INTERESTING STUFF – 12 September 2020
Saturday, 12 September 2020
UPDATE ON OREGON WILD FIRES: So far there has been no order to evacuate but I was busy Friday packing so today's Interesting Stuff seems a bit short.
SURPRISE OPERA IN A SCHOOL LUNCH ROOM
TGB reader Ali in Seattle sent this great surprise at a Buckinghamshire primary school where an impromptu Opera was staged in the canteen one lunch time.
“Four secret opera singers, disguised as canteen staff, broke into song bringing the room to a standstill with a rousing medley of the Italian classics by Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.
“From soaring soprano to booming baritone, the singers’ stunning performance thrilled the unsuspecting school children whose shocked and surprised reactions were captured on camera by a six strong film crew behind the scenes.”
RIDING A 115-FOOT WAVE
I never even tried to learn how to surf and I am undoubtedly too old to start now but this sure looks exciting. TGB reader Mary Evans Young sent it.
You can find out more about the surfer and his ride here.
AS WE GET OLDER WE TEND TO FORGET THINGS
From Ali in Seattle.
RARE WHITE DEER
This is another from Mary Evans Young. What a magical creature.
You can read about this deer and some other animal rarities here.
WINDOW-SWAP
This is so much fun – windows of places from all around the world. Each video is about 10 minutes long. If you're tired of the view from you own window, it is an interesting respite.
Take a look here. Just click on the image for a new window. The location is in the upper right corner of each frame.
Read more about the website at The Verge and maybe record your own video out your window and upload it.
ONLY A HARMONICA
I promise you never heard a harmonica player like Buddy Greene. Joan McMullin sent this video and the location appears to me to be Carnegie Hall.
There is a whole lot more of Buddy Greene on YouTube.
YOUR CLICK OF ZEN
That headline is what an Oregon Public Broadcasting email called the link to this video of eight or 10 of the most gorgeous insects flying in slow motion while a scientist explains. And it certainly is a lovely few moments of Zen.
ANONYMOUSE
Some years ago I featured Anonymouse here and it's worth doing again. Huffpost published a recent story about the creators, explaining that they are
”A secret group of creatives from Malmö in southern Sweden [who sneak] stunning miniature installations for mice into public spaces in the dead of night.
“The clandestine collective ― called Anonymouse ― incorporates everyday objects into its painstaking recreations, using matchboxes for desks and postage stamps for paintings.
“The group has installed 25 pieces, mostly in cellar windows, in its home city, across Sweden, in France and on the Isle of Man.”
Take a look at this video:
Read more at HuffPost where there are still shots of the interiors of several of the installations.
Interesting Stuff is a weekly listing of short takes and links to web items that have caught my attention; some related to aging and some not, some useful and others just for fun.
You are all encouraged to submit items for inclusion. Just click “Contact” at the top of any Time Goes By page to send them. I'm sorry that I won't have time to acknowledge receipt and there is no guarantee of publication. But when I do
include them, you will be credited and I will link to your blog.
Ronni,
Thank you for the update. I don’t know you...but I find myself worrying about you.
Gail
Posted by: Gail | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 07:40 AM
Entertaining Saturday Stuff, as always! Concerned about your wellbeing at this time. Hope you will be safe especially if you have to evacuate. Keep us posted if you can.
Posted by: Ruth M. | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 07:54 AM
Stay safe Ronni, those fires are appalling.
Thanks for the opera in the primary school. How lovely was that.
XO
WWW
Posted by: Wisewebwoman | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 08:12 AM
Many CA, WA & OR friends evacuated. Concerned greatly for you, Ronni, and breathing. Even indoors. Sending hope you will be safe at home.
Posted by: Joan | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 08:16 AM
The surprise opera was delightful!
Here's hoping you get to stay put.
Posted by: Heidi | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 08:31 AM
Don't know how you managed to put together such a great collection of videos with all you have on your plate. Stay safe, hopefully at home.
Posted by: Susan R | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 08:59 AM
Thank you for such a pleasant Saturday morning. Hope you are able to stay safely at home.
Posted by: Colleen Skinner | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 09:04 AM
I’m relieved that you have a friend/neighbor with a plan to get you safely evacuated. These are hard times, indeed, for so many people and wildlife.
Wonderful offerings today! Thank you for all that you do for us, Ronni. Best wishes!
Posted by: Lizziee | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 09:30 AM
Thanks for lots of good stuff. It's funny that 20 min ago I did an amateur slo-mo with my phone camera of a sulphur butterfly. Hope all will be well fire-wise.
Posted by: Rosemary Woodel | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 09:46 AM
Thank you. I loved them all. Here in South Africa, we're reading about your fires. stay safe.
Posted by: Nan Jolly | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 09:52 AM
Breathing in this smoky air is hard for those of us with healthy lungs, I cannot even imagine what it's like for those with limited capacity. I have an instagram friend in Phoenix Oregon who lost everything but the clothes on their backs when fire roared through their property. The fires in our hills are still raging with only a small percentage of containment. Fresno and Clovis are filled with evacuees, both people and animals. Praying for all.
Posted by: dkzody | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 09:55 AM
Thank you Ronni, I had forgotten about Buddy Greene. You stay safe.
Posted by: Bonnie | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 10:05 AM
What a delight today's post is! Glorious music and more!
The views from windows recalled the song "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and I found this it on Youtube. Search "Creedence Clearwater Revival Lookin Out My Back Door" on Youtube. Such happy music! Creedance Clearwater Revival.
Thank you for all you bring us, Ronnie!
Posted by: Carol in Denver | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 10:12 AM
The surprise arias and the surprised audience... Did you hear me howling in Tel Aviv? Rich. The fascinating Zen insect lesson ... I increasingly wanted to bolt... My guilty conscience for zapping these exquisite creatures.
Thank you for updating us on you and your location relative to the fires in your state. Big elbow *wink wink* hugs for you!
Posted by: Tamar | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 10:25 AM
Music, surfers...................but most of all, stay safe Ms. Ronni!
Love, Salinda
Posted by: Salinda Dahl | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 10:44 AM
The sun is completely blocked by smoke in our area a few miles south of Seattle. Cannot imagine what it must be like closer to the fires. HOPE your no-evacuation luck holds and that the Oregon fires can be contained soon. SO many people dislocated and their lives upended!
Here at least it's much cooler today. No wind so the smoke will probably stick around for a while.
Posted by: Elizabeth Rogers | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 11:04 AM
I probably wouldn't want to stay overnight at the moth guy's house, but I do appreciate what he's taught us about the beauty and engineering marvel of flying insects.
Stay safe, Ronni, we're all watching the west coast and thinking of you. Thank goodness for your caring neighbor!
Posted by: Wendl | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 11:17 AM
Those videos were some of the best! Thank you for sharing. Stay safe.
Posted by: Cynthia | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 12:14 PM
I hope you know how much joy you bring to us.
We are also in the Willamette Valley and are sick of the smoke and stress. Poor evacuees. Which devil do you choose? No ventilation to keep out smoke, or ventilation to get rid of virus? How do you do this in a shelter with hundreds of your new best friends?
We have taped plastic sheeting around all our air gaps and are stuck inside. (Used the plastic sheeting we bought after 9/11/01 for this 9/11 event.) Curtains are closed so we don’t have to see the grellow color outside the window.
There is a fox in the garden in Switzerland! We’ve had a kangaroo in Australia. Thanks for window-swap!
Thank you for taking care of our mental health. I hope you stay safe and are lifted by knowing how many of us appreciate you.
Posted by: Kathleen | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 01:01 PM
I sure was surprised to see this week’s Interesting Stuff Ronni, I never expected it given everything going on in your backyard. I hope you can keep us updated on your well-being. (BTW I loved the insects in flight, didn’t quite get the nude cyclists, and those opera singers brought real tears to my eyes—gosh what beautiful voices!)
Posted by: Doug M | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 01:02 PM
Many years ago an interviewer suggested to Larry Adler (one of the few classical harmonica players around) that he was the best harmonica player in the world. Larry’s response was swift: “Not while Sonny Terry is alive”.
Alas, Sonny isn’t with us anymore, and neither is Larry, so I guess Buddy is in the running.
Posted by: Peter Tibbles | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 03:00 PM
Thank you for another wonderful sampling of stuff, Ronni. You have been on my mind all day and I appreciate your taking time to let us know that you haven't had to evacuate so far. I hope it holds and you can stay home. I've been dropping in on WindowSwap for a couple of weeks and really love it. Lots of cats (nice for me because I'm allergic in real life).
Posted by: Nina | Saturday, 12 September 2020 at 03:10 PM
I, like so many others who follow you, am concerned about your safety. I am in a safe part of Arizona, & it is devastating to read about & watch news reports of the horror & loss caused by the fires.
Be well, be safe, Ronni.
Posted by: Shirley Thompson | Sunday, 13 September 2020 at 01:06 AM
The lunchroom opera was a delight, as was the view of other people's windows. You amaze me in how you find joy and delight in moments of stress.
Thank you, I enjoyed them.
Stay safe.
Mary
Posted by: MARY SCHAEFER | Sunday, 13 September 2020 at 07:43 AM
I hope that the rare white deer isn't in the fire area. The smoke has drifted across the US and is causing an oddly colored sunset in the NY area.
Posted by: SusanG. | Monday, 14 September 2020 at 05:21 PM