#amusingme

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Christopher Plummer’s original vocals for ‘Edelweiss’ song revealed for the first time

Captain Von Trapp’s vocals, which never made it into The Sound of Music, have been unearthed and released as an authentic recording.

A very sincere and affecting performance that should have been left in the original film IMHO.

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The Secret to the Best Pie Dough Isn’t an Ingredient. It’s You.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie tastes best this time of year, especially when it’s made by hand.

Big thanks to my long-time friend Bex for sharing this article with me ... which she did because it reminded her of my Mom, whom she affectionately called "Nancola."

Mom conducted countless "pie crust clinics" for me and my siblings, and yet not one of us has ever been able to consistently duplicate her magic, despite following her recipe and process to the letter.

The writer of this NYTimes piece "gets it." From the article:

I’m not going to tell you that making dough from scratch is fast and easy. Honestly, it’s sort of hard and takes time. That’s what makes it rewarding in a world where optimizing for efficiency and clear outcomes sometimes outweighs the pursuit of good things. (Is there anything better than homemade pie?)

No Genevieve, there's isn't anything better. And my Mom's cherry pie was the best of the best.

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Love the song, love the parody of it, love Randy Rainbow.

"We don't want a king!"

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The Fever’s Free Agency Class Looks Modest—Until You See the Math

The Indiana Fever kept their core intact this offseason—and the contract numbers make it clear that was always the plan. Fresh off a new CBA

This team is going to be so fun to watch this year!

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Winter Olympics sparks backlash over AI intro

The Winter Olympics has ignited controversy after unveiling an AI-generated introduction that many viewers found unsettling and inauthentic.

Not sure this intro is being widely used in Europe, because I had not seen it until I saw it embedded in this article. But I have to admit that I agree with the critics who have characterised it as soulless and cheap-looking.

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The scandalous reason Americans say 'Merry Christmas' while Brits say 'Happy Christmas'

​ The word "merry" has had different definitions over the centuries.

Fascinating!

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Paging "Hot Santa"!

I had the pleasure of joining the Bracket Bastards just before Christmas to rate cinematic Santas. Always fun to hang out with this crew!

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It’s that special time of year when no-one wants to be seen in a retail establishment with me because I’m going to sing along to the in-store Christmas music … and I’m singing the harmony part if I know it.