u/BBorNot

I am not deep pocketed and frankly don't care about this issue enough to throw my life into it. But I am fairly certain that it would have broad support. How does one start the snowball rolling?

Anyone know what is going on? Tons of lights, cameras, even costumes.

Yay! I just had my piano lesson and my teacher thought I was done with Moonlight Sonata, the last piece. I have been at this for 3 1/2 years -- the first six months I taught myself, starting at age 54, and picked up a bunch of bad habits. And mostly I have been playing pieces my teacher gives me, so it hasn't just been Alfred. I started from the first book, and it went pretty quickly until my teacher demanded a higher level of play and the pieces got harder. I still remember Blow the Man Down in Book One and how challenging it was; I thought maybe I was just not cut out for piano. Anyway, I think it is a good series and would recommend it.

Near Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel there's a beater black van with smashed windows and Blackfire painted on it, along with some flames. It is surrounded by lawnmowers. The parking is zoned for a few hours, but he's been there for months.

The scene really looks as though he's suffering from mental illness. It doesn't seem safe or compassionate to just let him continue in this manner. I haven't met him, though -- perhaps he's a wizard at fixing lawnmowers and has a thriving repair business. Anyone know what's up?

I'd love to be able to play along with recordings that had the original piano part removed. I have to think these exist, but I don't know even what they're called. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

So I am retired but I still have lots of colleagues in the industry.

I have been laid off, but I always considered myself the nail that sticks up because I am opinionated. I am layoffable.

But in the past few weeks I have had two colleagues laid off who I assumed were the opposite. One, in big pharma, worked harder than anyone I know. They'll have to replace her with three people. The other person has a very high command of his industry and was generally not confrontational; he was well liked and effective.

Just beware that there is no insulating yourself against this possibility. But it isn't the end of the world: the first person has already found a job (as a CSO ffs).

Layoffs are a part of working in this business. I guess this isn't news, but I had always thought that these two people were immune.

No one is immune.

We have the highest minimum wage in the nation and still request tips. Some places (like the Walrus and Carpenter) charge service fees and are less insistent on tipping, but it still isn't clear.

Could we make it clear legislatively? No tips, no surcharges. The price includes everything -- we could even go the extra distance and have the price include tax. Why not?

(I posted here after being struck from the r/Seattle subreddit for a frequently posted issue -- that I've never seen posted.)

My teacher gave me this exercise which I have found to be useful for really learning scales.

When practicing scales, set a metronome for, say, 60bpm.

Start with the scale in quarter notes, up and down one octive.

Then do eighth notes, up and down two octives.

Then do triplets, up and down three octives.

Then do sixteenth notes, up and down four octives.

The triplets are really tricky at first because the rhythm is so off, but it matches after three octives.

The sixteenth notes can be pretty fast. Set the metronome slower if you need to.

This simple exercise has really been a great drill for me. I had to focus on getting the triplets right for a few weeks.

I started at age 54 and have been serious and methodical about practice for over three years now. I read a couple of books on practice and adopted their suggestions (Molly Gebrian's book was the best.)

I practice for 2-3 hours a day, broken up. I have an excellent teacher. And now I can do a passable Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata. But honestly I don't feel like I have any talent. I feel like I am powering along by stubborn practice. I still enjoy it, though.

This feeling was not helped by a recent recital where I was absolutely smoked by twelve year olds. I mean, how long can they have been playing for, really, ffs?

It is so absurd. I buy books of music and they just won't stay open. I bust the spines. I bought a clip to put on top (which is a hassle when you turn the page). I've used magnets.

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I buy spiral bound when I can, but they are rarely available.

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Does anyone get their books rebound somehow? What does it cost?

The series toyed with morality a great deal, and early on Jimmy and Kim do immoral things where the end justifies the means. Kim lies to her client so he takes a favorable plea deal. Jimmy buries Indian pottery fragments to stall an evil developer. All admirable.

But Jimmy just starts stealing. First the hummel, then drugging people. Dumb crimes with no Robin Hood morality.

Mike seemed to have the most morally even keel, despite racking up a bunch of kills. This kind of morality was one of the most interesting parts of the show.

I feel they sold Jimmy short. And to make everyone have a crisis of conscience at the end just seems absurd.

This is for overall health in aging. I'm almost 60.

I was thinking that swimming would be good, but perhaps something with more impact like running would be better for bone strength? Or maybe yoga for balance and flexibility? What do you guys do?

I started playing at age 55 and have been at it for over three years. I practice every day, usually 2-3 hours. My teacher, who has a PhD in piano performance, talks about eight hours per day of practice while getting her degree. That's bonkers to me. My brain is usually pretty fried at the two hour mark.

I think we can all agree that daily practice is much better than cram sessions. But how much can one usefully practice at a time? My feeling is that the first hour is the most valuable. I break my practice up into several sessions of 40-60min., but the first one of the day is usually the best. And the one after lunch isn't bad.

What do you do?