Random randomness

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:18 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:09 pm I thought records were just a hipster fad. Guess its a bit more.

LINK

973,000 vinyl LPs were sold in the week ending Dec. 19 -- a new single-week Nielsen Music-era record.

Isn't that like 1985 levels of sales?

LPs are coming back, apparently.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:31 pm

Its strange to me to see this. To me I lived through records and its a step backwards in tech. I never cared for the hissing or the popping from records in my life. Must be something that these kids born after records enjoy about it. Off hand I cant think of any other tech where people stopped using the newer one to go to an older format of it. It would be like going back to CRT tvs or Propeller airliners....or horse and buggies.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:36 pm

I used to hate getting scratches in my records and I'm not anal enough to prevent them. I loved it when CD's came out (though I managed to scratch a few of them as well).

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:42 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:31 pm Its strange to me to see this. To me I lived through records and its a step backwards in tech. I never cared for the hissing or the popping from records in my life.

Except that it's not. It depends a lot on how the music is produced. One of the complaints that I've heard a lot regarding CDs (though I don't know if it is still true), is that the music is often compressed so that the highs and lows are lost. This can dramatically change the overall sound. Also, the pops and hissing are not part of vinyl pressings. More likely they are due to poor maintenance and/or poor quality components.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:56 pm

Retro tech has been popular for a while. Retro consoles (like the NES Classic) were huge sellers. Pixel graphics are and old-school gameplay are popular in video games. Tabletop RPGs have been experiencing an old school revival (Dungeon Crawl Classics, OSR, etc.) The 80s as setting have been huge (Ready Player One, Stranger Things, Wonder Woman 1984, etc.)

I'm sure we could spend hours debating all of the social and cultural factors, everything from the age of the creators to the disconnection of modern tech to the stresses of modern politics and global warming.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:09 pm

All that aside records are still a physical thing where a metal needle slides along a plastic groove and makes sound from bumps.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:13 pm

Speaking of retro....... having ridden in olde (1930s to 1950s) cars and having driven olde cars now I fail to see the interest to drive these things.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:27 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:42 pm
Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:31 pm Its strange to me to see this. To me I lived through records and its a step backwards in tech. I never cared for the hissing or the popping from records in my life.
Except that it's not. It depends a lot on how the music is produced. One of the complaints that I've heard a lot regarding CDs (though I don't know if it is still true), is that the music is often compressed so that the highs and lows are lost. This can dramatically change the overall sound. Also, the pops and hissing are not part of vinyl pressings. More likely they are due to poor maintenance and/or poor quality components.

'loudness war'-level of crummy mixing and mastering on CDs is certainly a pervasive practice and are a reason why i don't buy certain releases from certain artists (consult http://dr.loudness-war.info/ and the steve hoffman music forums for more info on this), but there's a perception among some people that vinyl has _better_ sound quality than anything else because it's 'truly analog'. i feel that's absolute nonsense, but apparently LPs have an inherent 'pleasing-sounding distortion' or some such thing to the human ear. i still think it's silly, but if it keeps physical music releases alive and available, then i'm for it.

the truly hipster sound technology is audio cassette. i see them at shows a lot now. and yeah, i bought one just this year...

and the used CD market has never been more affordable. i can get them for a small portion of the price of a lossy digital download - and a fraction of the cost of a new vinyl record - and rip them to a HDD at better quality than either of the above.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:54 pm

Always liked cassettes myself. Guess it was because they became main when i was a teen. Of course I had 8-track in the 70s along with records but cassettes were always my main format. Yes ff and rw is tedious and I probably couldn't stand it now

All my cassettes got old..the foam rotted, the tapes became brittle. I tossed them all....and I hate that I did that. Had some major albums in that collection. Some amazing memories.Wonderful times.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 6:13 pm

TheMix wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:42 pm One of the complaints that I've heard a lot regarding CDs (though I don't know if it is still true), is that the music is often compressed so that the highs and lows are lost. This can dramatically change the overall sound. Also, the pops and hissing are not part of vinyl pressings. More likely they are due to poor maintenance and/or poor quality components.

Redbook (aka CD Audio) does not specify compression. MP3 on the other hand, *does* compress music.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:28 pm

Can’t sleep, Monday will find me.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:37 am

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 6:13 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:42 pm One of the complaints that I've heard a lot regarding CDs (though I don't know if it is still true), is that the music is often compressed so that the highs and lows are lost. This can dramatically change the overall sound. Also, the pops and hissing are not part of vinyl pressings. More likely they are due to poor maintenance and/or poor quality components.
Redbook (aka CD Audio) does not specify compression. MP3 on the other hand, *does* compress music.

dynamic range compression, not audio data compression:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:04 am

It sounds like that is more an issue of intentional processing than an effect of the medium (this coming from a non-audiophile.)

MonkeyFinger · Post by **MonkeyFinger** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:47 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:09 pm All that aside records are still a physical thing where a metal needle slides along a plastic groove and makes sound from bumps.

Coincidentally, a friend of mine sent me this link over the weekend:

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:28 am

Oh.

The most used word in my vocabulary.
Because of my piss poor condition I say "oh" every time I get up from sitting or sleeping.
I also say it when people surprise me with saying something so stupid it's hard to believe.
Like my step children or wife.

"Oh" well.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:59 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:28 pm Can’t sleep, Monday will find me.

Did Monday find Isg, or is he still back in Sunday?

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:43 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 3:09 pm All that aside records are still a physical thing where a metal needle slides along a plastic groove and makes sound from bumps.

Yes this.

Records are analog, the sound is being made by recording the vibrations as wiggles in physical media, and played back by physically following those wiggles. Since sound itself is made of vibrations, its a very raw and visceral form of recording, possibly the best way of reproducing the original sound.

Modern formats turn the sound into bits of data, and then reconstruct that data back into sound.The machines doing their best to imitate the sound, some machines are better than others. But its still a machine translating the vibrations into bits of digital code and then translating it back.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:52 am

Cool video.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:59 am

AWS260 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:59 am
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:28 pm Can’t sleep, Monday will find me.
Did Monday find Isg, or is he still back in Sunday?

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:04 pm

Been watching for the UPS truck this morn. When he did run I barely noticed. If not for my dog barking and him stopping across the street too id have missed it. I didn't hear a knock. They did something nice though. Instead of walking up onto the porch and coming to the door to leave the package in plain site of the road they instead stopped at the steps and reach to the right and put it behind the side railing and also behind another object from the road. So it was not being seen at all. In fact I almost missed it as I was looking near the door. If not for the wrapping on it I mighta missed it.. Nice of them. Think Ill compliment them if theres a way.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:24 pm

Sauerkraut Ice Cream

https://www.wrcbtv.com/clip/14976425/a- ... -ice-cream

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:09 pm

I told some guy on the phone today I had agoraphobia.....the fear of Greek marketplaces.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:41 pm

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:09 pm I told some guy on the phone today I had agoraphobia.....the fear of Greek marketplaces.

I thought it was fear of cashmere sweaters.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:44 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:41 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:09 pm I told some guy on the phone today I had agoraphobia.....the fear of Greek marketplaces.
I thought it was fear of cashmere sweaters.

That's Angorraphobia. You're thinking of the fear of the Roman general that defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:53 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:44 pm
Jaymann wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:41 pm
dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:09 pm I told some guy on the phone today I had agoraphobia.....the fear of Greek marketplaces.
I thought it was fear of cashmere sweaters.
That's Angorraphobia. You're thinking of the fear of the Roman general that defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.

Get a grippa on yourself, that guy was badass.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:35 pm

My big dog's fur thickens up so much for the winter. I wish my head of hair would thicken up.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:59 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:04 pm Been watching for the UPS truck this morn. When he did run I barely noticed. If not for my dog barking and him stopping across the street too id have missed it. I didn't hear a knock. They did something nice though. Instead of walking up onto the porch and coming to the door to leave the package in plain site of the road they instead stopped at the steps and reach to the right and put it behind the side railing and also behind another object from the road. So it was not being seen at all. In fact I almost missed it as I was looking near the door. If not for the wrapping on it I mighta missed it.. Nice of them. Think Ill compliment them if theres a way.

I go out of my way to meet my mail and UPS and Amazon (etc) deliverers when I can. They're people, and if you treat them like neighbors they'll go out of their way to do the same. (Plus they're under a lot of corporate pressure to do otherwise.)

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:27 pm

I live upstairs at the top of a long set of very narrow, very steep stairs with an overhang at one point that is about four and a half feet high. After making delivery guys haul stuff up for years to get to my door, and after hearing "*BONK* Fuck!" a few times, I put a sign downstairs addressed to UPS/FedEX/USPS that says, essentially, "My stairs suck. Leave stuff inside the bottom door and I'll haul it up myself."

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:12 pm

The local Amazon distribution center is building a pneumatic tube to our house because it's cheaper than sending the van three times a day. Wife gets her money's worth out of our Prime account.

morlac · Post by **morlac** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:28 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:12 pm The local Amazon distribution center is building a pneumatic tube to our house because it's cheaper than sending the van three times a day. Wife gets her money's worth out of our Prime account.

This is pretty much us as well. I'm surprised they haven't just parked a drone at our house since my wife returns half of what she buys as well.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:44 pm

glad I'm not alone

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:17 am

Me: "You know you could walk to CVS and pick all that stuff up at once."
Wife: "Or I can click three times and there's no place like home."
Me: ...

In all fairness, I buy everything online, too. I just don't buy much.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 2:08 am

I decided I need new glasses, but instead of paying $100 to an optometrist, or trying to find a vendor that'll take my insurance (I can still do that) I decided to try something new: EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker. It's basically an at-home eye exam that gets you your eye prescription, after multiple tests, using their device and your smartphone.

And I am quite surprised that it works.

I did the test 3 times, as required, to get a prescription. I typed the prescription into Zenni Optical online, and I got my glasses today. it works VERY well. My distance vision usually has a slight blur to it, but now it's completely clear. Unfortunately, it doesn't help me viewing my monitor at my desk, or even closer vision. *sigh*

In the new year, I'll try to find an optometrist that takes my insurance, and see if his prescription matches the one I got from this thingie.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 2:28 am

I'm not sure but I think there's a Grimm hanging around out front.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:16 am

One of the brothers?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 4:35 am

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 2:08 am My distance vision usually has a slight blur to it, but now it's completely clear. Unfortunately, it doesn't help me viewing my monitor at my desk, or even closer vision. *sigh*

Sounds like you either need reading glasses or bifocals.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:02 am

Jaymann wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:16 am One of the brothers?

No, THE Grimm.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:24 am

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:38 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 4:35 am
Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 2:08 am My distance vision usually has a slight blur to it, but now it's completely clear. Unfortunately, it doesn't help me viewing my monitor at my desk, or even closer vision. *sigh*

Sounds like you either need reading glasses or bifocals.

True, I got one or two of those "flex vision" thingies (basically pre-set progressive lenses) and they haven't quite helped. *sigh*

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:42 am

Reuters

Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape a “rigged” justice system in Japan, raising questions about how one of the world’s most-recognized executives had slipped away while on bail.
...
It was unclear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was able to orchestrate his departure from Japan. He had been under strict surveillance by authorities while out on bail and had surrendered his passports.

According to a senior Lebanese foreign ministry source, Ghosn entered Lebanon legally on a French passport and using his Lebanese ID with normal security procedures. People familiar with the matter told Reuters he had arrived in Beirut on a private jet from Istanbul on Monday.

The French and Lebanese foreign ministries both said they were not aware of the circumstances of his journey.
...
While his arrest on financial misconduct charges last year ensured a dramatic fall from grace in Japan, he retains more popularity in Lebanon, where billboards saying “We are all Carlos Ghosn” were erected in his support and he was previously featured on a postage stamp.

Born in Brazil of Lebanese ancestry, Ghosn grew up in Beirut and has retained close ties to Lebanon.
...
Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018, shortly after his private jet touched down at the airport. He faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East.

Nissan sacked him as chairman saying internal investigations revealed misconduct including understating his salary while he was its chief executive, and transferring $5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.

The case sparked international criticism of Japan’s justice system, in which 99.9 percent of people charged with crimes are convicted and defence lawyers are prohibited from being present during interrogations that can last eight hours a day.