blessingx

Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/24/country-musics-culture-wars-and-the-remaking-of-nashville?src=longreads

How is it going to both implode and explode?

!!!!!! Congrats.

In related news a friend's niece is starting a beginners digital photo course and looking for a body and lens for <$500 new or used. The course description requirements were ridiculous, but translated basically said a camera you could get out of automatic mode and a widish lens. I said... 5D Classic + 35mm D700 + 35mm XT1 + 23mm Any others recommendations of the top of your heads gang?

Little Simz - Gorilla

Congrats and good to hear. Allí messed up the used prices again. I've been looking since I saw she was testing on IG. The number of D700 videos out there in the last few years are crazy. This guy, and his professional set, seems to make them every month.

Why are you guys not supporting Taylor Swift by playing her music and renaming your towns? https://sfist.com/2023/07/18/taylor-swift-to-be-named-honorary-mayor-of-santa-clara-city-to-be-renamed-swiftie-clara/

Does it sing Daisy?

For those on iOS you may want to download the now free Spectre, from the makers of Halide. Doesn't do a ton, but does let you create AI-composite long exposures. https://9to5mac.com/2023/07/18/long-exposure-iphone-camera/#more-897028

Did it?

It's of course a different DAC world now, but a DA10 is still in my speaker rig and I fondly remember the Lavry-Benchmark-Grace DAC battles.

I don't know what this means for all those XXX headphones, but Corsair just bought Drop for their keyboards. https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/17/corsair-is-buying-mechanical-keyboard-maker-drop/ "The firm is also notable for high-profile branding exercises that include keycaps featuring Lord of the Rings and Marvel IP."

All comes down to if that ceiling vent is open or closed.

This year's Eureka CA fireworks were done in the fog, which sucks if you want to see the fireworks, but cool if you like the visuals in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Anyway, Leica SL2-S at 12800 ISO with the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.0, then denoised slightly in Topaz's Photo.ai. Here you go - pretty fog.

The Bear second season finale for the third time.

Probably took a year to get the MQA just right. 👌 And agree it’s a great collection.

^ I think that’s from last year, right? Well, the web seems mixed on the two years, though I bought the LPs back in Covid days. Or could there be two or an abridged release with the same title?

Like Joshua Redman, Count Basie, or Sufjan Stevens?

Damn, put a sticker over that red dot, write “Pixii” and sell for $3k

I'd be curious your response if you ever have interest. According to Wiki (also referencing this) it seems some criticized the character as being only "heterosexual, but gay", or I guess more bluntly, not gay enough (he sings show tunes, but "unrealistically" likes football and beer too). Maybe it was too early for either audiences or critics or at least when some were understandably concerned with utility of representation, but criticism seems more than a little strange 20+ years later. And only seven of the twelve episodes ever aired. Wasn't given much of a chance. Still can't believe I've never heard a reference to this show.

Hey, if we’re going through unsuccessful TV shows, any thoughts, or even remember, Normal, Ohio? John Goodman’s gay character moves from California back home to Ohio and Roseanne-style family hijinks (augmented with laugh-track) commence. Never heard of it, but been watching available episodes on YT (sadly not HD).