Monday 29 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Eiszauber – Solomun & Stimming

Eiszauber – Solomun & Stimming

What constitutes fame keeps being diluted

My niece informed me that she is dating a boy. She also informed me that his dad is famous. Well. A famous person! Who could it be? A noted captain of industry? A celebrated author of books? A feted stalwart of broadcasting? A lauded performer of music? An honoured doctor of science?

“He makes videos of himself eating stuff on YouTube. He has one where he eats a jar of pickles, and another one where he eats a jar of Nutella. He makes a living from it.”

Wow! We really are living in the end times. I’m not sure what does my head in more. That someone can make a living eating a jar of something if they video tape it or that people spend their valuable time watching this or that doing this now apparently constitutes fame.

Sunday 21 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Cold Sun – CHVRN

Cold Sun – CHVRN

Panoramic Photos of the Sacred Geometry of Iran’s Mosques

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji is a 23 year old physics student from northern Iran, interested in panoramic and architecture photography. His beautiful photos celebrate the sacred geometry of Iran’s mosques.
Nasir-Al-Mulk Mosque 
Seyyed Mosque
Vakil Mosque

http://gravity.ir/galleries/architecture/

Bibliophilia: Barbarian Lord – Matt Smith

Barbarian Lord – Matt Smith

Love the art, love the story. Take some Beowulf, some Conan, some Tolkien, throw in a good dose of Norse mythology and Icelandic sagas, and what you end up with is this thoroughly enjoyable yarn. A warrior poet, cheated out of his farm by the evil Skullmaster and his witch consort, goes on a quest to reclaim it. Along the way he encounters ghouls and trolls, berserkers and sea monsters. Much hacking, smashing, lopping and slashing takes place. Different pairs of birds observe his progress and provide commentary to fill in the gaps. Fun for kids and adults. And the good news is that it appears more is bubbling in the cauldron.

www.barbarianlord.com 

Saturday 20 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Sempiternal – Clubroot

Sempiternal – Clubroot

While I think most “dubstep” is the hair metal of the 2010s, every once in a while I hear something cited as a defining influence, and it makes me not hate it so much.

Tuesday 16 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - When They Come For Me – Linkin Park

When They Come For Me – Linkin Park

After listening to and liking Meteora over a decade ago, for whatever reason, I really haven’t checked out anything else they’ve done. Was browsing at the library and came across A Thousand Suns. This was the standout track for me.

Monday 15 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Once Again (Red Snapper Remix) – Hang Massive

Once Again (Red Snapper Remix) – Hang Massive

This utilizes a Hang drum. Fantastic piece of music!

Hitchcraft – Fenix E12 Ring Fob

My new Fenix E12 was mentioned as playing a helpful role in this happy story.

I’m sure arguments have raged for years on CandlePowerForums over which battery is the best, but I just gravitate towards lights that run on commonly available / rechargeable AA or AAA batteries. (18650 and CR123 batteries aren’t going to be found if I have to stop at a gas station along a highway in northern Ontario.) And I’m especially a fan of single AA lights. Maybe not the brightest, or the longest run time, for my needs they’re okay.

I have been a very happy user of a Fenix L1D for years, but wanted another, similar light.

I had been carrying this around in various pockets since getting it, intending to whip up a pouch for it. I also had grand schemes to take lots of photographs before I put this fobby, ringy thing on it. Like the pouch, neither idea was realized.

The fobby, ringy thing was realized this afternoon, and the pouch will be soon as well.
Details for all the flashaholics. 

Runs on one 1.5V AA battery, which powers a Cree XP-E2 LED with a 50,000 hour lifespan. Made of aircraft-grade aluminum with a Type III hard-anodized finish. It’s 90mm (3.54") long, with a 19mm (0.75") diameter, and a weight of 28.5gm (1.0 oz) without the battery. (1 AA cell can weigh between 15 g (0.81 oz) to 31 g (1.1 oz) ).Pressing the tail cap all the way down clicks the flashlight on or off. When it comes on it is at its lowest setting, 8 lumens, which will run for 40 hours on a Ni-MH and 22 hours with an alkaline battery. A tap on the tail cap, bumps it up to the mid level, 50 lumens which runs for 6½ hours on a Ni-MH and 3½ hours with an alkaline battery. Another tap bumps it up to its highest setting level, 130 lumens, which runs for 1½ hours on a Ni-MH and 1 hour with an alkaline battery. It’s digitally regulated, meaning that the the power drawn from the battery remains at a constant the whole time. No slowly waning light over a long time. Bright, even light for a given period, and then it dies. The maximum distance the light will reach out to is 88 meters (289'). It is rated to survive a drop from 1 meter (3.3'), and has an IPX-8 rating to be waterproof to a depth of 2 meters for 30 minutes.

Unlike the L1D I have, only one side of the light opens up, the bottom (light end).There is no tail cap switch out, but the, end you open to get at the battery takes care of that by rotating it slightly. No strobe or SOS function, but lightly tapping the tail switch, makes for a rudimentary strobe.

Goes for around the $30 mark.
The ring fob serves as a tactile indicator, both what it is and which end it is, to pull it from a pouch or pocket, and as a more secure way to hold it. I can grasp it to shine on something, but I can also drop it, still retain it, and do whatever I need to do with my fingers.
 8 lumens.
130 lumens.
It can be hooked over either the forefinger or thumb, although I prefer the forefinger.
Here you can see a flaw where the grey Spectra cord I used as a base shows through. Two loops worth that I sewed together side by side, since I didn’t want to have a bump from a knot in it. Covered that with neon orange micro-cord in a solomon bar or cobra knot.
Some views of several indented rings, beveled areas on the tube and areas of knurling that make it a very grippable light.

If there is a drawback to this addition, it’s that I can’t stand it up on the tail now. Not that was ever really a consideration, so the drawback is a very minor one.

If you look really closely you can see where some of the anodizing has been damaged by several weeks/months of being carried around in pockets with keys, lighters, etc. Putting the split ring on the back also marred it a little bit. I don’t mind, expect it, and if I wanted a pristine light I would leave it in the packaging in a safe. I get lights to use them and expect them to get dinged up.

So far this has been another terrific little light from Fenix. Light, as in the weight sense. Bright. Several very useful modes. Nothing it doesn’t need. Fits easily in a pocket or pouch. Good self defence item. Runs on a battery type that is utterly ubiquitous, and can be had in rechargeables. $30. Added a ring fob to it which makes it even better. Also shows off my Netherlandic pride and makes it easy to find if I drop it.

Saturday 13 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Les Pensées – The Architect

Les Pensées – The Architect

“Imagine the cranium’s shape, its thickness, its hardness. Compare the mental plan to a theater scene where characters are evolving. They are the pictures, the thoughts. Order those actors to withdraw, and keep only one picture. Install yourself in this thought and from this moment, stop doing and start being.”

Thursday 11 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - What’s Up – Ed Rush

What’s Up – Ed Rush

While for the most part I like music that is a bit more mellow. I do however harbour a very large soft spot for the granite hard stylings of one Ed Rush and his cohorts. That mid 90’s tech step they were largely responsible for - a dark, nightmarish milieu in which to construct jaw dropping beat and bass concoctions - was so great. I can’t be in the mood for it very often, but every so often those jack hammering beats and that rumbling bass really hits the spot.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Monday 8 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - The Light House – Addex

The Light House – Addex

A lot more chillaxed than what I was expecting from these, generally, purveyors of deep grooves. But that’s not at all a bad thing. In fact, this is a very good thing.

Sunday 7 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Infinity – Masato Hatanaka

Infinity – Masato Hatanaka

This is actually a commercial done by WOW in Japan for Citizen Watches to display in their booth at 2009’s BASELWORLD, the big international watch and jewelry trade show in Basel, Switzerland. Like the music, love the visuals.

7 Ways You Can Spot a Predator

So a new guy showed up at work and something seemed a bit off about him. Couldn’t entirely place my finger on it at first. Began to notice things, the way he interacted with women, and the check marks went up next to this list in my brain. All the boxes were checked. Multiple check marks went up beside each box.

Went to my boss. Told him point blank to get rid of him. And he did.

Please consider sharing this. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this could save someone you love from a lot of misery. Or worse. 

Learn to recognize these signs!

7 Ways You Can Spot a Predator

In his highly recommended book “The Gift of Fear”, author Gavin De Becker offers seven ‘Survival Signals’ to help you recognize a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The technical term is PINS (Pre-Incident Indicators).

1) Forced Teaming. This is when a person implies that he has something in common with his chosen victim, acting as if they have a shared predicament when that isn’t really true. Speaking in “we” terms is a mark of this, i.e. “Oh....we missed the bus. Now what are we going to do?”

2) Charm and Niceness. This is being polite and friendly to a chosen victim in order to manipulate him or her by disarming their mistrust.

3) Too many details. If a person is lying they will add excessive details to make themselves sound more credible to their chosen victim.

4) Typecasting. An insult is used to get a chosen victim who would otherwise ignore one to engage in conversation to counteract the insult. For example: “Oh, I bet you’re too stuck-up to talk to a guy like me.” The tendency is for the chosen victim to want to prove the insult untrue.

5) Loan Sharking. Giving unsolicited help to the chosen victim and anticipating they’ll feel obliged to extend some reciprocal openness in return.

6) The Unsolicited Promise. A promise to do (or not do) something when no such promise is asked for; this usually means that such a promise will be broken. For example: an unsolicited, “I promise I’ll leave you alone after this,” usually means the chosen victim will not be left alone. Similarly, an unsolicited “I promise I won’t hurt you” usually means the person intends to hurt their chosen victim.

7) Discounting the Word “No”. Refusing to accept rejection.

Another article that delves into this a little bit more.

Saturday 6 December 2014

Friday 5 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Faded (ODESZA Remix) – ZHU

Faded (ODESZA Remix) – ZHU

I really hate the message conveyed in the vocal, but this is undeniably catchy. From 2:15 to 2:45 is an almost perfectly crafted bit of tune.

Thursday 4 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Free – The Moody Boys

Free – The Moody Boys

From 1990. Wow. I know they sample “A Serious Thing” by Horace Andy, but I don’t know who or what the female operatic sample is.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

S.o.t.D. - Transient – Synkro

Transient – Synkro

Holy moly is this ever good! Everything Synkro does is incredible. That spacey sound he gets, the funk that envelops it all, the insanely crisp beats, that booming bass drum, that sinuous bass, the perfect tempo, the distant vocal snippets, those layered sounds, those warm vinyl crackles that blend in and out that he uses as sound elements in their own random way — absolutely magical. Sound of an orgasm.

Ferrofluid 01

Well worth watching in HD and full screen. Jawdropping.

Bibliophilia - 1982 – Jian Ghomeshi

1982 – Jian Ghomeshi

Just don’t read this book.

I borrowed it a few months ago from my sister and it was an okay read. I tried to catch the author’s CBC radio show as often as I could, generally always enjoyed it, and thought I’d give this a go. The memoir of a dorky, new wave music obsessed teenager in an Ontario suburb in the early 80’s, there were a lot of cultural touchstones I identified with. He’s literally a week older than me, and I could relate to much of what he wrote about.

It isn’t a horrible book, but it certainly isn’t the best thing you’ll ever read either. If he wasn’t the host of a popular radio show, would many have read it? Likely not.

But what really compels me to say “Just don’t read this book” are the recent revelations about his behaviour off the air. In case any one reading this is unaware, the author was accused by multiple female sources of being a creep at best, and a violent rapist at worst. I can’t recall a fall from grace so shocking, so swift and so spectacular. After being fired from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, being utterly vilified everywhere, about a week ago, he was charged by Toronto Police with four counts of sexual assault, and a rarely used charge, “overcome resistance – choking”.


I have a serious hate on for rapists, and while you would be correct to say that he has been charged and not convicted, I still think no one else read his book. Don’t even borrow it from the library, don’t even buy it from the remainder bin - fuck him. Just don’t give him the satisfaction of reading it. You won’t be missing much, and shitstains that hurt women should be ostracized.