Washington State Caucuses – 9 Feb

Posted on January 25, 2008 by Gandalfe

democrats

The Washington Caucuses are only two weeks away. Mark your calendar for February 9th at 1:00 pm.

You may be getting questions about the Caucuses from your friends, family, or coworkers. Or maybe the process is still a bit foggy for you. You can start by locating your caucus using the Caucus Finder Tool. There’s now a video FAQ that you can view to find answers to your other questions at http://www.wa-democrats.org/caucusinfo

Are you getting questions about what a Caucus is? Or what will go on during your Caucus? On our Caucus Information Center page, you will find answers to these questions and more.

If you can’t find what you need, you can also call the Washington State Caucus Hotline at (206) 583-4345 or e-mail grassroots@wa-democrats.org.

Start spreading the word about the caucuses. Washington state could play an instrumental role in deciding the Democratic nominee.

I hope that you are as excited as I am about the Washington Caucuses and the election year ahead. The Caucuses are your first step in taking part in the political system that can make country great. We will benefit with your participation.

Posted in Politics | 3 Comments

Lessons with Nick

Posted on January 21, 2008 by Gandalfe

NickNmeLessons I gave my grandson Nick his second weekly lesson in a row on clarinet. He hates clarinet. You might remember he played sax with me for a couple of years but the elementary band had twenty+ saxes and three clarinetists. I talked to him about the benefit of playing clarinet early in his life and he in decided it was worth a try. That was two years ago.

Nick is twelve and already has that teen sullen thang down pat. During this lesson yesterday he was really blue and it was hard to get him motivated. I talked to him about pretending to be attentive and interested; anything else was a slap in my face. And I drew parallels to doing the sullen thang with teachers at school and the potential effect on his grades. I even talked about how he would feel about a friend doing that to him. 

You know what? He tried it. He appeared interested, sat up straight, worked hard. We had a great lesson. He has a lot of unrealized potential. His carrot? The ten minutes of sax at the end of the lesson. We have agreed he will be playing alto sax in 7th grade next year. So we have a lot of work this summer. Oh, and there are only two alto sax players left from all four elementary schools that play together.

Then I got to thinking, I wonder if they have a tenor sax player in the band? Nick doesn’t think they do. I should talk to his band teacher and see which sax they’d prefer he play next year. I really hope my grandson sticks with music; it is a fun thing that we can do together. And his grandmother and uncle also play sax. :o)

Posted in Music | 6 Comments

Henri Selmer Paris – Erreur 404 (9)

Posted on January 19, 2008 by Gandalfe

I’m doing research yesterday on some Selmer music instruments. After years of eschewing the Selmer instruments as overpriced and beautiful looking, horrible intonated instruments I have a number of Selmer state-of-the-art instruments. So periodically I like to review the specs. Using an old link I think I may have found my now, all-time fav Error Page at Henri Selmer Paris – Erreur 404 (9).

SelmerArt

The art is stunning and the music as startling as it is compelling. What a great CD the sound track to this error page would make. From classical to vintage jazz, the music is a romp through selections that I have never heard before. Oh, that beautiful bari sax and then that haunting clarinet. I wonder how long this page will remain available. Tip of the day, pull up this page and leave it running in the background as you do your normal online tasks.

Posted in Music | 4 Comments

Tárogató (aka Taragato), sounds like a cat… being strangled… slowly…

Posted on January 19, 2008 by Gandalfe

DSCF0337 I picked up a tárogató from my instrument selling maniac and friend QuinntheEskimo (eBay handle). The tárogató (or taragot, taragato) is a woodwind instrument in Bb with a conical form similar to soprano saxophone. I’ve read that the instrument probably originated in Turkey, and was played with a double reed. Around 1890, the instrument maker Schunda of Budapest invented the tárogató in its present-day form.

DSCF0333 Today it sports a clarinet-like mouthpiece and a key mechanism with characteristics of the oboe and the German clarinet. I’ve found I like the sopranino sax mouthpiece myself. In contrast to the clarinet, the tárogató over blows to the octave (just like the oboe and the saxophone). I’m guessing the taragato is mainly used in Hungarian and Rumanian traditional music. Stephen Fox builds new ones but I got an unmarked, vintage one.

From Stephen Fox‘s site: “The tárogató of the present day bears very little resemblance to the instrument bearing the same name in earlier times.  Before the mid 19th century, the term referred to keyless, conical bored, double reed instruments – shawms, generically speaking – which took a number of forms:  straight or curved body, simple or with beadlike knobs; with an integral wooden bell or a metal bell.

Mention of the tárogató in Hungarian writings dates back at least as long ago as the 15th century.  It is not clear whether it was first brought into Europe by the Magyars when they first immigrated from the east in the 9th century.  It is certain, however, that instruments of this type, decended from the Middle Eastern zurna, were introduced into Eastern Europe by the Turks in the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the term töröksip – “Turkish pipe” – which was used as a synonym for tárogató.  It is possible that instruments from both traditions were combined into one entity.”

In these pictures I’ve placed my instruments next to a Bb soprano clarinet and a Bb soprano sax. The sound is a little more whiny than I’m used to but that could be due to my inexperience with the instrument.

Posted in Music, Music Instruments, Vintage | Tagged | 11 Comments

Small cars and bicycles – oh goody

Posted on January 14, 2008 by Gandalfe
I saw this race between the new (old) Fiat 500 and some BMX bicycle riders. With the prices of gasoline predicted to reach $4 this Summer, I expect to see many more small cars on the street. Indeed, mopeds are starting to be seen in greater numbers in the Redmond area where I live. So here’s this rather fanciful presentation of the race.
 
Posted in Travel | 11 Comments

Bill Gates’ Last Day Approaches

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Gandalfe

But that doesn’t mean the company can’t have fun with his departure. I really look forward to the company meeting each year where the leaders of the company create these films that poke fun at themselves. Can you see I really like being a part of this company. Click on the picture below to view.

BillG

Now Jeff Raikes has announced his retirement. Both of these guys were here when I arrived after the military. Sometime, if I let it, these departures just make me feel old. By the way, I’m a month older than BillG. But I’ve kinda given up trying to catch up with him. ;o)

Posted in Humor | 8 Comments

gapingvoid: Beware of Turning Hobbies into Jobs

Posted on January 10, 2008 by Gandalfe

Hugh, of gapingvoid talks about something that a lot of us have probably thought of in Beware of Turning Hobbies into Jobs. (Note, depending on how late you get to this post you might have to use his search box to find the topic.)

"It sounds great, but there is a downside.

The late billionaire, James Goldsmith once quipped, "When a man marries his mistress, he immediately creates a vacancy."

What’s true in philanderers, is also true in life."

Read more…

GapingvoidCreativeGod

Beside being a good read, it reminds me of the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it."

Posted in Too Spicy for some | 4 Comments

C Melody Saxophone – Making a Comeback?

Posted on January 9, 2008 by Gandalfe
There are some new manufacturers of C Melody saxophone, or the saxophone for the common man. With a sax keyed in C you can read over the shoulder of the pianist and play what you see in the top line. Many vintage C Melody’s exist out there and you can usually get them for a song plus an overhaul cost. Here is Mo showing us how it done in this very recent recording.
 

 

Posted in Saxophone | 9 Comments

YouTube: Stan Getz and John Coltrane

Posted on January 6, 2008 by Gandalfe
Stan Getz & John Coltrane live in Düsseldorf, Germany. They are joined by the recently deceased Oscar Peterson. This is for those who have been a part of the many arguments about whether Trane has a decent sound. Enjoy.
 
Posted in Jazz | 9 Comments

How are you using your time on this blue marble?

Posted on January 4, 2008 by Gandalfe

franklin A tip of the hat to Laoch for this pointer.

"It’s all so brief, isn’t it? A typical human life span is almost a hundred years. But it’s barely a second compared to what’s out there. It wouldn’t be so bad if life didn’t take so long to figure out. Seems you just start to get it right, and then…it’s over."
Dr. Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5

Soldier Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G’Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.

Read more from Obsidian Wings…

Posted in Health and wellness | 3 Comments