Forum Activity for @michael-w6

How can we advertise this group and increase its membership and activates?  Suggestions?

It will be interesting to see if a test case comes up.  And I'd add the parents I've spoken with are rather displeased with cursive being dropped from the curriculum* and several are teaching their kids at home.

*or should it be, "curricula"? 

[quote="Strumelia"]

I believe that your official 'signature' can be anything really- as long as it's consistent on all various documents, so that it can be confirmed as your particular 'mark'.

I'm curious to how people not learning cursive will sign legal documents and checks.  But perhaps checks are becoming rather less used than they previously were.

Do any members have school aged children?  I have been chatting with coworkers who are parents and coworkers in their early 20s, so recently graduated high school, and have been informed our local school district has stopped teaching cursive writing.  One coworker told me her 14 year old son cannot sign his name as cursive in not part of the curriculum.  Has anyone else encountered this?  It seems very bizarre!

Have any members read some Jane Austen?

The grains are raw.  I roast them in a skillet till they get slightly darker and give off a pleasing nutty scent.

Here, this is not whistle, but it is exceptionally impressive.

Buddy Greene - Classical Harmonica Medley (Live) - YouTube

I sometimes dry pan roast brown rice or barley and add it to green tea.

Where I forced, and it would take a dire circumstance, to choose a single tea I'd have Gen-mai cha or Kongoshimi for green and St. Issacs's Blend from Upton for a black tea. Of course Earl Grey is the choice of Captain Picard, this is a high credit.  

Do you find how much you eat, or what you eat before practicing adversely effects your whistle playing? 

1/16... the Moon is spectacular tonight!

No longer liking Lapsang? And yes it does have that hamish scent.   What is this, "golden milk"?  I have heard of it but have no idea what it is.  I also get a tea from Rose Mountain Herbs, a dream tea which does seem to have a dream enhancing effect.

I blend my own masala for chai and it often accompanies breakfast.  My main tea source is Upton in MA, though I have had some nice tea from Harney, too.  Rooibos I get at the grocers, usually Celestial Seasonings.  Oh, from Upton I recently got a ginger and beetroot, caffeine free, very tasty.

Do you have a favorite tea?  I had a very nice Lapsang Shougong today.

I generally find resolutions to lead to failure and disappointment both of which I have more than enough of.  Still, with this I would like to practice my whistles more.  I have spent gobs of money on high end whistles and ocarinas and mostly they just decorate my shelves.  I have some general goal of having a Xmas set for '22 to play at our holiday brunch at work.  Then to have a St. Pat's set to play in a local brewery in '23.  I had planned to have this for '22 but...

And to our previous exchange about diets.  One must be cautious as diet plans are very marketable.  First it was Atkins, then paleo, now keto.  One might suspect there is more profit than health in them.  Still, it may be well for me to curtail the ale and snacks like crackers and cheese.

Well, true enough, but in conversations with coworkers it seems ubiquitous that lifestyle changes, especially the way one eats and the fitness plans one has are the most difficult to carry through with. And when makes that first slip, an extra slice of pizza, a few snacks, well the resolution is generally lost.

Are you afraid of movie lions?

Hummm.  I suspect weight loss is a ubiquitous resolution and one very easily abandoned.  Eating is a source of not only enjoyment and for many social interaction, but a means of stress relief.  Exercise is just too arduous. Snacks, tea and a good book is the better day.  

Is your continued mask use your own choice or are they still required in your town?

In Oct. my workplace instituted mandatory vaccination if one wishes to remain employed. There are two exceptions, confirmed medical excuse and religious belief.  I have not gotten a firm answer on why religion is given deference and it seems difficult to justify.  It must be a very common practice though as there are web sites that list out bible verses and their interpretation so anyone can quickly have a religious exemption.  I do not know what allowances are made for other religions.

I was told by one of the clergy at work the religious exemption is very easy to get and there are ordained pastors doing online business selling people documentation for religious exemption which the pastor has signed.  Guess the signature gives the document more acceptance.     

Happy New Year Everyone!  Do you burden yourself with resolutions for the upcoming year? 

Takahe Flutes in NZ has some very nice whistles in standard and unusual keys.  He may be found on Esty with demo posts on YT.  I have purchased several whistles from him and am very pleased.

I do not know what the infection rates are here.  Still the mask wearing now seems for show rather than necessity.  I'm always surprised when I see someone driving by in a car, alone, wearing a mask.   When the mask wearing was legally mandated, I was waiting outside a business waiting for it to open.  A passerby stopped and asked if I had an extra mask, which I did. This mask had been often worn and carried about in my pocket for days if not weeks,  Still, he accepted it and put it on... yuck!

My contention the mask wearing at work is for show may be upheld in seeing the director and manager in their office with their mask off.  This seems a tacit admission they don't really support the mask policy.  Sure they are alone but isn't the virus flitting about in the air?  

Where I live retailers and grocers have not required masks for many months, perhaps approaching a year since legal requirements were dropped.  I'd say it may be about 50/50 masked and not masked.  When I shop in some grocers, neither I nor the cashier are wearing a mask and this I'm entirely comfortable with.   My miserable job still has mandatory masks, except in the cafeteria which appears to be under some magical protection from rest of the facility.  I suspect inertia and it offers a means of employee control rather than medical necessity,   I do not follow sports but coworkers who do have told me stadiums have fully reopened with no mandates. So perhaps what, 20K people side by side with no masks?  Seems no reason for retail to continue restrictions.

Are businesses in your area still requiring masks to enter the store?

England? Hey!  I have heard of this place!

@Larry - I have had very good experiences with online whistle purchases.   I recommend: Becker, US, Goldfinch, Poland, Humphrey, US, Takahe, NZ and if you want to go high end, Bruke or Reyburn, US.  Of these Becker is the most affordable at about $15.  Handcrafted PVC and very pleasing to play.  James Becker, the craftsman, obviously makes whistles for the love of his craft, not as a business enterprise. 

I'm required to wear a mask eight miserable hours a day at my fantastic job.  It is becoming near unendurable.

Do you have a favorite whistle? Either key or maker?

One of my favorite bands.  Though their "Dance Till We Die" rap garbage, complete with expletives, is a track to skip.

What is the, "share to timeline" selection when responding to posts here?

I'm playing mostly Irish tunes with the goal of playing at a local brewery for St. Pat's 2022.   I much enjoy Medieval and Renaissance music and have put together some sets.  There are also dabble with some less than trad tunes...

OMNIA (Official) - Fee Ra Huri - YouTube

Star Trek TNG "The Inner Light" Music - YouTube

Tune playing is my general approach too.   Sometimes I warm up, both my self and the whistle, by doing an ascending/descending scale or two.   Online and printed tutorials recommend exercises with cuts and rolls.  Perhaps these would benefit me but the draw to paly tunes is stronger.

I'm hoping to present some tunes for St. Pat's 2022 at a local brewery.  I'm working on: Garret Barry's jig, Blackthorn and Tenpenny Bit as a jig set. 

Do you have whistles in unusual scales?  I have three in the Mid Eastern Hijaz scale.  Rather exotic.

How do you structure effective practice time? 

Ah!  I had completely forgotten that thread which I have a post on,  Anyway, quite a part from whistle talk, has American rap poisoned English culture? 

I have an Airy Tale D and a C from goldfinch which I quite like.  The Airy sounds very nice but has a tendency to clog. Do you have links to the reviews you mention?  

I, too have been playing an A and G.  Mine are by James Becker of Becker Whistles.   I like the lower, mellow sound, especially of the A.  And as July has three pay checks, a time and a half holiday and a rise, I have purchased a A and G from Goldfinch Whistles, Poland. 

I had to search the conversion rate for pounds and USD,  I have a several high and whistles like that and they're sweet.  Still I find myself playing the low cost Becker's most often.