Now for something completely different

[Blackduck59]

Well the Victoria Symphony is trying something new "Virtual" performance. This is being played in an empty theatre with the musicians "socially distanced". Tonight it is Vivaldi "The Four Seasons". They just had an "intermission" where the Concert Master and Assistant Concert Master discussed the piece with the host of the show. There is no conductor for this performance.

[mr walker]

3 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well the Victoria Symphony is trying something new "Virtual" performance. This is being played in an empty theatre with the musicians "socially distanced". Tonight it is Vivaldi "The Four Seasons". They just had an "intermission" where the Concert Master and Assistant Concert Master discussed the piece with the host of the show. There is no conductor for this performance.

Always have wondered about the conductor's role. Can the musicians not read the score or have practiced the music, or at least know when to start playing? If this orchestra manages a good job, maybe 2020 COVID-19 will be the end of orchestra conductors 😮

Disclaimer: all my knowledge comes from THE MAESTRO in Seinfeld 🙂  

[Blackduck59]

This particular performance is all strings and a harpsichord so I think about 20 performers. I don't know if they could fit the full orchestra on the stage properly distanced, plus the wind instruments would have their own group of challenges.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, mr walker said:

Always have wondered about the conductor's role. Can the musicians not read the score or have practiced the music, or at least know when to start playing? If this orchestra manages a good job, maybe 2020 COVID-19 will be the end of orchestra conductors 😮

Disclaimer: all my knowledge comes from THE MAESTRO in Seinfeld 🙂  

I love watching the conductor.  In London, the cheapest seats are the orchestra seats where you are behind the orchestra, so see the conductor front on.

The role of the conductor is crucial.  "The conductor unifies the performance, sets the tempo, executes the beat and listens critically and shapes the sound of the ensemble."  Most conductors are very entertaining to watch. 

Edited October 19, 2020 by MMDown Under

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I love watching the conductor.  In London, the cheapest seats are the orchestra seats where you are behind the orchestra, so see the conductor front on.

The role of the conductor is crucial.  "The conductor unifies the performance, sets the tempo, executes the beat and listens critically and shapes the sound of the ensemble."  Most conductors are very entertaining to watch. 

Yep, get down to Leicester Square to get the bargain seats at the shows etc. Or in NY Times Square.

Edited October 19, 2020 by NSWP

[NSWP]

**Big Earthquake 7.6 off Alaska, Tsunami warnings, hope the big wave does not reach Lyle's joint in Vancouver Island, or come across ye olde Pacific Ocean.😲

Edited October 19, 2020 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

**Big Earthquake 7.6 off Alaska, Tsunami warnings, hope the big wave does not reach Lyle's joint in Vancouver Island, or come across ye olde Pacific Ocean.😲

earthquake.alaska.edu/earthquake is a good site to see the number of earthquakes in Alaska.  I got a shock when I saw a tsunami escape route map in Alaska on my first visit.  

[ilikeanswers]

In Japan you see signs on the road directing where to escape in case of Tsunami😳. 

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

In Japan you see signs on the road directing where to escape in case of Tsunami😳. 

I think there are a lot more tsunamis throughout the world than we are aware of. 

I remember chatting to an islander fisherman at Innisfail, asking how he came to live at Innisfail.  Imagine my shock when he replied that his sister was washed away in a tsunami in Tahiti (one of the northern islands).  He decided to leave his island and start a new life in Aust.

[OzKiwiJJ]

There are tsunami escape route maps around Mt Maunganui as well.

[Blackduck59]

3 hours ago, NSWP said:

**Big Earthquake 7.6 off Alaska, Tsunami warnings, hope the big wave does not reach Lyle's joint in Vancouver Island, or come across ye olde Pacific Ocean.😲

First I knew of it was when I read your post, I watched the news and I guess the North End of Vancouver Island had some warnings but I don't think anything came of it. Even if there was a tsunami it would be little threat to my place. The Ocean is less than 5 km away but my house is probably 150 meters above sea level. If we have flooding at my house there are thousands of other people in really serious trouble.

[getting older slowly]

50 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

There are tsunami escape route maps around Mt Maunganui as well.

 

I remember seeing them on our first visit   cheers Don

 

 

 

[Blackduck59]

So, my mother in law was living with us up until the end of August, she has moved to an assisted living building and has a small flat. She has had a hard time adapting to the food. So the other night she asks me to make waffles so she can have some. So tonight was waffles for supper

 

I made a full batch which gets 5 waffles that size, we will take the extras to her tomorrow so she can re-heat them in her toaster. Not fresh but the best we can do, we can't bring her here because of covid restrictions.

[By The Bay]

4 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

So, my mother in law was living with us up until the end of August, she has moved to an assisted living building and has a small flat. She has had a hard time adapting to the food. So the other night she asks me to make waffles so she can have some. So tonight was waffles for supper

 

I made a full batch which gets 5 waffles that size, we will take the extras to her tomorrow so she can re-heat them in her toaster. Not fresh but the best we can do, we can't bring her here because of covid restrictions.

Looks great Lyle. No doubt the MIL will enjoy a change from the aged care food. 😋

[getting older slowly]

2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

 

 

Looks great Lyle

 

Oh they remind my of Belgiun Waffles with cream ,maple syrup and berries..

 

For breakfast on Princess.... should have had one for breakfast this morning

 

but the cruise was cancelled..... hopefully in a year one for breakfast

 

Cheers Don

 

Start with fresh fruit... a cranmosa then a flat white or two

 

and finish with a muffin or/and pastry

Edited October 22, 2020 by getting older slowly

[GUT2407]

On 10/17/2020 at 5:51 PM, Blackduck59 said:

The reason I asked for input from my helpful friends down under is because there was some talk by one poster on another thread about how the Australian System of Government is based on the US...I said not so much and they pushed back so I reiterated my point and pointed out we should agree to disagree. 

 

Leigh if you want a ridiculous situation, the Greater Victoria (BC) area has 13 separate municipalities, 6 police departments and 14 fire departments

What they may have been talking about is that here you can win the popular vote but still not firm government, something the Americans were complaining bitterly about, I imagine the same can happen in Canada.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I like my waffles with crispy bacon and maple syrup for breakfast, but would happily have them with cream and berries for dessert.

 

In Belgium there are two types of waffles:

- Bruxelles, from Brussels, which are oblong and fairly plain.

- Liegoise, from Lieges, which are round and quite sweet, too sweet for me.

 

We stayed in Brussels for four nights. The hotel we stayed at only offered continental breakfasts which we had on one morning but the rest of the time we went to a nearby cafe that specialized in waffles  Bruxelles style. They seemed quite surprised that we wanted bacon and maple syrup with our waffles but by the third day they were used to it. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[ilikeanswers]

I was surprised by how popular waffles were in Poland. Every place we went to there was a waffles store. They were rectangular and served mostly with cream and some fruit mix, sometimes they had soft serve ice cream and some places did chocolate waffles which I personally enjoyed as they were quite heavy on the cocoa.

[Blackduck59]

Well the Government of Canada has extended the cruise ship ban until the end of February 2021. No surprise here, and of little consequence in the grand scheme of thing. The cruise season doesn't start until late April anyway. The only slight problem would be any refit work that may be coming to our BC shipyards.

[Chiliburn]

31 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well the Government of Canada has extended the cruise ship ban until the end of February 2021. No surprise here, and of little consequence in the grand scheme of thing. The cruise season doesn't start until late April anyway. The only slight problem would be any refit work that may be coming to our BC shipyards.

They got a scrap yard there In British Columbia Lyle?

[Blackduck59]

6 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

They got a scrap yard there In British Columbia Lyle?

 Who said anything about scrap? Ships do require repair and maintenance and one of the largest Dry docks on the west coast of the Americas is right here in Victoria. Its not unusual to she cruise ships here before and after the season getting refit work done. We build ships here too just not as big as a cruise ship.

[Chiliburn]

59 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 Who said anything about scrap? Ships do require repair and maintenance and one of the largest Dry docks on the west coast of the Americas is right here in Victoria. Its not unusual to she cruise ships here before and after the season getting refit work done. We build ships here too just not as big as a cruise ship.

The way things are going I think the only port they will be looking for are scrap metal ports.

[Roger88]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well the Government of Canada has extended the cruise ship ban until the end of February 2021. No surprise here, and of little consequence in the grand scheme of thing. The cruise season doesn't start until late April anyway. The only slight problem would be any refit work that may be coming to our BC shipyards.

All the western countries did the same basically. I doubt the situation will change in any way in a near future. All we can hope for right now if for massive vaccination or some kind of medicine to fight the disease. There is no other way we can fight it 

[Blackduck59]

Well I will start this with a picture

 

This is the state of my driveway since Wednesday the 18th, it's a long story I won't get into but suffice to say, we have had a long and unpleasant encounter with a property development next door. This is just the latest round of disrespectful behavior.

Tonight for the first time ever something nice came from that sub-division. As you know it is yesterday to you whenever I'm on here so it's Halloween here. In the past we have had neighbours close by do long late night fireworks shows we could hear but never see. Tonight there was a first class fireworks show that they did at about 730 and we could see from our wrap around veranda. What a nice surprise, we will have to go over and thank them tomorrow.

[Blackduck59]

Also a sad day with news that Sir Sean Connery has passed away. He really was the best Bond and his later roles were excellent, The Untouchables, Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones Last Crusade and don't forget A Bridge too Far.