h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dateline Antwerp;

Morning psi

Pisigian contingency means I am in Antwerp rather than Amsterdam (next weekend) as planned.

The Trier-Koblenz Mosel Weinstrasse then a superb run on the B258 to Monschau.

Strike: Is fair Albion having postal strike? Once the trip is finished I will be in Hamburg for two weeks and thence to Edinburgh Festival so send replacement whenever convenient.

anorak exchanges: A case I suspect of one man's expertise being other men's incomprehension.

Just finished 'Alas, Poor Darwin' edited by Rose and Rose. Interesting response to some aspects of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. Just started John Gray's 'Black Mass' (recommended by blue)

bsy

Morning Bx4,
I'm glad the trip seems to be going well.

No it was a strike by some unions, one of which was relevant but in fact I don't think it affected Scotland.

You are right about the anorak stuff. Some people are just into that.
I suspect what jank is hearing on the quartet cd is partly the result of a colleague of mine who helped with the mixing. He was doing all kinds of things like creating a copy of the guitar part and panning it extreme left and then just keeping the reverb and...well anyway.

I've just read the original Midgley vs Dawkins spat for the first time. Hilarious.

I'll send the replacement in a couple of weeks.

ttfn

Hi jank

Dateline Antwerp:

Not Amsterdam as planned. A chance meeting (the essence of a`Pirsig run) changed plans so Amsterdam next weekend.

Anorak 101: Actually I am impressed though the only bits I understood were impedance and, possibly 'frequency bandwidth' if this the same as frequency range.

I owned an anorak once -BA ground crew recycled.

Outpunk: I am more of the beat/early rocker (music & biker)/ proto-hippy generation so I doubt if I know how to do this.

God & Miller: Haven't read it though I wouldn't think it is in principle that difficult to reconcile a belief in (some form of)God (see Einstein and his 'God of Spinoza). The difficulty arises when the believer makes certain assumptions about (refutable) existential predicates that define his God.

Amsterdam dining: The Sea Palace is worth a visit if you fancy a bit of Hong Kong style 'waterborne' eating and can take the Forbidden City decor. One of my old haunts (though now moved upmarket) the Cafe van Puffeln on the Kaisergracht has a barge in summer. And there's the Odessa but that's a Russian barge I believe

I've eaten in both the Kantijl en de Tijger and Tempo Doeloe both are good but I agree that the second is better. I also used to like the Cilubang Runstraat 10 which is more mid range. I heard it claimed that the best rijstaafel restuarants are in Den Haag.

However this time round my friends want to take me to a Surinamese restuarant and i'll probably go to d'Vijff Vlieghen which I have a bit of a weakness for.

bsy

evening jank

Cagoule: Wiki tells me that is a kind of pacamac that's much worse than being an anorak. So bad that the video despite showing a wine range of ntyy ski togs, parkas and anoraks didn't show one.

The pacamac is so embarassing that no pictures appear on the web but there may be a song by Madness.

Apparently brownies are actually called space these days. Another perfectly good euphemism bites the dust. so it goes

We did try for Pier 10 but somehow got diverted to a party on Brouwersgracht.

Didn't make the Surinanamese restaurant either but did go to an unusual Indonesian off the Leidseplein called the Blue Pepper. Off to
D'Vijff Vlieghen tonight.

Found a couple of still extant brown cafes and overcame an attack of the munchies with a visit to the Vlaamse Friethuis (I think)

Yesterday discovered the Stedelijk is closed for renovation so spentpent the afternoon hanging about in the Vondelpark.

Planned a bike trip to the Kroller-Muller but didn't get there. Just hung about my friend's flat and got sucked into the Christian Topic. Complete failure of steely resolve.

I even wrote a response to your 'all mutations are deleterious in the end' but resisted. They don't,btw.

Leaving tomorrow the coastal route around the IJsselmeer up to Cuxhaven.

I will play Diskin at some appropriate point while transiting the far north.

Ive looked it up and you don't qualify as an anorak your post *was* arcane but neither boring or obsessive.

Losing this status may upset you. However, see 7 in

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=anorak

and then

http://www.progwereld.org/cd-recensies/marillion15.htm

Is that something you really want?




Hope you have got over the food poisoning

groetjes

Should I post a replacement now?

Hi psi

Been meaning to reply for some time but fairly busy in the world and a bit of failure of 'steely resolve' on a number of fronts.

Trip: Went very well and the new 'boxer' a dream. Best one yet, IMO.

Anorak: Not sure I class Jank as an anorak though. Enthusiasm but no obsession.

My basic problem was that it did not mean much to me and part of my Acurrent steely resolve agenda involves not getting sucked into researching everything I don't know on t'interweb thingy.

Mixing: My level of expertise is limited. I once got involved many years ago in recording /mixing a jazz band (I was at the time the proud owner of a 4-track B&O tape deck (considered quite advanced at time. Not a great success and my potential career as a sound engineer went........

Midgley/Dawkins spat: Not one I followed. I did read one paper by Midgley but it was more a critique of the later Dennett than Dawkins.

My favourite spat is the Dawkins/Sloan Wilson, one particularly DSW's 'Mycroft'

Slack cutting: I have not forgotten I owe you a reply, I kept noodling away at it while on trip and it sort of grew like Topsy (whoever she was). It now needs to shrink like Treehorn.

Searle: I haven't forgotten that I said I try and dig up papers that respond to Searle's on ought-is.

I thought since I'll be in Edinburgh next week and I thought as I have to visit the University library, rather than trawling JSTOR, I'd get a proper literature search done.

Pity that thread has died by the way - thought it had legs.

Drop: The eponymous bluesman will still serve as a unique identifier.

6,6,9: Let me know beforehand and I'll alert but give it a few days

AAPS: Apparently AAPS has changed its name internally but that need not concern.

I'll be in Edinburgh from Saturday but the Old College isn't open until Monday.

Some delay in reply on 'moral correctness of homicide of furry bunnies' thread. Overcommitted again. Rats

Hi Bx4,

How about if I post on Monday?

Hi psi-
That would work. Probably arrive Wednesday, but I'll contact them tomorrow. I'll let you know when (note positivity) it arrives.

I doubt if I'll manage to listen to it at once, the Festival get fairly hectic and then we're sailing home( the boat has much hi-tech but no player)

I hope we have cleared up drop point - I felt like just typing it in to see what happened.

I look forward to listening to it.

bsy

Well I have addressed it as:

eponymous
c/o 6,6,9
that department that has changed (initials and longhand)
OC
SB
Festival city
postcode

I'll post tomorrow unless you alert me to an obvious error in the address.

hi psi

That'll do it. ( Might have put U of E after OC but propbabbly not necessary)Look forward to listening to it.

Sorry, about non-reply on 'Murder' thread. In part too busy and in part it seems to be getting awfully grumpy.

bsy

Ok, although I find it is always better to stick to one excuse rather than spread the bet, after all, I'm not the grumpy one.

afternoon psi

The grumpies: Not a reference to you (or hieru). Your exchange was reasonable and polite. The grumpies appeared later.

excuses: I prefer to think of them a legitimate but distinct reasons.

sticking: might be a different cognitive response to phenomena:

'Something deep within us drives accurate messiness into the neat channels of canonical stories'
SJ Gould

I've flagged the delivery up to 6,6,9 and she'll let me know soon as.

Must dash

bsy

Hi Bx4.

Package posted.

"I prefer to think of them a legitimate but distinct reasons."

Evening psi.

I thought I would wait until I had some news.

The good news is that the drop was successful on Wednesday but I did find out until a couple of hours ago as 6,6,9 has been out of the office since Tuesday and I didn't know the had arrived until well after four.

Anyhow quick dash across town means that I now have my mitts firmly on them.

As I said, fairly hectic at the moment and and then a sailing trip (sans player)so any critique (which will necessarily be much less impressive that jank's) well need to await until I manage to sit down down for a 'proper listen'.

I have been giving R&B a a quick spin (in less than ideal conditions). Quite taken with it .

Sadly (whichever one you are) the cover has shattered my image of you as a louche and etiolated denizen of slightly insalubrious basement jazz clubs. At least there are no beards**

** Having just opened 'View'. I guessed wrong.

must dash

bsy

Splendid!

I'm the one on the left btw.

All constructive criticism is welcome, whenever you get around to listening.

This post has been removed.

Hi psi I see my post to you is in temporary durance vile beyond the normal hiatus that I temporarily endure .

Not sure why I merely said in summary

that my technical skills in musical criticisms were sparse to the point of non-existence so not to expect too much.

That I liked both offerings but am more drawn at the moment the cardboard enclosed one

That I had figured out your leftish tendency from the plastic one.

That I was about to acquire a portable player for my upcoming trip so I would be able to listen after all.

Not much I can see that would result in an even temporary durance vile.

So it goes

Yes that is odd, I can't think of a reason for the spell in pokey.

Criticism doesn't have to be technical to be constructive or insightful so I wouldn't worry about that.

Interesting that your provisional verdict is opposite to jank's.

Hi psi

A quiet day chilling out.

The further good news is that my granddaughter has graciously agreed to lend me her portable player.

provisional verdict: That may be a bit strong. I was more intrigued initially by the eclectic format. I don't think it is much more than that.

Still trying to figure out the poky event.

I did say that 1 on the cardboard one reminded somewhat of the 1959 instrumental composition by a well known jazz bassist/composers entitled 'short allegorical narratives about the 1957 governor of Arkansas'

though I don't see why that would be a problem

Hi Bx4,

I can't see a problem with mentioning fables of faubus and if you actually said '1 on the cardboard one' rather than naming the track and/or the band then I really can't see the problem.

Enjoy your chill time.