Updates:
Church Music
The pastor who went into a rage was dismissed after an arrest for domestic violence.
In the interim the pianist had been made Director of the choir, so I became Conductor.
We had a very loving young woman in the congregation whose fondest memories were of her expert performance as part of a marching brass band. I would love to have heard reviews of her performance. By the time I arrived on the scene the performance expertise seemed mostly in her memories. I arranged pieces that included some basic trumpet parts, and they were . . . interesting.
We had a member of the congregation who was beloved by all, but dying. It was his wish to play baritone before he died; he couldn’t read bass clef. Easily solved. The ersatz trumpet player had a baritone she could no longer lift, the would-be baritone player bought it, and I named the “trumpet player” acoustical director (listen and tell us what the balance is, a useful function.) The baritone player thereupon played all trumpet parts on his baritone. Everyone was happy.
After the dismissed pastor departed, the praise band director became music director for the congregation. He eased the way for a re-establishment of a traditional service. I could no longer sing, but I could still write, arrange and conduct. That became my role. A fellow Episcopal refugee joined the church and shared those duties with me until I departed.
Health
Much improved. Whatever occurred dissipated parts of me that no longer exist. I can’t explain that any better. I’m physically improved but likely worse mentally. I no longer control my own medication and my wife must help me shower several times per week. My memory is measured in nanoseconds.
Manufacturing
I am well into a second article on manufacturing. It’s taking a very long time to do because I’m presenting it as a case study. I am likely to create a paid option for future manufacturing articles and open it as a separate substack or whatever. They take a lot of work.
Incompetence
It’s much worse than I thought. We now have a perceptible chance of fixing Anthropogenic Global Warming by bombing the species back into the stone age.
Good to hear a bit better. I hate to think about stopping, good you have plans.
Happy Easter, Bill! It's a great day to be alive. Oddly (synchronicity seems to rule my life), I was also down in the dumps this past week. It must have been a virus. I had intestinal problems and couldn't stay awake for days on end. All that has lifted and I have to question your final conclusion regarding the state of mankind.
IMHO, until Iran gets nuclear weapons, the "great nations" will continue to wage war to decimate the populations of less powerful nations and prosper on the propaganda. We are about to descend into a global financial depression; but think of how it will end Amerika's obesity epidemic.
Keep on the Sunny Side
Always on the Sunny Side.