Universal Love Random Chat II – brought to you by Harvest Snaps

[Proper Gander]

I didn't mind Bill Nighy's bit either.

The whole bit about turning Christmas into a cynical gimmick, pulling it off only to forgo a party filled with fake friends to hang out with the manager he's constantly giving shit to was actually a bit sweet.

The rest of it is as you said totally connected and at times fairly creepy.

Really very creepy at times and sort of stalky.

Though I didn’t mind the Laura Linnie plot and the poor schizophrenic brother.

 

[Crimson Azure]

Got a lot accomplished today. Walked the dog twice, washed mine and Mrs Crims car, watered the garden in preparation for tomorrow and mowed, fed and watered the lawn. Still had time for a 25km ride.

Almost forgot, groomed then bathed the dog.

Sunscreen really is a glorious thing.

 

[Proper Gander]

Got a lot accomplished today. Walked the dog twice, washed mine and Mrs Crims car, watered the garden in preparation for tomorrow and mowed, fed and watered the lawn. Still had time for a 25km ride.

Almost forgot, groomed then bathed the dog.

Sunscreen really is a glorious thing.

Happy Christmas Crimson!

 

[Headless]

Happy Christmas Crimson!

Go on, then - give us the play-by-play of the paella.

 

[Proper Gander]

Go on, then - give us the play-by-play of the paella.

Was great!

I’d done batches of homemade fish stock for weeks in advance’, and a homemade soffrito yesterday.

The only challenge in timing was to train some randoms vaguely related to my partner (he’s not convinced they are) to stop their piss-artistry and hand me plates of chicken and seafood at the right moments.

What I learned from all of this is giving yourself a task on Christmas Day isn’t a bad idea.

 

[Headless]

Was great!

I’d done batches of homemade fish stock for weeks in advance’, and a homemade soffrito yesterday.

The only challenge in timing was to train some randoms vaguely related to my partner (he’s not convinced they are) to stop their piss-artistry and hand me plates of chicken and seafood at the right moments.

What I learned from all of this is giving yourself a task on Christmas Day isn’t a bad idea.

Would you consider cooking paella for 16 people on Christmas Day a hobby now, Proper?

 

[Proper Gander]

Would you consider cooking paella for 16 people on Christmas Day a hobby now, Proper?

I’m thinking about it but don’t want to discuss it too much here. I think it belongs in another thread.

 

[Headless]

I’m thinking about it but don’t want to discuss it too much here. I think it belongs in another thread.

Roger that. See you in Hell.

 

[Crimson Azure]

What I learned from all of this is giving yourself a task on Christmas Day isn’t a bad idea.

My favourite thing at any gathering is finding a job so I don’t have to engage in small talk with people who conversation with me.

Helped host a couple of friends anniversary’s offered to run the bbq or grill and just chat with those who like to cook.

 

[Proper Gander]

My favourite thing at any gathering is finding a job so I don’t have to engage in small talk with people who conversation with me.

Helped host a couple of friends anniversary’s offered to run the bbq or grill and just chat with those who like to cook.

You’ve nailed it Crimson.

It’s the way I will play it for life

 

[Proper Gander]

Hey Dory_77 and Toump Ass

Thanks for the music recommendations. I’ve listened to both of yours, Dory, and both are great. Really identified with the second - it’s got some quirky stuff that I like.

I’ve got through three of yours Toump (so far, I’ll do the lot) and agree about black music. You get the feel of pathos (understandable from history) but also a feel of optimism.

When I work out how to do it, I’ll post my best music which you will probably hate. Classical isn’t most people’s cup of tea. But it is a Russian guy called Mstislav Rostropovich who changed the way the cello is played. Just lifted the bar so high in his time. I love so many contemporary cellists but they wouldn’t play the way they do if he hadn’t taught us what can be done. And he had coke-bottle glasses and a comb-over and was an asylum seeker from the Soviet Union, like basically every definitive musician at that time.

I’ll find a good recording and share. Don’t feel pressured to bother listening. I just wanted to say this stuff keeps me alive!

 

[Toump Ass]

Hey Dory_77 and Toump Ass

Thanks for the music recommendations. I’ve listened to both of yours, Dory, and both are great. Really identified with the second - it’s got some quirky stuff that I like.

I’ve got through three of yours Toump (so far, I’ll do the lot) and agree about black music. You get the feel of pathos (understandable from history) but also a feel of optimism.

When I work out how to do it, I’ll post my best music which you will probably hate. Classical isn’t most people’s cup of tea. But it is a Russian guy called Mstislav Rostropovich who changed the way the cello is played. Just lifted the bar so high in his time. I love so many contemporary cellists but they wouldn’t play the way they do if he hadn’t taught us what can be done. And he had coke-bottle glasses and a comb-over and was an asylum seeker from the Soviet Union, like basically every definite musician at that time.

I’ll find a good recording and share. Don’t feel pressured to bother listening. I just wanted to say this stuff keeps me alive!

Keen as to hear any rexommendations!

I'm a diltante I think the word is when it comes to classical music, I really like this seija osawa boston symphony recording and this one Debussy recording. And some solo piano stuff I can handle too, but when I feel like hearing lots of notes it will be jazz music. I was a massive jazz nerd for years.

I really only know Arthur Russell as far as cello goes and loads of his disco records don't even have cello.

 

[Toump Ass]

A couple of recommendations that may or may not fit:

Post rock album. Instrumental. Very atmospheric and shifts a bit between darker and lighter moments, but has a grandiose finish. Kinda cool to zone out and listen to.

Used to fiend hard for this sorta gear, not so much for home listening but loved seeing it live.

 

[Proper Gander]

Arthur Russell is a total gun! Wish more classical musicians had heard his stuff. Maybe soon -cross genre is taking off and a good thing.

Debussy is a gun too. I love that impressionist era and he’s probably the leader. Shame he only wrote one piece for cello which is the Debussy Sonata, but he wrote a vast amount for piano which I loved playing and still love listening to (I had no option but to choose at a certain age - the demands of time practising on two instruments is too great)

Seija osawa a gun. He’s also done some great stuff with Montreal Symphony (don’t think he was chief conductor- though that’s rarely the system anymore) and pretty sure he has had a stint in one of the big European Orchestras too. Big time dude.

Boston Symphony rocks. I was lucky enough to get some casual work with them when I lived in America. Nice people too. God it’s weird looking back but I still feel lucky.

 

[Proper Gander]

Also I’m a big Jazz fan! Went to America long enough to work out that the Jazz players are more fun to hang out with. So started listening to their music. I haven’t kept up with all the recent artists but never mind, I’m not dead yet. Still time.

 

[Proper Gander]

Oh yeah - dilitante is probably a word to stay away from these days. It might have meant something different once, but it’s mostly used as an insult these days. Basically for someone who dabbles in multi art forms, at the “high arts” level only, but with no genuine interest.

Can’t think of a good alternative term though. You could say you are Catholic in your taste (though **** knows why that term evolved) or “broad church” (which is equally weird).

We should invent a word of our own

 

[Toump Ass]

Oh yeah - dilitante is probably a word to stay away from these days. It might have meant something different once, but it’s mostly used as an insult these days. Basically for someone who dabbles in multi art forms, at the “high arts” level only, but with no genuine interest.

It's a funny word.

Classical music feels very impenetrable, I just fumble my way through it without really even grasping what I'm looking for. I don't even understand why I like some pieces of more than others, I literally can't explain why out of all the records I've listened to Ozawa sounded better than everything else (maybe because I am very impressed by him as an individual). I think sometimes classical just doesn't hit because it is anchored in a narrative that I can't follow, possibly why I quite liked those impressionists, feels like it's more of an atmosphere or mood they're going for than some kind of story.

 

[Proper Gander]

It's a funny word.

Classical music feels very impenetrable, I just fumble my way through it without really even grasping what I'm looking for. I don't even understand why I like some pieces of more than others, I literally can't explain why out of all the records I've listened to Ozawa sounded better than everything else (maybe because I am very impressed by him as an individual). I think sometimes classical just doesn't hit because it is anchored in a narrative that I can't follow, possibly why I quite liked those impressionists, feels like it's more of an atmosphere or mood they're going for than some kind of story.

That makes sense. I think classical music (never known why it’s called that - the actual classical era was pretty brief) is a bit like a language. It can be learned but it’s easiest to do it young when you brain is tuned for learning and you don’t have to fight off preconceptions.

I did find a recording of your guy and my guy online! In fact I have it on CD also.

I like the 20th Century Russian composers. Christ knows how they managed to write innovative music knowing that if Stalin doesn’t like it they will be quietly taken outside and shot.

If this has a narrative I reckon it goes along the line of:

• The KGB are coming for me. I’m outta here
• This is actually really scary
• That didn’t pan out and now I’m in a camp in Siberia shovelling salt
• I’m going to cheer myself up and think about the good times when my mother would make me borscht and then I would sneak out and meet Sacha Zdoplxvich and we drank vodka under the stars
• it really is shit in this camp so I’ve decided to go mad
• that mightn’t have been the best idea, because I’m now in a hospital with freaky scientists conducting medical “experiments”
• lobotomy time!
• **** that, I’m going to escape (I’m getting pretty good at it now)
• this is pretty scary again, and bloody freezing
• quick nap in a cowshed or something, yeah Sacha Zdoplxvich was really hot. Oh well
• I’m outta hear again before I’m betrayed
• this really is scary!
• yeah you caught me. Good one dickheads. Go ahead and shoot me - I’ll look you in the eye
• dead

 

[Crimson Azure]

Anyone remember the shooter on top of the Chadstone shopping centre in the mid 80’s?

I was at a school that had burnt down so it was moved to an empty convent next to Chadstone. We were not aloud to go home from school as the shooter was taking shots from the roof at the car parks and school.