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Continuing the impressive female singers theme Ex.

Okay one more live - since she is not traveling to the US anytime soon. Pretty much the same set as the launch performance above. But without orchestra players, so a lot more free and flowing. Beautiful stuff.

I'm estimating about 1,500 Ipe plugs installed so far, with more to come. The fence is no quite finished. I need to build a trash can barn and a few gates. All from Ipe. Even the roof over the main door is covered with Ipe.

Just finished episode 3. Pretty good so far.

I just want advanced aliens to come (back? 😄) to Earth and send a massive "Kindness Ray" across the globe. Is that too much to ask?!

While we are on the subject of useless camera formats - I long ago got rid of nearly all of my collectable camera gear (the Graflex was a gift, received subsequent to that purge). The one piece I kept was my Pen FT half frame with bellows and slide copier. Because who doesn't need to convert all of their slides into even smaller slides?

Waking up to Hania on Tiny - It is going to be a good Monday.

Got the latest Covid vaccine, and the RSV vaccine.

It sounds like a Willie Nelson song... "I'm workin' in an atmospheric river". Continuing the Ipe fence, come rain or shine.

Just read about this, bummed me out quite a bit.... RIP to Brian Lumley, probably my favorite horror writer. https://locusmag.com/2024/01/brian-lumley-1937-2024/ His Necroscope series was a super-creative view on the source of vampires (and the source of my username!), and led me to several of his other (Fantasy & Horror mostly) series, as well as to F. Paul Wilson, one of my favorite all-time authors.

I used to work for an Israeli company, I loosely keep in touch with several folks there. The "average" Israeli, according to most of them, wants peace and would gladly accept a two state solution. The key as to why many still hesitate, and don't want to just make a formal state of Palestine, is that the Palestinians have proven NOT to be able to push out the violent part of their population. There is a history in Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, and I think even Saudi Arabia, where Palestinian populations - or that extreme element at least - incited violence, caused strife, and celebrated local Arab deaths. There is a reason that Palestinian refugees are not being taken in by other Arab countries.... These Israeli's I know agree that Israel will gladly give land for peace (TBD about Netanyahu), but still would need proof that Palestinians would be peaceful before allowing them to be a formal state. Self-govern is indeed one thing, and in the case of Gaza (which has self-governed since about 2005) it has not proven peaceful at all. One person I know was in tears over the bombings, for the civilian lives lost, and as Iain says will be propaganda for Hamas recruitment. But he also echoes others' thoughts that Israel almost has no choice. If they give in too much without the promise of peace, they will be seen as weak, and others will repeat what Hamas has done. I just saw a picture by Banksy which showed a small Jewish and (I assume) Palestinian child watering/caring for a small tree that seemed just planted. That made me sad...if one generation can be taught that peace is an option, there can be hope. But so far, I'm not seeing it....