Rachmaninov’s last living pupil, 99-year-old pianist Ruth Slenczynska, has had an astonishing career spanning nearly a century. Described as “the greatest piano genius since Mozart,” Slenczynska is a former child prodigy who recorded for Decca in the 1950s and 1960s, when she became known as one of the most celebrated Chopin interpreters.
Meet 99-year-old pianist Ruth Slenczynska, Rachmaninov’s last living pupil | Classic FM
Gift a little bit of luxury
💅 Treat them (or yourself) to something nice.
PSA: Check the shipping date! When I did, these all arrived before Christmas.
- The right body wash is a game-changer. This one is under $10.
- For the girl boss, a leather laptop bag in lots of colors ($35; click the coupon box for 15% off).
- Everyone looks good in a classic pair of Ray-Bans (27% off).
- This Korean face mask set ($35) has a ton of five-star reviews.
- There’s no world in which a Le Creuset cast iron skillet wouldn’t be the best gift they get this year. Plus, it comes in 13 colors!
- Just look at these gel nail polish (15% off) colors. If she doesn’t have a UV lamp for the polish, this one’s under $20.
- Draw a bath, pour a glass of wine, grab a good book and relax. Add a snazzy bath tray for under $50.
- If they don’t have a pair of over-the-ear headphones yet, change that ASAP!
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Stop squinting to read the text on your phone: Instead of messing around in your settings, do it the easy way: Find the text you want, pinch your fingers together, then spread them apart (the classic zoom-out motion). Works in messages and most other apps. You’re welcome!
You sweep me off my feet: The classic puzzle game Minesweeper is now on Netflix. This colorful, reimagined version features an ocean-like setting where you find underwater mines in locations around the world. No in-game ads, no in-app purchases and no extra cost to play. Check out the trailer here.
It’s the classic IT line: “I gotta debug your computer” But did you know it originated with an actual bug? Engineers troubleshooting a computer malfunction found a dead bug on the circuit board. Was it a … A.) Cockroach, B.) Fly, C.) Moth or D.) Silverfish?
No. 1 on the U.K. charts
“Last Christmas,” for the second year in a row. Wham!’s iconic classic is racking up about 7.7 million streams a day on Spotify. That’s almost 90 plays per second. No kidding, it barely missed the No. 1 spot 40 years ago. It’s holding down the No. 3 spot now in the U.S.
Blast from the past
The classic puzzle game Minesweeper is now on Netflix. This colorful, reimagined version features an ocean-like setting where you find underwater mines in locations around the world. No in-game ads, no in-app purchases and no extra cost to play.
Play on, player
Summer is playtime. I wrangled up a few great beach or outdoor lawn games for hosting, travel or just weekend fun.
- Keep it classic: This bocce ball set is 19% off and comes with its own carrying case.
- Get the kids off their screens: This game set is a party in a box for the younger members of your summering crew, with four games in one. Select the size for kids ages 3 to 7 or 5 to 10.
- Light up the night: A lightweight, light-up flying disc is good for parties that go past sunset, which is pretty late these days! Woo, it’s 15% off.
- Backyard bowling: An outdoor (or indoor, for rainy days) bowling set for 22% off. Strike!
- Tabletop playing: Give your feet a rest from the other games and play a hook-and-ring game (15% off).
- Create your own course: Most putting games are pricey, but this set of two putting cups is a steal on sale for $8.99. Get a bunch and create your own 18.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
1 hour a week
Of phone usage leads to a 10% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. So, uh, yeah, that’s pretty much all of us, right? This is a classic example of correlation, not causation. Using a phone doesn’t impact your heart directly, but too much sitting on your butt sure does.
$22,000 price tag
For a 22-year-old Camry with 17,000 miles. That’s only a few grand off its original retail price. The 2002 commuter classic sold on Bring a Trailer, an auction site for “vintage and classic” cars. Feel old yet?
50 years ago
Ernö Rubik invented the “Magic Cube.” Today, some 500 million sales later, the Hungarian professor says he never expected the Rubik’s Cube to become a classic puzzle. The world record for solving it by a “speed cuber?” 3.13 seconds. No, it wasn’t me.
Don't trust ANYONE
There’s a classic theft tactic making the rounds once again. If someone approaches you with an “emergency” and asks to borrow your phone, don’t do it. I’ll explain why.
How did the founders of Uber come up with the idea for the company? Was it … A.) From the memorable taxi ride in the 1954 classic film “On the Waterfront,” B.) Because one of the founder’s fathers drove a shuttle service van, C.) Based on a pair of Ivy League grads who moved to Silicon Valley, or D.) Sparked by waiting for a taxi in Paris on a snowy night?
👜 This season’s hottest bag? A $3.99 Trader Joe’s insulated tote that folks are reselling for up to $100. Since launching on June 4, it’s completely sold out in stores across California. Ah, the classic “limited-time” in-store exclusive strikes again. Social media can hype up anything, including this lunchbox.
🐷 He got butchered: A 75-year-old Midwestern man is broke after giving $715,000 to a sly romance scammer. It started with a LinkedIn message but quickly turned into a classic “pig-butchering” scheme. The crook promised huge returns on investments. Hit this link to read the texts between the man and his fraudster. So very sad and so very avoidable.
Author and Austinite Nick Gray had the crazy idea to combine a blind date with a vacation — his treat. He went viral when he posted his proposal on X, and over 400 women applied. Where did he take the lucky lady: A.) Rome, B.) Tokyo, C.) Las Vegas or D.) Sydney?
Which movie holds the record for the most expensive sealed, original VHS tape ever sold? Is it … A.) “The Goonies,” B.) “Back to the Future,” C.) “E.T.” or D.) “Ghostbusters”?
🛌 True story I have to share: A friend was having trouble with his teen son playing video games too much. He decided to take the door off the kid’s bedroom. When his son came home and asked what was going on, he told him, “Son, we’ve updated the privacy policy in our home.” Classic.
There’s a new theory making the rounds on TikTok all about generational texting. The claim is that your texting technique is a solid tell for your age. So, how does Gen Z text? Is it with … A.) One thumb, C.) Two thumbs, C.) Two thumbs and an index finger, or D.) An index finger?