Post pictures of random stuff you've bought recently

[soon]

2 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

For some of the latter (early-mid 20th century) ''famous'' composers, Elgar, Stravinsky, Shostakovitch, etc., there are actually some early recordings of them conducting their own works. Many conductors are famous themselves, Toscanini, Karajan, and there is a bit of an overlap between composer and conductor. Richard Strauss for example did a lot of conducting. Movies having arrived, some of them branched-out into film work. Leonard Bernstein, who you'll know from film, did three symphonies. 

But for your 18th-19th century ''biggies'', Mozart, Beethoven, their work exists solely in notation and you rely on recordings of conductors/ensemble - for symphonies those ensembles are orchestras. Sometimes it is simply a case of recording a live performance (there are a lot of historic recordings with poor audio quality, but they are treasured because they are by somebody like Furtwängler in the '30s). More often, especially these days, conductor and orchestra put on a work specifically for recording with pristine audio quality. 

For a classical music fan - and this is where it differs from rock - you have, to select an ubiquitous work, '10 or 20 9ths'' (that is 10-20 versions of Beethoven's 9th). Because despite the notation there is a lot of variation between different recordings based on,

- tempo (quite subjective an interpretation despite being written down)

- dynamics (id)

- instrumentation (the instruments in Mozart's time were rather different than today)

- historic fidelity (some conductors believe works are capturing more a ''spirit'' of the work if they do not scientifically stick to the notation, whereas others seek to reproduce the work as much as possible)

- age and fashion (it was fashionable during the Wagnerian age and into the 20th century to do big ''Romantic'' orchestral versions of Mozart which were not very historic. Now the practice is on smaller more authentic ensembles.)

- audio quality (just the same as in rock music)

And of course the subjectivity of the listener. One man might love Karajan's 9th. One man might hate it. 

But some recordings do get a seminal ''definitive'' quality such as the Tristan und Isolde I am always raving about.

Im fuzzy on this, but didnt the composers of yesterday use a (slightly) different system of staffing the notation then what we use today, too? Meaning that composer before a certain point in history's intentions are even more opaque to the modern conductor

And I think in many cases they were composing for specific ensembles and conductors, so within the limited conveyance of the staff, they had a 'sense' of how the conductor and principal violinist would interpret it?

[soon]

Fucking excellent post, Len!!

On February 15, 2019 at 4:32 PM, Len Cnut said:

I think with every new thing it begins in the minds of a chosen few, who are often pilloried for it...before it filters down into the mainstream.  I think it disrupted fashion and...I dunno, these things always reflect their times don't they?  It was all very severe.  There comes a time when the same old just becomes remote from the reality of peoples lives.  I mean walking around mid 70s London, half the country on strike, civil and political unrest, riots and all manner of strife...and then there's all these people walking around in flares with long but neatly ordered hair talking about peace, love and macrame, it just becomes remote from the reality of peoples lives and people find themselves living a parody.

Makes sense to me. Sabbaths non hippie origins have been explained in a similar way about the image of the hippie dream seeming so far removed from the workers reality.

The point about the socio-economic landscape in the 70's is something that Right wing Muricans should look into. The 70s saw failures of capitalism and hardships for the people, the 80s saw recessions and union busting, the 90s saw slowdowns and trade deals exporting good paying jobs and the 00's saw the 2008 collapse. The only times Capital was fulfilling its promise to the people was in the 50-60's when the US had a marginal tax rate of up to 90% on the uber wealthy. That marginal tax rate coexisted with the golden age of American capitalism... Sorry, thats a tangent for a different conversation.  

On February 15, 2019 at 4:32 PM, Len Cnut said:

Perhaps a slight overstatement but a really valid point nonetheless.  I think the key difference between punk and hip hop is that hip hop kinda embraced capitalism, hip hop wanted the big flash cars and status and all that comes with it, whereas punk seemed sort of embarrassed by riches.  I've heard it argued before now that it was like a black and white thing, like hip hop was art form of black guys that came from some pretty dire poverty and as such made no bones about wanting to be rich as fuck whereas punk was more a case of like...they just wanted another way, their way, their thing, the end game wasn't really money (not that thats a bad thing entirely), it was more like...creating an identity to where you can be something because so far you're nothing.  I've often thought that maybe its like an English vs American thing, where Americans are all well up for getting rich over here people are suspicious of the rich.  America appears to be going that way too in certain aspects.  

Right on. This has me thinking a few things, will try to give my thoughts some semblance of order, lol.

So, Ive seen a lot of early rappers with Muslim names and wonder if that was, in some cases, related to the Nation of Islam? I mean in relationship to hip hop embracing capitalism, the Black Economy is a notion that is pushed by the Nation - To generate wealth and keep it in the black community. So that would be a more separatist ideal form the Civil Rights era. The Malcolm X side of the coin. With MLK on the integration and thriving in mainstream society being the other side of the coin. Im wondering if both of these manifestations of Civil Rights theory impacted the attitudes of early hip hop. Both are about thriving and getting the money. Whereas the Communist currents of the Civil Rights movement were largely dead, living as fugitives, imprisoned or trapped by the introduction of crack - like Tupac Shakers mom. Or Exiled like Tupacs aunt. COINTELPRO left mostly a pro-capitalist praxis in place in the black community just in time for the birth of Hip Hop?

With punk its odd to me. Would it be wrong to say that punk started as a business venture? An artistic and iconoclastic one, but a business none the less? The fashion, the clothing stores, a band created by a businessman?

I get what you mean about a British/ American different outlooks on financial success.

On February 15, 2019 at 4:32 PM, Len Cnut said:

All in all I think there's a lot to that anti-materialistic shit.  I mean money is good, its OK but to me its kinda like...just a whim thing, something that can facilitate a laugh (and keep the rain off your back, which is always good) but I think there's good reason to be concerned about a generation such as mine that was kinda raised with this idea that money is everything, from growing up in the 80s in the yuppie era to hip hop culture becoming the foremost pop culture that kinda has this thing where money is like...God.  I think that anti-materialism has a really important function in the sphere of art, I think its a catalyst.  The flipside of that is people who have tasted true poverty don't give a shit for all this theorizing, when you come from the shit you wanna get out of it, its that simple.  

A bit of puritanism is good too, as long as its kept in check.  Its really interesting that poor American black people response to poverty was, initially at least, party music and poor white English working class peoples response to poverty (this is labouring under the presumption that punk was an entirely working class concern which is a falsehood) is angry resentful music.  They have a great deal in common though, hip hop eventually became like, y'know, what The Clash called 'news giving music', like we're talking about whats happening now, here, in our lives, its sociological, political, with a capital as well as a lower case P.  

The worrying thing about hip hop is that, in embracing riches as it has done, it has become to value riches, the modern hip hop artist is an astute businessman, they talk about investments, marketing, maximising revenue etc etc etc  What began as wanting to rise above ones circumstances and get riches and rising above oppressive circumstances has sort of turned into like...The Apprentice.  Punk, for all its cynicism, at its heart was very idealistic.  The Clash, in moaning about their circumstances were calling for a better way, The Sex Pistols in bellowing about 'your future dream is a shopping scheme' were kind of highlighting something they felt was fucked up.  There's ideas of integrity and a sort of morality behind it all.  Whereas hip hop is really deeply cynical, it kinda wants to be the head dick in charge for its own sake and I think eventually the culture suffers because it turns the art form into something you use to become, I dunno, a mogul or something.  

Fuck yeah, great insights!

I heard an interview with the director of this doc on radical hip hop and hip hops origins in resistance, recently. Sounds great. I just started it watching. Thought you might enjoy it too.

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by soon

[DieselDaisy]

1 hour ago, Oldest Goat said:

That sucks so we'll never hear it properly.

Well we'll never be 100% but there is some wonderful ''historically informed performances''. We however will not here exactly how classical opera sounded because of the demise of the castrati!! Those roles are given to female sopranos these days. 

[Gracii Guns]

On 16/02/2019 at 7:53 PM, DieselDaisy said:

We however will not here exactly how classical opera sounded because of the demise of the castrati!! Those roles are given to female sopranos these days. 

 

Feminism just ruined everything for men, didn't it?! They can't even have their testicles removed as infants anymore. 

In all sincerity, thank you for the insight of recording and interpreting classical music. That makes a lot of sense. I feel a bit wiser now. 
 

[Dazey]

14 minutes ago, Gracii Guns said:

Feminism just ruined everything for men, didn't it?! They can't even have their testicles removed as infants anymore. 

Nah, now we just wait until marriage.  

[Len Cnut]

26 minutes ago, Gracii Guns said:

Feminism just ruined everything for men, didn't it?! They can't even have their testicles removed as infants anymore. 

In all sincerity, thank you for the insight of recording and interpreting classical music. That makes a lot of sense. I feel a bit wiser now. 
 

Thank me as well, if i hadn’t’ve asked him no one would’ve heard nothing, i want some credit...and a chocolate biscuit.

[Gracii Guns]

Just now, Len Cnut said:

Thank me as well, if i hadn’t’ve asked him no one would’ve heard nothing, i want some credit...and a chocolate biscuit.

You knows I loves you, baby.

[Len Cnut]

I suddenly wanna watch Kojak

[Slapshot61]

One of  Slash's old peddle board case. Just noticed it.

 

[soon]

T Fal Intuition Jumbo Saute Pan. Over 50% off 

Odd that it's called "Intuition" when its main calling card is a red dot in the pan that tells you when the pan is preheated . Its heavy.

 

Trail Cam.

Mountable cam with motion activated single shot, triple shot, panoramic, night vision and video. Also Time-lapse. The model that I bought has mini sd storage. Its not a very intuitive set-up process, I actually quit on my first attempt. That, along with a slightly fuzzy monitor, must be why this is an affordable model, because otherwise its quality with a solid build and weight. The pics taken off it look great on screens.

Edited May 10, 2019 by soon

[Dazey]

32 minutes ago, soon said:

T Fal Intuition Jumbo Saute Pan. Over 50% off 

Odd thats its called "Intuition" when its main calling card is a red dot in the pan that tells you when the pan is preheated . Its heavy.

I went through a phase of buying expensive pans but my wife doesn’t understand that you can turn a stove down to less than hellfire setting and thus I’ve had to chuck them all in the fucking bin. 

[soon]

25 minutes ago, Dazey said:

I went through a phase of buying expensive pans but my wife doesn’t understand that you can turn a stove down to less than hellfire setting and thus I’ve had to chuck them all in the fucking bin. 

Sorry to laugh, but Im kinda coming from the opposite side of things. Because I was using only cast iron for a while, for environmental reasons, but somethings like omelettes are tricky to clean from a cast iron. Especially if they are under seasoned, which I am sometimes guilty of. So, I'd ruin your cast iron given enough time, lol. This one fully recyclable at least. 

You need this one with the idiot proof  lovely wife-proof red dot heat indicator!

Edited May 9, 2019 by soon

[Dazey]

49 minutes ago, soon said:

You need this one with the idiot proof  lovely wife-proof red dot heat indicator!

I suspect she’d just see it as a challenge.  

Seriously though, I spent a fortune on a LeCreuset omelette pan a couple of years ago. Something like this. 

https://www.lecreuset.co.uk/toughened-non-stick-shallow-frying-pan

i swear she incinerated it within a week.  

Edited May 9, 2019 by Dazey

[SoulMonster]

Loving it. This outlet had a free bike give-away if you bought something else and we decided to go for this robot vacuumer. We thought we didn't really need it, since we have people who come and clean for us, but we couldn't find anything else that we needed more and this thing appealed to both my inner nerd and need for cleanliness. I loooooove it. It scares the shit out of the dog, but that is just a plus. It takes a trip round the house once every day when we are at work/school and then we come home to clean floors and possible the robot stuck somewhere, which is also oddly pleasing. Now and then I carry it to a room/floor that needs some extra work and starts the hapless slavebot. The humming and whirring sounds is relaxing in a transcedental way. It also stops from falling down stairs because of sensors - the first times I was standing underneath in case they  didn't work properly, but it has yet to take the dive. Amazing. Love it. 

 

[Dazey]

23 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Loving it. This outlet had a free bike give-away if you bought something else and we decided to go for this robot vacuumer. We thought we didn't really need it, since we have people who come and clean for us, but we couldn't find anything else that we needed more and this thing appealed to both my inner nerd and need for cleanliness. I loooooove it. It scares the shit out of the dog, but that is just a plus. It takes a trip round the house once every day when we are at work/school and then we come home to clean floors and possible the robot stuck somewhere, which is also oddly pleasing. Now and then I carry it to a room/floor that needs some extra work and starts the hapless slavebot. The humming and whirring sounds is relaxing in a transcedental way. It also stops from falling down stairs because of sensors - the first times I was standing underneath in case they  didn't work properly, but it has yet to take the dive. Amazing. Love it. 

 

How does you’re wife feel having a cold, dispassionate, unfeeling automaton wandering around the house all day?

Also what does she think of the vacuum cleaner?  

[-W.A.R-]

Wait till that thing hits a dog turd.

[Sosso]

[Bansidhe]

[Len Cnut]

I think I fucked up my fuckin’ vape thing, I need to get another one.  The problem with these fuckin’ things is I dunno how to work em, all these settings and shit, its like a fuckin’ ray gun or some shit.

[Dazey]

40 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

I think I fucked up my fuckin’ vape thing, I need to get another one.  The problem with these fuckin’ things is I dunno how to work em, all these settings and shit, its like a fuckin’ ray gun or some shit.

I think the problem with it is that you’re a fuckin’ bender who can’t handle the proper fags.  

[Len Cnut]

48 minutes ago, Dazey said:

I think the problem with it is that you’re a fuckin’ bender who can’t handle the proper fags.  

Sure cant for 11 quid a pack, fuck that   I bet you couldn’t take a lug on my vape, 18mg of nicotine, I’ve seen it make people puke  

[Gracii Guns]

HP Officejet A3 printer. Something I certainly don't need, but an acquaintance offered it as a freebie. It will benefit my business. 

[janrichmond]

5 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

Sure cant for 11 quid a pack, fuck that   I bet you couldn’t take a lug on my vape, 18mg of nicotine, I’ve seen it make people puke  

I'm on 18mg but i have a small £20 vape, the only difference being the about of 'smoke' you produce. It's perfect for stealth vaping too. 

Actually I have 5 of these as i'm paranoid about them running out and being vapeless.

[Gordon Comstock]

Figured it was time to stop using hand-me-down, already-almost-broken vacuum cleaners, so I went and bought a decent cordless Dyson one.

 

 

[Len Cnut]

1 hour ago, janrichmond said:

I'm on 18mg but i have a small £20 vape, the only difference being the about of 'smoke' you produce. It's perfect for stealth vaping too. 

Actually I have 5 of these as i'm paranoid about them running out and being vapeless.

I fuckin' hate all this space age bollocks, all these settings and ohms and watts, I can't make head nor tail of it, I just wanna push the sodding button and take a massive chung of that good poisonous nicotine, why do they have to turn everything into the fuckin' dashboard of the Starship Enterprise til you need a fuckin' degree in I.T. just to make the cunt go.