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Although they are shrouded, the mains transformers of that amp are very close to the deck and cartridge. Reminds me of a problem I had back quite a number of years with an Audio Research power amp I had. It was right in the bottom of the rack, as far away from the deck as possible. But when playing a record, an annoying background hum. Then without the deck revolving, I put the stylus down - hum. It was mechanical. The mains transformer was vibrating and shaking the whole rack. This was Audio Research's design booboo. Designed for US 60Hz, in the UK at 50Hz the transformer takes 60/50 times more current, and starts to saturate a bit. And it therefore mechanically vibrates at 50Hz. And vibrates the whole hundredweight of amp. Hauled it out of the rack - not easy given its weight - and put it on a separate platform - bliss - silence.

Depends, do you have a bottle of Mac 30 and small hands?

Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994) https://album.link/i/1046187510 Example: A bit of 1994 tunes for a Tuesday afternoon. I knew the title track and of course his version of Hallelujah, but I didn't know this as a full album. Very good. Lots of different tones and styles and plays with dynamics nicely. And I have to say, just sounds like good music, it does not seem grounded or stuck in the 90s. At least to my ears.

Are you sure that's what they were laughing at?

I was ironically referring to the low humidity in Sacramento, which makes the extreme heat sooo much more bearable. Not just climates, microclimates. https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/digital-exclusives/why-does-california-have-so-many-microclimates/ Especially in The Bay Area https://www.kqed.org/news/11827882/why-does-the-bay-area-have-so-many-microclimates Although Redwood City will claim ("by government test") they have the best.

Wait until it hits 110 degrees in the shade! Hottest summer I ever spent was when I worked at the capital during college. And I had to wear a suit to work. 🥵

Sacramento is a nice place to live, but learning to deal with to the heat here vs. the coastal weather of the Bay Area is a big adjustment. I keep getting my butt absolutely kicked on hikes that I’d have no problem with if it were cooler. I’d estimate there is something like a 15-20% difference in effort required to do outdoor activity at 65F near the coast vs. doing at 90F inland. I think the body just has to spend a lot more energy keeping itself cool. Thankfully I am bringing plenty of water. A nice cold Gatorade at a gas station after hours hiking out in the sun also really hits the spot.

Inside those hawser cables is actually bell wire🤡

That's a beautiful piece! My parents were racist. They'd never admit to that, and probably actually believe that they were not racist. But I grew up in a house where the "N" word was used often. I remember my Mom telling me not to make friends with Black kids in school, because they couldn't be trusted. Even though I understood from an early age that way of thinking was wrong, some of that prejudice is bound to seep through. That's why racism is so prevalent. Because it's passed on through generations, because kids think their parents have the answers. My oldest Brother was my moral compass throughout my childhood and still today. He taught me to disregard that ideology, and that our parents were just wrong. I fought that ideology, sometimes to the backlash of my parents. Through the years my Father became less and less racist. I know that was a hard thing for him, as his parents were even more racist than he was. I'll never forget the day my Father happily helped my gay, Black friend fix the brakes on his car. That was a highpoint for me. It's amazing watching your parents grow up. My Mother is better, but still says absolutely stupid, racist shit from time to time. I don't let those moments pass, and that does piss her off. Too bad. I'll never stop. I recognize that some of that stupid shit seeped into me at an early age. I also recognize that I have the education to rationalize how ridiculous those ideas are. I've had 4 Black roommates, all at different times in my life. That drove my Mother crazy. She couldn't understand it. I sought out those roommates on purpose. They were friends first, but when the opportunity came to share an apartment, I chose to do so to help my own growth and understanding. I wanted to counter my upbringing. I definitely believe it helped me push back against not only my parents ideas, but all of my Texas relatives racist views that I was also subjected to in my childhood. Some of whom would flabbergast you with their pure hate towards other races. It's OK to grow up with those ideas. It's immoral not to fight back against those ideas.

Are you sure that isn't what made you sick?

Especially Señor Mouse! Cheers, both.

My two favorite cameras. F/3.5 vs 1.7, at 28mm.

I did a couple of mountain bike rides north of Phoenix in July back in the day. It was so hot even the coyotes just watched and laughed at our hubris.

Won’t have to wait long. FML.

There's no shame in being ignorant. There's only shame in staying ignorant.

Firstly, thank you for sharing your story Steve. I am so, so sorry that you had to endure that pain throughout your life. I've never understood the violent expression of that kind of hatred toward another person. Personally, I have had many gay friends all my life, from high-school & long since into adulthood. I've always been a close friend & an ally. This month, I think of my mother's 85y/o cousin who passed-away just a few weeks ago. She had moved to Green Bay many years ago to live with her "friend" - a Catholic nun. Although most of us understood their relationship, her sexuality was never discussed openly amongst family (not that we necessarily should have). But I was always sad that she felt she had to move so far away from family to live her authentic self. Today, I have nieces & nephews in their twenties who are openly gay/trans, and am glad my family as a whole embrace them as they are. Maybe that's a sign that there has been progress & this is a better time. Let's hope.

I'm just so happy to see how young people today have it easier than my generation did. And that also makes me so thankful for generations before me, that really had it hard, but persevered anyway. My Grandmother had a Cousin who way gay. She condemned gay people as much as anyone of her time did, but for some reason she had a place in her heart for her Cousin Ray. He was a hand model in NYC. He met a man named Terry in his early twenties, and their relationship outlasted my Grandparents. 68 years together, before Terry passed. They were amazing! Terry wrote jingles for commercials. Even my Grandfather so liked and respected them. After my Grandmother had passed, he still saw Ray and Terry, and he attended Terry's funeral. I wish I had told my Grandfather. But my Mother asked me not to, and I didn't fight her on that, though I should have. My Grandfather loved me dearly, and I would have loved to let him know me fully. I know that he would have been fine with it. It's kind of hard to describe how you can feel like a deceiver in your own family. It fucks with you. Oh, and BTW, I hate showtunes too!

Sonoma Sundays on the plaza picnic chicken curry

Don't know if this should go into Speaker Porn, Amplifier Porn, or if we should create a new topic, Cable madness! Holy shitballs!

^ One of my favorites.

Elegant Gypsy by Al Di Meola (1977) https://album.link/i/185858933 Example: Another master class from Al.

As promised, I divested myself of the Canon 28-90. I made some attempts to use the Canon 35-80mm F/4-5.6 III, which is slightly less bad but still awful. Color transmission and contrast are both lacking. Distortion is present, but far less so than the 28-90. The MV museum's parking lot. 35-80 @ 64mm, F/18, which is probably well into diffraction territory. I worked this image over pretty thoroughly in Luminar 4 and Photoshop. A few feet back, also 64mm and F/20 which is ...excessive. EDIT: Hours later. One goddamn wrong link fixed. Sweetened Water Farm, across from my house. Golden hour sun. Less editing than one might think (contrast enhancement mostly). 80mm, F/18. That famous little shack, which is one of my regular test subjects. 35mm, F/14. Much work done in Photoshop correcting distortion, boosting contrast and colors. That's probably it for me and the 28-80. It manages to suck less than the 28-90, which is damnation with the faintest of praise. Tune in next time when I take the Nifty Fifty to the famous Lucy Vincent Beach and the Gay Head Cliffs (yes, that's really their name.)

Picked up a 75mm f/2.8 for the Bronica body. I think this is going to be a lot of fun, especially when I start my photo project soon.

Korean meatballs from NYT cooking. I added some gochujang to make it spicy. We had a fresh baguette and kimchi pickles so we went for the sandwich option. Good stuff.

Been sick for the last week with a cold. Feeling better and treating myself to In-N-Out.

An old JVC XRCD, Count Basie meets Oscar Peterson: The Timekeepers

Those earpads had to go and they have a pretty clever magnet system for them: Just now I noticed the R laser etched into the mini XLR plug so there is some indication. The earpads pull off and have a metal ring in them that is easily removed. The pads are 110mm so a lot of aftermarket stuff will work here. I replaced them with some Kennerton pads I had sitting next to my desk and I much prefer the fit. Now the issue is that the earpads barely hang on as the magnets are so weak with the thicker leather of the Kennerton pads

Unlike a lot of Rappers, his music ages like fine wine.

I have to admit, I don't understand the devotion to this burger joint either. I'd choose What-a-burger over In & out every time.