@Steve-Miller said: Not familiar with either of those brands. Mark knows a lot more than I do and maybe he’ll chime in. I will say that I prefer analog components because digital stuff can be impossible to repair if it breaks. What do you want to do with your new system? Is SW short wave? The set needs to be mobile with in-built speakers, used in the sitting room & bedroom (stop me putting on the TV so much!). Yes SW is short wave. I want to brush up my dismal Spanish by listening to spanish speaking radio, as well as UK stations. Though I think SW stations may now be available on the Internet e.g. on a laptop, there's a lot of pleasure to be had wheeling through shortwave static to find some remote radio station.

Ideas Bernard , Newby is only 45 miles from us so we must go visit. Seems nicer than Chatsworth in many ways, grand but retaining a homely warmth. Beautiful furnishings. Daniel, you may find what you want at your local auction house, used but in good condition.

My housing complex shares a wall with a Greek church. Every year they give everyone in my development free passes to their festival because they screw up our parking so badly. Enjoyable and I especially enjoyed the part about it being free for us…

@AndyD I don't think anything by Chopin should be played 'all pretty much the same'.

I just found out that I went to college with Bari Weiss's father. Imagine my surprise! Louis Weiss (Louie to us) was sort of a class clown. He was a fellow political science major and we had the same mentor (John Agresto). The difference is that I passed the comprehensive exam in political science and graduated. Louie took two tries at it and failed both times. He had to come back the following year and fill out a secondary major (drama) and pass the comps in that discipline in order to get his degree.

@AndyD Beautiful stuff!

Started Dan Mason's The Piano Tuner. Mason is a story teller, and seems to be a good one so far.

Link to video Just read Netanyahu's letter about it. Who the hell is he?!

We thought in the '80's (and the early to mid-80's and beyond were more like the '50's than the present times, and there was the AIDS epidemic that was hardly understood at all, too) that commerce (capitalism) was the reason we were moving forward. Everyone's money is green. I still think that there was a lot of truth in it.

@Steve-Miller I wonder if they got charged extra for data roaming...

Very inviting home. I think my favorite part is the barn! My idea of the ideal living space. And of course the gardens. [image: Screenshot%202025-10-06%20at%2011.32.30.png] I've always wanted a summerhouse/gazebo. I guess a gazebo is the open style? I actually looked into building one from this company that we first encountered up in Wisconsin. One of the enclosed ones rather than the open style. Octagonal is sweet but rectangular is easier to furnish. https://www.gggazebos.com/our-gazebos

Cosmo just came over our fence last summer while we were having a family gathering, just maybe 10 weeks old and playful as all get out. She'll turn a year Monday (as near as we can tell - we just decided our anniversary would be her birthday). She's my cat and constant companion.

The traffic is one reason we're not keen to see them move here; we live in the burbs because we aren't fans of crowds. And the disruption in terms of infrastructure improvements will be a nightmare. Mostly, though, we don't want our taxes to go up just to make the Halases and the McCaskeys richer.

@BeeLady said: I was there two years ago. Took a few days in Barcelona before heading to the Pyrenees for our annual ladies hiking trip. Hello, Beelady. It's nice to see you here. Big Al

My guess is the sixth guy is the only one who knows how to do the task that needs to be done in the hole. 🤪

So, apparently Tulsi is telling [some] tales out of school. Nothing about a book or anything like that. I can't predict what she'll say or do in the future. I'm not trying to keep up with what she's saying because I have a lot to do now. I'm not trying to flippant. Also, I don't know what could interest me (or not) in the future. I'm not feeling any kind of way about it.

I hate the building. And the statue would be at home in DisneyWorld.