Category: Interesting

Faked inaugural instrumental quartet

The inaugural instrumental quartet, that included Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, was faked. They were “hand-synching” to canned music.

This is unsurprising: I was shocked they were in such good tune at 27° F. In my marching band days, my euphonium went way sharp in cold weather.

Per Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:

I think this is a whole lot of nothin’. These are world-class performers who are playing in 19 degree weather [editor: NOAA said 27 degrees at that time] and the technical requirements of their instruments made it impossible for them to have their music amplified and know that it would be in tune. So they made, what I think, was probably a difficult decision to play to tape. (source)

Oh, come on. Nothing suggested it wasn’t real. You shouldn’t have waited several days to reveal this.

Presidential limo: it’s huge!

Look at the new presidential limo:
presidentiallimofront
(source)

Look at the Secret Service agents next to it. The window bottoms are almost to his shoulder!

presidentiallimoside
(source)

The tire is taller than that Secre Service guy’s belt line!

presidentiallimoback
(source)

The limo roof is taller than the agents! When’s the last time you’ve seen a car that’s taller than a full grown man?

The car is so huge, it’s almost grotesquely proportioned.

I (heart) 90.1 At Night

My local public radio, KERA 90.1 FM, does a two hour weekly music program called 90.1 At Night.

It’s awesome.

Host J. Paul Slavens dishes up a truly eclectic mix, including many Texas and local pieces. And it has little crap in the smooth jazz, Celtic, or “mood music” (tonal study?) genres.

My wife complains that I wouldn’t normally listen to many of the songs. She’s right, but it’s just different when juxtaposed so eclectically. (Is that a word?)

90.1 At Night runs every Sunday, 8 PM to 10 PM on KERA 90.1 FM in the Dallas/Ft. Worth market.