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yeah, I remember seeing that at some point long ago. It is indeed fascinating.

I listened to the "Hotel Lobby Pianos" on Youtube. I won't be purchasing any recordings. The piece is awful in places, but fairly listenable most of the time (it's largely a takeoff of Take Five). Not being a trained pianist, he doesn't have enough of a grasp of harmony to be consistently enjoyable, and it's outright dissonant in a few places. He's already gotten a shedload of reviews, e.g. NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, ..., so I suppose he'll do well with it. [Digression] Far from the worst thing I've heard...A couple of decades ago, Salvatore Sciarrino was a super-trendy contemporary classical composer. I enjoyed many of his works and bought several recordings. Then he released some solo piano recordings that totally repelled me (and I dig stuff like Ustvolskaya, Cage, etc). I listened to this piece 👎and decided that the Emperor was bare-ass. You can find a funny review on classicstoday, for example.

Ha, yes, that was a very interesting project to co-produce.

I understand your basic point, and I don't fundamentally disagree with it. However, I do think it's a lot more complex than that. There are those of us who have had many things "go wrong" in life, thus making the decisions to exercise a lot lower priority. For example, if someone can't pay the rent, or they have a brother who just committed suicide, or a son who's drug addicted, or they've been sexually assaulted, those major life events can take precedence over "eating well" or exercising regularly. As someone who has had multiple traumas in the last decade, I know my weight gains (and sedentary lifestyle and shit diet) are my responsibility and my choices. I also know I'm an extremely high-functioning person who has survived a lot of things, other people might not have. Exercise and diet just aren't that high a priority given my life events. Just Google Dana Rivers, Oakland, and you'll get it.

I have never understood the whole principle behind diet pills. Maybe I misunderstand it (and please explain it to me) but aren't you mainly concerned with treating the symptoms? It's just like a smoker who takes a puff from the inhaler to take an extra hit. Or someone who has a burn-out due to stress who starts taking tranquilizers. In addition, I have serious doubts about the effect of those pills and I can't imagine that it is healthy. Pills of course sound like the easiest solution, but really losing weight is usually a matter of a disciplined attitude to life in the long term. That really means that you have to exercise a lot and eat healthily. We eat healthy dinners at least 6 days a week. I don't eat cake, chips, candy or cookies. I only drink beer in the weekend and really in moderation. I exercise 4 times a week (CrossFit), walk for an hour 4 times a week and try to take the bike as often as possible. Now I realize that I may have a very strict lifestyle. and I understand that this is not the right way for everyone. yet I am convinced that the best way to lose weight is: more exercise and healthy eating. and then structurally and not for a period. I know quite a few people who are not prepared to make that sacrifice and find such a life boring. that is everyone's own choice and I respect that. but then you have to accept for yourself that you are fat and run certain health risks. the science behind gaining weight is very simple: you consume more calories than you burn. of course I realize that some people have a medical condition that makes them overweight. they can't do anything about it. however, that is not the majority. And Dan: to you I could only say: great job losing so much weight! I thinks those last few pounds will get off much slower. Just maintain your lifestyle and be patient 💪