Have many other thoughts, but am still sorting them out in my mind. Will end with this:
I express my appreciation for public libraries, as I have access to Alex Wellerstein's book through my local library. I am but the first in a hopefully long line of people who will read this book thanks to LFPL.

Appreciating the many people who, whether contemporary to the events or working in the present day, were interested in finding out what happened in reality versus what they wished happened.

I completely agree. I never voted for these wars. My representatives didn't vote on it either. Are we still a republic? I can't even tell anymore.

What a sloppy statement from Microsoft.

It's so frustrating because we're "not at war" but we're doing all the same shit we'd do if we were "at war."

It's not so much not liking challenges, but after mastering the in-game challenge that is hard mode, some of us like to impose self-determined challenges or work on a specific project or colony design.

22 wellbeing seems low. I tend to have at least 50 before building a wonder.

I like Waterfalls for Folktails and Thousand Islands for Iron Teeth.

Cheers from a fellow person who plays the drums in the lefty setup!

As for Bartok's Orchestral Concerto, I quite enjoyed. Hard to pinpoint my favorite bits,because it's one of my favorite pieces by Bartok. Grace Roepke on the harp, Alex DiThomas on the english horn, and Kathleen Karr on the flute were standouts. There's a reason this piece has been so influential.

Yuja Wang made her debut conducting from the podium and she did a marvelous job. I would love to hear her perform this piece on the piano sometime, of course.

I've heard several orchestral arrangements of the piece and this is one of my favorites. Any time you have as many double basses (5) as you do brass (2 trumpets 3 bones), you have my attention. And the arrangement let those basses sing.

As for the performance of Lizst's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2, I must admit my bias. This is my favorite piece of classical music. I am inclined to enjoy it on any occasion, but I must say I was left not just pleased but overjoyed.

Also shout-out to Matthew Karr on the bassoon. The second movement required absolute steadiness and he provided it.

I think Ligeti did his best to torture the xylophonist but Soojin Kang refused to back down and was completely in sync with Yuja Wang. Mastery.

Started off with Ligeti's Piano Concerto. A very interesting piece, described by conductor Teddy Abrams as very mathematical. I can see that. I liked the second, fourth, and fifth movements.