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First post here, just want to share pictures of Carbon I built. My goal is as small as it can be. Use c3m0900170m instead of c2m1000170d (to-3pf version of c3m0900170d), lm4040-10 instead of lt1021-10, ksc5042m instead of ksc5026m, 2sc2705 instead of pzta42 (easy to buy from local shop). Two output sockets from Stax for pro bias and normal bias. It runs at 400V, 20mA. Heatsink temperature is about 55°C after an hour (ambient temperature is around 24°C). No short, no magic smoke, everything seems fine. 🙂

A guy on reddit built a "1968 system." A 275 driving Cornwalls had got him like this:

I don't think we should be sad - she had a life well-lived, and acted in podcast works well into her 90's.

Required listening. RIP EMS

LEENALCHI - SUGUNGGA LEENALCHI on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/album/u0icfdl0p72e3 Someone always explains my thoughts better than I can. So, ill just say, I can no longer say I hate K-Pop. I like one K-pop album and it's this one. I'll let some dude at Qobuz take it from here: SUGUNGGA sounds like a genre argument settled by force. Leenalchi's four pansori vocalists--Ahn Yi Ho, Choi Su In, Park Soo Bum, and Ra Seo Jin-deliver the album's 18th century turtle-and-rabbit narrative in the tradition's characteristic guttural, almost strained vocal style, full of sudden pitch shifts and rhythmic hiccups that are clearly deliberate technique... ...Leenalchi's willingness to let centuries-old vocaltechnique carry just as much rhythmic weight as the bass and drums rather than floating decoratively above them is an approach that could easily flatten into a gimmick over a full album, but SUGUNGGA keeps the groove genuinely propulsive rather than merely novel, letting the tradition and the funk each pull their own weight. Ex.

Of Time by Pierpont & Helgeson (2025) https://open.qobuz.com/album/tbpyvouhx520b Example: 2025 music sounding like 60s spy movie soundtrack? Sure. I can dig it.

A Motown machine that writes music (and I'm not talking about Stevie Wonder or Holland–Dozier–Holland)?

Our own (Brit) spread at Roche winery.

R5 Mk II arrived yesterday, and by "arrived" I mean I drove to the post office and picked the damn thing up. The camera body is comparatively small and lightweight vs an equivalent DSLR. The 5D IV with its battery grip feels like a hulking behemoth in comparison. Even the 5D classic a chonker next to the R5. Funny how much bulk a pentaprism adds. The R5's UI is ...Canon. I had to figure out how to enable shutter activation when "no lens is attached" to use my manual focus glass. From the get go, the R5 pestered me relentlessly to set it up with my iPhone. That necessitated making a "MyCanon" account ...which I did on my laptop, with a real web browser and password manager. Then I had to sign into Canon on my iPhone and pair the two devices. The entire process made want to buy a view camera from 1920. I own zero R lenses and probably won't for quite some time. I am totally buying an R mount anamorphic. I started with the Canon EF to R adapter and it did what it said on the tin. The lens I had closest was the 135L, which says more about me than it. For reasons unclear to me, Canon ships their bodies set to fast burst mode. My 30D came that way 20 years ago. Some fussing later, and I had single shot and daylight white balance set (AWB is the devil.) Of course, the first actual keeper shot I took was with my beloved Super-Takumar 35mm F/3.5, a lens design that goes back to the 1950s. My copy is from the 70s and while it's far from perfect lens, I love how it renders things. This marks only the second time I've used the 35mm Takumar with a full frame sensor. Its ass is too fat for EOS bodies and on the 5D IV, it requires mirror lockup and live view to use. I find that workflow to be a miserable PITA, so I only ever used the 35 with my EF-S bodies (of which I have 3 ...for reasons.) While I loved the shots I got with the Tak on a cropped sensor, I knew I was losing out on much of the flavor of the lens by not having it on full frame. It's like own a Mac tube preamp and not using the phono input. The Fotasy M42 to R adapter is very well made. I had to enable the "shoot with no lens attached" setting or the shutter won't work with non-electronic lenses. Of course, the second lens I tested was the 35mm Takumar's 50mm, radioactive, F/1.4 sibling: There are a lot of variants of the F/1.4 Takumar, and mine is among the least desirable. The original 8 element version proved to be too expensive to produce and is a bit of a white whale amongst collectors. Besides being radioactive and yellowing, my version has a terrible coating and makes giant orange hexagon flares. Of all the lenses I own, it might be the one with the most "character." The 50's posterior isn't as bulbous as the 35's, so it's far less invasive inside the camera body and as a result I've shot with it on full frame for years. Before lunch today I had a go with the Nikon F to Canon R adapter (also made by Fotasy.) I have never been good friends with the Nikon lens mount. It's backwards. Also, I have owned precious little Nikon glass over the years. The only ones I shoot with are the mighty 300mm F/4, an excellent 50 F/1.8 I got from a certain 🐵 in 2010(!) and the decidedly mixed 18-200mm VR. Of those, the 300 was the obvious choice. I replicated a shot I took nearly 20 years ago of the house across the pond. Manual focusing a long lens with an EVF takes some getting used to. The R5 has a zoom peek function, but I as of yet haven't figured out how to use it. That's it for now. I'll out some modern electronic AF lenses tomorrow. What a silly idea.

Palo Alto snagged a Hauser & Wirth and it opened today with its inaugural exhibition ‘Calder | O’Keeffe.’ So long lines, sun, mobiles, “flowers” and wine.

Improvised focaccia. I started a dough for making pizza but forgot I didn't have cheese. So I let it rise longer than normal and hit it with olive oil and shallots and garlic, a bunch of spices and baked it on the pellet grill. maybe not as good as pizza but my gosh it is good.

Got to be honest I don't even know what OS I am running anymore. WTF even is Golden Gate 27.0.1? If my MacBook doesn't crash and I can get my email I'm in old-fart heaven.

Lunch á deux With plates. Fancy.

Jambalaya on the bayou

This is "Lush" by Green Star, not "Green Star" by Lush, but it sure sounds like them.

AI Lemony Chicken & Mushroom Skillet for Two

That would suck, but I just want to verify Trump still loves San Francisco, right?

SILO Season 3 I found it more interesting and with more action than the previous ones.

Bach: Cello Suites by Zuill Bailey (2010) https://open.qobuz.com/album/j4dmw5jtyv1uc Example: So, to answer the question: Do I need to listen to any other recordings other than the reference of Yo-Yo Ma's CBS masterworks recording? Well after some exploration (don't worry, you will not see 30 recordings of this reviewed), I would have to say yes. This Telarc recording (good first sign) by Zuill is a good example of a excellent recording that has a bit more liveliness, bounce, pace that I am drawn to. I will always go back to the Yo-Yo 1983 recording, but it is nice that there are these additional flavors that are really good. I would like it if it was more than 16/44 but I will survive.

Made a trip to Cardenas Market. Got a super burrito w/ pollo, beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream and tomatoes. And a grande Orchata. Ate half and froze half. Also picked up some beautiful fruit (the real thing, not a twink) and made a gorgeous fruit salad glazed with Greek yogurt. A big wedge of flan, which I'll have tomorrow and eggs, queso, veggies and Honduran chorizo, for a lovely South of the Border omelet tomorrow morning, along with some pappas frito. I really love that store! And usually learn a few new Spanish words to take home with my haul. Sorry, no pics.

Melvin Sparks' Sparks!

Just finished Season 2. A worthy Guy Richie concoction at the intersection of dodgy geezers and -- checks transcripts -- posh cunts. Quite the ride with some fabulous locations, wardrobe and interiors.

^ Thanks, will give the rest a listen! I’m not 100% sure, but I think the tiger is coming down. The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down A mighty beast descends from the deep, wooded valley With a mottled coat and a massive tail Over a bal (six feet) in length, swaying its silkworm-like head Forelegs thick as quivers, hind legs stout as winter melons With ears split wide and claws sharp as iron sickles Scattering turf roots and coarse sand in a rushing spray It opens wide its scarlet maw And lets out a roar—"Wuh-ri-rung"—as if the heavens were collapsing And the earth suddenly caving in; the soft-shelled turtle, in a panic, Shrinks its neck and lies flat and still The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down A beast descends from the deep pine valley Swaying its silkworm-like head, ears split wide With a mottled coat and a massive tail Over a bal in length, forelegs thick as quivers Hind legs stout as quivers, claws sharp as new sickles Scattering turf roots and coarse sand like snow in the dead of winter Opening wide its scarlet maw It stands tall before the turtle, letting out a booming roar That engulfs the mountains and streams, as if the earth were caving in Startled, the turtle shrinks its neck and lies flat and still The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down A beast descends from the deep pine valley Swaying its silkworm-like head, ears split wide With a mottled coat and a massive tail The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down The tiger is coming down, the tiger is coming down A beast descends from the deep pine valley It comes down Shaking its silkworm-like head, ears split wide, Body mottled and striped, tail held high, Over a bal in length; forelegs like arrow-quivers, Hind legs like quivers too, claws sharp as sickles; Scattering turf roots and coarse sand like white snow in midwinter, Flinging them wide with a rattle, gaping its scarlet maw, Standing tall before the turtle, letting out a thunderous roar— A sound that engulfs the mountains and streams, as if the earth itself might cave in. The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, A beast descends through the deep pine valley; Shaking its silkworm-like head, ears split wide, Body mottled and striped, tail held high, Over a bal in length; forelegs like arrow-quivers, Hind legs like quivers too, claws sharp as sickles; Scattering turf roots and coarse sand like white snow in midwinter, Flinging them wide with a rattle, gaping its scarlet maw, Standing tall before the turtle, letting out a thunderous roar— A sound that engulfs the mountains and streams, as if the earth itself might cave in; The turtle, startled, shrinks back its neck and lies flat and still. The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, A beast descends through the deep pine valley; Shaking its silkworm-like head, ears split wide, Body mottled and striped, tail held high. The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down. The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger comes down, The tiger comes down, the tiger... Coming down A tiger is coming down, a tiger is coming down A tiger is coming down, a tiger is coming down A tiger is coming down, a tiger is coming down A tiger is coming down, a tiger is coming down

Putin, 73, Gets Confused in Stuttering Speech to Reporters. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Joe Pass' Songs for Ellen Ex.

Electric Warrior by T. Rex (1971) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0603497926008 Example (The easy one to pick) I had not realized until recently how big T.Rex was at the time. So I put this one on, yup, very good. Really a vehicle for Marc Bolan, and I am okay with that.

We've got some uncharacteristically early fall weather here on MV, that means a man's thoughts turn to ...blues metal. I've been a fan of Glenn Danzig's music for 40 years now. The Misfits need no introduction nor explanation. Samhain was an amusing but short-lived diversion into goth rock. The first four Danzig albums (and the fun little Thrall-Demonsweatlive EP) are represent Glenn in his absolute prime. He had the ideal backing band for his possessed Elvis persona. Eerie Von is the perfect backbone for the whole thing, and already had experience dealing with Glenn in Samhain. John Christ's riffs are leadenly heavy but still cut sharply through the mix. Chuck Biscuits got his start in punk rock (DOA, Black Flag, Circle Jerks) but adapts seamlessly to the demonic blues sound of Danzig. He's not a showy drummer, but he always does exactly the right thing. The efforts of all of these men are captured by producer Rick Rubin, who was also at the absolute top of his game at the time. Rick has done an awful lot to tarnish his own legacy, but the truth is in the 80s and 90s he was a music god. The first Danzig album is lightning in a bottle, and really without peer. I'm biased, because I bought it new on cassette in 1988, at a very impressionable age. Similarly, I bought II and III on CD when they came out. Both albums seek to the one(s) before them, and succeed in some areas and fall short in others. Also, they straight up fucking ROCK. Even at his most goofy, Glenn was a savant at conjuring compelling cheese. I didn't pick up 4 until years later, some time post millennium. While it's vastly inferior to the first three, it still a solid listen. Glenn was veering into experimental territory and well out of his natural depth. This would be a harbinger of (bad) things to come. He was fortunate to still have the classic band lineup and Rick Rubin producing. 4 was recorded in legendary Sound City studio, and I'm sure that helped. Look up the albums recorded there sometime, it's a staggering list. The album with the greatest guitar tone ever was recorded there. (I will die on this hill.) All of the above was enough to counterweight Glenn's worst ideas. Mostly.

In September of 2009, I drove to a local brick & mortar store and paid them $30 for a DVD of Snow Leopard. It felt like a genuine upgrade from 10.5. Some time I after that I doubled the RAM in my laptop (remember when we could do that?) from 2GB to 4. I also replaced the spinning rust HDD with an SSD. Good times.

HAH. Controversial televangelist Jim Bakker dies at 86. Know Your MemeRIPBOZO | Know Your MemeRIP Bozo, often written as RIPBOZO, is a phrase used online to celebrate a person's death, deeming them a "bozo," commonly defined as someone who is insign

Music on TIDALYorushika - second personListen to second person on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceI haven't listened to the full album yet , but No.8 Sunny is one of my favorites .

Sonoma Plaza Combo Swirl

Dessert!

^ I have no way to justify this as stylistically they’re so similar, but if you’re like me and not exactly a fan of Movie Guy Richie, a second vote for Television Guy Richie. And speaking of fun and the use of “cunts”…

I have concluded it's not just a me thing and they actually kick ass. Do with this what you will.

If you typed "design a band to make Stretch squee" into Claude, this would probably come out. 🫠

So this happened to me... I seem to be late to the game. Great to see/hear Serj anytime. So I had to figure some things out. and There are more - but they are more reactions not analysis. Video pulls a lot from Matrix (and many others)

Ha ha look at these crappy old wooden boxes. Who'd ever want them? They don't even have a finish.

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (In a Honda Civic) https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdwZ-_1xx0Z/?exln=bXQ2ZnkzbWNnemp0 Couldn’t find a copy elsewhere

I used to know the exact number of my OS, it never mattered even one rat fart, so now I really don’t care.

So Jim Bakker croaked, which got me thinking about the 80s. He had a sex scandal with Jessica Hahn. She cashed in on her "fame" and appeared in a few music videos, most infamously with Sam Kinison. That one sucks. Sam was at times a great comedian, but his music career was pathetic. In a much more interesting example, she appeared in a video by the nuclear (and ecology) obsessed Nuclear Assault. Not my favorite example of 80s thrash, but it holds up pretty well.

I'm pretty sure he hates all of Humanity America, but California particularly much. ...which tells me you're doing something right. Keep it up! https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-05/us-pays-950-million-to-buy-california-ice-jails-from-geo-group

A genius of love having soup. Not really why this photo appeared in my world but I love it for some reason.

Time Further Out Music on TIDALThe Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Further OutListen to Time Further Out on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceCountdown: Time in Outer Space Music on TIDALThe Dave Brubeck Quartet - Countdown: Time In Outer SpaceListen to Countdown: Time In Outer Space on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceTime Changes Music on TIDALDave Brubeck - Time ChangesListen to Time Changes on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceTime In Music on TIDALDave Brubeck - Time InListen to Time In on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceTheir Last Time Out Music on TIDALThe Dave Brubeck Quartet - Their Last Time OutListen to Their Last Time Out on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of serviceTime Outtakes Music on TIDALDave Brubeck - Time OuttakesListen to Time Outtakes on TIDAL in exceptional sound quality, or on your choice of service

These are made identical to the real ones. The leather is lamb skin though. PM me your address and I’ll send them to you.

1) Segovia 2) Hendrix The rest. I told myself I wasn't going to participate in the best guitarist thing ever again. Damn it.