Some quick thoughts (and a regret)

*  A month or so ago, I posted about whether or not I should go see a performance of Beethoven's 9th (for the first time.)   I was encouraged to do so, but delayed buying tickets.  I checked about 9 days ago if seats were available, and some were, but I still didn't book.  Then, on Sunday, I thought I should check again - then thought "whoops - it's December!".   I had become so busy with one work matter that I had completely forgotten the concerts were on last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  :(   

Maybe I didn't miss much?   Actually, seems I did:  

When the seated choir (Brisbane Chamber Choir Collective) rose to their feet, we were in for a surprise. Unexpectedly, around the concert hall – in the stalls and side balconies – other choir members also stood with opened books. Undercover, plain-clothes, choral operatives had been inserted into the midst of the unsuspecting audience.

As the instrumental and vocal volume swells, Clerici is conducting a 360-degree enterprise. The sound is heavenly, harmonious. Beethoven has played his trump card. The pitch rises as the beautiful voice of the soprano soloist soars above the music and the choir.

The performance earns the orchestra and conductor a standing ovation. Orchestral sections are individually applauded. Clerici shakes hands warmly with the concertmaster, Natsuko Yoshimoto. As the soloists exit, Umberto bows graciously to the two women before giving the baritone a hearty high-five. A tremendous performance by our state orchestra and a triumphant conclusion to the 2024 season.

 Ugh...

*   There was flash flooding yet again in Brisbane last Sunday, yet oddly enough, in my corner of the city, it got dark and a bit thundery, but virtually no rain at all.  Only 15 km down the road, people went to a well know pub car park, only to get their cars inundated:

 

This spring and early summer in Brisbane, and the south east generally, has been so wet that it is making me worried that Brisbane is in for yet another flood this summer. I checked the SEQ Water dam levels, and virtually all are full or overflowing, except for Somerset and Wivenhoe (the ones that protect the Brisbane River from flooding) and they are at 80%.    (The last time I checked, about 3 or 4 weeks ago, they were 80% then, too.  I'm guessing water is being released enough to keep it there.)

But, gee, I don't know.   Seems to me it wouldn't take too much more torrential rain in the right spot to cause another major flood.

*  So, Biden pardoned his son.  I can't get too excited about it, especially with the absolute nutjobs who Trump wants to appoint who seemingly want to spend another 4 years of wasted effort on trying to pin corruption on him.  Jon Stewart isn't happy - but his takes are only right about 75% of the time, it seems...