Hello and welcomes to this weeks edition bought to you by de power of de Pale Moon (not Sailor Moon!) and a computer that just come out of the toy box.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk with a number of you on various sites such as Tumblr or Google Plus but this computer it slower than running through treacle even loading up those sites never mind handling all those rapid media heavy posts as great as they are. It so bad it not even do the chat room at IK at all so I not sure if I able to even be with you in chat this next week apart from just going from site to site being slow that reduces the amount of time I have available to do all these things.
I hope something can be fixed so I can keep in better touch with you all.
Regards Jo.
With apology to the marvel that is Stevie Wonder's songwriting abilities, seeing it was the Bank Holiday and I has been playing a few of his albums here (see the Music Posts for a selection of his discs I have) here's an extra edition.
Those who follow the album charts can't helped to notice Tom Petty recently topped it in the States with Hypnotic Eye that came on cd in late July but it wasn't until last week I got my copy because it is the 140 gram German lp pressing simply cos it sounds a bit better (and has more dynamics) than the cd version plus came with a free download code for 24bit (48K) High Definition lossless digital audio and regular slightly more compressed Mp3. Amazon did also give me a free Mp3 but I didn't think it sounded too good personally.
Being the sort I am I downloaded the 24bit and downsampled myself a Mp3 from that using the Batch Format convertor in my cd copying program which sounded much better.
Favourites from this altogether really good comeback album are Burnt Out Town which with American Dream Plan B and Power Drunk are good examples of Tom Petty drawing from current affairs to write spirited songs about the World we live in.
As some of you are aware, I do buy specialty reissues that offer better sound than the originals and one that recently landed my was this, the late 1989 Presto album by ace Canadian rockers, Rush that I bought when it first came out.
I felt around the time they issued Hold Your Fire! in 1987, they were losing their way, sounding too close to bland 'Stadium Rock' for a band who impressed me from a very early age with more complex lyrics and musicianship but This had what was missing - 'bite' in the lyrics.
It also helped some of the songs used childhood settings such as playing Rock,Paper,Scissors in Hand Over Fist and examining self deception and vanity through play in War Paint to make their points clearly.
This copy sounded warmer and less brittle than the original.
Earlier in the year, this rather more longer Progressive rock inspired opus from 1978 was re-issued that not only completed the space fantasy story of Cygnus X1 started in 1977's A Farewell To Kings album, give us a parable on forced equality in the form of The Trees but gives us La Ville Stranglato a marathon over 9 minute totally amazing work out just showing how accomplished at playing their instruments the band really are.
I also picked up the 2013 issue in this series of Counterparts from 1993 which includes Animate, Cut To The Chase and Cold Fire.
All three of these discs are super audio compact discs (sacd) designed to give better sound on suitable players that also have a regular cd player for the rest of us.
I'm not feeling too good today actually but a few days back Miss Colleen posted something that got me thinking about about something they were forever on to us about school, like how you 'carry' yourself.
Yes deportment classes. Shockingly I actually had them at my school for a considerable period in an attempt to walk upright without slouching or looking like a chicken, neck craned forward as wildly un-co-ordinated as I am I found walking upright in a straight line very difficult.
Did you have such classes?
Even now I still have difficulty with such things
Another area was where to place your hands. There's a clue in the picture!
And a few more especially if your in your best party dress!
If you're outside, a hand on the pleat of your skirt can help if it's a bit breezy and in this pose very classy.
Finally one the best pictures I've seen of the knees together, feet out pose with a lovely dress.
Simply adorable.
Unfortunately I'm not feeling that great presently, so much so I thought we may not necessarily make an entry this week it was that bad but anyways, here's something.
I'm slowly getting through the last 14 episodes of Fairy Tail as the series progresses ending one arc and beginning another.
Also I have finished watching Is the order a rabbit? which centres around the adventures of Cocoa Hoto as she's moved to a new town and inevitably a new school where we find she has moved in with Chino Kafu at her families Rabbit House cafe where she takes a job to pay for her accommodation. Cocoa soon meets Rize who is also a waitress at the cafe and having had a military father, shows the same strongly disciplined approach although not to the exclusion of having a cutesy feminine side.
The show also stars Tippy, an Angora rabbit who sits atop of Chino's head when not around Cocoa and we met Chiya whose family also runs a rabbit cafe.
The show can be caught on Crunchyroll as also for North Americans can the much anticipated redux of Sailor Moon known as Sailor Moon Crystal (UK and Europe need to go to Sailor Moon Crystal to watch that due to a licensing restriction).
Take one early August evening where it's been dull during the day even if the activities during the course of were anything but and I usually start thinking about writing up this weeks blog.
It's always nice to see 'old faces' return to sites so hi to Liesel and Maya plus it's also good to see new faces like Edwin in Chat who seems to like my sense of humour!
It's also nice where you can be in a space that is accepting of you even if as this great manga cell makes the point, it's your life.
Certainly I live mine as I feel to best extent possible for me although everybody's circumstances are different so limiting what maybe you are able to.
Also I spent part of the day recreating Mp3 versions of albums that for various reasons the labels who own the recording rights decline to issue on cd although though they had been out for eons in the record era where I recall owning or hearing them played so form a part of my childhood. Just hearing those track sequences brings back memories!
Before I forget, thanks to everyone who read last weeks more technical blog entry
