Click the Image Below for More Photos From April 11, 2025.

John M. Fray, Webmaster: "Welcome! In my retirement, I am   posting about news and events."

This man composed the all-time greatest one-hit-wonder music piece. Okay, that image is really not a portrait of the man, because we do not know what he looked like. That image is an AI representation of generic-looking male whom he may have resembled. Anyway, most people do not know his name. However, most people in the U.S. and in Europe know of his magnificent composition, even though they do not know its title. The one-hit-wonder (I am using the term facetiously) is titled "Canon in D Major" and it was composed in the late 1600s by Johann Pachelbel who created many works in what is now classified as the baroque style. The works were popular for a while, but they were mostly forgotten by 1730. Two hundred years later, music scholars delved into the forgotten baroque compositions. Canon in D Major was rediscovered. It was performed here and there in classical music halls in Europe. Its tempo was rather fast. In 1938, the first phonographic performance was pressed into a record. Legend (which probably not entirely true) has it that, in the 1950s, someone decided to play a recording of the work at a slower speed than intended. The legend is that the full grandeur of the work jumped out for the first time. The slowed-down Canon, with embellishments and interpretations by various conductors, started to catch on. In 1968, conductor Francois Paillard produced a seven-minute recording of the piece in what started a wave of popularity which exists to this day. Listener demands for playing the melody inundated classical music FM radio stations. Several albums with the arrangement were pressed in the 1970s. In 1980, movie director Robert Redford had composer Marvin Hamlisch prepare an interpretation for the movie "Ordinary People." A 1981 General Electric light bulb commercial utilized the melody. In the 1990s, it became a popular Christmastime arrangement. It was used effectively in jewelry commercial aired in the Christmas Season. Trans Siberian Railroad recorded a version featuring a children's choir. It has been a staple of weddings. The evolution of the work over the past hundred years has been astounding. Many people regard it as their all-time favorite music piece. Click the above image for a YouTube file containing various interpretations of Canon in D Major.

In the late afternoon of Friday, April 4, 2025, a large, muscular male Good Samaritan motorist pulled an attacker off of an Ohio Highway Patrol Officer along the side of the Ohio Turnpike. The attacker fled in the officer's car. About fifteen minutes later, the attacker was shot to death by Pennsylvania State Troopers along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in North Sewickley Township, Beaver County, after the actor caused the police car to flip over and he tried to flee.

Songwriter Laura Nyro, 1968



Click Here To Hear Laura Nyro Performing "Stoney End" (1967).

My pick for the best Hollies song:

"Long Dark Road" (1972) 4:00 Minutes

Cover Version Recorded By Durand Jones and the Indications.

All Four Teams Are Number One Seeds

John Fray On Wednesday, April 2, 2025: Enjoying a Delicious Angel Hair Pasta Dinner at Pagley's Pasta and More, New Castle, PA.

John Fray on March 21, 2025: Roman Catholic Church Intriguing History: Was a female (Johannes) the head of the Church during the years 855 to 857? ANSWER: Probably Not. However, it is not clear why the Papal Route from Saint John Lateran Cathedral to Saint Peter's Basilica has avoided a certain segment of a street where the supposed female met a tragic fate. Here are two maps of the portion of Rome in question: Also, if the Church father's were not concerned that a female might pass herself off as a male and be elected Pope, why did they suddenly in the latter part of the ninth century institute the tradition of having the newly elected Pope sit (without lower body garments) on an open-seated chair so that a Church father could examine the genitals of the electee?

2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS Beaver County, PA November 5, 2024

DONALD TRUMP KAMALA HARRIS CHASE OLIVER JILL STEIN

56,837 37,196      502      308

60.0 % 39.0 %   0.7 %   0.3 %

John Fray On Monday, March 17, 2025: This evening at about 6:15 PM, I saw a UFO (maybe a drone) traveling north over Lawrence Avenue at about the speed of a small plane. Briefly, I could hear it make a faint dull sound, but not like the droning pitch of a small plane. At its bottom were two lights, green in color. I estimate its altitude was about 1,500 feet. I was walking north through the community plaza in the 500 block of Lawrence Avenue when I snapped the photo below. I lost sight of the object when it was blocked from my view by the roofline of the brick building on the east side of the plaza. When I reached the back (north side) of the building, the object was out of sight.

John Fray's Comment on March 17, 2025: HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY! May the clouds swirl at your feet, Your journey to Heaven Be Complete, When your time on earth is fait complet. My celebration of Saint Patrick's Day this afternoon included sampling a few of my homemade Irish Muffins, toasted to perfection and layered with a generous spread of butter. On the subject of Irish Muffins, I have to state my admiration for the legacy of Ed Shaughnessy, a Pittsburgh radio news broadcast legend who graced the air on KDKA from 1936 through his retirement in 1980. Mr. Shaughnessy, who was known as "Uncle Ed" to his faithful listeners, provided depth and importance to significant news events, sometimes just by deft use of his rich baritone voice. The commercials during his newscasts often consisted of Mr. Shaughnessy endorsing the products of his sponsors. His mouth-watering description of the delicious, toasted buttered Irish Muffins marketed by one of the station's sponsors is sumptuously preserved in my memory over fifty-five years since I first had the pleasure of hearing it. On this Day honoring Saint Patrick, the Irish-blooded as well as everyone else, including the Shaughnessy's and the Frays, celebrate the virtues of inclusiveness and diversity which strengthen democracy and freedom.

The amoeba organism is a one cell-creature which is present in nature in many strains. A few of those strains have the capability of invading the human brain and destroying it. One such w strain was examined by the team of Joseph DeRisi, Ph.D., of a California microbiology research laboratory. The team discovered that one particular drug, previously popular in Europe used to treat urinary tract infections, is extremely effective in killing that strain. Thanks to the work of the lab in discovering the cure, at least two patients have overcome what was previously an all-but-certain terminal condition.

John Fray's Trivia Thought For The Day: In March 1956, lots of people were getting ready to observe the 2,000th anniversary of the death of Julius Caesar. Then, it was realized that, actually, the 2,000th anniversary of his death would not occur until March 15, 1957.

	John Fray's Dream Vacation To Italy Click For More Details
	Florence: The Cathedral and its Dome,    Castles, Doors, The Statue of David Rome / The Vatican: The Trevi Fountain,    St. John Lateran, Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica Isle of Capri: Seeing The Volcano At Night    Makes Climbing The Steps Worthwhile

JOHN FRAY SAYS: Click here for my page on the December 7, 1958, Tragedy
which claimed the lives of the Martin Family in Cascade Locks, Oregon

John Fray's Lunar Eclipse Photo,
Friday, March 14, 2025, 2:52 AM:

John Fray's Moon Photo,
Thurs March 13, 2025, 8:35 PM:

John Fray on March 12, 2025: In order to get into the mood for viewing the lunar eclipse of Thursday/Friday, I have retrieved the following image of the eclipsed moon which I snapped on November 8, 2022, at 8:30 AM:

John Fray on March 2, 2025: Cassandra Peterson is a Hollywood actress best known for her portrayal of the Gothic Comedic-Horror character Elvira who wears a skin-tight black dress and sports a punk-band-type fluffed-up ink-black wig. Like me and many people who fear our private information is being pillaged by DOGE, Ms. Peterson does not care for Elon Musk. To show her displeasure for Musk, Ms. Peterson has rid herself of her Tesla, which she has donated to charity. Thank you, Ms. Peterson for your spirit.

Ms. Peterson's rallying cry is "Make America Goth Again!"

Click the Image Below to View the Video of this Beautiful Singing Performance by Roberta Flack and Maxi Priest. Dear Roberta, we miss you, but your singing is timeless.

John Fray on February 22, 2025: Here is a still from one of my favorite SNL sketches from about the year 1984: The players shown in the still are Tim Kazurinsky and Mary Gross. The third player in the sketch is Robin Duke. The humor in the sketch derives from the obnoxious behavior of Robin Duke's character and the reaction to it by Mary Gross's refined character.

John Fray on February 27, 2025: Venus is shining brilliantly! On this last week of February, Planet Venus is shining brightly as it sets in the western evening sky. It will not shine this brightly again until November 2026.

John Fray on February 18, 2025: Ellwood's Lady Liberty Has A Refurbished Pedestal. The "Lady Liberty" monument on the front lawn of Lincoln High School was dedicated in 1951. Last year, a new brick pedestal was constructed. Here is a photo which I snapped early this afternoon. Click Image for More Photos

John M. Fray Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Telephone: 724 494-6569 Click Here For John's Email Address Retired from Practicing Law

ON THIS DATE, JANUARY 25.
1945: The Allies Were Victorious in the Battle of the Bulge.

1938: The Aurora Borealis put on what may have been its widest, most intense display known in recorded history.

One hundred years ago, a solar eclipse line of totality cut through NYC. January 24, 1925, scientists set up cameras and other equipment in northern New York City in order to observe the precise line on earth which separated observing the total eclipse from the partial eclipse. The newspapers alerted the public to the rare phenomenon. On some streets, observers on one side could see a full eclipse, whereas observers on the other side saw a partial eclipse.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT TUMBLEWEED Contrary to a remark which was reported in the news, tumbleweed can not remain in a verdant condition. The DNA of the shrub dictates that its twigs and greenery die within a matter of a few years. The dead, above-ground portion of the shrub breaks away from its root when subjected to strong winds. The rolling dead shrub sheds its seeds and spores for the purpose of propagating new shrubs. This is the marvel of creation with regard to this shrub, it must die in order to propagate. There is no way by which it can be made to remain in a verdant state. ..... John Fray, Jan. 25, 2025

The year 1972 saw the release of many great classic rock recordings. The song "Easy Living" by the British Band Uriah Heep was released in September 1972. The recording reached No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard chart.

Cases of Influenza ("The Flu') are spiking across the area. I came down with symptoms on Monday morning. The first few days were miserable with a nagging dry cough and fatigue. I am thankful that I am coming out of my bout with it. Click the above image for information on how to fight Influenza Type A.      John Fray, Jan. 9

The King of Denmark has approved a re-designed Coat of Arms for his country. The purpose of the revision is to place the icons of the polar bear and goat in separate quadrants, thus making them more prominent than in the previous design which had them sharing the lower left quadrant. The polar bear is the symbol of Greenland, and the goat is the symbol of The Faroe Islands. Both locations are territories of Denmark.

ENJOYING A TASTY CUP OF COFFEE AT THE ELLWOOD CITY SHEETZ ON NEWS YEAR'S DAY MORNING. Had an active time celebrating yesterday evening - NOT! I am too old for all the revelry. Coca-Cola and a 11:00 PM bedtime were the order for the evening. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! May you receive blessings of good health & happiness.

LIGHTNING STRIKES THE U.S. CAPITOL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2024, 8:30 PM CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO OF STRIKE

NOSTALGIA FOR THE 1950s-1960s HUMAN CENTRIFUGES Back in the 1950s-1960s, amusement parks featured centrifuge rides. The riders would enter a cylindrical-shaped room and stand against the curved wall. After everyone assumed their desired places, the door closed and the room began to spin. As the rotation reached its top speed, the riders felt themselves forced to the wall. It was possible for a rider to wriggle around a bit and change positions, but doing so required a good bit of effort to counter the significant force of the ride. To add to the extraordinary effect, the floor would drop down. I rode one of these attractions at an amusement park in the 1960s. There are newer rides which offer a somewhat similar experience, but the riders are positioned in individual slots, each having a backward leaning slope. I think the 1950s-1950s centrifuge rides were more interesting.

CELEBRATING ARRIVAL OF THE NEW YEAR: Accessing a YouTube stream of classical music is a reflective approach to spending a few hours on New New's Eve. Last year, I bought a bottle of ten-year-aged Laphroaig Scotch whisky for the occasion, but it remains in my cabinet still in its unopened paperboard tube.

Melissa Manchester Sings     "Just Too Many People"     From Her 1975 Album

Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941

John Fray on September 8, 2024, at 8:00 AM: My favorite musical recording is "You Were on My Mind" (1965) by We Five. (Actually, there were six in the group.) The group gave us a remarkable live performance on the ABC television show "The Hollywood Palace" shortly are the recording was released. No lip-syncing was involved. The staging of the number is exceptional, the drummer is behind the camera. If you are in the mood for a musical treat, check YouTube for a video of that magnificent performance. Click the above image for the video.