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31
The Polling Place / Re: How are you spending the summer solstice?
« Last post by serious crayons on June 23, 2019, 11:53:09 am »
Quote from: brian on June 22, 2019, 03:15:13 pm
In the southern hemisphere, well at least Australia/NZ not sure about Africa and South America, the official start of the season is the June 1, September 1, December 1 and March 1.

Very sensible times. That's basically how they go here, whatever the calendar says. Schools let out sometime around June 1, give or take, because it's summer. Sometime around Sept. 1, lifeguards leave the beaches, school starts again, and the earlier sunsets and cooler air are abruptly so noticeable it sometimes feels like somebody flipped a switch. Winter starts around Dec. 1 because that's when it tends to get cold-cold, with snow, and holiday shopping has begun. And March 1 only occasionally feels springlike, but at least by then you can expect it any day and a heavy snowfall seems less dire because you know it will melt soon.

Are your cultural/meteorological cues similar but opposite?



 
32
The Culture Tent / Re: In the New Yorker...
« Last post by serious crayons on June 23, 2019, 11:29:17 am »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on June 22, 2019, 02:15:41 pm
I could easily spend the summer reading articles about the perfect summer reading. Here's one:

https://lithub.com/20-perfect-summer-books-for-this-and-every-year/

I'm curiously what you all think about this list. I saw a couple of books I'd like to read.

I've only read one of them: Sophie's Choice. I've read other books by about six of the authors (Jennifer Egan, Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Ondaatje) and someone once gave me Angle of Repose. Most of the others I haven't heard of, but the excerpts from their reviews are enticing. The one I'm most likely to read is Sally Rooney's Normal People, because I've heard such good things about that from many normal people.


33
Cellar Scribblings / Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Last post by Front-Ranger on June 22, 2019, 09:41:34 pm »
Quote from: southendmd on June 12, 2019, 11:13:09 am

However, I highly recommend "Rocketman".  It's very energetic, not entirely linear, has big dance numbers and even fantasy sequences.  The lyrics move the story along.  Toran Egerton is amazing as Elton.  Jamie Bell (all grown-up Billy Elliot!) is wonderful as Bernie Taupin--lyricist of "A Love that Will Never Grow Old". 

Brokie connection!
Really enjoyed "Rocketman" especially Toran Egerton and Jamie Bell! Want to see it again! Side anecdote, might be TMI: "Rocketman" was playing on the radio when my first child was conceived.
34
The Culture Tent / Re: Music News
« Last post by Front-Ranger on June 22, 2019, 08:09:54 pm »
 :o

Have you listened to "Ticket to the Moon" yet?
35
The Culture Tent / Re: Music News
« Last post by CellarDweller on June 22, 2019, 07:57:09 pm »

It may be the year of 2019, but if you look at the Billboard Top 200 chart for next week, you may think it's the 80s when you see the artists at #1 and #2.




It's Madonna's 9th #1 album/CD, and her 22nd Top 10 album/CD.

It's Bruce's 18th Top 10 album/CD.


On top of that, Madonna's current single ("Medellin", a duet with Colombian rapper Maluma) is the #1 single on the Dance Single Chart, her 47th #1 song on that chart.

36
The Polling Place / Re: How are you spending the summer solstice?
« Last post by brian on June 22, 2019, 03:22:37 pm »
I went to the Mid-Winter Carnival.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/thousands-turn-out-midwinter-carnival
Disappointing, rarely see anyone I know. All my friends, being in their 60/70s prefer to stay warm at home. They all marvel at how little clothes I wear in winter compare to them. I much prefer cold weather to hot.
I was pruning in the garden and left it too late to get ready but made the mistake of ordering a hamburger from a caravan and it took over 20 minutes to make. I missed seeing half the procession. Not happy. Did watch the fireworks afterwards.
37
The Polling Place / Re: How are you spending the summer solstice?
« Last post by brian on June 22, 2019, 03:15:13 pm »
In the southern hemisphere, well at least Australia/NZ not sure about Africa and South America, the official start of the season is the June 1, September 1, December 1 and March 1. However the solstice cannot be the middle of the season as the ground takes longer to warm/cool than the air.  That is why the hottest part of the day is after the sun reaches the zenith (midday but probably later due to DLS) and begins to go down in the sky. It snowed here last Monday but melted almost as soon as it hit the ground. We had not had any frosts. We had light frosts on Wednesday and Thursday (heavier down in the valley below). May be this morning, still too dark to see. So if it snows next week (none forecast) there is more chance of it settling. July/August are our colder months but we can have snow into November.
38
The Culture Tent / Re: In the New Yorker...
« Last post by Front-Ranger on June 22, 2019, 02:15:41 pm »
I could easily spend the summer reading articles about the perfect summer reading. Here's one:

https://lithub.com/20-perfect-summer-books-for-this-and-every-year/

I'm curiously what you all think about this list. I saw a couple of books I'd like to read.
39
The Culture Tent / Re: In the New Yorker...
« Last post by Jeff Wrangler on June 22, 2019, 11:36:39 am »
The June 24 issue finally arrived in yesterday's post. The articles about Elizabeth Warren and Boris Johnson look interesting.

I've read Anthony Lane's reviews of The Dead Don't Die and A Bigger Splash.

I can't believe he wrote, in his review of A Bigger Splash, "[W]hen Hockney examines his Proktor portrait, he does so with the aid of a lighter's flame, and the scene ignites."

 :laugh:
40
The Polling Place / Re: How are you spending the summer solstice?
« Last post by serious crayons on June 22, 2019, 08:23:25 am »
Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on June 21, 2019, 04:20:16 pm
Didn't you used to call it Midsummer Day?

That makes more sense. The longest day of the year should be the middle of the season of long days, not at the beginning. The calendar seasons have always seemed odd that way, with their first days, rather than their midpoints, designated by equinoxes and solstices. They don't even quite match the weather, as it usually feels like the season has started well before the season actually starts.

Still, I'm glad summer isn't half over!



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