Jonathan Dowland's Weblogjmtdhttps://jmtd.net/log/jmtdikiwiki2024-02-20T09:26:35ZPropaganda — A Secret Wishhttps://jmtd.net/log/Propaganda/2024-02-20T09:26:35Z2024-02-20T09:12:43Z
<p>How can I not have done one of these for Propaganda already?</p>
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<a href="https://jmtd.net/log/Propaganda/image1.jpg"><img src="https://jmtd.net/log/Propaganda/400x-image1.jpg" width="400" height="519" alt="Propaganda: A Secret Wish, and 12"s of Duel and p:Machinery" class="img" /></a>
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<p>Propaganda/<em>A Secret Wish</em> is criminally underrated. There seem to be a
zillion variants of each track, which keeps completionists busy. Of the
variants of <em>Jewel</em>/<em>Duel</em>/etc., I'm fond of the 03:10, almost instrumental
mix of <em>Jewel</em>; preferring the lyrics to be exclusive to the more radio
friendly <em>Duel</em> (04:42); I don't need them conflating (<em>Jewel</em> 06:21);
but there are further depths I've yet to explore (<em>Do Well</em> cassette mix,
the 20:07 <em>The First Cut / Duel / Jewel (Cut Rough)/ Wonder / Bejewelled</em>
mega-mix...)</p>
<p>I recently watched <em>The Fall of the House of Usher</em> which I think has Poe
lodged in my brain, which is how this album popped back into my conciousness
this morning, with the opening lines of <em>Dream within a Dream</em>.</p>
<p>But are they Goth?</p>
carbonhttps://jmtd.net/log/carbon/2024-02-07T19:24:56Z2024-02-07T19:24:25Z
<p>I got a new work laptop this year: A Thinkpad X1 Carbon (Gen 11). It wasn't the
one I wanted: I'd ordered an X1 Nano, which had a footprint very reminiscent to
me of my beloved <a href="https://jmtd.net/hardware/x40/">x40</a>.</p>
<p>Never mind! The Carbon is lovely. Despite ostensibly the same size as the T470s
it's replacing, it's significantly more portable, and more capable. The two USB-A
ports, as well as the full-size HDMI port, are welcome and useful (over the Nano).</p>
<p>I used to keep notes on setting up Linux on different types of <a href="https://jmtd.net/hardware/">hardware</a>, but
I haven't really bothered now for years. Things Just Work. That's good!</p>
<p>My old machine <a href="https://jmtd.net/computing/names/">naming schemes</a> are stretched beyond breaking point (and
I've re-used my favourite hostname, <code>qusp</code>, one too many times) so I went for
something new this time: Riffing on Carbon, I settled (for now) on <code>carbyne</code>, a
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_acetylenic_carbon">carbon allotrope</a> which
is of interest to nanotechnologists (Seems appropriate)</p>
I'm going to FOSDEM 2024https://jmtd.net/log/fosdem/2024/2024-01-25T16:04:25Z2024-01-25T16:02:27Z
<p>I'm attending <a href="https://fosdem.org/2024/">FOSDEM 2024</a>. Perhaps I'll
see you there!</p>
<p>For the first time, I'm giving some talks, both in the Free Java
Devroom (UB5.132) on Saturday 3<sup>rd</sup>. They are</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2460-a-beginner-s-guide-to-backports/">A beginner's guide to Backports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2329-bespoke-containers-with-jlink-and-openshift/">Bespoke containers with Jlink and OpenShift</a></li>
</ul>
Reading hackhttps://jmtd.net/log/reading_hack/2024-01-16T15:44:43Z2024-01-16T15:33:26Z
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<a href="https://jmtd.net/log/reading_hack/shelf.jpg"><img src="https://jmtd.net/log/reading_hack/500x-shelf.jpg" width="500" height="172" alt="My to-read shelf" class="img" /></a>
<p>My to-read shelf</p>
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<p>This year, with respect to my ever-growing reading backlog, I'm going to try
something new: when I acquire a new book, I'm going to try to read at least a
few pages of it immediately. My theory is this will help me to have a better
idea of what to expect when I come to pick the next book to start, later on. A
few pages may not be very representative of a full book (In "<a href="https://archive.org/details/howtoreadnovelus0000suth_z7v4">How to read a
Novel: A User's Guide</a>
John Sullivan suggests reading 69 pages before giving up on a book), but it
may be better than nothing.</p>
<p>I'll report back if it seems to work.</p>
Two reissued Coil LPshttps://jmtd.net/log/coil/2lps/2024-01-16T11:08:41Z2024-01-16T11:07:51Z
<p>Happy 2024!</p>
<p><a href="https://daisrecords.com">DAIS</a> have continued their programme of posthumous <a href="https://jmtd.net/log/coil/">Coil</a> remasters and re-issues.
<a href="https://www.daisrecords.com/collections/coil/products/coil-constant-shallowness-leads-to-evil">Constant Shallowness Leads To
Evil</a>
was remastered by Josh Bonati in 2021 and re-released in 2022 in a dizzying
array of different packaging variants. The original releases in 2000 had barely
any artwork, and given that void I think Nathaniel Young has done a great job
of creating something compelling.</p>
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<a href="https://jmtd.net/log/coil/2lps/coil_lps.jpg"><img src="https://jmtd.net/log/coil/2lps/400x-coil_lps.jpg" width="400" height="533" alt="Constant Shallowness leads to Evil and Queens of te Circulating Library" class="img" /></a>
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<p>A limited number of the original re-issue have special lenticular covers, although
these were not sold by any distributors outside the US. I tried to find a copy on
my trip to <a href="https://jmtd.net/log/portland/">Portland</a> in 2022, to no avail.</p>
<p>Last year DAIS followed <em>Constant…</em> with <a href="https://www.daisrecords.com/collections/coil/products/coil-queens-of-the-circulating-library">Queens Of The Circulating
Library</a>,
same deal: limited lenticular covers, US only.</p>
<p>Both are also available digital-only, e.g. on <a href="https://jmtd.net/log/bandcamp/">Bandcamp</a>:
<a href="https://coilofficial.bandcamp.com/album/constant-shallowness-leads-to-evil">Constant…</a>,
<a href="https://coilofficial.bandcamp.com/album/queens-of-the-circulating-library">Queens…</a>.
The original, pre-remastered releases have been freely available on archive.org for a long time:
<a href="https://archive.org/details/Coil-ConstantShallownessLeadsToEvil">Constant…</a>,
<a href="https://archive.org/details/CoilQueensOfTheCirculatingLibrary">Queens…</a></p>
<p>Both of these releases feel to me that they were made available by the group
somewhat as an afterthought, having been produced primarily as part of their
live efforts. (I'm speculating freely here, it might not be true). Live takes
of some of this material exist in the form of <a href="https://archive.org/details/Coil-CoilPresentsTimeMachines">Coil Presents Time
Machines</a>, which
has not (yet) been reissued. In my opinion this is a really compelling
recording. I vividly remember listening to this whilst trying to get an hour's
rest in a hotel somewhere on a work trip. It took me to some strange places!</p>
<p>I'll leave you from one of my favourite moments from "Colour Sound Oblivion",
Coil's video collection of live backdrops. When this was performed live it
was also called "Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil", although it's distinct
from the material on the LP:</p>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/K4uIlnqJNKs?start=2727s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://archive.org/details/youtube-K4uIlnqJNKs">also available on
archive.org</a>. A version of
this <em>Constant…</em> made it onto a Russian live bootleg, which is <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7MI2yIRMPaLe7lFZ2nGFpY?si=b564b0637ecb478f">available on
Spotify</a>
<a href="https://feelee.bandcamp.com/track/constant-shallowness-leads-to-evil">and Bandcamp</a>
complete with some John Balance banter: <q>we only do this on religious holidays…</q></p>
<iframe class="bandcampframe" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=526764636/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1044300640/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://feelee.bandcamp.com/track/constant-shallowness-leads-to-evil">Constant Shallowness Leads to Evil by Coil</a></iframe>