Dear Readers,
Do you ever have the feeling that there’s a mountain of things that you would love to do, discuss and share with others, but may be wondering how and where to begin? I have had feelings like that for a while now, and today I am at the foot of the mountain, looking up.
The journey ahead can sometimes appear daunting, but in my soul I know that, with help, there is no need to be afraid. The good message is summarised perfectly in a short 2-minute extract from my favourite film, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (directed by Franco Zeffirelli forty years ago in 1977).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26JXD3fhwE “Don’t be afraid, I am with you every day till the end of time.”
I have the full movie on a proper DVD. It lasts more than 6 hours, but I still love to watch it over a number of days, whenever possible. For a long time already, the following link to the full movie has also been available.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG6Y88iQhCE ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, 6hours 20mins.
Every week on the phone, I chat with my younger brother in England, and our chat almost invariably includes something about inspirational movies. He knows a really vast amount about the history of films. For example, if I were to ask him, “Who played the role of Esther alongside Charlton Heston in ‘Ben Hur’?” then he could tell me from his knowledge and memory, that it was, way back in 1959, the beautiful Israeli actress Haya Harareet, who should be turning 86 later this month!
As the love theme from ‘Ben Hur’ is, to my ears, one of the most unforgettable pieces of music, I include the following link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvubNyeGHLU 3mins 28secs.
Another stunning piece, only requiring 1 minute yet never fading in impact, can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zBEO1R8lVs 1min.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BROTHER!
As we have Blog Post #15 today on September 5th, I give you (1+5)x(5+5-1) to mentally calculate the age my brother will be on his birthday this coming Saturday. Can you think of another way of getting the same age using the digits 1,1,5,5,5 in a calculation?
Also, since Charlton Heston was galley slave number 41 in a particularly famous scene from ‘Ben Hur’, and since 3 is my personal favourite number, you are invited to calculate 3x3x3x3x3x41 and to figure out the connection to my brother!
A CHANCE NOT TO BE MISSED IN THE MIST!
Long ago as a boy, I remember hoping that one day the mist might clear in my mind so that, in chess and in life, I could start to see important details that I was missing before.
It is Black to play and win!
A MIST NOUN
Make a proper nine-letter English word using the letters of A MIST NOUN.
MOUNTAINS JOKE!
Why are mountains more than funny…?
…Mountains aren’t just funny; they’re hill areas!!
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BROTHER!
On Saturday, my brother will be (1+5)x(5+5-1)=6×9=54 years old. (1+5+5)x5-1=11×5-1=55-1 also produces the result 54, and you may well have thought of other alternative good ways.
3x3x3x3x3x41=9963, to recognise my brother’s date of birth, 9.9.63.
A CHANCE NOT TO BE MISSED IN THE MIST!
In T.Kotanjian vs. V.Teterev at the Avicenna Open last month, White resigned after 1…Bh6!! in view of 2 Bxh6 Qxb6+ 3 Kh1 Ng4! 4 Bxf8 Nf2+ 5 Kg1 Nh3++ 6 Kh1 Qg1+! 7 Rxg1 Nf2#, a ‘smothered checkmate’.
A MIST NOUN
A MIST NOUN can be rearranged to make MOUNTAINS.
I will finish this article with a good quote: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news” from Isaiah 52:7.
Paul Motwani 