?

Karen, I miss T&I&W too.

Ariel, I think the Harmonists were heaven's attorneys.

Jim, I look forward to the updates.

D'accord, Karen.

And here I thought the trouble was oil, Poobah.

Ariel the Thief said...

Jim, no way! :)