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Finished Setup: 4 PSUs on GaN transistors 27.5V, bias 180mA. Sound impression: completely reference, lively and interesting, full control of my headphones HifiMan HE-6. For my ears better then DynaMight. Thanks to all who helped with configuration.

Not today, but yesterday, played in a work golf event and used the laser to make some fun accessories.

My kind of DJ setup.

Success.

At times sounds like Adele, at others like Amy Winehouse. Physically she reminds me a lot of my high school sweetheart.

The Residents - Eskimo. In prep to see them live on Tuesday. I freely admit to liking weird music. But fuck, THIS is weird! 🤣

I couldn't wait for cold weather so I made Mangchi's Buldak Chicken last night.

Coolest video I've seen in a long time.

Russia's Yandex bot traffic nearly eliminated overnight after Ukraine drone strikes cripple multiple of 'Russia's Google' data centers — Ukraine intensifies bombing of Yandex data centers in response to Moscow’s strikes on Kyiv data centers. Ha ha. Get fucked-ski.

Thursday -- finally got the latest Covid booster, + flu shot Friday -- was a zombie But also, got the base IFFT transformation working for my MRI enhancement project. Now, onward to tensor networks.

In the parlance of our times, least excessive Mac built.

I clicked on a video I probably shouldn't have, and now I can't stop watching

The Residents - a wish to see them since the late 70's/early 80's when my HS friend and his brothers had almost the entire Ralph Records catalog. Very cool, and a fair bit eccentric! Opening up was a freaky but cool performer called Rushadicus. An avant-garde industrial cellist who sings in some nonsense vocals (kind of like the Residents sometimes). Also very athletic (carrying around the cello, climbing the rafters, etc.) and talented. Some Google Drive links of the videos I took: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZgFWmGVII02s79YQLkqLrhTejyUjfb6Y/view?usp=sharing - Rushadicus first song https://drive.google.com/file/d/17UhZY7JwLK3VvXqPgHdk6_V7QmB6q-Vz/view?usp=sharing - Rushadicus playing from rafters https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jlsPiSFNEq54OrV1f0C9KG8WG0_64-Gi/view?usp=sharing - Rushadicus playing two instruments at once https://drive.google.com/file/d/16rM4zhiGuqt-Uaio07w3B7PCdfAxjsQA/view?usp=sharing - Walrus Hunt https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QgFE149_QZ43VzFEG4299glIfQoZ_Qnd/view?usp=sharing - Mole Men https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i9bZdPogj__KK1FyKPRSDMBkwTKvkzga/view?usp=sharing - second song of second set https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JLr20otxx9lT1-wE-OVV-b9hjjIyxsge/view?usp=sharing - more from second set https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IqEt6HqoyWMOjx7SNpSyX_4dQJKtfLMe/view?usp=sharing - last song

(* Imagine a deep, warm, unhurried voice, filled with gentle wisdom and a quiet chuckle.*) Now, Grahame and Joanne were sensible folk. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, they did what any prudent human beings would do—they lined up, rolled up their sleeves, and took their flu and COVID vaccinations. They walked out of that clinic feeling a righteous sense of accomplishment, fully expecting to go right back to their regular programming come sunup. They believed—as we so often like to believe—that they would slide right past the fine print. But Mother Nature, as it turns out, has a sly sense of humor. Monday morning broke, and with it came the reckoning. Gravity, it seemed, had suddenly turned itself up a notch or two. Muscles protested. Bones heavy as lead. A chorus of flu-like aches and fatigue made a very persuasive argument: Stay in bed. And so, bed became their sanctuary, their battlefield, and their entire universe for the better part of twenty-four hours. Their immune systems were hard at work, rehearsing for a fight that would never come, throwing quite the theatrical performance in the process. Yet, the human body is a marvelous, resilient thing. A long, deep sleep carried them through the dark hours of Monday night. And when Tuesday's light trickled through the blinds, the storm had completely passed. The aches were gone, the heavy fog lifted, and just like that... balance was restored to the universe. Grahame and Joanne stepped into Tuesday morning feeling back to normal, a little wiser, fully protected, and with a newfound respect for a Sunday vaccine. (I trust you read that in Morgan Freemans narrator voice, as intended) A Quick Medical Note (Just in Case!) What Grahame and Joanne experienced is actually completely normal and expected. The "Fake Out": Muscle aches, fatigue, mild fever, and chills are signposts that the immune system is actively recognizing the vaccine and building strong antibodies. The Rapid Recovery: Side effects like these typically peak within 24–48 hours and resolve quickly after rest and hydration, exactly as happened by Tuesday morning.

I love some of the things that pop up. I had to go look up some of my favorites and Machina Dynamica seems to be having site issues? They're not too far from me, maybe I should go check on them... Kerry told me about "quantum wood" that I cannot seem to find anymore. That one was in the category of ornaments (in this case a small piece of wood) you put on things to make them "better". EDIT: it was Bybee's "Quantum Signal Enhancer", I should have known. Years ago, at some event, I remember seeing Justin at his booth and he had a pretty nice metal bowl on top of one of his amps. A guy came up and asked about "what does it do? how does it improve the sound quality?? where do I get one???". Justin just went "it's a bowl. for almonds. want some?"

No she didn’t, sir. She had other virtues and abilities.

I recently found Angelina. Glad I did.

This multiple assault on Russia's data centres was in response to Russia knocking out one Ukrainian data centre on the pretext that it was used for military purposes. But Russia lies to its teeth, all the time. Like you rightly say - Russia really fucked itself over this.

Had our (mRNA) Flu and Covid Vaccines this morning; MFLUSIVA for Flu mNEXSPIKE for Covid As per YLE and Matt Willis Your guide to fall 2026 vaccinesRespiratory vaccines—for flu, RSV, and Covid-19—will be available at no cost this fall. An emerging opioid threat, mRNA flu vaccine, Covid-19 ris...The CA Dose, September 17, 2026Fall vaccines, and a life-saving policyThe CA Dose, September 3, 2026Currently chilling by the Cheda Knolls pool in the fall sunshine, with a Usual and Nice Cup of Tea, waiting to see if there are any side effects.

A little over a decade ago I walked into Palo Alto’s Keeble & Shuchat photography store (soon after to close after 50 years) to pick up a Panasonic Lumix LX100 and walked out with a Fujifilm X-Pro 2. Even after moving on primarily to other systems, I've always wondered about that small body decision, so when Panasonic recently released their spiritual successor, the Lumix L10, I signed up for more info. Skip ahead months and Panasonic has been releasing small batches, especially for their 25th anniversary Titanium Gold Edition, as "invite only" orders. I'm a sucker, so invite order in. It's pretty sexy. When off that is. Less so when the lens is extended and it's always extended when on. That's known though and really what this camera is all about - a 24mm-75mm zoom equivalent compact lens. TL;DR: If you want that lens, in this size, this really is your only option (except for the sister Leica version, which doesn't yet exist for this new model). Nearly every amateur internet reviewer complaint (not FF, no IBIS, should have been a GM5 or opposite S9 ILC sequel, etc.) doesn't seem to understand the relationship between the lens and m34 sensor coverage. It doesn't cover the complete sensor by design. Generally comments have been positive though, as I think they generally should be. But mine is already going back, probably due to my unrealistic expectations, and just a reminder to myself, and maybe others, of a few things. When people talk about status of skin tones, auto-focus speeds, ergonomic improvements, etc., they're often talking within brand, not across brands. So when Panasonic, a video-focused company (think of the historic Olympus-Panny division or to a lesser extent the current Sony-Panny separation for small video crews) announces the L10 is a photography-centric model and it's repeated, well... kinda, I guess. I mean the specs are a clue - 20MP effective sensor for stills, 5.6K recording/5.2K Open Gate for video (which is possible with that sensor). The menus aren't designed around photography, though Lumix tries to keep the two halves separate. Lots of talk about caging it up, etc. The video thermal venting is likely why the body grew a little in size too (though I prefer its growth). So it's not Panny's normal 70% video and 30% stills thought process, but it's not the opposite either. To their credit they've brought video features to consumer photography like LUTs and greater use of waveforms. That's very welcome. My other issue, and this may not hit others, is they're selling this as a premium compact camera. That's of course subjective & relative and I'm sure compared to a Lumix S9 it is premium, but somehow the magnesium alloy body with "saffiano-leather-textured exterior" results in a pretty plasticky feeling camera (and the telescoping lens is likely always going to seem fragile). I know that's partially to keep weight down, but forget Hasselblad and Leica (though that lens is branded Leica), Fujifilm's X100 series is probably what Panasonic is gunning for and they're more premium-feeling than the L10. Same goes for any Fuji above the X100. "Premium" may or may not be "premium-feeling" for you, but I wanted to mention due to the price. So no matter what I just said this Lumix is a cool camera that uniquely fills a need you may have. Just potentially recalculate a few of the descriptors. And keep in mind the function lens switch can be set for a Leica MATE-like stepped zoom. Was fun and more my thinking to set to 28mm, 50mm and 75mm (or 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm) and never touch the zoom switch. Just shoot in familiar focal lengths. For me it's full cycle and I dusted off the X-Pro 2 to go to a harvest festival this weekend I had expected to take the L10 to. Slapped on a Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron (42mm equivalent) to keep things small, but yeah, a single focal length. Anyone need any corn?

Empanadas.

What the hell happened to Kickstarter? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/90142071/pulsar-f1-ai-powered-interactive-pleasure-device-for-men

https://people.com/rock-star-performs-private-piano-concert-for-formerly-abused-bears-12162991 "Rock Star Performs Private Piano Concert to Brighten the Day of Formerly Abused Bears" Rick Wakeman of the band Yes performed piano for the moon bears at Animals Asia’s sanctuary, including compositions he wrote for the animals

This came out of nowhere as the music in the closing credits of Redux Redux (that's not a spoiler -- lyrics have nothing to do with the movie...in fact, I suspect it has more to do with her first name (hide/Heidi)) Yello (feat. Heidi Happy)

Ribs 'n fixin's Al Fresco

I wish I could've seen her live before she moved over to Italy, according to her bio, Ekaterina grew up around 40 miles away from me. Hopefully she come back to do a Canadian tour sometime.

Secret Of Love by Angelina Jordan Astar (2026) https://open.qobuz.com/album/j1gbvms0n3rqj Example: Based on recent findings. This is a little strange to me, there are highlights like the example. But the overall album falls more into an easy listening vocal album. More background music than what I would expect from a young artist with pipes. She might be having some publication and licensing issues. This seems to be self published and her name changed to - Angelina Jordan Astar - I hope she can get the backing that she deserves and can get some good production.

Surprisingly funky outing from Echo & The Bunnymen in these latter days?

I asked my local AI the same question , and suggested the stylus plugin and this script for the home page @-moz-document url("https://www.head-case.org/forums/"), url("https://www.head-case.org/forums") { /* * HEAD-CASE — COMPACT FORUM HOMEPAGE * * Trial stylesheet: selectors are not verified against * Head-Case's live HTML. * * Applies only to the two homepage URLs above. */ /* 1. Replace forum grids with a single-column list. Only target lists containing forum-category links. */ :is(.ipsData, .ipsDataList):has(a[href*="/forums/forum/"]) { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; gap: 6px !important; } /* 2. Remove fixed heights and excessive row spacing. */ :is(.ipsData, .ipsDataList):has(a[href*="/forums/forum/"]) > :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) { width: 100% !important; max-width: none !important; min-height: 0 !important; height: auto !important; margin-block: 0 !important; padding: 10px 12px !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; } /* 3. Hide decorative forum cover-image containers. Do not hide all images: avatars and posted pictures should remain untouched. */ :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) :is(.ipsData__image, .ipsDataItem_image) { display: none !important; } /* 4. Let the text area use the space left by the image. */ :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) :is(.ipsData__main, .ipsDataItem_main) { flex: 1 1 auto !important; min-width: 0 !important; width: auto !important; min-height: 0 !important; padding-block: 0 !important; } /* 5. Clear any reserved image-column layout. Keep information arranged in a simple vertical stack. */ .ipsData__item:has(a[href*="/forums/forum/"]) { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; gap: 4px !important; aspect-ratio: auto !important; } /* 6. Keep forum titles readable without oversized headings. */ :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) :is(.ipsData__title, .ipsDataItem_title) { font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 1.35 !important; margin-block: 0 4px !important; } /* 7. Tighten descriptions without shrinking their text. */ :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) :is(.ipsData__desc, .ipsDataItem_meta) { line-height: 1.45 !important; margin-block: 2px !important; } /* 8. Slightly smaller padding on phones. */ @media (max-width: 700px) { :is(.ipsData, .ipsDataList):has(a[href*="/forums/forum/"]) > :is(.ipsData__item, .ipsDataItem) { padding: 8px 10px !important; } } } Before: After: HTML Jockeys may be able to do a better job, but the advantage is its client side, so your choice, fairly easy to implement, and reversible Add the Stylus plugin / extension to your browser Go to the Head Case forum page - or whatever page is annoying you Click on the Stylus extension icon in your toolbar (click on the + to) Add a Style for the Website / URL in Question Paste the above code in Save re visit / refresh the site See the before and after by noting that the Stylus icon has 1 rule applied for the page, and by clicking on it you can toggle it on or off More design oriented people could have a deeper, better conversation with their AI of choice, but not bad for a first vibe coded attempt?

Kurtág, Bach: Játékok by Márta Kurtág (1997) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0002894535112 Example: A lot of this album was tough for me, a lot of dissonance in Kurtág's work. Which is fine, it is when there is an hour of it that I loose the plot a bit. It is broken up by bits of loveliness, like the example, of Bach BWV 106 transcribed for 4 hands. So a worthy album, but I have to admit I will probably only be returning for the various Bach transcriptions.

A bit obscure. Still enjoy.

An evolutionary dead end - checking out a prototype Philips DCC prototype player:

I think she loves me.

The video of it being used was the best part.

Cameron Winter’s Live At Carnegie Hall Ex. Now here’s a review: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/cameron-winter-live-at-carnegie-hall/ ‘I can picture The Cameron Winter Songbook sitting on a music stand in a well-appointed living room decades from now, open to “Emperor XIII in Shades.” “I don’t like what happened to Jesus, but I sure do like Saturday morning,” Winter sings, the sort of line that Warren Zevon and Randy Newman would’ve gotten into a high-noon shootout over.’

100% buying an iPhone Duo on Day 1. I viscerally need that shit.

Fantasies & Delusions (Opus 1-10 Music for Solo Piano) by Billy Joel (2001) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0696998539723 Example: I remember hearing about this release back in the day, but never really thought about it since. I really like it, great playing, great themes and variations. I will turn to it for modern classical piano, nothing really to do with it being Billy.

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.

Since you are looking to create custom, dramatic titles in the style of SS ranks, you can combine the prefix Ober- (Senior/Chief) and the suffix -führer (Leader/Director) with actual German words for your concepts. Here are the most linguistically accurate and natural-sounding German versions for your ideas: 1. The "Chief Betrayer" (Ober-betrayal-führer) Oberverräterführer (Oh-ber-fehr-ray-ter-fuehrer) Literal breakdown: Ober (Senior) + Verräter (Betrayer/Traitor) + Führer (Leader). Vibe: Sounds like the absolute head of a spy ring or a treasonous coup. 2. The "Master Puppeteer" (Ober-puppet-führer) Obermarionettenführer (Oh-ber-mah-ree-oh-net-en-fuehrer) Literal breakdown: Ober (Senior) + Marionette (String Puppet) + Führer (Leader). Vibe: Perfect for a shadow-government villain who controls everything from behind the scenes. 3. The "Leader of Nothingness" (Ober-nihilism-führer) Obernihilistenführer (Oh-ber-nee-hee-lis-ten-fuehrer) Literal breakdown: Ober (Senior) + Nihilist (Nihilist) + Führer (Leader). Vibe: Sounds like the grim commander of a faction dedicated to pure destruction or chaos. 💡 Tips for Making Your Own If you want to invent more, the formula generally follows: Ober + [German noun in plural or combining form] + führer. Are these words for a fictional story, a game, or a character biography? If you tell me a bit more about the villain's personality or role, I can help you brainstorm an even more specific or sinister title!

Matches their golden showers. I don't know anything about portable players any more, but the FiiO JM21 is probably good enough at $180.

Got an update on this yesterday after apparently signing up for a mailing list a year ago: Esquisse Camera A new mini-ish camera (105×70×35mm 300g body, Micro 4/3 sensor, M4/3 lens mount) for $2K Too little (pun intended), too late? Or just what Ric needs? 🤪

This was great! Thanks for the rec. Me, now: various Hansson & Karlsson Music on TIDALHansson & KarlssonSee the releases of Hansson & Karlsson on TIDAL

When I had a 2.1 system, I used the Sunfire's built-in crossover. The single thing that made the transition seamless was the continuous phase control, but I had to use the crossover in order to accomplish that. You can also do this with physical placement, obviously, but that's not always an option, especially with WAF. For Maggies, if you go the active crossover route, a high-pass filter is a must. (My Sunfire had that, too, but maybe I took it for granted.) And you're also going to want high-quality DACs. MiniDSP seems to be the entry-level baseline, and they also have higher-quality options. I have zero experience with them, just playing meat proxy with Google AI.

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.

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

The legendary ‘Tiberi Tapes’ reveal new sides of John Coltrane, even to his biggest fans https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/coltranes-shadow-tiberi-tapes

(AI) This stuffed-zucchini-boats-mushroom.pdf