Wednesday

~ 63mago ~ Leave a comment

Twice or thrice a week I receive a phone call in the evening by a man who once lived here, a former neighbour of many years. He is seriously ill, and his actual living situation in a facility is not good. But I do not know whether this explains the fact that the “conversations” over the last months became monologues. It follows the same pattern : He speaks about stuff that happened in the world, then switches to his surroundings (trouble with carers, discussion with doctors etc.), family stuff I do not want to know. The finale is a suada about his mistake to leave his appartement and move altogether.
Somewhere in between he may ask the obligatory “And how’s about you ?” – but in the middle of my answer (if it is longer than “Fine.”) he will start with his own grievances again.
When I start a sentence after he stopped speaking, this seems not to reach him. He will speak about something, related to what I am just saying or not. If I really want to say something, I do not stop in such a situation, and finish my sentence ignoring his chatter, perhaps rising my voice, when I start to become angry ; then he may stop and ask – he seems not to expect something like an answer at all. He could talk with a machine programmed to utter sounds like “hm hm”, “yes ?” or “really !”
Throw in some “Artificially Intelligence”, and the electric monk is ready for conversation.

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My teeth are so white now, when the vehicle’s headlamps fail I just need to flash a toothy grin for returning safely tonight.

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The landlord (a pretty large company) notified the inmates that starting from this Monday onwards, the public spaces in the building (floors, stairs) will be painted and repaired. This includes the rooms in the basement where washing machines and driers are installed. And where for months a downpipe drips & drips & drips, just a question of time before the thing will leak seriously and crack open. I am sure a lick of paint will cheer the room up when the stinky mess finally floods the cellar.

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Ach – a depressing image to end this post with, so let’s listen to some music evoking a nicer one : The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (Ger., Eng., website) under Sir Neville MARRINER (1924-2016) (Ger., Eng.) performs the second movement : Pavane from Peter Warlock’s (1894-1930) (Ger., Eng.) Capriol Suite (1926) (Ger., Eng.).

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Sunday Music, Monday Edition

~ 63mago ~ 3 Comments

Rain, sleet, wind. First blossoming blooms, mostly yellow. From the bed of suffering to the daily grind, the last week was a bit demanding. I hope this one will be less exhausting, I just get used to it again.
I am tired, and not in the mood for talk, so let’s listen to Sunday Music : Today it is the title Na Sombra Da Mangueira (In The Shade Of The Mango Tree), composed by Luiz BONFÁ (1922-2001) (Ger., Eng.), performed by Carlos BARBOSA-LIMA (1944-2022) (Ger., Eng.). May it bring lightness to these strange times, I hope you like the music. May the week be bearable.

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Sunday Music

~ 63mago ~ 3 Comments

In Suebia elections (“Landtagswahl”) are held today : Members of Parliament are chosen, and the question will be decided, who becomes El Supremo Suebiano. The “Länd” will very likely be gouverned by a coalition of the two strongest parties, Greens and Conservatives. Two questions are interesting : Who will lead the coalition, and how strong will the right-wing “alternative” become ?
The 2021 result saw the Greens roughly at 30%, the Conservatives at 25%, the three other electable parties (SocialDemocrats, Liberals, “alternative”) around 10% each.
The last election forecast showed Greens and Conservatives around 30% each, the right wingers at 18%, with the rest under ten percent each, perhaps even struggling to reach the minimum vote (in the case of the Liberals).
All this is not a Suebian-only game, but Landtagswahlen are held Rheinland-Pfalz (22.III.), Sachsen-Anhalt (6.IX.), Berlin and Meck-Pomm (20.IX.). Besides that Kommunalwahlen are held today in Bavaria, next weekend in Hassia (15th of March), and in Niedersachsen (13.IX.). It is very likely that Sachsen-Anhalt will see the first right-extreme Ministerpräsident.
In Suebia two men are competing for the position of chieftain : A young conservative, tough, a bit brash (“forsch”) for my tastes, and a battle horse with tons of experience originating from Bad Urach – yeah, the place where the Brezel was invented. I think the people prefer the experienced man over the brushy conservative – but nobody wants the Green party anymore. We’ll see. My biggest fear is that the nazis will reach 20% or even more.
Here in Bavaria local elections are held, I voted for my Bürgermeister, and my Landrat.
Today’s Sunday Music is a little groove by Jiro INAGAKI (1933-2024) (Ger.), originally released in 1973. I hope it’s good for a gentle sway. May the coming week be un-eventful.

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