User talk:Floquenbeam

Even more MEH than usual

Probably only checking in every 5-10 days. Could be tomorrow, could be never, it's not a real plan or anything. Combination of busy IRL and kind of tired of this place.

Notes Why did you ask for a desysop?: I'm just trying to Marie Kondo-ize my online life. I'm not around WP much these days, and when I do peek in, I always feel like the "community" has just become increasingly bloodthirsty and gross (for old-timers: a crazy den of pigs, if you will). Or probably it was always like this and I was oblivious. Or part of the problem, I don't know. Anyway, WP is definitely not sparking joy anymore, and a desysop seems like the next step on the path of "slowly backing away until I feel like I'm at a good distance again". Why can't I email you?: I've disabled email. I'm sorry, I know that's suboptimal. My rationale can be found here, if you're curious. Normal humans: I'm not around that much, so it's probably best to ask another editor for help. Admins: If you think an admin action I've taken in the past is wrong or no longer useful, just go ahead and undo or change it. WP:SOLVED WP:LIGHTBULB WP:VOGONS WP:BEDFELLOWS

Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yield! Against stupidity the very gods Themselves contend in vain. --Friedrich Schiller

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October music

story · music · places

My story today is about a woman and her husband who played Bach's Sonatina for us (Rheingau Musik Festival, long ago) on an upright piano, and it made me cry, and I still remember. - You will remember the pictured place even if we saw it in a different season. -- Gerda Arendt (talk) 10:29, 1 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Gerda, the video is sweet. And I remember the style of the building shown, even if I don't exactly remember the garden. Floquenbeam (talk) 18:41, 3 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! - Carl Nielsen (FA by four colleagues, not me) is remembered on the main page! My story on the Germany National holiday is a song calling to trust the new ways, written shortly before the events leading to reunification. I saw a lovely Mozart opera production yesterday, in case of interest. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:58, 3 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I see there was lots of hiking and biking 9/15 to 9/20. Gotta get it in while you can; Winter is Coming. Floquenbeam (talk) 19:13, 3 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

9/14 was our annual concert, and friends came from afar to listen, and some stayed for a bit longer - thank you for noticing, - next year 5/30, plan around it ;) - Dan Forrest Jubilate Deo, in 5 languages, sung by 3 choirs. Will get an article, promised! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:38, 3 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A good story for a Sunday: Martin Neary conducting Purcell. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 10:14, 5 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

... and a good one for Monday, about a mezzo as a thinking person, DYK? - see also video. (The nomination wasn't by me, which probably helped to a short review!) I didn't see her, but the Carmen production at the Bastille Opéra that she was in last. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:27, 6 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Happy birthday, Margaret Medlyn! (I found the article - not by me - when searching for someone whose birthday is today.) - I took a cat pic, presented by Rosiestep today. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 15:47, 7 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Happy 50th birthday, Alain Altinoglu!) - I let the video begin with a closeup of the octobass ;) Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:37, 9 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Lots of birthdays lately. I've officially reached the point where I see someone is turning 50 and I think "oh, how young!". Floquenbeam (talk) 20:26, 9 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

... that's why I said "child" ;) - I prefer birthdays over recent deaths! - yesterday - see that story - was a 59th but I will (if I remember then) celebrate that more next year, such as try GA and then DYK. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:32, 9 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand where you said child. I can see how birthdays are better for the soul than deaths.... Floquenbeam (talk) 17:24, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I remember I wrote it in the beginning of a round of wishing him happy birthday, but then found it too childish, - perhaps I'll find it when going over those possibly interested in the news that I am proud to have brought two performing women to the main page. Sadly, death kept both from performing more, one sooner the other much later. If you have little time just listen to the one who died young and see if it touches you (in today's story, - I don't want to sprinkle youtube links outside my user pages). I worked on an interesting bio yesterday, and while today's video is serious, I found one for children for him, - well, serious also. Keep watching. - Latest pics from a day to the opera in Frankfurt, and afterwards (because train service is only once an hour) a lovely stroll along the Main river with illumination and the moon reflected. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:38, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Found "birthday child (50!)", on User talk:Storye book, who has supplied images for the biographies who don't have them, many of them, and all expressive. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:26, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I don't feel bad for not seeing that! Probably logging in slightly more frequently for the rest of the month, but mostly so I can talk baseball on WP:AN/K. Floquenbeam (talk) 19:38, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I just remembered it wrong, thought I had told you that. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:13, 15 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I am sad that I had to bring two more people there. At least the video in my story is cute, as announced. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:37, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

marked to be sung "Happily" - for a short break on a day of happiness remembered --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:13, 15 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The hymn that is based on is one of those things permanently burned into my brain by a religious childhood. The organist used to really crank the volumn on that one. The church would shake after the last note, and you could feel the low notes making your bones vibrate. Floquenbeam (talk) 17:12, 16 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mr. Rutter may have had a similar experience, and thus was prompted to invent a different melody, change the refrain, and mark it "Happily" ;) - This song was given to me by dear people who had their wedding anniversary yesterday. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:46, 16 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What would you guess: how many composers are mentioned in the article of Bernhard Klee, to whose conducting of Das Lied von der Erde you can listen? And what to say for a DYK? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:09, 17 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

How many? - Can I interest you in the Double Concerto by Brahms, a piece I heard twice this year - see music. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:36, 18 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

My latest: Roberta Alexander, - listen. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:39, 20 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I was thinking some time away would make me less irritated and more amused when I see crazy things happening. But no, I still feel an (admittedly decreased! it's doing some good) urge to argue. Hard habit to break... Floquenbeam (talk) 20:22, 21 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I have the amusement in my edit notice, but some days have a hard time accepting it. Not today though, with two great music makers on the main page because of me, Toshio Hosokawa on his 70th birthday and Klaus Doldinger. Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:17, 23 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Today Sequenza III on Luciano Berio's centenary. You can listen with the score or to the first performer, Cathy Berberian (link in the work's article), - I couldn't decide ;) --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:33, 24 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]