Learning To Be Zen During The Plague

I don't think I actually had it ... my entire office would have gotten it if I did. I'm just saying it was a weird sort of bronchitis (apparently) that I had never experienced before. It's natural to think about it when you start hearing of the symptoms of COVID.

 

I don't KNOW I had it - I do know I had the worst most lingering cold I could remember in November into December. A persistant cough that lasted for weeks. If that helped me build up immunities - great.
It's kind of creepy though - I started a temp warehouse gig recently and everyone is gloved and masked up. The pay is better than I ever made in newspapers, the work is physically demanding, it's pretty much a gigantic game of Supermarket Sweep. Also - free work shoes.

 

Wishing everyone the best. I have to wade into my hopper and see who wants/needs to talk or I'd do the decent thing and send individual well wishes. I apologize for that. In another thread, I mentioned doing volunteer work to help researchers.

Zooniverse.org offers opportunities for everything from transcribing documents to being another pair of eyes for oceanographers and archaeologists. If anyone is interested, there are also remote collaborative projects available through Smithsonian, Yale Drama, and a few other places. I'll be happy to share the links.

Off to distribute woobies...

 

It's hard to be zen every day.

 

Finally completed my list of symphonies (with an odd or end or two). Here is the list I listened to/watched. All available on YouTube. Encourage watching the orchestras perform. It adds to the experience.

Beethoven 3 Eroica 1803
Mozart 41 Jupiter 1788
Berlioz Simphonie Fantasique 1830
Brahms 1 1876
Dvorak 9 New World 1894
Mahler 9 1912
Tchaikovsky 6 Pathetique 1893
Brahms 4 1885
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture 1880
Beethoven 9 1824
Beethoven Missa Solemnis 1824
Bruckner 8 1892
Sibelius 7 1924
Mahler 2 Resurrection 1894
Shostakovich 5 1937

 

I am now grinding my own flour. Like one does.

 

You have a creek running through your house? Cool.

 

I've been watching a lot of these in my dungeon lately while working.

Timeline - World History Documentaries

A little bit of woo here and there but most of them are very well produced and right on the mark.

 

Wading into my opera list with Rigoletto. It's really tough. I admire the art of it - the music, singing and staging - I just can't fathom how people connected with the art form if they didn't understand the words (I'm watching an '82 version with Pavarotti and subtitles). Also - the plot lines seem pretty shallow.

On another front - I think while we like to dismiss sports and other friviolities - it really appears our population needs these distractions if only to avoid thinking about how messed up the world can be 24/7.

 

My wife and I finished our 36-lecture course on Introductory Geology (courtesy of The Learning Company) over the weekend. Next up will be "Oceanography 101". Class convenes for Lecture 1 in about an hour...