At the record sharp end...

Way back in 2013 I wrote  a bit about how for those of us who use turntables that use removable (SME) type headshells we could have a easy to fit and install cartridge for getting the music on our records  to our amplifiers phono input so we could enjoy and did produce an update in 2016 but we're nine years on and things are a bit different.

There's always been some controversy in audio circles regarding the best cartridges and styli to use over the decades, the earliest being from the days of horn gramophones covering the shape of the stylus, what it is made from, to  the sort of cartridge it is attached to and so on.

Sometimes it is clear one is better overall such as moving magnet cartridge sounds better and causes less wear than a crystal one to your records but on other occasions its been "swings and roundabouts" depending on what you prioritized such as the moving magnets ease of replacing the stylus over the potential advantages of the moving coil although that has to be re-tipped by an expert (or you use a part exchange scheme to get a new one each time).

While more advanced stylus shapes can by being a  closer fit to the record grove wall, sounding better  for tracing the grove more accurately, some find the demands of keeping a record spotless clean to avoid more obvious noise from debris a challenge.

That is one reason I've decided to go slightly backwards and explore one of the best  regular eliptical stylus fitted cartridges, the Nagaoka MP 110 whose tracking is better than most in its price range.

For a good number of years Nagaoka of Japan had no official importer in the UK but that has changed over some 18 or so months, so they are back on sale with proper dealer support.

As purchased, it was pre-mounted into a SME style headshell to screw into my turntables arm so all the fiddly wiring was done for me and I'm looking forward to giving this ago alongside my  Ortofon Concorde 20 and 30 higher spec but more demanding .

I expect it to sound slightly warmer and with a tadge less extreme high frequencies.

Things afoot

Canvas soled footwear was very much a part of my childhood and for good number a part of their casual side later on in life but the Pastel Galaxy tennis shoes have a allure that's just for us being so cute and girlish.

Shorter Pereline socks can also play a part in terms of a summer look, very much a little girl look but cooler for those warmer days while still being breathable.

Week one of the hols musings

 

Someone may be looking a bit stern faced filling out the punishment book but perhaps it's more about their uniform this time than just attitude and as ever this always talk before school closes for the six week summer holidays around that.

Some has been about affordability, Academies in particular often went for blazers with piping, embroidered badges , branded sports kit often only available from *the* official school supplier which to be fair are often of good quality but quite an outlay especially if you have two or more children in such schools.

So they're trying to de brand things which may ironically make the difference those that can afford the est and the others stick out more.

Perhaps what is needed is a uniform allowance?

The other is for some of us is getting uniform stuff for the kind replicated school we go for which isn't too difficult for generic uniform like plain blazers, skirts things like traditional boater hats for girls and schoolboy caps can be harder and today looking under a school that might feature such items is likely to meet a request for details of the child, class etc as school specific items are often behind a "firewall" so unless you can find used ones it might prove difficult.

Perhaps some of us never got over formally leaving school and would sooner be at one for us?  

Special friends

Much much cooler this week thank goodness as it was really affecting my internal system a lot so it is a time perhaps for some more cooler thoughts around that which is both a need and thing in my life even if perhaps less than before.

Really for me at least, having "that talk" is just a basic from the important angle initially that you do give consent to being spanked whither it is on each separate occasion or a at all times unless you indicate clearly you're not "up to it"  in which they can find another suitable punishment

It also should cover the "how" - the use of any implements - the way any number of strokes may be given as it is too easy to risk injury especially permanent injury if you don't and the "why" such as in what situations you will be spanked.

In some situations a third area for "the talk" might be to examine what you did, how you feel about it and after the person lets go of any anger agrees with you to give you that spanking so they are in full control of their emotions and so can do it safely. 

With love to all those trusted Adult friends in my life who are “Special Friends” sorting me out when I mess up. I’m so glad you’re doing this for me.

Giving me that spanking we talked about helps. 

Life on the hoof

 

Just before I'd normally be orf this week here's this weeks post.You know this is so me as I just adore horses and ponies spending hours petting and talking with them to the point of begging folk to stop the car so I get out to them in the fields.

My brother was wild about horses, still is, taking part in gymkhanas and other competitions spending hours on horseback and subscribing to the Horse and Hound magazine and has a fair bit to do with the Arab Horse society, doing photography for some big cheeses. 

I spend quite bit of my time with him and share the same love of country life and its routines.

Bigger girl talk - The value of work and why benefits matter

I deliberated over where to write this but decided as there were other things I may wish to talk about elsewhere I'd do that here.

The ongoing row over PIP and connected payments shows a lack of understanding that just being disabled means you incur costs in your attempt to be as independent as possible that have nothing to do with your ability or willingness to get a job as without them you wouldn't stand a chance of doing what it takes to take on a job like get dressed, get about paying for assistance and equipment and you may need more space than is presumed for a non disabled person which you don't get any help from housing benefit from.

Greater and quicker intervention when it comes to treatment and therapies would help but that area is facing year on year cuts and even insiders in the DWP admit their access to work programs struggle to deliver employment with over a year delays from assessments to aids for work being delivered which means in practice many employers don't employ perfectably capable disabled workers while governments and the tabloid press gaslight disabled people as shirkers turning down jobs.

A few years back a Government Minister here in Great Britain, raised several eyebrows when he appeared to suggest a major measure designed to set a basic level of pay - the National Minimum Wage - ought not to apply to learning disabled employees and the resultant storm left people thinking the idea was discarded.

Recently a noted personality and champion of disabled people and indeed parent of a 'grown up' child with Downs Syndrome, Mrs Rose Monckton decided to raise this topic again as the person who runs a training program for learning disabled adults.

The essence of her argument run that the output might not justify the National Living Wage for those over Twenty-four years plus the National Minimum Wage of Sixteen through Twenty-four year olds and many lived with their parents and so didn't 'need'  more than say Two pounds per hour as their parents provided for them. Hate the expression, but in essence this two pounds would be more like 'pocket money' for them being used for snacks, trips out and clothes rather than say food or housing costs.
By doing this, she argued learning disabled people would be more included in the work force and more importantly would feel they had a place in society that would be valued.

I suppose the first thing is to I say I share the same objective not least for having learning and developmental disabilities on top of physical ones, believe strongly in a more inclusive society and that even people  with learning disabilities should have employment opportunities.
That's where it stops with me because while some may be content with living with parents or some shared home with assistance -which absolutely is their right- the problem with this is it means they could not look for an flat where they would need to find money even if they claimed back some housing costs though other welfare programs.

The second area of concern is we are purposely exempting people on the basis purely of diagnosis and labelling from the everyday wage expectation whereas in the past 'top up' schemes would of helped companies employ people by paying them so they offered the same wages to a disabled employee.

The third area is if the argument is that some work may be therapeutic in terms of teaching life skills, the 'value' of work, retention of abilities which as someone who is disabled I'd agree with, then there was no reason they could not be  permitted to work in a voluntary capacity, assisted with any necessary travel costs and perhaps allowed to keep a small amount of any money they were given by way say of tips without having to declare everything.
That would provide  for much of this, be more flexible and not compromise the notion of everybody regardless of disability being literally of equal value reflected in their wages.

A message from the Plushies II

Been a bit busy tidying up this week removing magazines that soon build up and the likes and  I thought I'd post about something that is troubling me.

 One group appears to have a "one set of rules for some and another for all else" running through who can be in a private group on a popular messaging site, the way people can know about any group activities - only seeing the information WHEN you've been added to the list so you never know to even register an interest before and not even getting back to your messages.

Ideas for a back up channel if one long running LG site has issues using the same provider are just ignored without comment even though they know the old Yahoo system had ceased working a while back and there is no list on site of Moderators so if anyone has a concern they can raise directly.

 

 Time to just cuddle your plushies while this carry on continues.