Maybe it has been asked and answered elsewhere (in which case please nuke this thread):

I'm missing the old home page.  I really liked the feature that you got a quick overview of all new messages.  Can I find that somewhere else now?

Wow, what an amazingly musical bunch here.  My own (somewhat neglected) passion is the piano, even though I play strictly as an amateur for home consumption.  I sure admire those who play in an orchestra or other (semi-)professional capacity.

Even though it seems that the OP has withdrawn from the conversation -- maybe still shellshocked from Das Lied von der Erde? -- I would second the recommendation to let things develop over time.  And I personally find getting acquainted with "new" music much easier in a life performance than from a recording.  That's particularly true with the large symphonic orchestras we are talking about here.

Also, as to symphonic works, I'd look to include some of the less popular contemporariers, like Bruch, Bruckner, or Saint-Saëns.  Everyone has their individual style, but they are part of a development that may be worthwhile to follow along if Mahler initially appears too intimidating.

All speeding" is just a fine" unless it is excessive or repetitive and triggers a license suspension, etc.  What's the statute on the citation?

Well, not quite -- a fine, and a record of the conviction on your driving record (which then entails the consequences not prescribed by law but by your insurance policy).

Joel's neighbor might have been referring to the fact that he was written up as 64, and that's just below the 65+ threshold that would put it on the driving record in MN (assuming it was in a 55 zone).  Basically Joel already got the break from a sympathetic cop that I'm still trying to get from the DA...

Thanks for all the feedback so far with which I very much agree.  I find that most people have an inclination to be helpful when asked respectfully.

I'll check to see if I can find out anything specific about Pierce county.

That would be great.  I was hoping that someone had specific experience there as to what would be the best approach -- sort of like the stuff people know about Dakota county.

Just as I was about to figure out the gourmet issues in Arcadia I ran into a huge snafu.  I wanted to take a few people on a ride into Wisconsin on Sept 18.  But now I learned about that Flood Run the same day and found that pretty scary.

What's the consensus on riding that day -- just forget it, or would it be ok once you reach the hinterland?  Is there any general experience about the dynamics of that thing?  Do they pretty much all start at the same time and location (it's scheduled for 10:30), so that one could stay ahead of the crowd if we'd want to cross over to some alphabet roads?  Will they pretty much stay on WI-35?  Or will the entire area be teeming with drunk riders from early in the morning?

Does anyone know if any of the restaurants in or around Arcadia are recommendable for a lunch break?  Doesn't have to be gourmet but should be clean and good quality food.

Today on Buffalo Co Rd J I had a near miss that has me wondering if it isn't always a lottery, no matter day or night.

The frustrating thing is that I saw nothing coming, despite broad daylight.  The deer materialized out of "nowhere" on the left, almost behind me, dashing across the road with perfect timing to intercept me.  About as big as my V-Strom -- my only thought: "that should give me have a fair chance..."

A split second before impact the guy abandoned its suicidal attempt to cross in front of me, turned slightly forward and came alongside. About eye-to-eye with my rearview mirror.  I fully expectecd its momentum to slam it into my rear end and looked back in amazement when there was no "whack" from behind -- it safely finished crossing behind my bike.

One thing is for sure, these guys have amazing cornering skills.

But it seems to me that there is really no promising evasive strategy.  What are you supposed to do -- swerve to the far side to get ahead of it?  No chance in hell.  Swerve to the other side in hope to pass behind it?  Hit the brakes?  I mean, all of those things can prove fatal if the deer, like mine, takes evasive actions of its own.  Not even your speed in the first place would seem to make a difference.  In the end, just keeping the bike straight and aiming for the center didn't seem like such a bad strategy.

Well, I drove on humbly praising my luck many times.  Particularly when I passed my guy's supersized cousin, not even a quarter mile down the road, dead, among a collection of glass and debris that must have left a nasty dent in someones car... 

Anyway, my next gadget will be a body-heat activated laser cannon that pulverizes anything that moves 1000 feet down the road...

The V-Strom is a fun bike.  It's not high tech but Suzuki make a reasonably bulletproof bike that can do just about anything.  Good thing it's cheap [...]

It's not cheap, it has an excellent price/performance ratio.   No offense taken, not even for calling my bike low-tech.