I absolutely love trivia. I especially love to learn about the origins of things, like where the expression “balls to the wall” came from, what movie Family Guy is referencing, etc.. So you can imagine  my excitement when I happened across The Planets Suite by composer Gustav Holst. I first learned about the work from a recent Japanese hit that set words to “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity,” but what really got me giddy was a riff from “Mars, the Bringer of War” that sounded familiar. It is used by Boston College marching band (which I almost joined) during football and hockey games to intimidate the other team during offense, and learning where it came from really struck that nerdy chord in my heart. I am also convinced that the piece is either used in Gladiator or at least provided a heavy inspiration for the soundtrack.