I find it fascinating how F-D's intonation changes with and emphasises the mood and individual words of the text. I wonder how significant fluency in a language and, for a wider perspective, knowledge about language use and historical context of the composition is for the interpretation of a piece. I guess these kinds of things are what distinguishes the good from the best interpretations. I always cringe a little when I hear Schubert lieder performed with foreign accent. I don't hear much difference between native and foreign speakers in Opera, but for Schubert Lieder it's somehow different.

@axtremus said in How to get your books onto the Best Seller lists: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/gop-book-deals/2021/04/15/154f3820-9ca5-11eb-b7a8-014b14aeb9e4_story.html Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s memoir and social critique, “Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage,” soared to the top of the bestseller lists when it was published last year. ... . The National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect GOP candidates to Congress, spent nearly $400,000 on bulk purchases of the book. The organization acquired 25,500 copies through two online booksellers, enough to fuel “Fortitude’s” ascent up the bestseller lists. ... There is also a complain filed against Sen. Cruz for using his campaign’s money to buy his books and advertise his books. The complain’s argument is that it’s illegal to use campaign funds to burnish the candidate’s royalty earnings. More examples in the article: ... Republican organizations have made large bulk purchases of books by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Donald Trump Jr. And for the folks like to say “both sides do it,” the article has this to say: This appears to be a largely Republican phenomenon. While at least seven Democratic senators published books during the past election cycle, neither the Democratic National Committee nor the party’s two congressional arms reported buying any of them in bulk quantities. ... Even when they did it for Hunter Biden's book, they still couldn't move the needle on that pile of literary crap.

@mik said in Record Low Refugee Intake Forecasted for FY 2021 ...: No matter.... he's changed it now, walking it back and saying he's going to increase it. Good thing he is a man of high principles.

@george-k said in Huawei: Link to Tweet [image: 1618783498679-screen-shot-2021-04-18-at-5.04.47-pm.png] [image: 1618783558074-screen-shot-2021-04-18-at-5.05.43-pm.png]

I wonder if WHO magazine will get an interview with Keef to help balance things out.

I love having cats, but they don't usually travel well, and that matters at this point in life. Hubby has also made it clear he doesn't want a cat right now, maybe not ever again. Frogs have made their way into our family, despite his anti-pet position. They've won him over, perhaps only because they are the lesser of the other pets he can imagine me raising. They travel easily, too. They're not as cuddley as the kitties, but they have their charms. Lately, they call for attention by trilling. They like to trill to hubby's voice, too. It must be a guy thing, because it's the male frogs that trill. It amuses me when hubby's on a call for work and the frogs decide to talk, too. We sometimes have four or five of them that trill together.

@mainermikebrown That's excellent, Mike. I agree that volunteer work can be some of our best experiences. True story. As part of a high school class, I participated in a music group that performed weekly (and weakly) at what was called the State Hospital in the city where I then lived. Lo and behold, my own great-grandfather was there. Some sort of family rift had occurred long before I was even born, and I had never gotten to know him. I would stay to visit with him, then ride home on my motorcycle. Even after the class ended, I'd go see him every week. The only thing I regret is not rolling my cycle into the facility for him to see it. He was so amused by the idea that I had my own, and that I rode it to come visit him. I did that until just a few days before he died. I had no idea what the family rift was about, nor did I care. We were separate from that mess, and enjoyed seeing each other. He was quite a character.

@doctor-phibes said in Puzzle time - Narratives at a crossroad: It seems to me that what she did would be akin to a surgeon making a blunder and killing a patient. What happens in this situation? I would suspect that manslaughter is out of the equation. But then, we don't have media stories 24/7 about how surgeons hate black people. What if sturgeons hated black people? Probably no better way to get back at them than presenting their eggs as supposedly "fine fare". Ridiculous.

Plane and jet accidents do occur, even nowadays. They always will. However, flying in planes and jets are very safe.

He'd have been better just asking it, rather than going with all the theatrics, because what you notice is the the theatrics, and not Fauci's unwillingness to commit.

@copper That is such a wonderful picture, Copper. I hope you've had an enlarged copy made to display at your house.

Sounds kind of "fishy". I am not sure how individual stocks work, but something is not right. It is almost if I formed a company and then had my relatives in Taiwan "buy" the shares. Then they would "sell" them, and another relative would "buy" them at an higher price, continuing to increase the value of the company. Is that how it would work?

I'm glad it's spring. I'm not a winter person anymore like I used to be when I was 13 years old.

@mainermikebrown said in Remember Chocolate Lingerie?: 1981 is a little before my time. Bet you know the Number 1: https://m. Link to video

The MSM will never take on this letter. It’s too bad because you are pissing in the wind if you think for a moment there will be a retort. It will be snuffed and ignored. I’ll be people don’t even know how to rebuff and if they wanted to would pray someone would do it for them. Someone here prove me wrong.

Houses aren’t cheap, y’know.

I would support it, but now that Gaetz is in, further buy-in might be problematic.

@george-k said in Dear Google Maps: @jon-nyc said in Dear Google Maps: Truth be told I don't use any map app very often these days. Nor do I. The only reason I use any of them is to determine what's the fastest route to my destination (which I already know how to get to) and to show me traffic backups, etc. Even for known short drives it is good to be diverted in case of an accident, road closure or construction. I’ve regretted not turning it on at least three times.