District of Columbia: That's the official name of the US nation's capital and the Federal District. Locals and local media call it the District or DC. What about the name "Washington?" Well, Washington and District of Columbia are two names for the US capital city. There is no Washington in the District of Columbia. They mean the same thing. That's why it's repetitive to say, "Washington DC." So why do the corporate media and others say, "Washington DC?" To cater to stupid people in the US who don't know what the District of Columbia is or where it is. So rather than educate people and consistently use the official name of the US nation's capital — which is the District of Columbia — they use "Washington DC" which is not the official name. It's okay to say DC, the District, or Washington, but not "Washington DC" because that's like saying San Francisco, San Francisco. That's how it was explained to me when I moved there. It's redundant since, again, they are two names for the same place, the same city. District residents care very deeply about this topic. It's a pet peeve of many District residents, including myself as a former District resident. I've heard political talking heads in DC on YT cater to stupid people — rather than educate them — by changing the name of the judicial courts in DC. For example: United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gets changed to the Appeals Court for Washington DC. There is no such court with that name in the District. The same for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. No court in the District ends with the language "Washington DC" because, again, that is not the official name of the nation's capital. Also, they use the acronym DMV which stands for District, Maryland and Virginia. It is this site's goal to educate, and not cater to stupid. Not surprisingly, the 34-count convicted felon and now US dictator from the Epstein Class always says, "Washington DC". This nut has lived there how long and he is still saying that? One can't fix stupid so don't bother wasting your time trying. Yet I've heard his staffers say to guests "Welcome to DC."
Updated 19 April 2026: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis is a work I always wanted to perform, but it was never programmed — the same for Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast; I would like to have performed that — during the three seasons I was a chorister with the Orchestra Choruses. The Missa Solemnis is “muhduh” for the Chorus, such as the soprano section being at the extreme of their high register, and only the finest Choruses can perform the Missa Solemnis with the highest level of choral excellence as is the case in the performance above. I’ve said many times that in my opinion these days Deutschland has the best Orchestra Choruses anywhere. And this is another performance to confirm that from a choral excellence perspective. So again, I have to ask: Why can’t some of the Orchestra Choruses in the US sound like this Chorus from Bavaria? That answer is rather complicated. First, it depends upon who auditions for the Chorus and the caliber of the choristers who audition. It also depends upon whether the Chorus Director does his/her job properly and has an ear for choral excellence. Not all do. I’ve written repeatedly about the Director of Choral Activities at New England Conservatory — her riding on the coattails of Westminster Choir College — and she apparently loves to hear her sopranos and altos wobble and flutter their way through pieces as if they’re extremely nervous. Who likes that sound? I guess she does. Either that, or she’s too damned lazy to work on the women’s perfect intonation. As I remember, the tenors and basses mostly sang with perfect intonation. They were better than the sopranos and altos. The same is true at Boston University’s School of Music with their Symphonic Chorus, and the same is true (or was; I haven’t heard them in some time) with the BSO’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Someone told me recently that the Tanglewood Festival Chorus sounds no differently today than they did when I was complaining about them. I’m not too hot on the US Orchestra Choruses these days. Someone wrote a comment that the “sound” of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus has changed — and Robert Shaw would not be pleased — because they’ve been doing too much opera. One wonders: Why is a Symphony Chorus doing opera? Doh. Opera is best left for an Opera Chorus and I’ve never heard an Opera Chorus sing with perfect intonation, as if they’ve never heard the term. Perfect intonation is one of the foundations of choral excellence. The only live performance I’ve heard of the Missa Solemnis was in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with Dr. Paul Traver’s absolutely stellar University of Maryland Chorus and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam with Claudio Abbado conducting. (Would you tell me: How many University Choruses get to perform with them?)
Paul Traver music director
The University of Maryland Chorus gave a superb performance, as I had expected they would do, having heard them before. Their performance reminded me of the recording I have of the work by Margaret Hillis’s Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. A couple years later after I sang with The Maryland Chorus, Dr. Traver told me (after I asked him) that they got that engagement after Margaret Hillis recommended them to Claudio Abbado. He had called Hillis in Chicago asking for her recommendation of an Orchestra Chorus in the DC area. She had previously done a choral workshop on the Maryland College Park campus so she was very familiar with them. It had nothing to do with the jealous rumour that, “Did you hear that Paul Traver went storming into the Kennedy Center and demanded that his Maryland Chorus perform with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam?” That was a lie promoted by one of the jealous basses of the Choral Arts Society of Washington that I heard during a rehearsal break. Dr. Traver would never have done that. He accepted engagements he was offered — if he were interested in them — but he didn’t go around demanding that the University of Maryland Chorus be offered engagements. He would know that Maryland wouldn’t be invited back again if he had taken that uppity, arrogant and rude approach. And Dr. Traver was very down-to-Earth, a superb musician and Chorus Director and he’s one of my choral mentors. The local classical music station (WGMS) interviewed Sheila Armstrong who was the soprano soloist for the Missa Solemnis. The interview was all about her career — it wasn’t about the Missa Solemnis at all — but out of nowhere she said, “I’d like to make mention of this Chorus. This is one of the finest Choruses I’ve ever heard.” The interviewer said: Yes, we should mention that the Chorus is that of the University of Maryland. Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony, as well as the countries of Austria and the Czech Republic. Its capital and largest city is Munich and other major cities include Nuremberg and Augsburg. The Bavarian Radio Choir and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra are superb in this performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Their Chorus Director, Simon Rattle, does his job. Simon has been the principal conductor of the BRSO and the BRSO Choir since 2023. The Choir also performs with other major symphony orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and Staatskapelle Dresden. That’s interesting because I can’t think of an Orchestra with its own Chorus in the US where the Chorus performs with other Orchestras. The only exception that comes to mind is when the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus went to Deutschland to perform the Brahms’s EDR with the Berliner Philharmoniker. But that was a one-time thing. Some more information about the BRSO Choir from AI: Quote: The Bavarian Radio Choir (Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks), founded in 1946, is a world-renowned ensemble based in Munich, Germany, celebrated for its stylistic versatility ranging from Baroque to contemporary music. Associated with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) under principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle, the Choir specializes in choral symphonic works, oratorios, and premieres, frequently appearing at major international festivals and venues. End Quote The vocal soloists were: Lucy Crowe, Soprano, Gerhild Romberger, Alto, Julian Prégardien, Tenor and Tareq Nazmi, Bass, and the performance was conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. I appreciated John Gardiner placing the vocal soloists over on the right side of the stage behind the strings. It’s rare to see that but that’s where they should be since the Orchestra and Chorus are the “stars” of the performance since they perform the majority of the work. This performance was at the Herkulessaal at the Residenz in Munich. It’s a beautiful Concert Hall. Built in 1953, it is renowned for its excellent acoustics and is a top venue for classical music, often hosting the Munich Philharmonic and international orchestras. From AI: “The organ at the Herkulessaal (Hercules Hall) in the Munich Residenz is a major concert instrument, originally built in 1962 by Steinmeyer and extensively renovated in 2017/18 by Orgelbau Kaps. It features 79 registers and is known for its power, including specialized additions like a Bombarde unit and a new console to support both symphonic work and sacred choral music.”
Update regarding Iran War market manipulation (bottom of page, 22 April 2026):
and the #2 terrorist nation on Earth, Israel, has them. The US, the #1 terrorist nation on Earth, is the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons on a civilian population.
These days, many people (including myself) trust Iran way more than I trust the trashy, lying, war criminal, corrupt regime in the white house and the “maga” congress.
And it is a regime and not an “administration.” Get it right, people.
(I’m posting this article even though I’m still proofing it. It’s just that I very tired of working on it. I’ve written it in pieces, so please ignore any mistakes which hopefully I’ll catch on my next round of proofing it).
This regime has installed fascism in the US which means they are a regime with a dictator. They have relegated the US “maga” cult complicit Congress to a mostly symbolic status. Can that “maga” cultist Mike Johnson piece of “maga” trash climb any farther up in the dictator’s upper colon? The Republican “maga” cult is terrified of the dictator.
The Democrats are as well (terrified of him) as they remain mostly silent and useless. In any other job, what does one do with employees like that? They are certainly not rewarded and kept on the payroll. They are shown the door. Therefore, the Democrats deserve nothing in future elections, should there be future elections. Why reward people who do nothing. They all have a mouth but have mostly remained silent, because they too never learned how to deal with an insane, bloviating fist-pumping, index finger-pointing bully.
Below: A bunch of fake-Christian nuts in the oval who see a 34-count convicted felon — he’s another fake-Christian — as their messiah, as Jesus. Insanity.
Also, what’s behind the US army’s decision to raise enlistment age to 42? And of course this means that Barron (age 20) and Eric ( age 42) will go to Iran to fight, correct? (Yes, I’m sure [sarcasm intended]). No, these hypocritical trash never send their own kids.
The “maga” cultists — everyone of them — always respond with, “but Biden.” I’d tell them: Biden is not in office, you are, so answer the damn question, bitch. Stay on topic. Why don’t they go all the way back to Jimmy Carter or Abraham Lincoln? These immature trash refuse to take ownership or responsibility for their own failures.
Why is the world afraid of some nearly 80 year old piece of fascist trash of the Epstein Class?
This article has felt rather overwhelming to write. I realised I couldn’t be thorough because this dysfunctional, hostile, chronically lying, chest-beating, arrogant, lawless and world-bullying regime never stops. It’s exhausting all that they do for constant worldwide attention and exposure. I’ve heard and read comments from people say, “I wake up in the morning asking: Is he dead yet?” No, unfortunately. And people like that don’t seem to die. And even if he were to die, then there’s arrogant hypocrite JD — who is an empty slate and stands for nothing — who thinks he knows more about theology than the Pope.
Arrogant JD is trash; just as bad as the dictator and many people realise that. Fake-Christian JD is frequently seen waving at some nonexistent people.
An 80 year old insane, self-absorbed schoolyard bully of the Epstein Class in the United States of Israel terrorises the world on a daily basis, in part, so that he gets constant attention from around the world. In this case, no attention is too much or bad for this fool. There will always be someone fawning over him — one or more of his cultists — as they see him as their messiah.
The US Congress — especially the Republican “maga” cult is terrified of him — including that insipid fascist (or is he a nazi?) who serves as speaker of the house and who resides firmly planted in the dictator’s upper colon. In his bio, he goes on about how he’s about “the rule of law.” Yeah, except when it’s the dictator in the white house. The same goes for that horrible bitch who serves as the white house chief propagandist. She’s a chronic liar. I don’t know why the press/media even bother to show up at the white house or pentagon when they should know by now that all they will be fed is lies and treated as subhumans and verbally abused by these “maga” trash who run the pentagon and the white house.
Most of the world is terrified of some 80 year old piece of white trash. Why? I point out that he’s white because he — like all the horrible trash in this regime — is a nazi/fascist although he and the others have one foot in the closet about that. Are they ashamed that they’re white supremacists/nazis/fascists? Seems so.
Unfortunately, most politicians never learned how to deal with schoolyard bullies. That should be a requirement for going into politics. I learned through experience how to deal with bullies years ago.
Is it true that most people become a politician because they can’t do anything else?
It would seem so based on the reality of these times. Looking at the pathetic US Congress that’s certainly the case with most of them. What a bunch of pathetic, useless trash in there. And they get paid for it with full health care. Being secure with oneself and not intimidated by anyone — but rather seeing all people as equals regardless of their titles, degrees or job positions — is a way to handle and deal with bullies. I learned that early on from being bullied. It appears that most in the US Congress are not secure with oneself and most are easily intimidated by corrupt trash in positions of power. Most are intimidated by this fist-pumping, index finger-pointing idiot who projects this fraudulent image of being big and tough (and a Christian; he’s not), when actually the screaming LOSER (that’s how he writes it and pretty much everything else and it applies to him) is a very fragile wet doily and he can’t stand to have any criticism directed at him (as the Episcopal Bishop of the District of Columbia recently said), which is of course the case with the 34-count convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter (the “grab ’em by the pussy” LOSER pervert), and now US dictator. The accordion-hands and goldfish mouth LOSER demands constant worship and glorification. “He has spoken through the prophets.” I’m surprised he has not rewritten The Nicene Creed (used in Anglican Mass/Eucharist setting) to apply to him as he pretends he’s Jesus for what’s left of his “maga” cult to recite to him at their Klan rallies.
As I have written before, maybe it’s because I lived in the District of Columbia and was saturated with the intense political atmosphere of the District that I don’t see these politicians (with few exceptions) or their buildings as anything special. At the time I had just graduated from the Conservatory and was very involved in my music in the District and also doing office temp work and worked in many of the federal government offices and usually stayed on my assignments a long time. Maybe it’s because on one assignment I worked on Pennsylvania Avenue across the street from the white house for months and came to see that so-called “mansion” (the white house is really no “mansion” at all; the real mansions are in the UK and EU) as nothing special at all. The same for the Capitol building and other federal buildings. When Metrobus passed the white house I’d look around the passengers and no one was looking in the direction of the white house. To District residents, the white house was nothing special either apparently.
I read whilst writing this that the US dictator and JD give reports on Iran on a daily basis to that corrupt and septic Netanyahu piece of war criminal trash who runs Israel, the #2 terrorist nation on Earth. (The US of Israel is of course the #1 terrorist nation on the Earth). In reality, the US is a colony/territory of Israel constantly catering to Israel. Why?
The fake Christians of this lawless regime never learned about the Prince of Peace, Jesus. And all of the regime’s “maga” cultists pretend to be Christians — none of these horrible people are Christians based on their behaviour, their belligerent words and the hostile way they live their “maga” lives — and they see the dictator as their messiah, the second coming. They worship a trashy 34-count convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert predator.
The dictator is a chronic liar and has lied that the US is now “the hottest country in the world.” Like with a hot skillet, the US is so hot that no one wants to touch it. No one wants to come here. They’ve all heard about ICE violence, so who would want to come here? Yes, it’s so hot that:
From AI:
“International tourism to the US is experiencing a significant downturn in early 2026, with studies projecting continued declines after a poor 2025. Key factors causing this slump include negative perceptions of the U.S. political climate, stricter border policies, safety concerns, and reduced marketing, leading to lower hotel bookings and revenue losses.”
The reality is that people don’t feel welcome here. But he never lets facts get in his way. He lives in the “maga” universe.
More from AI:
Political Atmosphere & Policies: Increased tariff announcements, aggressive foreign policy, and tightened immigration/border security have contributed to a negative perception, with many visitors feeling unwelcome.
Declining Foreign Visitors: The US is identified as the only major tourist destination experiencing a decline in visitors. Airline bookings from Europe, for example, dropped 14.2% year-over-year in early 2026.
Canadian Travel Slump: Canadian visitation, a vital market for US border states, has dropped significantly, with air and land travel down by 15% and 33% respectively since April 2025.
Economic Impact: The US international tourism industry is in an “unprecedented decline,” with projected revenue losses in the billions.
World Cup Uncertainty: While the 2026 World Cup is a major event expected to bring some visitors, it remains uncertain if it will offset the overall drop in leisure travel.
I’ve never seen anything like this before.
Most politicians in the world — particularly in the EU — are afraid of this nearly 80 year old insane nutjob who has nothing better to do in his pathetic life than to watch a fight on the white house grounds later this year, but I’ll get to that later.
The US of Hypocrisy
I’d also like to point out more hypocrisy: Most recently, the Democratic Cult and the Republican Cult in the US Congress have demanded that Representative Eric Swalwell and Representative Tony González resign from the House of Representatives because of alleged sexual allegations from staffers. González admitted to having sexual affairs with one staffer. Swalwell has also been forced out of the California governor’s race.
Hypocritically, the same politicians screaming about this aren’t screaming that the adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter (the “grab ’em by the pussy” dictator) and 34-count convicted felon immediately vacate the white house. And who is he still sexually assaulter now? I have to wonder: who got the chief white house propagandist and chronic liar pregnant? Was it the “grab ’em by the pussy” dictator? He’s of the mind that he deserves any pussy he wants. Well, one would have to be absolutely desperate to do anything sexually with that “maga” bitch who serves as the chief white house propagandist and chronic spokesliar. As a good little “maga” cultist, her head is firmly planted up the dictator’s upper colon. She has no shame and defends anything that piece of fascist/nazi trash does whilst wearing that little cross around her neck. Another fake Christian. This regime is full of them.
The US of Israel has a large stockpile of nuclear weapons and they are the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons on a civilian population. Yet these hypocritical trash lecture Iran that they cannot have any nuclear weapons. Why can’t Iran have nuclear weapons? What’s the logic in that? Is it because they’re not Christian? As if that makes any difference. It’s the so-called “Christian nation” — the US of Israel — that has the large stockpile of nuclear weapons and has used them.
It’s a fascist regime, not an “administration.” “Administration” sanitises who they are and what they do.
The schoolyard bully and the incompetent and unqualified cabinet in his regime are the “maga” cultists. Just like with the misnamed “No kings” movement, this regime has installed fascism. With fascism, the words dictator and regime are the appropriate words for fascism. These lawless trash have installed fascism, and they’ve done so relatively easily. The Democratic Cult and the Republican Cult have mostly been silent, and silence is complicity.
The US Congress has been relegated to mostly symbolic status and they’ve done so quite willingly. Most of the Democrats are — as usual — are enabling, silent and feet-shuffling. Should there be midterms, they deserve nothing in the midterms. I mean, why reward people for doing nothing for the past 2 years? In any other job, they would be fired/shown the door. They all have a mouth but, “we’re terrified of him” so they mostly remain silent, having never learned how to deal with assholes/bullies. How is that doing their job? It’s not. Fuck off! The Republicans are part of the “maga” cult with their cult leader who is an angry, chronically index finger-pointing, chronically fist-pumping dictator. He’s an international embarrassment.
The juvenile fake-Christian and nazi — with his white supremacist tattoos — who runs the Pentagon tries to act just like the angry dictator. He has no qualifications for that job.
Genuine Christians strive to live their life like that of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. These “maga” trash are not clear on the concept, therefore they are all Christian frauds.
Notice that his “No Regrets” tattoo has a spelling error. Regrets is misspelled, which confirms what I’ve learned about these “maga” cultists that they are truly stupid, dumb people.
The question I keep hearing from people is:
Where did all of these horrible people come from?
They’re all of the same mindset with their chronic anger, chronic lying, they have no social skills, their hate for reporters, they hate the media and call anything that disagrees with them “fake news.” They all pretend to be Christians. None of them are. They hate anyone — including the Pope — who does not fall in line and become part of their cult. Yes, these trash have even threatened the Pope because he’s not getting in line for their illegal war on Iran. And no one does anything about it: Not the congress or the supreme court.
Most of the EU “leaders” kiss the ring and fall all over this war criminal. The same for other world “leaders,” with few exceptions. King Charles III is scheduled to come over here to address the congress. Why?
The people I’ve talked with said they’d like to spit in the face of all these “maga” trash, the opposite of falling all over him.
And again, nobody is doing anything about any of these gutter trash. Their cultists on the Supreme Court are responsible for this by granting this insane unhinged nut job and now dictator complete immunity to do whatever he wants to do. What insane person would grant anyone complete immunity regardless of who they are? But that’s what the “maga” conservatives on the court.
So. Does anyone still think there will be midterms? And if so, does anyone still think they will be legitimate? If you do, you’ve not been paying attention.
And after all that the dictator has said negatively about the Macron’s in France, Emmanuel Macron wants the dictator to be at the G7. Why? I didn’t realise that the politicians in the EU were so slow. Has Macron gone insane as well?
The dictator wants to leave NATO so Mark Rutte made another trip to the white house to talk with the dictator about that. Why? Couldn’t he just pick up the phone and yap about that, not that he would change the dictator’s mind? And he didn’t. Or does Rutte like hanging out in the now-gaudy and tacky gold-saturated oval office?
Racist and arrogant JD
JD recently lectured the Pope. JD told Pope Leo XIV that he should “be careful” when he talks about theology, rebuking the pontiff over his criticisms of US foreign policy. The arrogance of these “maga” trash. JD is no Catholic. He’s a Christian Fraud like all these others in this arrogant and lawless regime. Anyone can claim to be a Christian and a this and that. But their words, actions and behaviour show otherwise, as is the case with this hypocrite, this arrogant closet case piece of white supremacist trash, JD.
JD of the US dictator’s fascist regime in the white house is a racist/white supremacist and/or a nazi. It was reported by a credible source I read that the dictator was telling one of his racist jokes and JD was so overwhelmed by the racist joke that he started pounding the table he was sitting at with his hand with laughter. He was in such strong agreement with the racism.
JD is one of the biggest hypocrites of this regime. He’s an empty slate. He stands for nothing other than what will benefit himself in the moment. So as a racist, white supremacist or nazi, how does he justify having a wife of Indian ethnicity? And how does she justify having a partner/husband like JD? She’s a “progressive” and worked for a “progressive” law firm in San Francisco before JD joined the “maga” cult. As soon as JD was chosen by the 34-count convicted felon to be his running mate, JD went online and deleted all the negative things he had written about the LOSER convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter. JD had called the felon “America’s Hitler” and other things. He was part of the “Never tr*mp” crowd. Now, JD is part of the dictator’s “maga” cult. He did a 180 as soon as he was chosen as the 34-count convicted felon’s running mate.
Many people say JD is gay based on his past and that is likely true. “But he has kids and a wife” some will say. And that means anything? There are thousands of gay guys all over the world with the kids and wife script. And to convince others that they are straight they usually have lots of kids since breeding is supposed to convince gullible people of that. JD grew a beard to make himself look straight rather than the “gay baby face” he has without the beard. And his wife is now pregnant again. This will be the fifth kid in the desire to convince people “Hey I’m straight.” The thing is: Learned people know that a female does not have to get fucked to get pregnant. A guy can wank off in his hand and rub his cum on or in his girl’s pussy and that’ll do it, but getting fucked is not necessary. It only takes one fast swimming sperm to reach the egg.
From AI:
Quote: Photos appearing to show JD Vance in drag, wearing a blonde wig and skirt, went viral in August 2024, reportedly taken at a 2012 Yale Law School party. The images, shared by commentator Matt Bernstein, drew accusations of hypocrisy from critics due to Vance’s anti-queer stance, though his team did not deny the photos’ authenticity. End Quote
JD Vance:
So why did he grow a beard? So he would look straight because he clearly does not look straight in the image above.
On another topic, in June to commenerate the birthday of the United States of North America, the dictator is having a fight on the white house lawn. A fight/violence is his sick idea of celebrating that event.
What would be my idea of a much better idea to celebrate this event: Well a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth (“The Choral FInale”) which speaks of brotherhood would be a far better idea. Yes, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is widely recognized as a monumental celebration of universal brotherhood, joy, and unity. Its famous final movement, the “Ode to Joy,” sets Friedrich Schiller’s poem to music, proclaiming that “all men become brothers”. The symphony has become a global anthem for peace, freedom, and human solidarity.
So, have a performance of the Beethoven’s Ninth on the white house lawn with the National Symphony Orchestra and the combined Orchestra Choruses of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, The Washington Chorus and the University of Maryland Concert Choir. That would be a far better idea although I’d prefer to hear that in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall because outdoors — no matter where it is — is not the best place acoustically for a performance like that. But don’t just have Beethoven. Invite people of all ethnic groups to perform programmes of the music they enjoy and to celebrate their various cultures.
Danish National Symphony Orchestra celebrates Beethoven’s 250 birthday in 2020 with special YouTube releases of all nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven conducted by the orchestra’s former Chief Conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.
Symphony No. 9 By Ludwig van Beethoven Conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR Symfoniorkestret.
Despite his phony tough-guy, macho image he likes to portray, he couldn’t kill a gnat. The dictator is all about portraying the image of fighting and violence. And despite his “big and tough” image he likes to portray with that ludicrous juvenile fist-pumping, finger-pointing and other antics he does, he’s really quite a delicate being. That’s why he goes after anyone who doesn’t share his agenda or opinion. The mature, sane and well-adjusted person — which of course he is not — would say that one does not have to agree with him or share his opinion, that one is free to their opinions. But not this delicate guy. He demands lockstep cult agreement. People like that are pathetic. Whereas with me, nobody has to agree with me on anything and in fact, when they do agree I’m usually surprised.
This is another example of his poor judgment. He posts stuff in the middle of the night — no, he doesn’t appear to sleep — and there will be a backlash to what he posts. Rather than having the maturity to take ownership and responsibility for his actions, he blames the posts on “a staffer” as if he (the dictator) knew nothing about it. Yes but of course. Liar. He’s a chronic liar. One can’t believe anything he says.
Updated:
Iran War: Deliberate Market Manipulation
Suspicious trading patterns suggest potential market manipulation surrounding the Iran war, with over $1 billion in perfectly timed bets placed before major announcements. Traders allegedly profited from insider knowledge of US actions, particularly in oil futures and prediction markets, while geopolitical tensions caused volatility, such as Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Allegations and Evidence
Suspicious Trading Timing: Traded volumes spiked shortly before tr*mp made social media posts about “productive” talks with Iran, triggering market shifts.
Predictive Bets: In March 2026, over $580 million was placed in oil futures 15 minutes before such an announcement. Additionally, anonymous accounts on prediction sites like Polymarket wagered accurately on U.S. strikes.
Insider Trading Suspicions: Experts and observers, including analyst Peter Schiff, have alleged that individuals with advance knowledge of the administration’s military decisions in Iran used this information for financial gain.
Also:
Five-time Draft-Dodging tr*mp, 79, Insanely Brags About How He Would Have Won Vietnam War Within Weeks, in Unhinged Rant
Yeah, just like he promised to end the War on Ukraine on his first day in office. Another failed promise.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, donald tr*mp frequently promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, a claim he reiterated over 50 times between 2023 and 2024.
Promise and Revisions
The Promise: tr*mp asserted he could settle the war quickly by bringing Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the table, stating he would have a deal done before even arriving at the Oval Office.
“Sarcastic” Remark: In March 2025, after taking office, Trump said he was “being a little bit sarcastic” [Ed. Liar] when he claimed he could solve the conflict in 24 hours.
Actual Situation: By April 2025, after 100 days in office, a peace deal remained elusive. tr*mp told reporters in June 2025 that the process was “more difficult than people would have any idea,” blaming both Putin for being difficult and Zelenskyy for having “hatred” for Putin, which he called a roadblock to a deal.
Proposed Approach Reports from late 2025 indicated a proposed 28-point plan to end the war, which reportedly included:
Territorial Concessions: Forcing Ukraine to accept the loss of Crimea and eastern regions seized by Russia.
NATO Ban: A commitment that Ukraine would never join NATO.
Military Caps: A reduction of the Ukrainian army to 600,000 personnel.
Freezing Conflict: Freezing the war along current battle lines.
Post-Inauguration Actions
Attempts at Negotiation: Following his inauguration, tr*mp spoke with both Putin and Zelenskyy, but negotiations did not produce an immediate end to the war.
Pressure on Ukraine: The regime pressured Ukraine to accept a deal by threatening to cut off critical military support, leading to tense meetings with Ukrainian officials.
As of early 2026, the war continued, and a negotiated settlement that satisfied both parties had not been achieved, with experts noting the “deep incompatibilities” of the objectives.
Here’s another version of “Abide with Me” as sung/performed for Choral Evensong by The Trinity Choir Cambridge (Oxbridge) and congregation in November:
The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Senior Organ Scholar Augustine Cox and Director of Music Steven Grahl are joined by the congregation to sing the hymn ‘Abide with me’ to the tune ‘Eventide’ by William Henry Monk (1823-1889) at Choral Evensong in Trinity College Chapel (Anglican/Church of England) on Sunday 2 November 2025.
The Organ Scholar (Thomas Simpson for this hymn) chose a nice tempo for this. As I’ve said before, in the Southern Baptist tradition (ugh) it takes forever and a day to get through this hymn and it’s played like a dirge at their funerals.
End of Update
You’ve probably never heard this hymn sung like this before. My choral friend said, “It doesn’t even sound like a hymn the way they sing it.” This is an arrangement by Graham Ross, the Choirmaster of Clare College Chapel, Cambridge (UK), and he put his descant on the third verse rather than on the last verse, which is customary, if there’s a descant at all. This choral arrangement is very beautiful and very well done here, which is why I’m featuring it.
I like this hymn when it’s sung or played with excellence, and it’s performed splendidly in this performance by the Choir of the Chapel of Clare College, which is part of the established Church of England/Anglican at the University of Cambridge (the area known as Oxbridge). There are 31 colleges in the University of Cambridge.
From my experience in Anglican Churches, “Abide with me” is usually sung faster than the Choir is performing it here (but that’s alright in this case) and Anglicans sing this hymn from time-to-time, not just for funerals or a Requiem Mass. I prefer the faster tempo, but this is a special, A cappella arrangement by the Choirmaster of Clare College Chapel, Graham Ross, and it was performed during the COVID pandemic which is partly why the choristers are spread out.
The reason I brought up the tempo is that from my experience in the Southern Baptist Church — (roll eyes)/groan — they usually sing or play this hymn like a dirge. It takes forever and a day to get through it, especially when it’s played at funerals. When it’s played at funerals, it’s played at a whisper volume level. Well, all music played at Southern Baptist funerals are played at a whisper volume level with the quietest organ registration.
Anglicans and Southern Baptists approach funerals very differently. Fortunately, Anglicans approach funerals as a celebration of the person’s life, so it’s not a morbid event with crying, weeping and wailing as it usually is in the Southern Baptist.
In the Anglican Church, for funerals the hymns are played as they are usually played for any other liturgy, and sung with full organ and a standard tempo. The congregation has full participation in the funeral. It’s usually a Requiem Mass with the Holy Eucharist (meaning they have Communion as part of the liturgy).
But in the Southern Baptist, well, they don’t sing hymns for funerals from my experience. The congregation has no participation in the funeral at all. They are just observers. Instead, the organist plays all hymns ppp (extremely quietly as if they think that anything louder “will wake up the dead” in the casket). Their thinking about music for funerals is quite strange and the opposite of that of Anglicans. A Southern Baptist funeral is morbid and like a dirge, from my experience. It is nothing like an Anglican/Episcopal funeral.
After hearing this performance of “Abide with me,” sung by the Choir of Clare College, I asked as I usually do with frustration: Why can’t the Choirs and some Choruses in the US — regardless of their size — sound like the Choir of Clare College Chapel and their high level of choral excellence? I’m thinking of the Concert Choir at New England Conservatory (where one would expect the highest level of choral excellence, rather than what they have), or the Choral Department at Shenandoah Conservatory with their heavy wobbling vibrato (someone wrote them a comment under one of their videos, “vibrato much!?”), or the Symphonic Chorus at Boston University’s School of Music with their wobbling and fluttering vibrato in the soprano and alto sections because the Chorus Director isn’t doing his/her job or he/she likes that ugly wobbling sound where the females of the Chorus sound very nervous and you’re not sure what pitch they’re aiming for because of it. Or take the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus, assuming they haven’t improved any under James Burton, or at least that’s what I was recently told about the TFC. I was told “they sound just like they did when you wrote about them; they haven’t improved.” Well as I previously wrote, James Burton can only do so much with what he has to work with and that’s based on the people who audition and their caliber.
Unfortunately, many choral ensembles in the US have these Directors who don’t do their job in many cases in working on perfect intonation, and perfect intonation does require work. Instead, they allow their choristers to sing any old way they want, which is not choral excellence, but rather amateurish.
The Choir of Clare College sings with absolute perfect intonation. There’s no wobbling and fluttering here like one unfortunately hears in the States. And I heard their lovely tenors in this performance.
As is the case for performances in the Anglican Church, this was more of a recording performance so the choristers are wearing their pretty burgundy cassocks. Per Anglican protocol, they are not wearing their white surplice over the cassock because the surplice is only worn for liturgies. This is not a liturgy.
By the way, there’s a new Archbishop of Canterbury as of this writing: Sarah Mullally. She’s also a former Oncology nurse. The Supreme Governor of the established Church of England (CoE), King Charles III, finally got around to choosing her — the position had been vacant for awhile — and the installation liturgy was held in Canterbury Anglican Cathedral. She’s the spiritual head of the CofE/worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the US Episcopal Church is a part of. Someone online asked a question about the Church of England and someone responded: “It’s sort of the state Church.” Sort of? There’s no “sort of” about it. The Church of England is the State Church; it’s the Established Church. Of course the conservatives are not pleased with her being chosen, but that’s just the way that is.
On another topic, I don’t know why but King Charles has been invited to address the US Congress next month (roll eyes), and most Britons think he should cancel the trip and stay home according the poll I saw. I agree. Why would he want to address the corrupt “maga” nazi/fascist cultist trash in congress? And why would he want to have anything to do with the chronic liar, the 34-count convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter (“grab ’em by the pussy”) and war criminal of The Epstein Class?
Update 5: 31 March 2026: Some nuts are calling for a draft for Iran for troops on the ground. The dictator’s son, Barron, should be amongst the first to go in a draft. Seems only right. Although one of the requirements for being a “maga” is chronic hypocrisy. Think JD, for example.
Update 4: 30 March 2026: A headline on Al Jazeera, “tr*mp says wants to take Iran’s oil.” So that’s the real reason for the US dictator’s terrorist attacks on Iran. To steal their oil. To steal their natural resources. He thinks he’s entitled to go around the world stealing the natural resources of other sovereign nations. He’s already said that Cuba is next. When may we expect regime change in the US? (And I’m not talking about through any elections).
Update 3: 29 March 2026: I read some of the “demands” that the US has for Iran for ending the US and Israel’s terrorist attacks on Iran. When is the hypocritical US going to do the same that they’re demanding of Iran, such as promising to never have a nuclear weapon when the US has an entire stockpile of them, AND the US is the only insane and barbaric nation on Earth to have ever used nuclear weapons on a civilian population. Such hypocrisy. These people are trash. No nation should have nuclear weapons, but since they do, why shouldn’t Iran have nuclear weapons? The US regime would say: “But they are religious nuts in Iran.” And you aren’t?! How is Iran different than the fake-Christian religious nuts/fanatics of the regime in the white house? Iran has never attacked the US but the US and Israel are responsible for attacking Iran with their barbaric terrorist attacks. These gutter trash (the dictator and his incompetent cabinet) are blind to their own hypocrisy.
Update 2: 29 March 2026: So I just read that that Hypocrite piece of work JD Vance is favoured for being US president in 2028 by a major conservative group which shall remain nameless. Online, I have read that most people can’t stand JD. He had called the dictator “America’s Hitler” and then deleted that after he was chosen as vp. He’s as racist as they all are, despite having a wife of Indian ancestry. He did a complete 180 after being chosen as vp. I also read that more people are “feeling comfortable” with that Latino who hates other Latinos: Marco Rubio. With all the hate for Latinos that has been spewed in the US, why would anyone vote for a Latino? But why would anyone think that the dictator is leaving in 2028? Who builds a (now $400 Million USD) gigantic gaudy and tacky ballroom — which is supposed to be bigger than the white house — and leaves? Who “renovates”/demolishes the Kennedy Center and changes the name of the place and then leaves? And the dictator has made many references to his plans of not going anywhere. There’s no one to make him leave. He’s talked about running for a third term and his “maga” cultists in congress are fine with that despite it violating the US Constitution, which has become irrelevant under this regime. So isn’t all of this talk about future candidates for that office irrelevant? I think so. Just like the talk about the 2026 midterms. I’m not at all convinced they will happen considering all the comments the dictator has made about “why do we need elections considering all I have accomplished?” as one example. Then the Republican “maga” Cultists are talking about stationing ICE around polling places — that’s if the midterms are not cancelled — plus the dictator has done several things already to make it more and more difficult for people to vote or have the right to vote. He wants mail-in voting gone even though the dictator/hypocrite just used it himself for the Florida election. Will there be midterms? I’ll believe it when I see them. End of Update 2.
Update 1: 29 March 2026:
Fascism = regime, not “administration”.
My observations before and during the “No Dictator” rallies:
Why are people who oppose this heinous, fascist and dictatorial regime en la casa blanca/in the white house still referring to this regime as “the administration?” The word “administration” sanitises who and what they are: a lawless and septic regime, yet I see the word “administration” used on a regular basis on so-called “progressive” websites. I hear so-called “progressives” using the word “administration.” The word “administration” implies a democracy (which we are no longer). It implies, “business as usual” which is not at all what this fascist regime is about. I expect the corporate media to use the sanitised word “administration” but not the people who took part in the No Dictator rallies. In fascism the appropriate and correct word is regime. Get it right! Also, why is the opposition still referring to this war criminal dictator in the white house as “president [surname]” and when they write it they use a capital “P” which denotes respect. That gives this piece of gutter trash respect. This LOSER has done nothing to earn anyone’s respect. He’s absolute garbage. Clearly, some of the opposition are still not clear on the concept apparently. And some probably never will get it.
End of Update.
One writer online understands that the 34-count convicted felon and rapist is a dictator. Ralph Nader wrote: Quote: This weekend, the “No Kings” rallies (he’s already a dictator) anticipate 10 million people nationwide. End Quote.
I don’t think the organisers of this event will ever get it right. The chronic liar and insane nut in the white house — he’s also the 34-count convicted felon and rapist/adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter (he said, “grab ’em by the pussy”) of the Epstein “beef jerky” Class — is a dictator. He’s installing fascism and a dictatorship in the US, and he’s doing so quite easily. His Republican Party-“maga” Cult and the Dead Democratic Party/Cult are obviously quite comfortable with a 34-count convicted felon being their messiah and living in a fascist dictatorship under him. One of his strongest cheerleaders is that piece of fascist trash who despises the US Constitution, Mike Johnson, (the speaker of the house who often has fake amnesia when asked questions about topics he pretends to know nothing about. Nearly all Republicans and some Democrats seem comfortable with their dictator being above the law. They have no respect for the US Constitution or the rule of law. The US Constitution only applies to some Democrats when they are in power. And I would like to point out that nearly all of these Republican cultists pretend to be Christians. They are fake Christians, Christian frauds. The Republican Cult’s chronic hypocrisy is duly noted.
[Disclosure: I’m not a Democrat. I’m non-partisan, an independent.]
This is really not that difficult, people. But yet the seemingly dense organisers of the “No kings” protests can’t seem to get it right, and for the third time now. I’m not hopeful they ever will get it right. They’re doing another one of their feel-good, group therapy sessions this weekend, living under delusions that they will change something with this despicable and lawless regime.
Obviously, the organisers of these “No Kings” protests didn’t do any “homework” or research before coming up with the (wrong) name for their demonstrations/protests. Whereas it took me about 2 seconds to find the following information per AI. Don’t these “No kings” people have any search engine skills whatsoever? Here’s what I’m talking about:
From AI:
Fascism is an authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology that inherently requires a dictator or one-party state to enforce its goals. It relies on violence, surveillance, and propaganda to eliminate political opposition, control society, and achieve national rejuvenation.
Key connections between fascism and dictatorship include:
All-Powerful Leadership: Fascist movements focus on a single leader (e.g., Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy) who holds absolute power, often built through a cult of personality.
Totalitarianism: Fascist regimes strive for total state control over public and private life, aiming to dismantle democratic institutions and freedoms.
Militarism and Violence: Fascism glorifies war and utilizes state-sanctioned violence (e.g., Italy’s [Blackshirts] to suppress dissenters, trade unions, and political opponents, particularly communists and socialists.
National Regeneration: Fascist dictatorships promote an “us vs. them” narrative, scapegoating minorities and foreigners to unify the nation through hatred and expansionist ambitions.
Note: While fascism is inherently dictatorial, not all dictatorships are strictly fascist.
So the white house occupant is a dictator, not a king, and he is installing fascism. The word “king” really sanitises what he’s doing and how dangerous he is, and makes him sound quite benign.
A hereditary monarchy is a form of government where: the monarch (king, queen, or emperor) belongs to a single, ruling family, passing the throne down through generations, typically to the eldest child. This system aims to create stability, with the next ruler known beforehand, often based on primogeniture.
Think of the British Royal Family for example. Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III did not and have not installed fascism there.
The dictator in the white house is the only member of his family to hold political office, so there is no hereditary family lineage that exists in the US government.
Therefore, as for the piece of stupid and chronically lying gutter trash in the oval office:
He’s no king. He’s a lawless dictator. Get it right, people!
And how is it possible that a 34-count convicted felon and rapist/an adjudicated sexual pervert predator assaulter can be turned into a cultist deity for so many stupid people and he becomes a cult idol for them just because he had a reality television show? He even gets in the white house because of stupid people, and many world “leaders” fall all over this convicted felon because they are terrified of him because he acts like a third-grade schoolyard bully. Always threatening someone, chest-beating with bravado. He’s the scum of the Earth.
This can not be overstated: All this for a 34-count convicted felon and rapist/adjudicated sexual pervert predator (“grab ’em by the pussy”) of The Epstein Class. This piece of gutter trash, this war criminal, is being treated like a deity. Insanity.
I’ve never seen someone so stuck on themselves as this village idiot dictator in the white house:
Some examples: All the paper money printed from now on will have his kindergarten-style scribbling “signature” on it, which is a first for someone in that office who is still (unfortunately) living.
Something to consider: Don’t most people use a debit card or credit card these days? I think so. At least in San Francisco they do. In which case, most people will never see any US currency, so it’s really a very outdated idea which is what he’s about: living in the past or what he calls “The Golden Age” (think: 1940s and 1950s, nazi Deutschland). He was talking about what an “honour” it would be to have a statue of his septic self in Venezuela. And a coin is coming out with his oversized puss on it where he looks like (from the image I saw) an angry dictator on the coin.
Some of his cultist trash in the US congress want the Palm Beach Airport renamed after him. I have no doubt that Washington National Airport (which is really in Arlington Virginia) across the Potomac from the District of Columbia will be renamed with his name on it. It already has Reagan’s name on it (in front of Washington’s) which I never acknowledge. A convicted felon is deserving of all this clearly shows a world of insanity.
The Index Finger Regime
Has anyone else noticed the index finger obsession with the convicted felon/dictator and the other trash in his “maga” regime? I was taught that it’s rude to point at people. But these trash are always rudely pointing at people or pointing in some direction, especially the dictator. It’s like a trademark for them. If he’s not pointing at someone, he’s waving at imaginary people where there’s no one there.
The US dictator said about Charlottesville: There are good people on both sides. Really? One of the sides was the nazis/white supremacists. And considering all the racist comments and racism he has expressed, I have to ask: Is he a semi-closeted nazi or is he a fascist? Which one?
Nazism is a specific, extreme form of fascism. While both are far-right, totalitarian, and anti-democratic ideologies, Nazism is distinct for its obsessive focus on racism, biological determinism, and the Holocaust. Fascism focuses primarily on the state, while Nazism uses the state to achieve racial purity.
Well, unless someone stops this lawless, 34-count convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert assaulter (“grab ’em by the pussy”) dictator of The Epstein Class — and I don’t know who that would be since he has no respect for judges/the judicial system (unless they rule in his favour) — I assume the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall pipe organ will be destroyed in the LOSER’s/dictator’s demolition project, assuming that is allowed to proceed, and assuming he guts the place. As for The Epstein Class, don’t forget about “beef jerky” and we’re not talking here about what you normally think of as beef jerky.
With the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For the Performing Arts demolition, this dictator/war criminal has talked about keeping some of the steel structure and some of the marble of the building. I wouldn’t think that he even knows that there is a pipe organ in the Concert Hall, nor would he care about that. I’m not aware he’s ever been to a performance in the Concert Hall. This insane nut knows nothing about music, the arts or a performing arts center, or anything else for that matter, it’s not just music.
A large local church in the District, Maryland or Virginia (DMV) might be interested in buying this nice pipe organ, but considering how this vile dictator recklessly destroyed the east wing of the white house without any consequences, I suspect the organ will be disrespected and destroyed too, and treated the same way, if it is his intent to demolish the Concert Hall or the whole building and start over, slap his puss on the new building and call it “[His full name] Entertainment Center, ” which is the language he has used. The guy is obviously a nut, off-the-latch to be so obsessed with having his name on as many buildings and things as possible. He’s like the village idiot.
The new president whom the dictator appointed of the Kennedy Center comes from a construction background — WTF? — having nothing to do with music or the performing arts. Well, it’s just like his thoroughly unqualified for-the-job cabinet and vp choice. They are all his cultists and deeply reside in his upper colon. As long as they are devout “maga” trash/cultists, that’s all that matters to him. They don’t need to know anything about the job he puts them in. All they need to do is to worship and glorify him.
The Concert Hall is located at the south end of the Kennedy Center, opposite the Eisenhower Theater which is at the north end. The Concert Hall is on the far left (south) end of the Grand Foyer, past the Millennium Stage.
A judge has been asked to stop the dictator’s plans and keep the Kennedy Center open and intact.
From what I’ve read, there’s nothing wrong with the Kennedy Center in its current state:
I’m not hot on the renovated Concert Hall, especially the stage area. They obviously have sound problems because of that mess — the high-tech acoustical canopy — above the stage area which covers up half of the organ pipes. The Filene Center Organ on the original stage looked so much better (see link down the page; I tried to embed that image but they wouldn’t allow me to do that).
From AI:
“The original Filene organ, installed in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in 1972, was replaced by a new 5,000-pipe Casavant Frères organ in 2012. Named the Rubenstein Family Organ, the current instrument features 4,972 pipes, a “Filene Stop” honoring the original, and weighs 20 tons, providing superior sound for the National Symphony Orchestra.”
Key Details of the New Organ (that replaced the Filene):
Manufacturer: Casavant Frères of St-Hyacinthe, Québec.
Installed: 2012 (replaced the 1972 Filene organ, which was deemed unrepairable, in part, due to water that got into the organ pipes; the flat roof leaked at one time).
Pipes & Structure: Roughly 5,000 pipes, ranging from 0.625 inches to 32 feet long, weighing 20 tons.
The “Filene Stop”: The new organ incorporates 61 pipes from the original Filene Organ to honor the original donor, Catherine Filene Shouse.
Performance: The organ can reach 150 decibels, designed to balance with a full orchestra.
About the Original Filene Organ:
Built: It was the final instrument constructed by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston.
Installation: Installed in 1972, shortly after the Kennedy Center opened.
Fate: It was dismantled and replaced in 2012 after being deemed unsalvageable in 2008. Keys were sticking during performances which made the organ unusable.
When I performed there, I don’t remember hearing anything about any sound problems, even if they existed.
When I was in Margaret Hillis’s and later Vance George’s San Francisco Symphony Chorus, I did hear musicians of the San Francisco Symphony say that they couldn’t hear each other in the newly built Davies Symphony Hall, and they added adjustable transparent sound shields above the stage which I think they raised, lowered and tilted for the sound, which look nothing like the mess above the stage in the Kennedy Center.
One wonders why they didn’t try to emulate Boston’s Symphony Hall which supposedly has superb acoustics — amongst the best in the world — and I think that’s why they’ve not done a major renovation job on BSH, because why mess with something that is not broken? Boston Symphony Hall looks somewhat outdated compared to the newly renovated Kennedy Center Concert Hall or Davies Symphony Hall, but if the sound is superb, leave Symphony Hall as it is.
From AI:
“Boston Symphony Hall (built 1900) is globally renowned for having some of the finest acoustics for orchestral music, frequently ranked alongside the Musikverein in Vienna. Its “shoebox” design, designed by acoustician Wallace Clement Sabine, achieves a perfect 2.0-second reverberation time, offering immense clarity and resonant, warm sound from every seat.”
My choral friend added this: “It says BSH is renowned for having some of the finest acoustics for orchestral music. What about symphonic choral music? Maybe that’s why the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (TFC) sounds the way they do. I said: Nah, I don’t think it’s the Hall, but rather the Chorus. Chorus Conductor James Burton can only do so much with what he has to work with and who auditions for the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. I wonder if he regrets leaving the UK and taking that job in Boston?
Someone wrote me awhile back and said he had heard the TFC recently, and they sound the same way they did when I was complaining about them. Well that’s a shame, but I’m not surprised.
BTW, James had superb Choruses in the UK. I guess he was hoping he could do the same work with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Yeah well. It doesn’t always work out that way. (Related: Tangling with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus).
From AI:
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is actively engaged in long-term preservation and renovation efforts for Symphony Hall, which include ongoing improvements to patron facilities and infrastructure.
As of 2026, the BSO has a master plan focused on “Places,” aimed at renovating and preserving Symphony Hall and other physical assets, bolstered by recent fundraising and grants for deferred maintenance.
Key Renovation & Improvement Details:
Infrastructure & Facade: Recent projects include repairs to the masonry facade, roofing, and granite steps at the Huntington Avenue entrance.
Interior Upgrades: Previous renovations have included replacing the performance stage floor, restoring clerestory windows to allow natural light, and upgrading seating.
Patron Amenities: Renovations have upgraded patron lounges, bars, restrooms, and corridors to improve the visitor experience.
Adjacent Construction (Symphony Station):
Separate from the hall’s internal renovations, the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) is planning a major, multi-year accessibility project for the adjacent Symphony Station, with construction currently scheduled to begin in 2026 or later, potentially impacting the area with street-level work.
The BSO operates with a “phased renovation plan” to complete repairs in short sessions between performance seasons, minimizing disruptions.
From AI:
“James Burton was the Choral Director for the Hallé Orchestra from 2002 to 2009, significantly elevating the Choir’s sound and founding the Hallé Youth Choir in 2003. During his tenure, he led them to achieve critical acclaim, including a 2009 Gramophone Choral Award for their recording of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.”
The new instrument, often referred to as the Rubenstein Family Organ, was a gift from Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein and was featured heavily in Washington Post coverage of the new instrument.
Below: The renovated Kennedy Center Concert Hall with the new 4-manual pipe organ. Notice you can’t see the full length of the organ pipes, and the pipes are too close to the chorister seating in front of them.
Below is an image of the National Symphony Orchestra on stage. One sees even less of the organ pipes at this angle.
Here is how the original stage looked when the Kennedy Center opened. You can expand that image after you get there to see it better. The organ pipes were installed behind wooden panels — think of them as wooden “drapes” — and the wood panels (on rollers) opened up when the organ was being used for a performance. When the organ was not being used, the pipes were not exposed. They were hidden behind the wall (the wooden panels’ wall or large sliding doors on rollers that opened and closed at the center. I remember being on the Chorus risers for our Choral Arts Society of Washington performances and sometimes the pipes were already exposed when we got there. Other times, we would hear the wall opening up behind us when we were on the Chorus risers because the pipe organ was being used for our performance. I would look over into the Orchestra and see the organ console.
I think the original stage looked much better. The new, renovated stage looks cramped to me. I don’t think I would want to be a chorister in the cramped seating up near the organ pipes. I think the organ might be too loud up there.
Here’s an image of a symphonic choral performance with the Chorus split between on stage and in the chorister seating above:
The Chorus on stage in the image above is probably The Washington Chorus (which used to be known as Robert Shafer’s Oratorio Society of Washington), since I think the Women of the Choral Arts Society still wear all blue, but I could be wrong.
Davies Symphony Hall has similar seating — like the renovated Kennedy Center stage — for the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. We sang up there and from experience, I preferred to be on stage behind the Orchestra. For me, it felt like the conductor was too far away with the Symphony Chorus being up there and to me the Chorus felt sort of isolated and it made it harder to hear the Orchestra up there. But that seating for the Chorus is used in some Concert Halls in the EU.
Repost (because it happened again today; one of the cultists wrote gushing praise about Choral Evensong as if he were a “music critic”).
My choral friend asked me about my commenting under the videos for the liturgies of some of the established Church of England/Anglican Collegiate Chapel choral ensembles, such as at Oxbridge.
He asked, “How often do you comment?” I said: Rarely, to not at all. He asked, “Why so rarely?” I said: Well, they already know how good they are, I presume, so they don’t need to be told that. I said: Some viewers comment under every single video with gushing, cult-like praise as if the Chapel Choir has a cult-like following. That turns me off. As I see it, occasional praise — when merited — is fine, but it’s all become a bit much, so I rarely say anything there. If I have anything to say, I say it here. If what I write here comes off as “gushing” about a choral ensemble’s choral excellence, it’s not meant as “gushing” but rather my telling the reader what I honestly think about the choral ensemble I’m promoting and that one is not wasting their time listening to them or watching them. My choral friend said: “Well when you only listen to the best per your training and Orchestra Chorus experience, it’s hard to listen to those who are not the best.” Yes, that’s true. If I hear noticeable vibrato from any section of an Orchestra Chorus, I click off. I don’t want to hear obnoxious wobbling and fluttering where one can’t even tell what pitches they’re singing.
Under the liturgy video, this one commenter who comes to mind has to write these extensive reviews of the liturgy starting with the organ prelude and ending with the organ voluntary at the end and gushing over how he loved the double descants and all.
My choral friend said: How do you feel about the double descants they do? I said: Well, the way they’re done by this one Choir’s soprano section — or is it just one soprano? — I’m not hot on the double descants, and I politely told them that awhile back — which was the last time I commented there — without being offensive but nothing changed. What I told them was: I’ve always heard descants that sound full and lush and sung by the entire soprano section so that the descant soars throughout the Nave or the Concert Hall. But the way this one Chapel Choir does them, it sounds like one soprano sings a descant, which comes off as if she’s singing a solo and it really doesn’t do anything for me. And usually the double descants are done this way, by two sopranos. It can sound like something is wrong especially if there’s a dissonance in the writing of the descant and it’s just one soprano singing it. When this is the case, the descants do not sound full and lush, but rather very thin and like a soloist whose voice is getting overpowered by the Full Choir. Fortunately, she’s using her chorister voice and not a wobbling-vibrato “soloist voice.” Perhaps the composer of these double descants specified that only one soprano should sing each descant and that’s what they’re doing, but they don’t really do anything for me, and I’m a descant person.
Not all of the Collegiate Chapel Choirs have a cult-like following, but the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge does have one, and I’m turned off by it, which explains why I rarely comment under their videos. I feature them here if they performed one of the Howells’s canticle settings or an anthem I especially liked, but anything I have to say about them I write here on occasion. Whereas the cultists, comment on every single video with gushing praise which makes it seem like a cult following.
And like I said, do they need that, it that necessary when the choristers and Director of Music and Organ Scholars already know how good they are — but they remain humble and modest — and then the moderator for their channel feels the need to put a red heart by all of these comments which, too, is a bit much.
My choral friend said: I get you, and I agree with you. I would take the same approach as you do, and I know what you mean by a cult following. Many people these days seem to need that.
I’ve also noticed an increasing number of “jesus-freak” commenters who feel the need to quote parts of the liturgy or something, such as this bunk:
“I enjoy this program every time I get a chance in London. It is remarkable how this music and the messages from the scriptures lift our eyes toward heaven and in doing so make each of our lives easier to endure knowing that a loving Heavenly Father and his Son are there for us. In this day and age of division, may a common belief in God bring us together to recognize our commonalities. Thank you.”
I doubt that these people who write this drivel like the above paragraph are Anglican because from my experience with Anglicans, they don’t proselytise but rather keep their religious beliefs to themselves, unless they are especially extreme Low Church. And Choral Evensong is not a “programme.” It’s an Anglican Liturgy. “Lift our eyes toward heaven?” I don’t see anyone’s eyes in the Chapel with lifted eyes “toward heaven.” “A loving Heavenly Father?” What drugs are you on? Well that “loving Heavenly Father” wasn’t so “loving” and didn’t save the lives of the two innocent people who were killed by ICE in Minneapolis recently, as just one example.
The United States of Israel. The 34-count convicted felon and adjudicated sexual pervert predator (“grab ’em by the pussy”) and now dictator clearly resides in the upper colon of that piece of trash and war criminal, netanyahu. These people are the scum of the Earth.
Repost and updated (3 March 2026).
Rick Steves’s trip to Iran:
Rick Steves has said it a million times: “Travel tears down the walls that ignorance puts up.” One of the “maga” pieces of trash — Conservative “MAGA” ideologue Matt Schlapp — recently called Iran a “barbaric society.” He speaks from a position of willful-ignorance. I suggest that he needs to get out more. Like most “maga” — including the piece of shit in the white house — he’s another willfully-ignorant “maga” piece of trash. Watch these videos, does this look like a “barbaric society” to you?:
Below, Shardad Rohani Conducts the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 with The Tehran Symphony Orchestra. The video is a clip of the performance so it does cut off the performance after awhile. I see they’re using a Bösendorfer piano, instead of a Steinway. I think the pianist is Sepehr Tajpour.
For safety, I think some people in Tehran have gone down into their metro.
They have a beautiful metro, by the way, and an excellent Symphony Orchestra:
3 March 2026: Well, the title should now be that the #1 and #2 Terrorist nations (US and Israel) are now terrorising Iran and much of the Middle East. I’m expecting the City of Tehran to look like Gaza in the end, whenever that is. And I guess their nice metro will be or is in the process of being destroyed. See a video of their metro below.
Updated 22 June 2025: More on James David Vance: I apparently missed this, but after James David was chosen as vp, he desperately wanted people to know that he’s not attracted to men, as if anyone cares. There was a time — according to his book — that he thought he was gay. But his grandmother said he wasn’t, so that was that. He made it clear he’s not a gay guy, if anyone believes that. That he’s married to a female of Indian ancestry — but MAGA is all about a “white America” — and he has kids is supposed to erase any notion that he’s gay. Only to the most gullible people. It doesn’t for me since there are many gay guys who are married to a female and have kids. They are specifically called closet cases. “The wife and kids” routine are their cover. I can hear them now, “No, he’s not gay because he’s married.” Only a Fool would say that. Let me be blunt: A (gay) guy does not have to fuck a girl to get her pregnant, although that is the most common way. Many people don’t seem to know this, but a guy can cum on her pussy (the lips) and she can get pregnant that way. Or he can finger his cum into her vagina. In other words, a gay guy does not have to fuck his wife if he’s not bi and not into fucking girls. It only takes one fast-moving sperm to make its way in to the egg to get her pregnant. Guys who are desperate for people to know that they’re not gay are the frauds. If he’s not gay, why did he even bring it up, bro? You’ve outed yourself in your desperate attempt to make people think you’re heterosexual. Without his beard, one could say he has “a gay face.”
Updated 21 June 2025 (Part 2): JD Vance. That piece of work. He serves as the regime’s arrogant resident troll. Opportunist James David Vance. Just another piece of redneck, hillbilly basura.
Before he was chosen as the convicted felon’s vp, James David called the convicted felon and adjudicated sexual predator an “idiot,” a “moral disaster” and a potential “American Hitler.” That all changed after he was selected as vp — and from what I read — he went online and immediately deleted all of that, and began to take up permanent residency in the convicted felon’s upper colon where he has resided ever since, mostly serving as a nasty resident troll for anyone in disagreement with his messiah as a member of the MAGA cult and Project 2025. James David is really a blank slate.
James David seems to stand for nothing, other than whatever the convicted felon spews on any given day. James David is clearly not in the right job because he doesn’t know how the US system of governance works. He said that the ultimate decision to attack Iran is up to the convicted felon and sexual predator. That’s another lie. The final decision rests with the US Congress and congressional authorisation, but James David doesn’t know that. Not that the convicted felon thinks that he needs congressional authorisation since he thinks he’s above the law. How can some idiot be a vp and not know how the US system of governance is supposed to work? But upon reflection, the convicted felon doesn’t know how the US system of governance works either. All of this heinous regime consists of some of the nastiest, vile, angry, most ill-informed and most stupid people one will find anywhere. And apparently they all swarmed to MAGA. Like attracts like. Interesting that MAGA is for a white “America.” Considering that, how does James David explain/justify his non-white wife of Indian ancestry and his kids with Indian names? What verbal calisthenics does James David use to justify that with the MAGA cult’s “white America” septic thinking?
Updated 21 June 2025: Insanity: The insane and childish convicted felon and sexual predator says that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, whilst he’s considering launching a nuclear terrorist attack on Iran. So it’s alright for him to have and use nuclear weapons, but not for Iran to have one? I see. He and Republicans have long abandoned the concept of hypocrisy. By the way, he’s currently remodeling la casa blanca, the white house even though he’s only a tenant. The Rose Garden is gone; it’s been paved over and he’s planning to install a Ballroom like the one he has in Florida. Anyone who resides in the white house is a tenant. Tenants don’t have the right or privilege of changing the premises they live in because they don’t own the place. This fool doesn’t seem clear on that concept. He seems to live under delusions that he owns the white house.
Updated 19 June 2025: Overheard in the Conservatory’s Church Music Department: What about “Thou Shalt Not Kill?” does the Christian-Fraud and insane/deranged, moronic convicted felon and sexual predator not understand? The commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill” is very specific, so a genuine Christian — of which none of these trash in his heinous regime are — would absolutely oppose bombing Iran/Tehran because they will be killing innocent people, whilst they pretend to be a Christian. Again, they are all Christian frauds, fakes. None of these scum of the Earth people live their corrupt life like Jesus did, from what we are told about the life of Jesus from learned theologians.
Updated 18 June 2025: “Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. Estimates of Israel’s stockpile range between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads.“—AI No nation should have nuclear weapons, but since the #1 Terrorist nation on the planet (the US) and the #2 Terrorist nation on the planet (Israel) both have a nuclear weapons’ stockpile, I fail to understand why Iran or any other nation should not have the same. These political trash — that netanyahu nut/war criminal and the convicted felon and sexual predator — reek of hypocrisy. And again, the US (which pretends to be a “Christian nation”) is the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons on a civilian population. What purpose will it serve to turn the beautiful and ancient City of Tehran into another Gaza, killing millions of innocent people and destroying their beautiful metro (see video below)?
So the convicted felon and sexual predator in the White House has ordered Tehran to evacuate. Who does he think he is? The mayor of Tehran? Apparently so, since it’s the mayor of Tehran who would be the official person to order such an evacuation. And where does this damn fool expect 10 million people to evacuate to?
“The city of Tehran, Iran, had an estimated population of 9.729,740 in 2025. The Tehran Metropolitan Area, which includes surrounding areas, has a population of approximately 14 million.”—AI
Iranians were asking the same question. Does the convicted felon criminal not know that Tehran is a major city? By comparison, Los Ángeles has a population of approximately 4 million (2023: 3.8 million).
More from the Tehran Symphony Orchestra:
It should be pointed out that the US is the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons on a civilian population and they have a large stockpile. And the #2 terrorist nation in the world is sacrosanct Israel. Israel is a pariah on the planet led by a war criminal. He is absolute trash.
Why shouldn’t Iran have a nuclear weapons’ programme like other nations do? I can hear the answer now: “Oh because they are loony because of their religious beliefs.” Well, again, it was the so-called “Christian nation” — the United States of North America — and their religious loons that used nuclear weapons in the first place. The hypocrisy is blatant.
I noticed that the convicted felon and sexual predator in the White House does that childish fist-pumping nonsense anywhere he goes, not just in the US. I think he now does it on automatic pilot as habit.
And who does the convicted felon criminal think he is in telling Iran they cannot have a nuclear weapons’ programme?
At his cult rallies, the convicted felon and adjudicated sexual rapist promised his MAGA cultists that he would not engage in regime change, yet things are being put in place exactly for that in Iran from all credible news reports I’ve seen. One of his cultists (initials: TC) have already described him as “complicit,” and the convicted criminal has turned on his cultist by trolling him, but I doubt that the convicted felon even knows what the word “complicit” means.
Some Iranians were interviewed in Tehran and they said they weren’t going anywhere. If anyone is going to evacuate, they suggested that it should be Israel.
This immature “maga” regime sees war as a video game — that’s all it is to them — and of course the dictator never served at all in the US military claiming “bone spurs”:
Timothée Chalamet dragged by opera and ballet worlds after he said ‘no one cares’ about them
The caption was:
“The LA Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Royal Ballet and Opera shaded Chalamet following his comments during a live conversation with Variety magazine.”
Well what he said was the truth, and the truth hurts. I agree with Timothée because I know what he means. Pop culture and society as a whole doesn’t care about screaming (what’s officially known as opera). Nor do they care about ballet. He should have said that screaming (also known as opera) and ballet are both special niches, because they are, and that’s why “no one cares” about them, meaning society as a whole. I understood what he meant. Why didn’t these dense people in screaming and in ballet not grasp that? Screaming (opera) and ballet attract only a certain audience/group of people/a special niche. And those who disagree with Timothée are in Denial of that.
Just like what I write about, “no one cares” about that either because the things I write about have only a certain group of people interested in it. They, too, are a special niche.
His critics were taking a very fundamentalist interpretation of what he said, taking it literally. That’s what fundamentalist so-called Christians do.
When was the last time that screaming/opera or ballet were part of your newscast in that section where they may feature pop culture artists, (if they’re going to feature anybody)?
Of course their little special group (niche) that they attract with screaming and ballet cares about them, but that’s it. Society as a whole does not and that’s what he was saying.
Most people don’t care about symphony orchestras or Choruses of any kind either. For years, I’ve heard and read about what’s known as “the greying audience” meaning most of the people in the audience have grey hair. Where are all the others? They’re not there because they’re not into that or they can’t afford to go. Most people don’t care about Orchestra Choruses either and that’s why Orchestra Choruses are mostly down to performing “The Big Three”, (Beethoven’s Ninth, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Messiah), with few exceptions to that. Apparently the Big Three is all the US public wants to hear. Gone are the many oratorios and cantatas. The repertoire is more varied in the EU.
Orchestras in the US have had to attract audiences by catering to stupid, dumbed-down, and the lowest common denominator: These days — and for some time now — some (or is it most?) major Orchestras in the US have resorted to putting up a giant film screen over the organ pipes in the Concert Hall (if the Concert Hall is fortunate to have a pipe organ) and the Orchestra plays a soundtrack as the audience watches the film on the screen. (Psssst: One can do that at home). That’s what things have been reduced to. Or in other words: Stupid. Dumbed-down.
The screamers/opera crowd and ballet crowd can go on about how they’re selling tickets but, again, they’re selling tickets — assuming they are — to that special niche they have.
Society has a whole doesn’t give a fuck about screamers/opera screamers or ballet or orchestral music or Symphony Choruses for that matter. They also don’t care about what I write about. Again, I too, write about topics that are a special niche and I know that. My articles are not intended for society as a whole, because most of society has no interest in what I write about. Society would have an interest in my articles if I wrote about burning cars flying through the air and jetting into a skyscraper in flames. That would be a hot topic, but I’m not into that.
But what Timothée Chalamet said was the truth, which the screamers and ballet crowd didn’t want to hear. They also won’t like what I’ve said here, but I don’t give a fuck whether they like it or not. Again, the truth hurts.
The Trinity Choir is a consistent example of the highest level of choral excellence.
I had gotten through part of Choral Evensong by the stellar Trinity College Choir from Oxbridge (Trinity College of the University of Cambridge specifically) and noticed that The Trinity Choir was performing the Noble Service in b — some Conservatory training: a lower case b means in b minor; an upper case B means in B major — which I performed years ago. I got to the section where the text is, “He remembering his mercy (pronounced more like “mussy”…”) and The Trinity Choir sang that especially well. It moved me.
My choral friend was nearby and I said: I want you to hear this even though you don’t know the piece (beginning at 24.39 in the video), but listen to how well they sang this. So I started playing that section for him and he said, “I’ve never heard it sung like that.” I asked him: Well where have you heard this sung to begin with to make that comparison? He was just as moved as myself by the beauty of their singing. As it turned out, he had heard this canticle setting as a boy. His parents took him to the local podunk very Low Church Episcopal parish nearby (but his parents didn’t “attend church” themselves) — which he has nothing but negative remembrances about — and what they called “the Choir” in that parish tried to sing the Noble. Since they didn’t have Choral Evensong, I guess they used the Magnificat part as an anthem. He said it sounded nothing like the way Trinity sings it. From what he’s told me about his childhood church, the parish was barely Episcopal. They did some strange things with lots of guilt tripping the few who showed up. But he does remember this piece (the Noble Service in b) from his childhood. I said: Well it would have to be from that time because I don’t remember playing this canticle setting for him. Or maybe I played it for myself and he overheard it sometime in the past. He said it was ina blue book. They had “the blue book, a red book, and the bible.” I said: Well, the blue book would be the hymnal, but canticle settings are not in the hymnal, because canticle settings are not sung by the congregation. The red book would be The Book of Common Prayer. And the bible? What was that doing there? The bible is not there in the pews. I asked: Did they have a service leaflet where parts of the bible along with text from the BCP that they’re using for that liturgy would be printed? He said they had a service leaflet of sorts but it didn’t have the liturgy on it.
He asked me, “do the choristers hear how gorgeous they sound?” Yes of course they do and it’s why they’re able to listen to each other and to hear the entire Choir to perfectly blend their voices, and their balance of sections is perfect as well.
He asked: When you sang the Noble Service in b with the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys was it that good? I think so. The Cathedral Choir at that time was superb — they’re not now; I think something happened to them during COVID and they never recovered — but I remembering us singing this and that section I played for my choral friend has stayed with me because of its beauty.
He said, “Anglicans have the best Choirs.” I agree and it’s part of what is known as the “Rich Anglican Choral Tradition.” I’m not aware that any other Christian “denomination” has that distinction or what is known as a “Choral Tradition.”
I’m slow to talk about best this and best that because that’s what the US does when trying to convince themselves — with chest-beating — about how they think they’re the “greatest country on Earth” and all that nationalistic rubbish. Well, they, along with the #2 terrorist nation of Israel (the US being the #1 terrorist nation), are the greatest at killing (innocent) people whilst they claim to be Christians (and Jews) and believe in the Commandments, one of which is “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” What part of that very basic and straight forward Commandment do these Christian Fraud trash not understand? That commandment does not come with any exceptions or caveats to it, such as, “That Commandment really applies only to such and such” excuses or “That doesn’t apply to the State so the States can kill anybody they want,” nonsense. And how do Jews rationalise that in their minds? Or are they just as fraudulent and fake as the Christian Frauds? I. suspect. so.
As of this writing it is Lent, so most Anglican/Episcopal parishes and cathedral churches choose more “toned down” repertoire. There’s a run on Renaissance music during Lent. With some exceptions, you’re not likely to hear the Howells’s St Paul’s Service or Gloucester Service during Lent or anything “grand and glorious.” “Grand and glorious” is saved for the First through Seventh Sundays of Easter. (Yes, Southern Baptists: There are seven Sundays in Easter, but you wouldn’t know anything about that). In recent years, I’ve noticed some churches bucking that silly tradition of having to programme all “toned down” music during Lent.
