Hobbies

Before we start this week I'm the voiceless kid as my voice has given up again so I can't say much following last years severe flu infection that's left me with  damaged voicebox.
Thankfully I can type a bit so I can 'chat' with you all this way while it recovers as my masterplan for next weeks Big Event comes to fruition.
Anyway one of my hobbies was Short-wave Radio where you can listen to stations from around the World, learning about people, places and lives often different from you own and maybe have a request read out.
If you gave a report of how well you received that station together with comments on the show you listened to then often you'd get colourful postcards and assorted goodies.
Doing this requires a certain level of organizational ability to recall where on the dial the station is and what the best time to listen happens to be because radio waves using these frequences aren't just received  at a line of sight way, they're reflected making it easier to receive at certain times compared to others and also as the seasons change the best frequencies to reach people vary so you have seasonal changes to note down.
Lilian probably can explain this better but that's how it is in a nutshell.
Over the years I've had many receivers from older table top tube sets from the 40's & 50's right through until I became pawley(tm) some 15 or so years back a Yaesu FRG 7000 semi professional communications receiver with matching VHF convertor  and antenna tuning unit that lent itself also to listening to shipping and 'ham radio' (those funny people the British comedian Tony Hancock sent up in a timeless TV comedy episode!).

Recently a family friend who was going through some major problems gave me  scarcely used 'new' short wave radio as the nature of their condition's was such they'd just 'lose it' destroying anything they couldn't get on with a hammer. This was one a good many things at risk of destruction. It's made by Etón and it's called the E5.
Anyway it's a small unit covering both the traditional 'AM' Bands - I know Lillian would rightly say AM is  transmission mode but AM to most North Americans is what you Brits call Medium Wave plus Long Wave - and continuous shortwave coverage right up to 30 Megahertz taking in the popular 49, 41, 31, 25 and 17 Metre shortwave broadcast bands.
It also covers the Ham Radio bands coming complete with the Beat Frequency Oscillator to resolve the way Hams transmit talk (using SSB) with a fine adjuster so it doesn't sound like Mickey Mouse as well as CB Radio although at least in the UK it sounds a bit dead around here.
For good measure it has  stereo FM radio with a headphone output coupled with a output to plug into an external amplifier or recorder which is handy.
What I like about is it's very easy to tune stations in as you use a wheel while looking at the frequency display and you can store up to 700 stations in a memory in 100 pages of 7 entries which is sufficient to cover several frequencies used by one broadcaster per page.
It's less fiddly than my communications receiver to use as they've removed most of the knobs I struggled to turn although the performance isn't quite as good on the very noisiest signals but you can use as a portable for listening to local stations first thing catching up with travel information saving you from having to have a separate set just for that.
Reception with the rod antenna built in is surprisingly good.
Some have complained the buttons are a bit close most likely men with the build of a lumberjack but with my small paws they fit perfectly so I'm enjoying re-connecting to this hobby of mine on something I can now use.

Background capsule

I usually have a reason for  posting things even though I'd be the first to admit I don't always have an idea of what's going up until I'm sat here typing away.
I suppose today I've been thinking back to my past and how this whole topsy turvy life of mine started off and this is perhaps the best link I can give to it in that I knew around 4 to 5 years of age I really objected to that reflection of me in the mirror cos I knew I wasn't a boy.
People write books study to degree levels in gender studies and all with grand theories but I prefer to cut to the chase: If you don't feel plus you don't connect with your social gender and loath how you look wanting to curl up and and die first then you're trans, period.
The world in my head wasn't a million miles removed from that picture, the plushies, the dolls and above all that dress although I think there's nothing wrong with wearing pants or shorts either as it's about the how rather than if.
That whole hands on hips pose and the lovely print is very much me at the core  (I'd of loved to worn it) and maybe that's what troubled some people who think it's their job to police the gender divide.
And that was it with the little side of me still loving the same things today as then pretty much so you see it's not like there's just one side of me, a side people get wrong often thinking it's all about a gender change rooted say nostalgia or having the childhood you didn't have. It's always been with me as apart of the trans side with the older in some ways more grown up side both female and intertwined with each other. We're one whole person just like my friends who are natul who also have a smaller side.
A dialogue between the two sides: LG=Little Girl, BG Big Girl/Adult
BG: Hi. Who are you?
LG: You know I who I am. I'm your younger side
BG: How old are you?
LG: I'm 12 thank you.
BG: Where did you go?
LG: You packed me away in the toy box with my teddies.
BG I did?
LG: You did cos Mommy wasn't happy with me around.She banished me and it hurts.
BG: I'm sorry.She had these issues.
LG: I want to come out to play but is safe now?
BG: If you came out to play what would happen to me? I keep you safe.
LG: Are you happy?
BG: No, I'm sad. I'd much sooner play.
LG Why do you want to be around? Can't you just look out for me  instead while I play?
BG: If I played, I'd be you.
LG: That make you happy?
BG: Yes.
LG:  Is this a deal. You just do big looking out not upsetting the grown ups.
BG: Yes! Let's make it our pact.
.

A few more of my favourite things

While some of you are no doubt getting seriously excited at Camp running about, playing dress the Squirrel and more, I've caught up with things after Tuesday's unwelcome wrist ache so this is a few days early. Never mind!

I had this for a while but forgot - typical Joanne isn't it? - to write about it with having the damaged disc on arrival to deal with.
Arrietty is  based upon the classic English children's book The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this adaptation takes the action to Tokyo where Arrietty's family are discovered in a mansion by Sho, a young boy.
The anime was developed by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi being released on dvd and blu ray January 9th in the UK.

This anime is well up to the Studio Ghibi standards being a largely faithful retelling of the original story but with a poignant ending as Arrietty realizes she and the Big People have to live alone departing with gifts from Sho.
Recommended to all.

Something else I got was this the Secret Seven Library  a ten volume edition of Enid Blyton's classic children's books using period children on the covers from WH Smiths sales. I haven't see this particular set on Amazon only the 2006 set with computer generated modern illustrations.
I read some of these at school so it's like seeing old friends.
The Secret Seven are Peter the leader, his sister Janet and their school friends Pam, Colin, George, Jack and Barbara. The Secret Seven are helped by Peter and Janet's dog Scamper.
They enjoy having adventures in a club with just seven members it's own badge and password where they solve mysteries.


It has the following adventures (roars in approval):
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done, Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead, Secret Seven
Good Work, Secret Seven
Secret Seven Win Through
Three Cheers Secret Seven
Secret Seven Mystery
Puzzle for the Secret Seven


One of the great things about the Secret Seven books is how fast the plots steam along once they get going, with hardly leaving the plot of the story at all.
One of my favourites is Well Done, Secret Seven 

The story begins with The Secret Seven needing a new headquarters so they build a tree house. The mystery starts when someone secretly sneaks in the tree house and ends in a chase of two thieves.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting making me want to read it again which for a poor reader like me good going.
As well I liked the way the clues came together swiftly once the Seven started on the right track.

I'm  slowly adding the last five stories in late 70's, 80's paperback reprints to round off this collection which while not having the nice period covers the new set had, at least keeps most of the text original baring decimalizing any reference to currency.

Yet more classical music!

I could call this the 'Tracy' post cos I'm sure she digs some of this stuff going by what she's talked about listening to at GT since the last time I talked about classical music which was May last year
Since then I've been working slowly on my collection which goes back to the early days of the compact disc after a childhood of vinyl and cassettes both looking at replacements as well as new recordings to me. 


We'll start with Handel where having last year replaced one cd of the Water Music I was looking at replacing a single cd with one of his Opus 3 and three  of his Opus 6 Grand Concertos on Naxos I bought in 1989. The recording quality was good the players very good but somehow the conductor doesn't really bring the compositions to life.
I recently bought the recordings made in 1964 and 1968 by the Academy of St Martins in the Field who play with modern instruments (I don't like 'original' as a rule) conducted by Sir Neville Marriner that have the complete set of compositions on three cds.
Originally made for Argo the sound is very well balanced and these a lovely performances well worth the modest price of this set in the Decca Originals series (475 867-2)


Haydn is a near contemporary who was under represented in my collection with a cd of cello Concertos and one of series of discs put out by the HMV stores in the early 1990's with his 94th Symphony and the Trumpet Concerto.
Starting with the Trumpet Concerto, I got used the recording by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stephen Kovacevich made for Classics for pleasure in 1991 (CD CFP 4589).
It's played slightly faster than some giving it a bit more 'pep' as well as being very well recorded.
I had the 94th Symphony recorded by the English Chamber Orchestra with Jeffery Tate conducting but didn't get the whole set originally issues as seperate full price cds between 1987 and 1992.
I bought the 2008 re issues on Classics for pleasure as a set of two double cds at 'bargain price' of the London symphonies so-called cos he wrote them while performing in England as I liked the version of the 94th I had (Classics for pleasure 5 21855 -2  &  2 28369 -2)
While in the mood I added a set of his String Quartets part of  series by DG where older discs are packed in a small box with notes at 'bargain price' performed by the Amadeus Quartet that I used to borrow a lot from the local library but never got around to owning (DG 477514-2) so knew I'd like these performances.


Schubert's symphonies were something I grew up with and I had a series of recordings on cd conducted by Michael Halasz with 5 &8 by the Slovak Phiharmonic and the others by the Failini from Hungary. The 9th by the Failini just failed to bring much of the character out of it being a disappointment and the 5 &8 could of been better. 
I could of just replaced the 9th but looking into to it it would of cost almost as much as buying a replacement set and as I wasn't too happy with the 5&8th  I bought the older Berlin Philharmonic performances conducted by Karl Boehm whose work I loved for just under a tenner used.
Having listened to the set I feel he finds that much more detail in the score it's much more sorted overall.(DG 471 307-2 4 cds)
Lacking a set of his String Quartets on cd I added the Melos set from the 60's and 70's whose playing is gorgeous on DG (463 151-2 6 cds) and I was able to get for about £15 new.


Debussy is the kind of French music I like very much inspired by the Impressionists and I had picked up the HMV store compilation in 1992.
That contained some recordings by the French National Radio Orchestra (O.R.T.F.) conducted by Jean Martinon from 1974/5 I liked.
It happened that in EMI's Gemini series there are two double cd sets entitled "Ochestral Works -1/ and -2" of all their recordings which could be had for a darn cheap 4.93 each care of Amazon taking in La Mer, Prelude á l'aprés-midi d'un faune, the Petite suite, Children's corner (with the irresistible Golliwogs cakewalk) plus less performed works ,. with each disc contining over 70 minutes worth of music something a of a bargain I thought.


Finally to English music.
 I have a lot of music by Elgar and while being familiar with other British composers  thanks to a decent music education  at my high school (we didn't just learn about making music and composers, we actually performed!), I got a complete set of Ralph Vaughan Williams symphonies.
The acclaimed British conductor Sir Adrian Boult was going through an 'Indian summer' late in his life and by good fortune EMI/Angel got him to make stereo recordings of works he'd previously recorded. This set with either the London Philharmonic or the New Philharmonia Orchestras remains one of the finest ever of these works.
And what works from A Sea symphony with its glorious singing through to Sinfornia antartica inspired by Scott's 1912 South Pole adventures these symphonies are amongst the finest of the last century. Originally reissued from the early 1990's onward they have placed in a boxed set for an inexpensive price -cost me £15.99  new - representing a bargain. (EMI 8  7484 2 5cds)

Teasing or bullying: Some thoughts

Okay people I promised ya serious last week so today we have it!
Sometimes it can be hard for people especially children to tell when someone is said to be teasing or when it it is they are being bullied. This can in some situations lead to a "Zero tolerance" approach being adopted but that of itself doesn't make it any easier to judge what's what and may not be so effective anyway in teaching people the control we need in our social relationships.
For instance sometimes what we call teasing acts a glue linking us together in much the same way as gossip can help in understand what really is going on.
Personally I see nothing wrong with playful teasing where everyone is in on the joke. But when someone feels humiliated by attacks on their appearance, beliefs and inadequacies, then it's little consolation that the person who is doing the teasing was "only kidding".Having some judgment about who is really being hurt, as opposed to benefiting and maturing by the process is a must.
It's true when something changes in character, by degree, it does become difficult to ascertain precisely when the critical point occurs. On the continuum from 'affectionate teasing' to hateful verbal abuse, mistakes will be made however making things so restrictive in what we may say does reduce depth of our exchanges as well as adding an awkwardness to anything less than entirely affectionate.
For most people from around the age of 10 onward we learn to read more into what people are saying and doing reading faces, tone of voice, posture and so on so we can tell if what they are saying is meant to come over as a joke between us or if they are being deliberately mean.
Actually the absence of this is very visible in forums where great mythunderstandings can easily form! 
Mean certainly has to be dealt with as either parents, teachers or even forum moderators to make sure they understand what they are doing is hurting and maybe make some restitution .
Equally some need to be encouraged to stand up for themselves like the person who frequently get their 'worms' wrong and find others laugh at them for it or picked on because of their background both things we may not be able to change (and when it comes to colour why should any of us?)
It's all about balance I feel.

Downsized sleep

Hello people.
There were two entries I felt like making this week as I sometimes wake up with ideas for these things so the next one up will be the more serious one.
A couple of entries back I was talking about casual wear, sorting through older stuff and how all of that fits with my little side but as a continuation of that my thoughts moved towards another side of clothing.
Last year you may recall I did out my bedroom removing older age  inappropriate stuff that had been there for eons, making space for my dolls, teddies and hello kitty posters as I wanted to wake up gazing out upon a more girlish scene.
Well, for as many years my sleeping attire was unmistakably female but recently I started to re-examine in my own mind what it is I'm wanting to get out of the the sleeping experience and came to the conclusion I didn't just want to wake up to that girlish scene so much as I wanted to enter it sleeping in more girlish fashion.
Was there anything more appropriate for me than to be wearing Hello Kitty night attire? Didn't think so  so I got these:

Well it is fleecy so it does keep me warm although it will take a t shirt underneath if it's real cold, really cute and is  decent length. I do like night dresses actually also currently having a dog paw print one but as one of my others had seen better days this will make a great replacement.
Sometimes and usually in winter you sure know it - you need something thicker so I've always had pajamas for when temperatures go shooting to the minus degrees Celsius sometimes throwing on a old sweater and bed socks for good measure.
Well, being brought up in the cold you sure learn how to keep warm, eh? 
I opted for this being a little flexible:

Okay it's a T shirt but it's thicker than a fair number of night shirts or even pajama tops, is so cute and obviously child like from a 100% child range with a snug fit.
Actually I saw a caption site - not  a LG one sadly so it's not all me - where someone found another 'little' on the inside who'd embraced this side wearing HK Pajamas and to be honest I was taken by how it looked.
Well I bought these which are a bit different and not quite as kittenish but still way over the on the cute girlish side:

It's heart design on a reddy pink alternating with Kitty herself with blue adjustable drawstring.
Isn't that so cute?
I think the best way to describe the impact of them on me is that it downsizes my sleeping age meaning I go to sleep feeling more like the 12 year old I am waking up looking out on my world, the World of Joanne_Chan in wonder.