WTF-Beta

Somewhere I heard that this implement called a hoe could be useful in weeding. I sort of refused to believe it, but I was at a garage sale the other day, and they had a long-handled hoe for $5, and my herb plot needed weeding, so what the hell, I bought it.

It’s a game-changer. So much easier than bending over and gets under the root system to lift them out. Apart from some tough woody things, it does it all.

It’s not a great-quality hoe—the blade is only attached by friction—but so far I’m very pleased.

Bon Voyage but be good.

@Bernard Thread drift!

Yes, the current piano bothers me. Nine foot grand, hard as heck hammers, harsh tone, really needs a new action. I wear musicians’ earplugs just to be able to practice.

@ShiroKuro Between 6 and 7 feet. Like a Steinway A3 or Mason AA. I hear that longer key lengths (7 ft.) give more control, but I worry about the resulting loudness, as in my current 9 footer.

@ShiroKuro Not a bad idea to write about the piano search! It’s pretty sporadic at this point. I have an affinity for Mason & Hamlins, and I looked at two of them offered on FB Marketplace. But Steinways are everywhere (they built many more pianos) and I ought to look at those too.

@ShiroKuro The use of earlier popular music was pretty rare in the 1960s era of rock. When the Beatles did it, it was a novelty. It was also at the suggestion of their producer (I forget his name, Brian something) who had long been in the music business and was expert in many styles including classical.

As for the Chopin etudes, I find that most of the contemporary music I play doesn’t utilize the resources of the piano that Chopin and others do: different shadings and colorings that require subtle pedaling changes and careful blending in runs and differing textures.

@Mary-Anna I do hear Sousa and Joplin in some Beatles songs, but it sounds to me like they were used ironically, not in tribute.

As for feeling old, I am tackling a Chopin etude, the kind of thing I haven’t played in decades. It’s mostly because it will help me evaluate pianos in my search, but partly just to convince myself I can still do it!

In New York City, the common pickle is the half-sour, the staple of the Jewish deli, and perfect complement to your pastrami sandwich. There are still a couple of retail businesses that specialize in pickles, filling your container from a barrel. The half-sour is delicious, and most supermarkets carry the jarred Ba-Tampte brand.

I heard Rubinstein in concert too. With orchestra. Of course, I was a wee teen then.

@Daniel said:

Yeah, it's a scary topic. I won't regale everyone on a Saturday night with the horrible facts about it I have filed in my memory.

Why do you find it scary?

May have to do with the recent passion for fermented foods, and their gastrointestinal benefits. Probably a good idea to have some in your diet.

Hey, why doesn’t that include alcohol??

Not poetry (Kiper). Don’t forget, we have other words than poetry for stuff like this. Verse. Doggerel. I’m sure there are others.

As a “piano solo edition,” does that mean the orchestra parts are revised for piano and combined with the original piano part?

Just an aside on games, which Mary Anna brought up. The musical backdrop of games is itself becoming a musical genre of its own, with recognized composers, some of whom have gained reputations as serious composers. This is something I haven’t investigated, but it sure surprised me.

It sort of echoes what happened in the previous generation with film composers like Ennio Morricone and Bernard Herrmann and Ryuji Sakamoto, who now see big orchestra concerts devoted to their film music.

It’s clearly the work of those same aliens responsible for crop circles.

Bernard — and eventually you’ll have to subscribe to continue receiving updates for $99/year.

When I was visiting a friend in Berkeley, she warned me against leaving a smartphone or iPad in her car, even if the car is locked. There were a lot of electronics thefts from cars. I wonder if a Bluetooth signal is what tells a thief there’s a device inside.

Re audio, I “inherited” my brother-in-law’s stereo system when he went into assisted living. It’s an old quadraphonic system and the receiver is a total beast weighing about 40 pounds. I’ve no need for 4 channels so just use 2. It’s glitchy, probably because it needs cleaning, but I don’t know how to do that. And my hearing is so bad now that I can’t appreciate the quality that much anyway.