Thomas journals

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Piano recital, not amplified

My previous post was a screed against amplification of a solo piano recital. My spouse cautioned me against such an accusative tone. She was right -- mea culpa . I sent the note (deepl-translated into Portuguese...I think they figured that out) to the organizers on the comment window of their webpage . They responded ever so nicely to me, assuring me that any electronic devices on their piano were simply for recording purposes, that none of their solo piano performances are amplified. So that's it. My ears deceived me. The first pianist truly did play so loudly that it buzzed my Apple Watch warning; and the second pianist's performance included a loudspeaker setup that is permanently in that room, unused by this particular piano performance, so my perception was colored by my luddite attitude. Indeed.

Piano recital, sorely amplified

06Aug25: I am an amateur pianist. This is the week of Porto Pianofest ! I attended a solo piano recital yesterday and the day before, both at the University of Porto's Reitoria administration building, in the Salão Nobre and the Sala Comum. The pianists were wonderfully skilled; they played an interesting and varied repertoire, and wrote helpful comments in the program introduction. In each case the appreciative audience numbered around one hundred people. I was however sorely disappointed by the fact that both performances were electronically amplified. The first case was rather subtle, noticeable in that the beautiful Yamaha grand piano was obviously connected to electric devices, and in that the pianist's powerful Ravel and Scriabin chords were exceptionally loud (my Apple watch warned me of loud noise exposure) and rough – obviously the system could not handle the volume. Yesterday in the Sala Comum I sat further back and notice...

Health System commentary, Portugal

I just returned from the dentist, and the pharmacy. The young dentist diagnosed my toothache as an infection, for which she prescribed some amoxicillin, as well as ibuprofen for the inflammation. She took several spot x-rays and used several tests to ensure the diagnosis -- i.e. no other teeth involved. She told me the goodnews/badnews: no other teeth are involved; it's likely a deeply-buried infection of an old root canal, which will likely recur in a few...and thus will likely mean eventual replacement of the tooth. However, antibiotics should stave off the infection for the time being, and we hope the time will be long. This commentary is more about the cost and procedures in Portugal -- the dental clinic, perfectly shiny new clean modern, charged me 33euros total. Self-pay. Further, the dentist keyed in the prescription completely online, attached to my unique Portugal SNS health-number (separate from my NIF tax number and my NISS so...

EUA: tanto estrago em tão pouco tempo

As part of my effort to learn about Portugal, both the country and the language, I'm subscribing to the centrist newspaper, O Publico . There are plenty of newspapers: conservative tabloids, and socialist and communist-sponsored daily papers; I find O Publico to be most sober, with consistently interesting columnists and opinion pieces, in addition to some local (Porto) news, with just enough sporting news to keep me chatting with the taxi driver. Today's opinion piece sums up, I think, European pundits' view of the U.S. government. As the title puts it: so much damage in so little time. I shudder at the rank incompetence and corrupt behavior, demonstrating a cynical attitude toward public service, showing indeed that the cruelty is the point. What scandal, what damage will be the tipping point to collapse this government? And what will it take to recover from the damage? Who will be able to trust the US government again, ever? Only ni...

Review of Above The Salt, by Katherine Vaz

An epic historical novel that sweeps through 80 years, from Madeira and all around the United States. The term “above the salt” refers to an old English tradition about the placement of the salt (cellar) on a large dining table – people seated closer to the host were “above the salt", socially-favored; by exclusion, those below the salt were on a lower social level. This expression reflects the narrative only indirectly, in its theme of social distinctions that affect lives in tragic ways; and the author refers to salt often, in relation to tears and to the ocean. I was drawn to the novel by its Portuguese connection, and I enjoyed the language and culture references; but the romantic love stories and the evocation of life in the late 1800s propelled the narrative. Occasional poetic metaphorical passages evoked the emotional state of the characters, and often jarred the straight line of the narrative. We follow the triumphs and travails of our ...

Fleeing Trump, Americans go to Portugal

Fleeing Trump, Americans go into exile in Portugal. “I'm afraid to go back” Not only minorities feel threatened by the Trump administration. Three couples, a mother and an academic tell us why they chose to live in Portugal. Some say: the American dream is over. The above is today's headline article in our favorite trusted newspaper in Portugal, O Publico . It's a centrist newspaper, owned by a big supermarket corporation. Let's combine this with the recent news that Portugal's Air Force is now shifting away from its planned purchase of F-35 jets. Even though Trump has not even mentioned Portugal in his various diatribes against former allies, Portugal and the rest of Europe are reeling from the attacks. We hope it has the ironic effect of freeing Europe from American dominance and improving the chances for centrist leadership (against Trump-like parties that have been gaining prominence). The original text follows: Em fuga de Tru...