WTF-Beta

A lovely piece of music! For some reasons it evokes a day off from school! Very nicely played, SK. Much enjoyed it, thanks!

My parents and relatives spoke Quebecois French. I spoke it exclusively until I started school. I remember being in remedial reading in the first few grades because my English was not good. I took French for four years in high school. I knew a lot of words already but not much about formal French grammar. I have since self studied French with the help here and there of some online courses. I'd love to have a real life French speaker to practice with.
I read an Interesting article a few years back which stated that Quebecois is closer to 16th -- 18th century French--that of the aristocrats--than what Parisian is today. Apparently Quebecois has been slower to evolve so it retains it's royal roots.

Happy Birthday! Many happy returns of the day!

@ShiroKuro Yes, it's beautiful inside. I visited it once (in all the years I lived there). The grand staircase is very grand.

@ShiroKuro Yes, it's the one he said was heavy. Unfortunately, even though they had a number of pianists play the pianos, the article only gives us Denk's reactions.

I don't like heavy actions either so I'd get it adjusted. But the tone... so beautiful! (I wonder if it's at all attributable to the heavier action? Hm.)

I thought the 1882 Palisandra had the most beautiful tone. I would have opted for that one.

I don't want to mention the name (to avoid spoiling it for others) but their choice did not surprise me, sadly. And I guess thinking outside the box (all three are Steinways) was too much for them.

Someone I follow on YouTube put out this informative video today...

Why? We're already well, if not over, populated. There is not enough housing, we're trashing the environment on an obscene level. Maybe it's time to slow down.

I don't trust Google. I've heard Incogni is supposed to be pretty good.

@wtg said in HHS to tackle autism:

Trump suggested that vaccines could be to blame for autism rates,

We can take Trump's opinion for what it's worth: Diddly squat.

Kennedy! The great rise in autism was noticed in the '80s, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong.) Vaccines became standard in the '40s through the '60s. So. And how much of the rise in autism rates is attributed to better evaluation methods and redefinition/broadening of autism to a spectrum? And who says that every manifestation on the autism spectrum is something that needs a "cure"? Is there really any such thing as normal? I doubt it. (Famous example is the the case of the Air Force in the early 50s. They measured thousands of pilots on all sorts of metrics to come up with a cockpit design to suit the "average" man. They discovered there was no such thing.)

Happy Birthday! Many happy returns of the day!

Rural France for me. La Creuse.

Best Egg keeps sending me junk mail trying to sell me loans.

@pique I just got an email from her today. We're planning to get together next week.

Pisanki (Polish Easter eggs) were the thing in my old Polish neighborhood. There were some beautiful ones for sale in the Polish gift shops.

Grown up, handsome and butch men carrying woven baskets filled with eggs (and what all else I do not know) covered with a white doily to church was a common sight at Easter. It was quite a juxtaposition to twenty-first century eyes.

https://polskapolishpottery.com/2019/04/the-history-and-traditions-of-pisanki-polish-easter-eggs/

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer is told UK must repeal hate speech laws to protect LGBT+ people or lose Trump trade deal.

What is going to happen here in the US? Trump has already indicated he wants to round up US citizens and deport them. Are we safe? Josh Marshall is correct in saying Trump's regime is engaging in state terrorism. It is an evil administration.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-jd-vance-trade-deal-free-speech-b2733806.html

@wtg I haven't even started it yet! We've been trying to get together for a whole month but the weather kept interfering with our plans. Hopefully I'll be meeting her soon and get a copy of it.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it, I'll pass it on.

The Titanic hit an iceberg around 11:40 pm.

@wtg I didn't know they originated in Sweden! I thought they were a British invention.