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Month: July 2017
How old are you and what bodily pain do you have right now?
I’m turning 46. Vague back pain, which I can mostly ignore. Occasional headaches and lightheadedness, apparently associated with adjusting to new medication, which I am finding it harder to ignore. And of course, the heartache of a middle-aged man’s disappointments. Answered 2017-07-18 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/How-old-are-you-and-what-bodily-pain-do-you-have-right-now/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]
What are your favourite pieces by Dimitri Shostakovich and why?
Impressed by Jeremy Shatan’s answer, to have included the Fourth Symphony! So Mahler, so anxious, so my favourite, and not often heard. The Cello Concerto #1 speaks well to Jeremy’s taste as well, but that piece is better known. So, skipping those two: Ninth Symphony. Jolly, quirky, Haydn on steroids, alternating with genuine lamentation in […]
Is it true that Americans don’t learn Old Greek, Latin, or German?
Ugh to many of these answers. The traditional European language curriculum was oriented to an elite, and had to do with instilling the cultural values of the West, which privileged Latin and Greek. Latin was still the lingua franca for European intellectuals up until the 18th century, but that does not explain Greek. I’ve written […]
What are the good and bad neighborhoods of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia?
Kim Daniels’ answer sounds the most accurate to me, as does Sherï Hussain’s answer to Are there really rough neighborhoods to avoid in Melbourne Australia? The question is clearly vexed, and if you’re paying close attention, there’s several things going on (which Stacey Johnston’s answer alludes to). The social dynamic in Melbourne is in flux; […]
Did Da Vinci say something like, “If you ever tried flying, you will look at the sky when walking and think that is your home”?
Googling finds: “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return” Refuted in Wikiquote Talk: Talk:Leonardo da Vinci So to summarize what we know, based largely on the research of KHirsch above, the quote […]
As a teacher, what is the weirdest thing you have seen in your school or classroom?
Back when I was lecturing, I made a consistent effort to be the weirdest thing in the room. If I was running late, I would boom the opening words of my lecture while walking down the corridor into the theatre. I would walk into lecture drinking a Slurpee, and remind students that no eating or […]
What movie, or movie scene, scared you the most as a kid?
This is kind of lame (and TV rather than movie), but I guess I had a sheltered upbringing, and I was just six. 1977 was the heyday of Alice Cooper. As a sophisticated adult, I can now appreciate the antics of Alice for what they were, and even stifle a yawn at them. But as […]
What do you think about “Naked Attraction”?
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/naked-attraction/on-demand/63570-001 I caught a glimpse of it while channel-surfing. My thoughts: Most of these reality shows are better in the original American: Dating Naked. I find something very trashy and mean about UK Reality TV in general, and this did not appear to be an exception. Once again, the contrast between the American and the […]
Did anyone from your high school become famous?
Nicole Livingstone: Nicole Dawn Livingstone, OAM (born 24 June 1971) is an Australian former competitive swimmer, Olympic silver medallist, and a television sports commentator and radio presenter. Livingstone competed for Australia in three summer Olympics – 1988, 1992, and 1996 – winning both individual and team medals. NICOLE LIVINGSTONE O.A.M. Nicole Livingstone, or, as we […]