WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[N_LaRUE]

So I no longer have my SE. It went back to its maker. I am glad that I gave it a chance at least.

I learned in chat with support yesterday that my return window is still valid so I inquired about how I can do this return.

The rest of y'all probably have printers so what I had to do wouldn't be of interest but it wasn't hard. I have always printed at work so working from home killed that option.

I guess what I posted hasn't been updated.

I just got my printer that I ordered over a month ago...

So I've been without one since we moved to Paris.

I have one back at the farm as well but I couldn't get to that one...

The one we bought is a newer version of the one at the farm.

 

[N_LaRUE]

So going by the news it appears the USA is determined to be number one in this Covid-19 crisis.

I guess the idea that second wave is usually deadlier than first is lost on a lot of people...

Guess those haircuts are important...

A journalist said recently that in a lot of countries we have the worst people leading them at the worst possible time.

But then, humanity sort deserves this. A serious wake up call is required.

 

[raycpl]

So for the musically adventurous of you who want something different, and maybe a little old school...may I suggest some Ska?

I honestly think that reggae is one of the more polarizing and harder genres to get into. Had the old chess master stated how he didn't like it from an instrumental perspective. I gently reminded him that it's more lyrically driven due to the roots of storytelling. The instrumental is often used to enhance but not supercede the content being delivered by the vocals. Having said that, finding the right instrumental mix to do so is very hard to do. Some of the good ones when you strip the vocals out you can really appreciate it. If you can sing along and stay on beat (no matter the singing talent) based on merely recognizing the instrumental, then the record has done its job. Reggae dubs are really really awesome listens when done right...best served on 12" mixes running an average of 7 minutes and up.

Take the following...one of the more famous songs I know and love. The original track runs to about 6:30. The you get the dub/instrumental up to 10:40 and another version with some slight variations to finish out the rest of the clip. I understand I'm slightly biased because I grew up in this genre, but it's impressive intricate work to line up the instruments the right way in reggae...similar to rock, classical, jazz and other genres.

https://youtu.be/VvtzeQzzuNU

It's a great track...
Been listening to roots reggae, ska since the 70s (Marley being the obvious start). There was the brief moment when 70s punk and reggae merge that rejuvenated reggae... (The Clash's White man at the Hammersmith Palais, White Riot, Police & Thieves) The campus radio (CKCU) I was listening to had dedicated programming of popular and as well as rare & esoteric vinyl from Jamaica.
The impact of ska/reggae/skinheads was also a reflection on the British youth culture. Check out stuff from Two-tone.. and bands like Specials, Madness, etc. to home ground bands like UB40, Steel Pulse, etc
I not a 100% well verse but do keep my eye and ears open... hasn't done me any harm

 

[Rose640]

I tried it and it seems like it kind of worked for a bit. My glasses didn't fog as much but they did fog. I'll likely try it again.

Thanks for the update. I'll try it out, but if it's not a significant improvement, I'm not going to bother in the future.

 

[Rose640]

So going by the news it appears the USA is determined to be number one in this Covid-19 crisis.

I guess the idea that second wave is usually deadlier than first is lost on a lot of people...

Guess those haircuts are important...

A journalist said recently that in a lot of countries we have the worst people leading them at the worst possible time.

But then, humanity sort deserves this. A serious wake up call is required.

I'm sad to say, but I don't think anything will change when it comes to choosing our leaders.

In most of the times, it's the same people that are voting every election and things can change just that much. There was a guy in the US that brought youth into voting, but if I remember correctly, he got sabotaged a few times.

 

[Rose640]

Time for a bit of Balkan here.
Company that makes furniture is importing COVID test and a company that makes juice is importing respirators.

Respirators were paid 40.000€ each. They're Chinese. Not worth anywhere near that price, more likely around 8.000€, if even that. There were some informations that they cost 3500€, but that hasn't been verified.

Those respirators are mobile ones, the ones you use in an ambulance car and can't be used in hospitals, which is what they're bought for in the first place.

Delivery was paid 150.000€. A plane trip to China and back can't cost anywhere near that.

A 100 was ordered, 80 came. The company that bought them still hasn't received them, as they (probably) have no money to pay taxes. So they're stuck at customs now.

The whole deal was paid around 5.3-5.4 mil euros. There's around 1.5 missing from the equation.

Want to trade Trump?

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm sad to say, but I don't think anything will change when it comes to choosing our leaders.

In most of the times, it's the same people that are voting every election and things can change just that much. There was a guy in the US that brought youth into voting, but if I remember correctly, he got sabotaged a few times.

You're thinking of Bernie Sanders.

It's not that straightforward unfortunately in the USA.

Though more democrats are pushing for more left ideas. There's still a very large population of people who sit centre. A purely left candidate would lose a lot of voters.

So even though there's this idea that it's only left and right in the USA. Truth is most sit centre to varying degrees.

Most countries are like this as well.

Typically the older you get the more you lean conservative. Unfortunately conservative and right are mingled and don't necessarily mean the same thing.

Most people who are normal have a mix bag of conservative and social ideas.

But political commentary has muddy the waters so much and brainwashed so many people now that in a lot of USA states people just vote what they always vote regardless of the character of the person.

That's how the Republicans keep winning in those states and why people vote against their own interests. They don't really think about it. It's mindless obedience to certain ideas.

Yes this kind of thinking is spreading globally as well.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

It's a great track...
Been listening to roots reggae, ska since the 70s (Marley being the obvious start). There was the brief moment when 70s punk and reggae merge that rejuvenated reggae... (The Clash's White man at the Hammersmith Palais, White Riot, Police & Thieves) The campus radio (CKCU) I was listening to had dedicated programming of popular and as well as rare & esoteric vinyl from Jamaica.
The impact of ska/reggae/skinheads was also a reflection on the British youth culture. Check out stuff from Two-tone.. and bands like Specials, Madness, etc. to home ground bands like UB40, Steel Pulse, etc
I not a 100% well verse but do keep my eye and ears open... hasn't done me any harm

Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru and Aswad are my foundation bands. Glad to see you had dipped into the genre as your recommended list is quite solid.

It ain't no Tool, but when you want something different yet just as good...

 

[MSFTisMIA]

You're thinking of Bernie Sanders.

It's not that straightforward unfortunately in the USA.

Though more democrats are pushing for more left ideas. There's still a very large population of people who sit centre. A purely left candidate would lose a lot of voters.

So even though there's this idea that it's only left and right in the USA. Truth is most sit centre to varying degrees.

Most countries are like this as well.

Typically the older you get the more you lean conservative. Unfortunately conservative and right are mingled and don't necessarily mean the same thing.

Most people who are normal have a mix bag of conservative and social ideas.

But political commentary has muddy the waters so much and brainwashed so many people now that in a lot of USA states people just vote what they always vote regardless of the character of the person.

That's how the Republicans keep winning in those states and why people vote against their own interests. They don't really think about it. It's mindless obedience to certain ideas.

Yes this kind of thinking it's spreading globally as well.

I'd add to this but haven't had any covfefe yet...

 

[N_LaRUE]

Time for a bit of Balkan here.
Company that makes furniture is importing COVID test and a company that makes juice is importing respirators.

Respirators were paid 40.000€ each. They're Chinese. Not worth anywhere near that price, more likely around 8.000€, if even that. There were some informations that they cost 3500€, but that hasn't been verified.

Those respirators are mobile ones, the ones you use in an ambulance car and can't be used in hospitals, which is what they're bought for in the first place.

Delivery was paid 150.000€. A plane trip to China and back can't cost anywhere near that.

A 100 was ordered, 80 came. The company that bought them still hasn't received them, as they (probably) have no money to pay taxes. So they're stuck at customs now.

The whole deal was paid around 5.3-5.4 mil euros. There's around 1.5 missing from the equation.

Want to trade Trump?

Though this is bad. It's sadly typical.

A lot of medical equipment is overpriced in general and so is anything when dealing with the government.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

It's a great track...
Been listening to roots reggae, ska since the 70s (Marley being the obvious start). There was the brief moment when 70s punk and reggae merge that rejuvenated reggae... (The Clash's White man at the Hammersmith Palais, White Riot, Police & Thieves) The campus radio (CKCU) I was listening to had dedicated programming of popular and as well as rare & esoteric vinyl from Jamaica.
The impact of ska/reggae/skinheads was also a reflection on the British youth culture. Check out stuff from Two-tone.. and bands like Specials, Madness, etc. to home ground bands like UB40, Steel Pulse, etc
I not a 100% well verse but do keep my eye and ears open... hasn't done me any harm

Gotta know Delroy Morgan and Prince Buster if you've listed to Ska. Would suggest some The Upsetters, Toots & the Maytals, Desmond Dekker as well - if you haven't gotten around to them yet. Jimmy Cliff has both a very strong Ska and reggae mix in his discography too. Then you start to creep into Boby Andy, Alton Ellis, Ken Booth, John Holt.

I'm still a neophyte in it, but man, the music is really good.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Time for a bit of Balkan here.
Company that makes furniture is importing COVID test and a company that makes juice is importing respirators.

Respirators were paid 40.000€ each. They're Chinese. Not worth anywhere near that price, more likely around 8.000€, if even that. There were some informations that they cost 3500€, but that hasn't been verified.

Those respirators are mobile ones, the ones you use in an ambulance car and can't be used in hospitals, which is what they're bought for in the first place.

Delivery was paid 150.000€. A plane trip to China and back can't cost anywhere near that.

A 100 was ordered, 80 came. The company that bought them still hasn't received them, as they (probably) have no money to pay taxes. So they're stuck at customs now.

The whole deal was paid around 5.3-5.4 mil euros. There's around 1.5 missing from the equation.

Want to trade Trump?

Should also point out that Trump is doing what most dictators do in other countries.

Profiteering openly from being president. Blocking the law. Lying daily.

If the USA wants to avoid dictatorship they really need to change laws. Currently it's way too easy for democracy to die there.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I'm so looking forward to buying that Sennheiser headphones. I can buy them now, but am not rushing to do so.

I really should give the LG native music app a chance. I'm still lazy and prefer Sony's (Walkman) Music app though. Need to get back to spending some money on music. Doubt I'll be a full audiophile so I'll stick with mp3's for now. At least I have access to quite a few DACs.

 

[raycpl]

Gotta know Delroy Morgan and Prince Buster if you've listed to Ska. Would suggest some The Upsetters, Toots & the Maytals, Desmond Dekker as well - if you haven't gotten around to them yet. Jimmy Cliff has both a very strong Ska and reggae mix in his discography too. Then you start to creep into Boby Andy, Alton Ellis, Ken Booth, John Holt.

I'm still a neophyte in it, but man, the music is really good.

a few more.. Eek a mouse, yellowman, Burning Spears, Black Uhuru, Toots & Maytals...
Of course, Bad Brains...for the Tool fans
and Sly & Robbie.. very exceptional...

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Time for a bit of Balkan here.
Company that makes furniture is importing COVID test and a company that makes juice is importing respirators.

Respirators were paid 40.000€ each. They're Chinese. Not worth anywhere near that price, more likely around 8.000€, if even that. There were some informations that they cost 3500€, but that hasn't been verified.

Those respirators are mobile ones, the ones you use in an ambulance car and can't be used in hospitals, which is what they're bought for in the first place.

Delivery was paid 150.000€. A plane trip to China and back can't cost anywhere near that.

A 100 was ordered, 80 came. The company that bought them still hasn't received them, as they (probably) have no money to pay taxes. So they're stuck at customs now.

The whole deal was paid around 5.3-5.4 mil euros. There's around 1.5 missing from the equation.

Want to trade Trump?

Not trying to trade a dictator groupie for true authoritarianism.

"I may be crazy, but I ain't stupid".

 

[MSFTisMIA]

a few more.. Eek a mouse, yellowman, Burning Spears, Black Uhuru, Toots & Maytals...
Of course, Bad Brains...for the Tool fans
and Sly & Robbie.. very exceptional...

Well, you forgot Bunny Wailer really. Amazing that Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer were in the same group. Bunny is that dude where people don't always think of him right away, but when you hear his music, it's like "Right! How did I forget about him!?"

Sly & Robbie fall more in the producers side though...to which that list you start to get into works by a whole slew of people.

It's a crazy good genre that still feels so underrated.

 

[libra89]

Thanks for the update. I'll try it out, but if it's not a significant improvement, I'm not going to bother in the future.

Yeah, unfortunately it's not significant. You're welcome.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Well, you forgot Bunny Wailer really. Amazing that Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer were in the same group. Bunny is that dude where people don't always think of him right away, but when you hear his music, it's like "Right! How did I forget about him!?"

Sly & Robbie fall more in the producers side though...to which that list you start to get into works by a whole slew of people.

It's a crazy good genre that still feels so underrated.

When the Wailers went their separate ways, the I-Threes (the female backing vocals) became even more prominent. All three are incredible talents and successful solo acts in their own right: Marcia Griffiths (my favorite of the three), Judy Mowatt (the most criminally underrated in the group - to me), and Rita Marley.

You can get into folks like Josey Wales, Freddie MacGregor, Maxi Priest and Garnett Silk. Lots of great music for the 80s and early 90s.

 

[Rose640]

You're thinking of Bernie Sanders.

It's not that straightforward unfortunately in the USA.

Though more democrats are pushing for more left ideas. There's still a very large population of people who sit centre. A purely left candidate would lose a lot of voters.

So even though there's this idea that it's only left and right in the USA. Truth is most sit centre to varying degrees.

Most countries are like this as well.

Typically the older you get the more you lean conservative. Unfortunately conservative and right are mingled and don't necessarily mean the same thing.

Most people who are normal have a mix bag of conservative and social ideas.

But political commentary has muddy the waters so much and brainwashed so many people now that in a lot of USA states people just vote what they always vote regardless of the character of the person.

That's how the Republicans keep winning in those states and why people vote against their own interests. They don't really think about it. It's mindless obedience to certain ideas.

Yes this kind of thinking is spreading globally as well.

Yes, Bernie. Not saying he was ideal, but certainly better than Biden. Add sexual harassment allegations on top, doesn't paint a good picture.

Unfortunately, there's almost no centre where I come from. Vast majority of people alway vote right. And Balkan right wing is the same wing that provokes wars every 50 years or so. So yeah, we've got that going.

Also, any left wing that's left are pretty much all senior citizens used to the idea of communism. Again, it's not the idea they like, it's just what they're used to.

 

[Rose640]

Though this is bad. It's sadly typical.

A lot of medical equipment is overpriced in general and so is anything when dealing with the government.

You'd think some things would change in times like these.