Sir Simon's 70th birthday's concert

Happy 70th birthday Sir Simon! His actual; birthday is 19 January.

Boulez, Benjamin & Brahms at the Barbican review: Simon Rattle brought new light to familiar works
https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/lso-boulez-rattle-celebration-b1204482.html
Even 4Bs, belebration... I've found typos in ES articles several times. It's confusing for English learners.
I thought this article could be a good reference for writing a review, but it used a lot of advanced level vocabularies.

centenary - accent
subtle ~ understated ~ muted
biblical
threescore - threescore years
merriment < merry
dodecaphonic < dodecaphony = twelve-tone technique
timbre - pronunciation
celesta / cimbalom
plausibly < plausible - remember!!
flaunt
impoverished < impoverish <<< poverty
feral
misgiving
ravishing - beware of the error confusing with ravish or lavish
visceral
solemn - wild eyed boy from freecloud!!
sonority
sombre (BR) somber (AM)
anguished
inhalation < inhale
imbue
pyrotechnic <pyrotechnics
calibre (BR) caliber (AM)

Boulez Éclat
Benjamin Lessons in Love and Violence
Brahms Symphony No.4
Brahms Hungarian Dance

Barbara Hannigan - English Opera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4FHhMu5N44

encore - maybe No.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tqOMxaGgBU

'eclat' is also a word of English meaning 'brilliant success'. I recalled I stayed in Eclat hotel in Taipei last year.
Sir Simon + LSO + Barbican. I wish I could have attended the concert.

A story of Humphrey Smith

This article was in my reading list. I read it three weeks ago, but I had to check the words.
I knew he's eccentric but he is more terrible than I thought. But I love the beer.

Humphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/dec/19/humphreys-world-how-the-samuel-smith-beer-baron-built-britains-strangest-pub-chain

moulder
idyllic
stupendously < stupendous
rheumy - rheumy eyes
shambles (singular noun)
bat something/someone away [Cambridge]to refuse to deal with someone or with something such as a question, criticism, or request
get past someone [Cambridge]to not be noticed or realized by someone
stumble
all of a sudden
tantrum [quote]He threw a tantrum
put on an act [Cambridge]to behave or speak in a false or artificial way:
locksmith
lodge
tribunal
bereavement
singlehandedly < singlehanded/single-handed
avidly < avid
accrue
glean
rowdies (plural noun) < rowdy
publican
longing
synecdoche
feudalism
cooper
drayman < dray
futile
patrons
omertà / omerta
litigious
to shed light on something
parsimonious
trait
stately
threadbare
grandeur
pergola
croquet lawn
espouse
not without [Cambridge](formal) He's not without (= he does have some) good qualities.
acquaintance - remember!
ebullient
revered < revere
evident - remember!
decaying < decay
single-minded
binge - go on a binge
bucolic
resplendent
gin palace
haunt
rechristen
metaphysical < metaphysics
fete
bridleway / bridle path
derelict
ransack
tied pub / tied house
incredulity
nave - nave of a church
for all
tuck
boozy
forthright
rot
diktat
overhear - remember!
tyrannical
convening < convene
tribunal
tip the balance/scales [quote]the scales are always tipped in its favour
in receipt of
divulge
capitulate
connive
sentinel
dereliction
boarded-up
dot
virtually
planning [Collins]Planning is control by the local government of the way that land is used in an area and of what new buildings are built there.
planning barrister planning authority
retainer
quixotic
vicarage < vicar
wage (verb)
multi-front war
inspectorate
quarry - quarrymen's quarry
grave
equestrian
pyrrhic [Cambridge]relating to a victory that is not worth winning because the winner has lost so much in winning it
bleed [quote]had bled the couple’s finances dry
at someone's disposal [Cambridge](B2)available to be used by someone
capricious
abate
reinstatement
reminiscent
dog (verb)
green belt
toy with
outlay
militantly < militant
someone can go hang
statutory
dismal

Tadcaster
The Moon Under Water
Synecdoche, New York
Gazette Live = Teesside Live < Teesside Gazette
Mishcon de Reya
All About Beer
Princess Louise
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Shepherd Neame

Joe Lycett in Tadcaster - Channel4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oDZB-ZyvTE

The reason why I read the long article because I was very upset of the closure of my favourite pub.
Beloved historic Edinburgh village pub forced to close just days before Christmas
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/beloved-historic-edinburgh-village-pub-30630937

It had closed once for long but reopened. I hope it will reopen someday. I miss it so much.

Nick Starmer's death

This is a note to self. It's a last year end's article.

Starmer pays tribute to brother who died on Boxing Day
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjdw3vjy82o

Keir Starmer pays tribute to brother who died on Boxing Day
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/27/keir-starmer-pays-tribute-to-brother-who-died-on-boxing-day

complication
remedial
scaffolding
thick
poignant - remember!!
Down’s syndrome
horticultural

What we know about Keir Starmer’s brother Nick
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/what-we-know-about-keir-starmer-s-brother-nick-b1202018.html

airing cupboard
Pancreatic Society < pancreas

I've read several articles of Nick. He was very important for his siblings. R.I.P.

PDC World Championship

It's a new year. I should learn something new to me.
I have no idea about the sport of darts. The new world champion doesn't look like a teenager.

Teenager Littler demolishes Van Gerwen to claim historic world title
https://www.bbc.com/sport/darts/articles/clyx7403y9ko

pip [quote]Littler was pipped by Luke Humphries in last year's final
meteoric
mesmerising - mesmerising performance
spike [Collins] (informal) a sudden increase
the sky's the limit
at your fingertips

oche - prononciation
dartist

This episode helped me to understand PDC World Championship.

How Britain fell in love with darts - podcast
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/jan/03/how-britain-fell-in-love-with-darts-podcast

Nickname - The Nuke
Alexandra Palace - Ally Pally
nine-darter
PDC : Professional Darts Corporation

Darts is a working class sport came from pubs.

In Spite of All the Danger

This post may be the last blog post in 2024. It's also note for self.

Paul and Ringo get back together at London gig
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623qe17eg1o

rendition
induction
lengthy - pronunciation

In Spite of All the Danger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDCXyq4x4Vc

Simply having a wonderful Christmas time.

Today

It's the end of the year. This is note for self.
Mishal Husain has left Today programme. I failed the last show of Martha Kearney this summer, but she recently appeared a new programme on Radio 4. Unlike Martha, Mishal left BBC.
I don't think that I will watch Bloomberg interview series. I've started to listen to Today programme since 11 years ago and it's almost same time as Mishal joined the programme.

Mishal Husain bids farewell in final Today episode
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77j68y8v52o

John Humphrys and Sarah Montague appeared in the final episode.

Mishal chose The Monkee's Daydream Believer for the farewell.
I thought The Monkee's is American band, because the lyrics and tune of the song is very American. It is American band, but I didn't know that the singer is Mancunian.

no-words.

Martha Kearney steps down from presenting Radio 4’s Today programme
https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jul/18/martha-kearney-steps-down-from-presenting-radio-4s-today-programme

lie-in
tweak
stint
winkle
peerless
fixation
pollinator < pollinate < pollen

The Rest Is Politics
The News Agents
Kirsty Wark
Martin McGuinness
wild swimming

It's confusing Rajar and Rajan.

Meet the Rees-Moggs

I read all articles below , plus three guardian articles and one ES review. I listened to the pod cast of Must Watch. We cannot watch the reality show in Japan.
In conclusion, the show is boring.
I suppose that he is preparing for returning as a MP. TV appearances help his revival and hereditary to his sons.

Tons of words in those articles. It took time to look in a dictionary.

Jacob Rees-Mogg: Controversial ex-politician says reality show a 'calculated risk'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75l27rdnpwo

hardline - his hardline views
incest
profoundly apologised
rile - riling
wind up
blatant
plump the pillows
industrious
Veronica - 81!
by virtue of
rizz - already in Collins and Cambridge
wasteman - already in Collins and Cambridge
dustman
sick [quote]I've learnt that sick means good
gleefully < gleeful < glee
their noses to the windows of
pat yourself on the back

Meet the Rees-Moggs is toothless, vapid, and not really fair on the kids
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/meet-the-rees-moggs-jacob-review-b2657134.html

Nick Hilton is The Independent's chief TV critic
toothless
vapid
pile [quote]outside a vast country pile
Michel Roux Jr
Shaun
drawl
dandyish
pin-up
bootlickers < bootlick
plutocrat
run-up
patriarch
quibble over
perfunctory
indolence
droller < droll
swaddle
unslakeable = unslakable
Trumpton
drone
hark back
aristocrat - accent
reprehensible
avuncular
buffoonish < buffoon
plink plonk
whimsical
squirrel away
self-preservation
instinctual < instinct
Teen Mom / Super Nanny
hate-watch
hagiography
kickstart

Empire of Posh: inside Jacob Rees-Mogg's property portfolio
https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/celebrity-homes/jacob-reesmogg-property-portfolio-b1196834.html

Spears Magazine
Somerset Capital Management
Saliston
Lord Michael Ashcroft

Gournay Court, West Harptree, Somerset
Westminster - Cowley Street
Pall Mall

Must Watch reviews: Meet the Rees-Moggs
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/57WlWrKwNSw6WMWTbFYgb5F/must-watch-reviews-meet-the-rees-moggs

Nick Clegg works for Meta

I thought good old Nick Clegg at first sight, but I felt betrayed. He belongs to Meta now, and what is worse, the second-in-command of Zuckerberg!!

Musk could become political puppet master, says Clegg
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7dyn3m0lo

[quote]"one-man, hyper-partisan, ideological hobbyhorse"[unquote]
partisan
hobbyhorse
[quote] you can't move on X for want of tripping over stuff from the person who now privately owns it
trip [Collins]If you trip when you are walking, you knock your foot against something and fall or nearly fall.
avid
well-heeled
and so forth
people with means
over-egg / overegg https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/donald-trump-elon-musk-us-presidents-election-b1198462.html

Nick moved to California and became "president for global affairs at Meta"

trounce
wade
take a swipe at

I've been sceptical of social media. I reluctant to use Instagram, LinkedIn, and Line to connect who I met, but I never post my personal information to public, apart from goo blog.
I like obsolete technology such as goo blog. I feel much safer than popular social media.
I don't want to be a follower of influencers or become an influencer. I just want to improve my English.

Jeremy Clarkson is expected to be at the rally

He is the most famous farmer now.
I don't understand the calculation gap between farmers and the government. The government says vast majority of farmers will not be affected, but farmers ain't convinced.

Jeremy Clarkson defies doctor's orders to join thousands of protesting farmers in central London today
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/jeremy-clarkson-farmers-protest-westminster-keir-starmer-inheritance-tax-b1194579.html

defy
spearheaded
procession
nigh on [Collins]Nigh on an amount, number, or age means almost that amount, number, or age.
relief / tax relief [Collins]Tax relief is a reduction in the amount of tax that a person or company has to pay, for example because of expenses associated with their business or property.
bear the brunt of
rip the rug out from - pull the rug out from under

Kaleb Cooper
Parliament Square
Trevor Phillips

Steve McQueen revealed his cancer experience

He is 55 years old now. It was two years ago when he took an operation - so he was 53 then.

Steve McQueen reveals he paused Blitz filming for prostate cancer treatment
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/14/steve-mcqueen-paused-blitz-filming-prostate-cancer-treatment

It's interesting article about black man and McQueen, but no new words.

[quote]For a number of years I had been proactive in getting tested.[unquote]
[quote]When caught early, survival rates are extremely high, but if diagnosed late, survival rates drop dramatically.[unquote]

He learnt from his father. I should learn from my neighbours.
My 55-year old neighbour is now in a hospital for an operation of a cancer, but not prostate cancer.
Two women in their 40s found their breast cancers. One's survived but I don't know the other.

I ought to take '人間ドック' which I've never taken. I even haven't taken a basic medical check, since more than five years ago.
I will take a free medical check after I drink a lot in Christmas and New Year.

We have to prepare for becoming older.

Lineker's lost

He's lost by the Twitter error, but he was ready.

Gary Lineker to leave BBC's Match of the Day
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd456rzg75o

a hard act to follow [Collins]someone who is so impressive or effective that it is difficult for anyone else who comes after them to be as good

no word

Boots Christmas advert

It look it's annual tradition that right-wingers upset Christmas adverts. They are simple.

Why a Christmas advert has led to 'boycott Boots' trending online
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/boycott-boots-trending-online-christmas-advert-adjoa-andoh-b1193146.html

Twittersphere / Twitterverse - Collins covers the slang!
to ruffle someone's feathers
yuletide
bauble
tinsel/glitter- uncountable [quote]there are lots of baubles, tinsel and glitter
ire (formal)anger - pronunciation
woke [quote]at one point Andoh uses they/them pronouns when referring to one gift recipient
derision
‘tis [quote]‘Tis the season - pronunciation
snowflake [Collins]If you call someone a snowflake, you think that they are too easily offended or upset.
< snowflake generation [Collins]the generation of people who became adults in or after the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations

The Twitterphere
Boots upset right-wingers over Christmas advert starring Adjoa Andoh - here’s why
https://www.indy100.com/celebrities/boots-christmas-advert-adjoa-andoh

boycott of Israeli cultural institutions

I don't read contemporary novels. I only read classic novels. I know the name of Sally Rooney, but the others...

Sally Rooney, Rachel Kushner and Arundhati Roy call for boycott of Israeli cultural institutions
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/28/sally-rooney-percival-everett-arundhati-roy-boycott-israel-palestine-gaza

oppression
signatory
pledge
complicit
discriminatory - accent
whitewash
apartheid - pronunciation and spelling
inalienable
enshrine
obfuscate
art-washing / artwashing [Wikipedia] Artwashing describes the use of art and artists in a positive way to distract from or legitimize negative actions by an individual, organization, country, or government—especially in reference to gentrification.
dispossession <> possession
oppression
in good conscience
interrogate
Fossil Free Books
plainly
apologist

Authors use 'apartheid' for Israel and Palestine. It's similar as South Africa in fact.

Blitz

It's promising. The Blitz and Sir. Steve. And Paul Weller.

‘I wasn’t interested in Churchill’: Steve McQueen on the ‘ordinary people’ in his film Blitz
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/oct/04/steve-mcqueen-ordinary-people-film-blitz-war

<words>
grimy
raid
pick over
blitz spirit
abundance [quote]The blitz spirit is here in abundance [Collins]Food was in abundance.
pull together
namecheck
poignancy
brink [quote]There’s Somalia, which is on the brink of war now, which doesn’t get a lot of headlines.
warden
Benjamin Clémentine
munitions
chore (noun)
in [quote]I thought to myself, that’s my ‘in’ - I cannot find the meaning
desensitise
turn a blind eye
deem

‘Not many people know what happened’: covered up London Blitz tragedy is inspiration for Steve McQueen’s new film
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/15/not-many-people-know-what-happened-covered-up-london-blitz-tragedy-is-inspiration-for-steve-mcqueens-new-film

Blitzkrieg
Bethnal Green
Balham
Bianca Stigter
stairwell

I didn't know about Bethnal Green tube disaster.


What the director says hits home as his films. I want to watch Occupied City, too.
But I'm also interested in Churchill and Monty. Hitler and Goring are more than that.

Oasis offspring

I was lured by the title of ES again! It's my routine now.

Get to know the Gallagher brood: what do Gene, Lennon, Anaïs and co do and who are their mums?
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/liam-gallagher-children-noel-gallagher-kids-gene-lennon-anais-mums-modelling-jobs-b1182977.html

The name of the children are useless information, but I found good Use of English.

<words>
delve into
[quote]tell-tale heavy brows and strong noses[unquote]
laid-back - forgot, again!
feud - forgot, again!!
clan
four-piece band
duopoly < monopoly
lookalike
tie the knot
call it quits
unruly
brawl
-esque

Groucho club - I remember this
Crohn’s and Colitis UK
Napapijri
Charlotte Simone
Ringo Starr’s grandson - I remember the Tesco fight
Golders Green - this reminds me another article
King Alfred School
Bedales School
Camberwell College of Arts
New Forest