Because of shopping choices I've made together with who knows how many other Oregonians. $170 million to all charities, evidently, so that six thousand bucks is a drop from their bucket but I'm sure very welcome in Salem.
The statues of the Pioneers at the University were pulled down last evening, evidently-- I happened to see the headline at the Register-Guard as I left the supermarket earlier, having purchased more bandages and pineapple. Tsk; it happened Saturday evening: quite why it's on the front page this morning, I don't know (because they already had Sunday's front page locked, probably). Vandals and cowards, not protestors-- the ones who wrecked the statues, I mean, not the people who produce the Red Guard. The author (I can never remember his name, alas; Bill something or other, I believe) of the UO Matters post, here, is much better informed and a much more clever writer than the newspaper people, who for whatever reason have to pretend to be objective. The University's propaganda department's 'Storyteller Team'-- ha, ha. I must say Terce.
{Later, before Sext. There have incredible amounts of ink and energy spilled over the Pioneer and Pioneer Mother and re-naming Deady Hall et cetera.
If the University wants to name a building 'Universally Triumphant People of Color and Various Identities Who Have Been Oppressed and Victimized Over the Course of Centuries Hall', fine by me if they can persuade the Trustees to allow it. It's fine with me if the University elects to put Pa and Ma into the 'Museum of the Very Dead and Useless Past (Except, for Propaganda Purposes, When It's Not Useless)' as examples of the decadent bourgeois work of what's his name, Al Phimister Proctor, to be rolled out when it suits them.
I would not tolerate, were I dictator, ten individuals on their own initiative putting the Pioneer Folks out of their misery. I would be very, very peeved, in fact. Irritated and, honestly, angry. Not a soul, academic or otherwise, should want me to be the prince. I don't want to be the prince.}
Am having my first listen to Alfredo Catalani's La Wally, from 1892; the recording is of the Tiroler Landestheater production from 2014. If I had seen the name it was only to wonder, what can that mean? (it is a nickname from 'Walburga'): at least he didn't call it however one says 'vulture' in Italian: L'Avoltura Wally. Which is in fact euphonious enough. [Of course this is incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't just read the Wikipedia page: the source novella is called Der Geier-Wally i.e. Wally has another nickname, because she rescued a baby vulture from the mountainside.] It is interesting that the opera is chiefly remembered because of one aria that occurs in the first of four acts-- this album of excerpts runs to almost two hours so the entire work is fairly lengthy, probably. It is a beautiful song.
{Later, still before Sext. The pair of squirrels seem quite impervious to the rain showers that have drenched the morning; they shake themselves off once in a while: the lure of nuts overcomes the desire for comfortable dryness, I guess. Every species of bird, however, seems silent and still.}
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