WTF-Beta

@ShiroKuro Yes, it's the last (in my book, not chronologically) Nocturne op. posthumous. No. 21 in C Minor, KK IVb/8.

An issue with reading vs memorizing is the need to spot large jumps, especially in my left hand. So my eyes come off the page and need to return in a split second to where they left off. I'm working on some blues music in hopes that it helps me improve my left hand 'marksmanship' without looking as much. Another issue is the brain power needed to read... but on the other hand, if I memorized there would be the brain power needed to recall. So I guess that balances out.

This week I'm working on setting up 'clues' so I don't need to have my brain racing so much while reading. (For example, noticing that every other 8th note in the first half of the first page is almost always a G, and it doesn't stray far from there throughout). I had actually taken note of this at first readings, but fell out of consciousness at some point.

Re: page turning. It's only two pages long, but last week I played from photo copies so I could avoid the page turn. Made a huge difference. Will be doing this from now on.

That's weird. Both vasectomies and tubal ligations are reversible with high success rates, which makes it hard to understand the 'regret' argument.

Fun at a party, anything casual. But I wouldn't pay money for it. It's just a bit of fun.

@ShiroKuro I'm glad for you that it went well.

I was able to maintain my focus pretty well and the flubs I made were not disastrous.

Kudos to you for maintaining focus.

Class this spring has been challenging. I'm slowly working through why. Part of it is because there's only one other student in class. That's both a pro and a con. The pro being that we each get half an hour of class time. The con being lack of varied input.

I'm also noticing, since I don't memorize, that reading through one of the pieces I'm working on is pretty much doable, but as soon as I start to incorporate some suggestions from the class, it gets harder. Sometimes, much harder. My focus moves from reading to the suggestions so I start missing notes, etc. It's kind of frustrating. But that's the process. Once it all gets incorporated, things smooth out a bit. Just something of a bumpy ride, I guess.

How did it go, SK?

@Daniel There is no war. Lunatic in chief sent a letter to Congress telling them hostilities are over and he no longer needs their approval. Iran has their uranium stockpiles, the Straight of Hormuz is closed, oil is still over $100/barrel.

We won. /s

@Daniel I suspect AIPAC is probably one of the reasons Ken Martin isn't releasing the report. This will hurt the party. There are way too many Democrats who want to see big money out of politics. Martin, as a fundraiser is obviously kissing a** to raise funds which will, in turn, require Democratic candidates to bend the knee to the moneyed interests sending in checks. This is no longer a viable approach for Democrats. I hear a lot of acquaintances saying they will no longer give to the DNC and prefer to send checks directly to the candidates themselves. I think this is a good idea. DNC money is as dirty as GOP money when it comes to politics and it steals politicians away from the average voter's interest. Not always, of course, but way too often.

If this goes on much longer, the guillotines will be rolling out.

The problem is not that people are getting rich, the problem is the inequality of it. For the richest to have so much more than the average worker is an obscenity, a gross side effect of unfettered capitalism. Something is structurally very, very wrong with our current economic system.

CEO Pay Soared in 2025, 20 Times Faster Than Worker's Pay

When adjusted for inflation, global worker pay declined 12% between 2019 and 2025, the equivalent of 108 days of free work during that time period. In comparison, CEO compensation increased by 54% between 2019 and 2025.

I immediately thought of you while watching this. I love her experiments.

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:sk6jryjhuavqchpa53jlcsyu/post/3mkqrxf4txc2b?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fdisqus.com%252Fembed%252Fcomments%252F

You are way ahead of us, wtg. We are at the daffodil stage.

I used Brasso on my Yamaha logo and it worked great. Used Q-tips carefully.

@Mik said:

In the progressive-moderate clash roiling his new home state, Frank supports Gov. Janet Mills for Senate over Graham Platner.

Janet Mills Suspends Campaign

Mills said she does not have the financial resources to keep her campaign going. She recently stopped spending money on advertising.

The early wild flowers are back. It makes me happy to see them return year after year.

Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Viola

@Steve-Miller said:

The only thing I question is this new emphasis on protein. They’re even adding it to bottled water!

Yeah, and how long before we start hearing about the bad side effects of ingesting so much protein? It seems like replacing one extreme for another. Balance should be the aim.

"Mom... Mom, can you buy us a surprise snack this week? But please spare us the butylated hydroxytoluene."

Really? Kids are reading ingredient labels these days?

How wonderful to have had that opportunity. To play it, let alone see it! Wow.

I have often wished for the ability to record and playback smells, and many times felt grateful that we don't have that ability.

“But it’s one thing to advocate something knowing that you’re going beyond the current viewpoints, and another to make it a litmus test,” he said.

This is his most important statement. The party needs to accept that Democrats are not losing on trans issues, police accountability, etc. Most of these issues are supported by large majorities of Americans. That does not mean that those issues need to be front and center in every election. It can be implied by prior statements how a candidate will vote when in office and that can be enough.

But there is a problem if we have Democrats running actively against progressive issues, or candidates taking right-wing bait and declaring that they are ready to toss progressives under the bus. Or Democrats who haven't the balls to declare their support for issues already supported by a majority of Americans. Those Democrats will bring the party down with continued losses.

For example, any Democratic candidate not willing to declare that we need to put the brakes on our continued unconditional support of Israel won't win. Any Democratic candidate who doesn't support women's right won't win. Any Democratic candidate who says they don't support socialism had better be ready to explain how they understand "socialism" and if they understand the difference to Democratic Socialism. Call those litmus tests if you want, but they are the reality.

We need to give the heave-ho to Schumer and probably Jeffries, as well as this sickening clown, DNC Chair Ken Martin. If you can watch 5 minutes of this without barfing, kudos to you.