So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Harp]

Meh. My life would be complete if I never heard the Nutcracker ever again. Shostakovich on the other hand, I do enjoy. There's just something about the torment ingrained in his music, Prokofieff to a lesser extent. I don't have much use for 19th century Italian Opera. Now early seicento Italian opera, that's a different story! Though I do quite enjoy Rameau's efforts.

Nutcracker, Swan Lake- all Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Prokofieff are tremendously satisfying.
I have an admitted weakness for Pucinni.

The Auditorium Theatre here in Chicago has a mecurial caprice regarding Tchaikovsky.
And The Nutcracker is a staple town favorite.
A slim Anna Netrebko singing Pucinni fifteen years ago sent Cupid's dart straight to my heart.

 

[Harp]

Our clean numbers:

Corona: So ist die Lage in den Krankenhäusern

Der Klinik-Monitor zeigt, wie viele COVID-19-Fälle gerade stationär behandelt werden, auf Normal- und Intensivstationen. Die Betten-Belegung und Auslastung in Deutschland aktuell und im Zeitverlauf.

interaktiv.morgenpost.de

Gut. Und viel gluck mit dis.

 

[Hercule]

A slim Anna Netrebko singing Pucinni fifteen years ago sent Cupid's dart straight to my heart.

I must sheepishly admit that recent mention of Nigella Lawson has, because of some resemblances (at least to me), reacquainted me with my long time crush on the French Soprano Veronique Gens. Heavy sigh...

As for being smitten with talented women, perhaps someday I'll share the tale of the young Israeli soprano and her roommate.

 

[tonyb]

I've had all I can stand of "upbeat, inspirational, aspirational" messaging. It's like dangling a carrot at the end of a long pole to get the mule to pull the wagon.

Yup. Talk is cheap.

I was too well acquainted with a person who, in his own simple mind, wished to be helpful, but only in the ways that put the spotlight on him. He rarely bothered asking the ways he might advance the interests of anyone or anything other than his own need for approval. It was a tragic life, really.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We live in the golden age of performative allyship.

 

[Harp]

I must sheepishly admit that recent mention of Nigella Lawson has, because of some resemblances (at least to me), reacquainted me with my long time crush on the French Soprano Veronique Gens. Heavy sigh...

As for being smitten with talented women, perhaps someday I'll share the tale of the young Israeli soprano and her roommate.

I have missed Ms Netrebko's last two appearances here.

Katherine Jenkins is the most exquisite lady. She sang Requiem for a Soldier and completely won me.

 

[tonyb]

I must sheepishly admit that recent mention of Nigella Lawson has, because of some resemblances (at least to me), reacquainted me with my long time crush on the French Soprano Veronique Gens. Heavy sigh...

As for being smitten with talented women, perhaps someday I'll share the tale of the young Israeli soprano and her roommate.

I readily confess to a crush on Jennifer Rubin, the Washington Post columnist, not because she’s such a raving beauty (although she’s certainly cute enough), but because I bet she’d keep the conversation going in the right direction for as long as a person might wish.

 

[Trenchfriend]

2022 and gas stations, which switched their car wash back from full-automated to semi-automated system??

What the hell?? Saving costs??

Having to open the gate manual, having to start the program manual after entering the bon-code.

 

[Turnip]

Winter operation…

 

[Zombie_61]

2022 and gas stations, which switched their car wash back from full-automated to semi-automated system??

What the hell?? Saving costs??

Having to open the gate manual, having to start the program manual after entering the bon-code.

Hey, you live in Germany. Here in the U.S. car washes are free, just like everything else, and you never have to leave your car! ♫ "America, America, God shed His grace on thee..." ♫


Is he buying this load of manure?

 

[tonyb]

He just can’t help himself.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Hey, you live in Germany. Here in the U.S. car washes are free, just like everything else, and you never have to leave your car! ♫ "America, America, God shed His grace on thee..." ♫


Is he buying this load of manure?

Thankfully, it wasn't my car and money.

Car wash with underbody wash is now nearly 15 EUR.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Man, if I would have to decide for ONE kind of sausages, for the rest of my life, I would absolutely choose Nürnberger Sausages!

Say what you want, but they are one of the best meat products from old Germany! Maybe, you could name them Weißwurst's little brother (or sister), if you want. They of course remind a little bit of Weißwurst, but luckily, they are far enough of them!

I would bet, they are available in the US.
I mean, Germany produces huge masses of them, in dozents of quality levels. You recognize the cheap levels on too much bits of "gristle".

Nürnberger Sausages and potato mash! Maybe with some fried onions. Or strong sauces?

 

[Zombie_61]

Thankfully, it wasn't my car and money.

Car wash with underbody wash is now nearly 15 EUR.

The car wash closest to our home charges a minimum of $15 (approximately 13.3 EUR, more for larger vehicles), and all they do is quickly vacuum the carpets, run the car through an automated wash process that removes most of the dirt, then they rub damp terrycloth towels all over the vehicle in an attempt to give the impression they're drying the car. If you want the windows spotless, you have to clean them yourself after you get home.

 

[ChrisB]

Man, if I would have to decide for ONE kind of sausages, for the rest of my life, I would absolutely choose Nürnberger Sausages!

Say what you want, but they are one of the best meat products from old Germany! Maybe, you could name them Weißwurst's little brother (or sister), if you want. They of course remind a little bit of Weißwurst, but luckily, they are far enough of them!

I would bet, they are available in the US.
I mean, Germany produces huge masses of them, in dozents of quality levels. You recognize the cheap levels on too much bits of "gristle".

Nürnberger Sausages and potato mash! Maybe with some fried onions. Or strong sauces?

Regensburger - umso besser!

 

[ChrisB]

I've had all I can stand of "upbeat, inspirational, aspirational" messaging. It's like dangling a carrot at the end of a long pole to get the mule to pull the wagon.

less carrot, more stick:

 

[tonyb]

We live in the golden age of performative allyship.

Yup.

I have the flag of a certain beleaguered Eastern European country on order, expected to arrive in the next day or two (there’s been a run on such items of late).

My only hesitancy in flying the thing out front of the house is that, while such gestures may indicate to decision-makers where public sentiment lies, it’s really cheap (literally, like 8 or 9 bucks) and easy and self-serving in its way. Without meaningful action beyond the symbolism, it’s not so unlike the deadbeat dad who professes to love his kids while drinking up the child support money.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Tell me. Is that one of really old children-like jokes? I never saw this in old Germany.

 

[Hercule]

I find it amusing, in a very cynical way, to see service/trade vehicles with advertisements on the sides hawking "free inspections" for this and that. Today I saw one for a free basement inspection for waterproofing. So it's basically: "I'll come into your home for free and paint a picture of doom and gloom and coerce you into believing that you need my expensive services. And if you don't bite, I've nevertheless planted that seed of doubt that just might make you call me in the future."

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^
Several neighbors on this built-in-1977 subdivision have replaced sewer lines in recent years. The pipes are cast iron under the houses but clay from the front yards out to the city main.

Tree root intrusions and separating pipe sections are the most common problems.

My concern for ours had me shopping for an outfit that would just scope the sewer line, and not anyone who had an interest in selling me anything beyond that. The one guy I found who only scopes, whose customer ratings were either five stars or one, with nothing in between, didn’t return my calls. All the one-star ratings made that same complaint.

So the outfit I hired said they’d charge $199 for the scoping, which would be refunded if I bought other services. The young fellow scoped the line and then put little flags in the front yard and painted some lines and arrows and whatnot on the street. He wrote up a $16K quote for replacing the sewer line.

I showed the video to another outfit who said they’d do the job for $10K.

The third guy said I don’t need to replace the line yet and probably won’t for at least a few more years. He referred me to a guy who came out and ran a gizmo through the line that cut out the little bit of intruding roots. They looked hair-like in the video, apparently the capillary(?) roots and not the big ’uns. Dude charged $95.