#bass pond construction

[still-single]

New Heathen Discos / more reviews to follow

Some radio shows to ease your troubled minds.

Episode #296 (June 12, 2022)

HOUR 1

Flanger Magazine – Sympathies to the River

David Nance – Amethyst

Kikagaku Moyo – Effe

Azita – Bruxism

Tommy James and the Shondells – Crimson and Clover

Cocteau Twins – Lorelei

Weird Nightmare – Sunday Driver

Eggs – This Party Never Ends

Cyrus Pireh – Adomono Tone Control

Magazine – The Light Pours Out of Me

HOUR 2

The Neon Judgement – The Fashion Party

Beau Wanzer – Blood Type Gravey

The Gruesome Twosome – Hallucination Generation (Joker’s Revenge Edit)

Alan Vega – Saturn Drive

Dharma – Dreams of a Final Theory

Chevalier Avant Garde – The Killing Fields

Green-House – Produce Aisle

The Stroppies – Material Condition

Kitchen’s Floor – Haunted Houses

Sorcery – Woman

Rats – Mainhorse Cowboy

Estus – On the Wings

Freda Payne – I Get High

Roller – Homunculus

HOUR 3

The Modern Lovers – Don’t Let Our Youth Go to Waste / Dance with Me

Nite Fields – Take My Side

à;GRUMH… - Another Brick in the Wall Part II

Midas – One O One

Bomb the Bass – Don’t Make Me Wait

L/F/D/M – Midnight Muscle

Penza Penza – Merman

Linton Kwesi Johnson – Reggae fi Dada

Glenn Branca – The Ascension

BABY? – Babbling Brook (Vintage Dust)

Forest Management – Liminal Suite Pt. 2

The Velvet Underground – I Found a Reason

Episode #295 (June 5, 2022)

HOUR 1

The Leather Nun – Slow Death

Afrorack – Last Modular

Astaron – As Time Joins In

TSAP – Vile Corporation

Danse Macabre – The Voice of Bulgaria (instrumental)

Brian Case – Our Ruin

Horsegirl – Homage to Birdnoculars

Long Odds – Not Enough Stars

John & Beverley Martyn – Auntie Aviator

Smoke Bellow – Maybe Something

Rose Mercie – Sweet Place

Daniel Villarreal – 18th and Morgan

Steve Hillage – Musick of the Trees / Palm Trees (Love Guitar)

HOUR 2

Vivienne Styg – Leather Love

Jess Scott – Climbing Numbers

Dick Diver – Private Number

Microdisney – Town to Town

The Party of Helicopters – Neverending Cycle

Tar – Goethe (live)

Rudimentary Peni – Vampire State Building / Blasphemy Squad

New Age Steppers – Fade Away

Forest Management – One After Another

Fievel Is Glauque – Decoy

Cookie Jar – Far Out As Near As Can Be

The Neon Judgement – Hot Sally

Roller – Habit Man Zero

The Arms of Someone New – No City Fun

Kim Phuc – Razorblades

Cyrus Pireh – Message of Universal Solidarity

Goblin – Tenebre

HOUR 3

Mr. Big Mouse – Duck the Mouse (Ascorbic Acid Mix)

Tomaga – Very Never (My Mind Extends)

System 56 – They’re Only Dreaming

Construction Crew – Break That Beat (That Noise Mix)

Heavenly Bodies – Rains on Me (extended mix)

Brandon Coleman – We Change (Part 1)

Chronophage – Spirit Armor

Doramaar – Monestrial

Blue Öyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper (demo)

Episode #294 (May 29, 2022)

HOUR 1

Mess Esque – Sweet Spot

Just Mustard – Seed

Bardo Pond – Don’t Know About You

Mosquitoes – Outlines

Th’ Faith Healers – Love Song

Penza Penza – Merman

Siouxsie & the Banshees – Hybrid

Th Blisks – I Don’t Fade

Anne Clark – Counter Act (instrumental)

Apiento featuring Harriet Brown – Down That Road (Apiento & Tepper Dubbed It)

Depeche Mode – Nothing

Winged Wheel – Central Ceiling

Felt – All the People I Like Are Those That Are Dead

HOUR 2

Zusammen Clark – Rest Position

Comet Gain – Allende

The Go-Betweens – Head Full of Steam

Bailter Space – Robot World

Neu! – Hallogallo

Green-House – Flora Urbana Absumpto

Stephanie Mills – What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin’ (12” version)

Paul Haig – Blue for You

Sleep D – Twin Turbo

Wally Badarou – Hi-Life

Silver Apples – Lovefingers

Tommaso Moretti – ESM

Viva L’American Death Ray Music – Getting Better

HOUR 3

Mura – Younger Brother

Mary Lattimore and Paul Sukeena – Altar of Tammy

Small World Experience – Side Projects

The Garbage and the Flowers – On the Radio

The Breeders – When I Was a Painter

Delivery – Personal Effects

Ebi Soda – Pseudocreme

Vacant Gardens – Field of Vines

Spread Joy – Discomfort Is Palpable

Sparks – At Home At Work At Play

Severed Heads – Halo

Chris & Cosey – Until

James Brown – I Can’t Stand It “76”

Best Bets – The Point

Yo La Tengo – Deeper into Movies

Episode #293 (May 20, 2022)

*insert image of Wednesday Addams here*

HOUR 1

STRING – Plus Operator

Maya Hardinge – Living Behind Smoke

Trisomie 21 – Jakarta

Bauhaus – Stigmata Martyr

Levon Vincent – Tubular Bells

For Against – Loud and Clear

The Cure – Object

The Scissor Girls – D1 Test (Cracked Swanreons)

Crime of Passing – Ways of Hiding

Automelodi – Angoisses D’Orléac

Winged Wheel – Central Ceiling

Austra – Beat and the Pulse (extended mix)

HOUR 2

A Split - Second – Close Combat

Fad Gadget – Lady Shave

ADULT. – I Am Nothing

16-17 – Davul

Cairo Pythian – Puce Cross

The Birthday Party – Junkyard

Kelly Lee Owens – S.O (2)

Modal Melodies – Standing Still

The Terminals – Hide Yourself Away

The Glove – Looking-Glass Girl

Ashrae Fax – Decaax

Xmal Deutschland – Nachtschatten

The Veil – Manikin (extended mix)

Whatever the Weather – 25° C

HOUR 3

The Wedding Present – Never Said

Prefab Sprout – Desire As

Shirley & Dolly Collins – Rambleaway

Roller – Au (Gold)

My Bloody Valentine – Feed Me With Your Kiss

The Litter – Breakfast at Gardenson’s / Future of the Past

Green-House – Mycorrhizare Dreams

Deep Tunnel Project – Elysian Fields

Spiritual Mafia (ft. Alan Partridge) – Bath Boy (30 Mil From My Gland remix)

The Hazmats – Empty Rooms

Drive Like Jehu – Super Unison

Marley Marl feat. Biz Markie and Heavy D – We Write the Songs

2022 Demo

Book me to play records at yours.

[francisherrbold]

Mastering the Cast: A Guide to Selecting the Perfect Fishing Rod for Your Skill Level

Fishing isn't just about throwing a line into the water and hoping for the best. It's an art, a skill that requires the right tools. And at the heart of those tools is the fishing rod. But with so many options available, how do you choose the perfect one for your skill level? Let's dive in and explore the key factors to consider when selecting a fishing rod tailored to your expertise.

Understanding Your Skill Level

Before delving into the specifics of fishing rods, it's essential to assess your skill level honestly. Are you a novice angler just starting, an intermediate enthusiast looking to refine your techniques, or an advanced angler seeking precision and performance? Understanding where you stand on this spectrum will guide your rod selection process.

Rod Action and Power

One of the critical aspects of a fishing rod is its action and power. Action refers to how much the rod bends when pressure is applied, while power indicates the rod's lifting strength. Novice anglers may prefer a rod with a slower action and lighter power, as it provides more forgiveness and control, making it easier to detect bites and reel in fish. Intermediate anglers might opt for a moderate action rod with medium power, offering versatility for various fishing techniques. Advanced anglers, accustomed to finesse and precision, often favor fast action rods with heavier power for handling larger fish and casting with pinpoint accuracy.

Consider the Species and Fishing Environment

Another factor to consider is the type of fish you intend to catch and the environment in which you'll be fishing. Different species require different approaches, and the fishing conditions can vary greatly. A lightweight spinning rod may suffice for beginners targeting smaller freshwater fish like bluegill or trout in calm lakes or ponds. Intermediate anglers venturing into saltwater or targeting larger species such as bass or walleye might opt for a baitcasting rod with more durability and power. Advanced anglers tackling challenging conditions like deep-sea fishing or heavy surf may require specialized rods designed for such environments, offering robust construction and performance features tailored to these demanding scenarios.

Length and Flexibility

The length and flexibility of a fishing rod play a crucial role in casting distance, accuracy, and control. Shorter rods provide more leverage for fighting fish in tight spaces but sacrifice casting distance. Longer rods offer greater casting distance and leverage when battling larger fish but may need to be more convenient in confined areas. Flexibility, or stiffness, affects the rod's sensitivity and casting ability. Novice anglers may benefit from a more flexible rod, which provides better feedback and forgiveness, while advanced anglers might prefer a stiffer rod for increased casting distance and control.

Budget and Quality

While it's tempting to splurge on the latest high-end fishing gear, it's essential to consider your budget and prioritize quality over bells and whistles. A well-built, mid-range fishing rod can provide excellent performance and durability without breaking the bank. Look for reputable brands known for their craftsmanship and customer support, and read reviews from fellow anglers to gauge the reliability and performance of the rods you're considering. Remember, investing in a quality fishing rod is an investment in your angling experience, paying dividends in enjoyment and success on the water.

Testing and Trial

Finally, don't hesitate to test out different fishing rods before purchasing. Visit local tackle shops or attend fishing expos where you can handle various rods, feel their balance and weight, and assess their comfort and ergonomics. Many retailers also offer demo programs or allow customers to test rods in-store before buying. Take advantage of these opportunities to find the perfect rod that feels like an extension of your arm, empowering you to cast precisely and reel in the big ones confidently.

Choosing the right fishing rod for your skill level is essential for maximizing your enjoyment and success on the water. By considering factors such as rod action and power, the target species and fishing environment, length and flexibility, budget, and quality, you can narrow your options and find the perfect rod tailored to your expertise. Whether you're a novice angler just starting or an advanced angler seeking peak performance, the right fishing rod can elevate your fishing experience to new heights. So, gear up, hit the water, and let the adventure begin!

[delphiniumarchangelmoon]

How do you use map icons in totk cause mine are:

Leaf: foraging area for rare/useful materials (fun fact you can get hearty bass at that low gravity island with the mirror puzzle, the water never refills but the fish still spawn and just around on the floor. It’s part of my “post blood moon rotation” of foraging points and enemy spawns.

Skull: enemy I can’t reliably defeat yet (I finally got all mine off my map! TAJE that silver lynels you fucking suck ass)

Sword: mini boss/tough enemy I can reliably defeat

person looking one: Addison sign or backpack korok to return to later

Crystal tower thing: depths ascend point

Cooking pots: overworld cooking pots in useful locations so I don’t have to rely on portable ones all the time

Hearts: korok puzzles or areas I think are going to be used fir a side quest later

stars: anything else, usually related to whatever I’m working on at that moment

Bonus content: my material grinding routine for every blood moon as a paranoid newbie to this franchise who is not going into the final fight until I’m considerably over prepared.

Immediately go to the Lanayru Promenade and teleport to the O-ogim shrine, ascend up and defeat the three lynels that spawn in a line heading northwest from that point. This is both farming for weapons and fuse parts AND practice with dodging and flurry rushes (it took me a Long Time to figure them out and I’m not going to stop until I can get 5 in a row)

Then I open my map again and teleport to two locations where Gibdo’s spawn (gibdo bones my beloved) generally the underground cemetery then the ancient altar ruins, it’s generally worth putting a travel medallion down in a Gerudo cave of your choice cause desert travel is awful and most of the caves for some reason don’t have shrines

Then I teleport to several sky islands rapidly:

Ga-ahisas shrine in the North Tabantha Sky for aforementioned fish

Josiu shrine in north Necluda sky (then to the island north of it with the pond) for a big radish + everything else those islands grow

And finally the water temple, as it’s my preferred location for farming Construct parts. I like combat in low gravity im a sniper at heart just let me have infinite bullet time

(my current plan for Ganondorf is a full inventory of rocket shields + multi shot bows + gibdo bones. everything else is a backup plan. I hope I don’t need the backup plans cause they’re not very good. One is literally to look up on YouTube how to build an indestructible car and just run him over till he dies)

Then I stop off at Sturnida Springs Cave (north + a little west of Rito Village) aka the crazy mushroom cave. Also a decent place for a travel medallion tbh, it’s fairly far from any travel points.

Then its Hateno to harvest from the school field and set the new crop (I’m usually rotating between endura carrots and hearty radishes) and buy out anything useful at the store, mostly pumpkins. And arrows. I consider anything under 150 to be running low.

If I’m running low in cash I track down a rare stone talus or two, there’s two fairly close to the Gerudo Canyon tower.

Then I spend the remaining time either defeating gloom spawn/boss rematches in the depths/more Lynels depending on what I’m running low on, or farming parts from a dragon (I try to rotate but. It’s usually Dinraal cause she’s my favorite dragon)

And when I inevitably get bored of this I switch to collecting poes in the depths to buy bomb flowers.

And yes. My link does have a severe addiction to speed elixers. That’s none of your business. It gets the job done. Gan won’t know what fucking hit him (it’s bones and bombs. He’s getting hit by bones and bombs)

And anyway I don’t want to do the final boss until I’ve done the majority of things to do in the game, it feels like the finale should be… final, yanno? I’m not gonna find every korok seed or anything but I do want to get all inventory upgrades, get every armor piece and upgrade most of them, do all the side quests, fill my compendium most of the way, etc.

but even then I’m still REALLY close. I’ve got like… three shrines, five quests, 4 wells, and maybe 2 armor pieces left and SURELY more m close to getting all the Addison signs I mean I never slacked on those. I already have plans lined up to get upgrades for the armor pieces I already have (fuck the goddamn star things I just want to upgrade my own damn canonical armor and you want falling stars AND dragon parts? Literally fuck off) so. Im running out of things to do to avoid the ending 😬

[ewaterras]

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California bass grow-out system Construction of California sea bass RAS aquaculture system: Site preparation: Select a suitable site for the construction of the breeding system. The site should be level, well-drained and have potential for sustainable development. According to the scale of farming and type of facilities, carry out site cleaning, renovation and leveling. Facility construction: According to the project plan, carry out the construction of aquaculture facilities. Indoor facilities include fish tanks or ponds, filtration systems, oxygen supply devices, etc.; outdoor facilities can be large ponds or net boxes equipped with appropriate filtration and oxygen supply devices. Ensure that the facilities are structurally sound and meet the breeding requirements.

[readingsrantsrambles]

The Bon Iver Boys Bob for Bass and Bluegill at the Harlem Meer

The drummer Sean Carey, who schedules his tours around fly-fishing stops, tries out some urban angling in Central Park with his bandmates Zach Hanson and Ben Lester.

By Adam Iscoe - New Yorker Magazine - June 5, 2023

The musician S. Carey, whose first name is Sean, and who is a drummer for the band Bon Iver, goes fly-fishing whenever he has the chance. Largemouth bass in Half Moon Lake with his kids, near their home, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Cutthroat trout while on tour in Montana. He recently started organizing his solo-tour schedule around fly-fishing: a trout trip to a secret stretch of river in the Catskills (“Some places you have to be a bit closed-lips about”) was followed by a concert in Brooklyn, and then by an afternoon angling for bluegill and bass in Central Park, with two of his bandmates, Zach Hanson and Ben Lester. “I’m not, like, driven by success or fame,” Carey said. “I’d rather go fishing.”

Snapping turtles stretched out along the banks of the Harlem Meer, which is stocked with bass, crappie, and catfish. “Urban fishing is a whole different thing,” Carey said, walking by a little boy. “You’ve got to be careful not to hook anyone!” Nearby, James Brown blasted from a boom box on an electric scooter, and a local fisherman, dressed in a green tracksuit, caught a six-inch largemouth bass.

Carey wore a hoodie, green Crocs, and polarized sunglasses, and carried a Patagonia tackle bag packed with flies, snacks, and a Lawrence Ferlinghetti book. “Fishing gets you out of your own head,” he said. “Hours can pass, and you’re, like, ‘I don’t know what time it is.’ ” He held a fly rod under his left arm as he tied a fluffy orange-and-gold homemade Woolly Bugger onto the line. “I’m terrible at knots, actually,” he said, twisting the filament ten times.

“You do ten, huh? I, like, max out at six, maybe!” Lester said. He had on camo Crocs and a canvas fly vest. Carey threw out a cast, which landed near a partially submerged orange construction cone. Lester caught a six-inch bluegill. “I grew up spin-casting,” Carey said. “It was my dad’s favorite hobby.” Fifteen years ago, in college, in Eau Claire, Lester taught Carey to fly-fish. “By the end of that summer, I was addicted,” Carey said.

A few years later, Justin Vernon, Bon Iver’s front man, uploaded his début album, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” to MySpace. He had recorded the LP at a cabin in Wisconsin. Carey said, “I took it upon myself to learn all the songs really, really well. At his first show, at this coffee shop with eighty people, I just told him, ‘Hey, man, do you want me to play drums and sing? I can do it.’ And he was just blown away by it.” Two hours before Bon Iver’s first show, Carey became the second member of the band. The group’s next album won a Grammy.

In 2009, Carey started recording his own first record in the spare moments between touring and fishing trips. He released his most recent album, “Break Me Open,” last year, on Earth Day. “It’s about loss and change and grief,” he said. In 2021, Carey’s marriage fell apart; his dad died a few months later. “It was tough and dark, and the music was a huge way out,” he said.

Around five o’clock, a stranger in a wide-brimmed hat and Birkenstocks shouted, “There’s a big white carp in the corner over there!” He added, “This is my home water. I live across the street.” He grinned. “I’m not fishing today, but this is my home water, man.” A huge fish swam toward the shore. Hanson cast at it, and the carp darted away.

The stranger suggested another spot: “Go through the woods. There’s, like, a crick that runs through, and you follow the crick up over to the West Side, and there’s a pond on that side, too.” In Central Park, the woods are called the Ravine, the crick is known as the Loch, and the pond is the Pool.

The Pool was a bust, so Carey wandered to a billion-gallon lake he’d heard about, the Reservoir. “I thought it’d be funny to walk around with all these fly vests and fishing gear,” he said, “but nobody’s batted an eye.”

A man rode past on a double-decker custom-made bicycle. A gaggle of birders aimed expensive lenses up into a tree. Someone on a park bench smoked a blunt, and a group of friends debated superpowers.

“What’s the ultimate superpower, man?”

“Super strength!”

“Flying!”

“A lot of them are unique, that’s all I’m gonna say. But the best one?”

“Wings.”

“Levitating!”

At the Reservoir, Carey peered over an iron fence. “I like the water clarity,” he said. But there was no access. He’d caught only one fish all day.

“Let’s eat something!” Lester said.

They located a Mister Softee truck out on Fifth Avenue. Lester and Hanson ordered vanilla cones, and Carey got an Oreo Crunchie Crash. “I suppose if you’re gonna live in a city, you know, it’s a pretty good one,” he said. ♦

[ingpiner]

Castmaster bullets

CASTMASTER BULLETS FREE

1.5" at 50 yards with iron sights and my lackluster skill in a 30-40 Krag sporter using 208g RN gas check cast bullets over AA5744, producing a little over 1700 fps. I haven't started casting yet I am buying commercially cast bullets of unknow hardness. I want to start loading cast bullets for 308, 30'06, 303 British and 45-70. The Atom Striper Swiper is a classic lure that still works.I have just started loading and shooting cast bullets in 30-40 Krag and 35 Remington. I have removed the tail hook on some of my Striper Swipers and substituted a single bucktail hook to minimize foul hooking and to make removing hooks easier, especially where big bluefish are concerned. The forward hook position features a replaceable plated treble that rotates on a swivel to minimize lost fish, while the aft hook position features a replaceable treble with bucktail skirt. Striper Swipers are offered in four colors (blue/silver, silver/white, mackerel, red/yellow) and in five sizes from 3/8 to 3 ounces. The through-wire construction enhances this lure’s indestructible qualities and I have Atom Striper Swipers in my tackle box that have been catching bass and blues for me for four decades that are still on my go-to list for inshore endeavors. The Atom Striper Swiper’s durable hard-plastic construction makes it super-tough and it will hold up to repeated strikes from toothy critters like chopper bluefish, as well as being a natural for stripers in the surf, inlets, jetties, back channels and shallow bays. It also enables it to track straight and true and minimize getting swept sideways by wind or current flow. Anglers can keep the Striper Swiper at the surface with a steady retrieve, but the added weight will allow this lure to get under the wash and whitewater so that predators can have a better look. The added heft aft also causes this lure to sink, which is atypical for most top-water poppers. The unique features of the Atom Striper Swiper are that it is made from plastic and is tail-weighted for extra casting distance on windy days. For more information, visit Atom Striper Swiper: Designed by noted lure-maker Bob Pond back in the mid-50s (the Atom and Reverse Atom are also his prodigy), the Atom Striper Swiper and the Atomizer popper are the only Atom lures still being manufactured today and are distributed by Uncle Josh. It is equally effective for casting or trolling and is especially deadly when vertical jigging.

CASTMASTER BULLETS FREE

The durable latex rubber tube is attached to the Kastmaster with a Rosco barrel swivel, which helps to prevent a hooked fish from twisting itself free from the lure. The third member of the family is the Kastmaster with Tube Tail. Equipped with stainless steel split rings and a 4X strong VMC treble hook, it’s deadly for stripers, bluefish, bonito, albacore, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and other coastal gamefish. Available in four sizes (2-3/4 inches, 3-1/2 inches, 4-inches and 4-1/2 inches) and five colors (silver flash, blue flash, green flash, yellow flash and pink flash), the precision machined Kastmaster XL is equally effective whether cast, trolled or jigged. Some of the Kastmasters in my tackle box are over 30 years old and are still catching fish! Any corrosion on the Kastmaster’s durable nickel-plated finish is usually easily removed with a dose of WD-40 and steel wool.Īnglers asked Acme to design a lure that would “match the hatch” when predators were feeding on slender-bodied baitfish such as sand eels, anchovies, silversides or smelt and the Kastmaster XL is the answer. to vary their action and appeal to different species. Over the years, I have tweaked some of my Kastmasters with swivels, split rings, treble hooks, single hooks, bucktail hooks, surge tails, etc. These larger models are available with either a plain treble or single bucktail hook. Saltwater Kastmaster sizes include 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 ounces and are offered in four basic hues: chrome, blue/chrome, blue mackerel and green mackerel. Offered in sizes that range from 1/12 to 4 ounces in 27 colors, there is a size and hue Kastmaster that is just right for you. Its aerodynamic, wind-cheating, weighted oval shape casts like a bullet and its unique side-to-side darting action creates an action that can be modified by the angler based on the style and speed of the retrieve, covering just about every level of the water table from top to bottom. An amazingly versatile lure, the Kastmaster is equally deadly whether cast, trolled, or vertically jigged. The Kastmaster was quickly accepted by both fresh and saltwater anglers and is now used to catch a wide variety of fish worldwide. One of their initial products was their famed Kastmaster lure, which featured a basic brass design and a durable, jewelry-quality nickel plated finish. Acme Kastmaster: The Acme Tackle Company was founded by inventor Art Lavallee back in 1952 in Providence, RI.

[wildguppies]

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A pair of peacock bass (Cichla ocellaris) guarding their eggs in Bella Vista, Bolivia (video) →

Biotope in my study, a low-tech natural aquarium

Posted on September 27, 2009 by tuncali



Bitope in my study. A low-tech natural aquarium. Click on to view the bigger picture.

Like natural garden ponds this aquarium has no filter, no heater, no artificial light, no electrical equipment at all. It is a silent aquarium, a piece of real tranquility. It receives natural sunlight directly from the window. The temperature may drop to 16°C in winter, and rise up to 28°C in summer, but no problem; the inhabitants are suitably selected subtropical species. The marginal plants, especially the umbrella plants (Cyperus alternifolius) keep the water much cleaner than any manmade filter can. Because the nitrate and phosphate levels are so low that they are practically immeasurable, even direct sun light for a couple of hours doesn’t cause algal blooms. Size of the tank: 120x60x40cm, 40 cm is the height.

Inspired by natural garden ponds I gave no fish food at all in the first eight months because I wanted to have a self-sufficient ecosystem with its own food chain. The fish I added after four months like dwarf croaking gouramis (Trichopsis pumila) and scarlet badis (Dario dario) could flourish by eating young dwarf shrimps, crustaceans and other micro-animals they could find in the aquarium. All these micro-animals could in turn grow and multiply well by eating algae and plant remains. My only input to this ecosystem were dried beech leaves from the nearby wood.



Half pyramid structure with foam sheets.



Sand, stones and roots

I began to set up the aquarium in August of 2006 as illustrated in the pictures below. By gluing progressively smaller foam sheets from bottom to top with aquarium silicon I constructed a sort of half pyramid. My objective was having different depths in the tank with a shallow water zone at the back.

These were the first creatures I added to the aquarium (August 2006):

Plants:

Umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius)

Echinodorus rigidifolius and E. cordifolius

Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana)

Java fern (Microsorium pteropus)

Hygrophila polysperma and H. corumbosa

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Anubias nana

Various swimming plants (Lemna minor, Limnobium laevigatum, Ceratopteris cortuna)

Invertebrates:

Striped dwarf shrimps (Neocaridina denticulate)

Mexican amphipods Hyalella azteca

Water louse Asellus aquaticus

Water flea (Daphnia pulex)

Malaysian trumpet snails (Melanoides tuberculata)

Ramshorn snails (Planorbis corneus)

Fish:

4 x dwarf otocinclus, a small algeater (Otocinclus affinis)

I waited four months before adding four scarlet fish (Dario dario), a pair of dwarf croaking gouramis (Trichopsis pumila) and six celestial pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) into the tank. After four months I thought the population of shrimps and arthropods reached a sufficient level for sustaining the carnivorous fish.

Carnivorous fish added after four months (January 2009)

Fish:

4 x Scarlet fish (Dario dario)

A pair of dwarf croaking gouramis (Trichopsis pumila)

6 x Celestial pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus), surface dwelling swarm fish

The private life of plants in my biotope



Biotope seen from above, October 2006

I had planted the umbrella plants on the right and left backside corners. They thrived unbelievably fast. I guess, they like natural sunlight. Already after two weeks their reddish roots were all over the tank like hair bundles, also reached the front glass. The umbrella plants are perfect for the purification of water and sand, but they cause a mess in the aquarium and threaten other plants. Mixed up with Java moss the roots of umbrella plants make impenetrable jungles up to the water surface. This jungle like ecological niche might be ideal propagation ground for small invertebrates provided that it receives sufficient oxygen. But I know today that umbrella plants must be kept several meters away from other plants because they are so dominant and fast growing species.

The sword plants (Echinodorus species) with emergent leaves were growing well at the beginning but they slowed down after several months. They are still alive today (July 2007) but almost without growing. I guess, the reason is either iron deficiency, or the harsh competition of umbrella plants.

Java moss is a real nuisance in this aquarium. They propagate so fast that they cover all the other plants in a few weeks. I have to throw away bundles of Java moss regularly. Though it makes ideal hiding and feeding ground for invertebrates and baby fish Java moss is not sustainable in the long term. It requires so much maintenance, that’s not the idea. I should either get rid of Java moss or find a small herbivorous animal which can eat it.

The sword plants and Cryptocoryne wendtii can grow together. The same can be said for the triple Hygrophila polysperma, Anubias nana and Java fern. I think, these are all sustainable, low maintenance plants in most cases. Hygrophila corumbosa didn’t grow well from the beginning. It either didn’t like the conditions of my tank, or couldn’t stand to the competition of other plants.



Front view of biotope, October 2006

As to the swimming plants: They all multiplied fast initially, then came to a standstill, and finally disappeared altogether after eight months, including the invasive common duckweed (Lemna minor). I observed a similar phenomenon in the temporal lakes in Bolivia. The swimming plants which invade the whole surface initially begin to diminish due to the competition of plants like water lilies that have roots at the bottom. Such plants like water lilies don’t depend on the nutrition content of water alone because they can take additional nutrition from the bottom substrate (iron-rich laterit soil in most cases) through their roots. I guess, plants like umbrellas are purifying the water so well in my tank that even invasive plants like duckweeds must starve.

To summarize what I learned through all these observations, mixing up plants after the visual aesthetic, or visual imagination without the support of experience never give satisfactory results. Each species, or each compatible group of species must have sufficient area in the tank. Otherwise, the dominant group will invade the whole aquarium unless you fight against it with a high level of maintenance. For example, I would have only umbrella plants and Java moss in an aquarium, provided that I am ready to throw away the excess Java moss regularly. Or only sword plants (Echinodorus species) and Cryptocoryne wendtii in another. Water lilies can be kept in large aquariums, or better ponds with sufficient distance from other plants.

The private life of invertebrates and fish in my biotope



Male scarlet badis (Dario dario)

I never saw the water louse (Asellus aquaticus) again after I added them to the tank. I had hoped that they would thrive among the beech leaves which I collected from the nearby wood because they are perfect herbivores for any ecosystem. Their larvae could be excellent addition to the food chain for the fish. I still don’t know today (July 2007) if any of them could survive. But I guess, they need a hibernation period in really cold water in winter which is not possible in a home aquarium.

The dwarf shrimps (Neocaridina denticulate) thrived extremely well and reached an unbelievable population in just four months. I guess, they liked the clean nitrate-free water. After four months I could see baby shrimps everywhere in the tank. Because there were no enemies like carnivorous fish they were foraging freely during the day. They changed their behavior after I added the carnivorous fish like the scarlet badis or dwarf croaking gouramis. They began to live nocturnal and hide during the day, especially the small babies. Though some of them fall prey to fish their population was big enough and stable after four months with the carnivorous fish.

The Mexican amphipods (Hyalella azteca) are I think ideal animals for any biotope aquarium. They are the North American version of the better known fresh water shrimp Gammarus pulex. They are but smaller, and more resistant to higher temperatures, oxygen deficiency and organic pollution in water. Hyalella azteca can grow up to 1 cm, though it generally remains smaller. It’s generally said that they require hard water (GH over 10) for breeding. Initially I thought baby Hyalella azteca would be ideal food for the fish. And because the scarlet badis or dwarf croaking gouramy are not large enough to eat adults a sustainable population would be feasible for the long term. But I had suspicions about their breeding potential because the water was maybe not hard enough (GH = 8).



Female scarlet badis, a death sentence for all

But the Mexican amphipods could multiply quite well even though not as prolific as the dwarf shrimps. They also switched over to night life like shrimps after I added the carnivorous fish. But I guess, they are not as good as shrimps in escaping predators, especially the baby arthropods. Nevertheless, I can still see today Mexican amphipods at night among the plants when I look with a torch. I guess, most of them are hiding among the stones and gravel.

The Malaysian trumpet snails (Melanoides tuberculata) are voluntary recycling workers. They keep the sand clean just like the earthworms do for soil. They generally hide in the sand during the day and come out at night. They are hermaphrodites carrying both sexual organs on a single body. They can fertilize themselves (I don’t know if they can do cross fertilizing) and generally they are prolific breeders. I had started with ten trumpet snails a year ago. Now I can see lots of them. Trumpet or ramshorn, snails are indispensable agents for recycling in an ecosystem. They break down the organic matter before bacteria do and make them easily available for plants. This is exactly the type of recycling we need with a low bacteria level.

Water fleas (Daphnia pulex) could also multiply very well in the first four months with the algeater dwarf Otocinclus as the only resident fish. They disappeared in a few days after the arrival of scarlet badis. I was sorry for my water fleas and for the diminishing biodiversity but I knew that the water fleas had no chance. But I know today that the common water flea can easily be a part of such an ecosystem with shrimps and plant eaters without the carnivorous fish.



Croaking dwarf gouramy (Trichopsis pumila)

About three months after the initial set up I thought, the population of shrimps reached a sufficient level for sustaining tiny carnivorous fish, and added four young male scarlet badis to the tank (November 2006). Only males, because I couldn’t find any females. It’s somehow very difficult to find female scarlet fish. I added a pair of dwarf croaking gouramis in December.

Scarlet badis (Dario Dario) is a magnificent tiny fish of Indian origin whose size can hardly exceed 2.5 cm. Because it lives in ponds and lakes in high altitude plateaus it likes cool water, but it tolerates temporary higher temperatures like 28°C. Dario dario is in general a hardy fish. It is resistant to diseases and adaptable to various water conditions. But they rarely accept staple food; they need live foods. That’s why they are not easy fish to keep in any home aquarium, but ideal candidates with their tiny size for a self-sufficient biotope aquarium. They are very beautiful. They resemble the anemone fish of coral reefs with their bright colors.

My four young scarlet fish thrived in the biotope without any additional food. In several months they became colorful and aggressive adults. Each had its own territory in the tank. They were slimmer, more colorful, more aggressive and agile than the scarlet fish I have seen in some industrial aquariums. Even their behaviors were different. They weren’t showing up the whole day like a porcelain piece in a vitrine. They were hiding most of the day only to appear at dawn and dusk times. They were briefly but efficiently searching for food and showing other males who is the boss in their territory. After five months my scarlet badis were still as healthy as iron, and I was sure that they could find sufficient food in the tank. This was the aquarium now which I enjoyed most because I could observe more natural behaviors. How should I find wives for my scarlets on heat?



Female dwarf yellow cichlid (Apistogramma borellii)

It was a mistake to put dwarf croaking gouramis to the tank. I had initially hoped that they would remain near to the surface and leave bottom areas to scarlets. But they didn’t. Maybe due to lack of swimming plants on the surface they looked for hiding places on the bottom and dominated scarlet fish. Though they looked healthy enough I think my unheated aquarium was too cool for the gouramis. So, after three months I separated them to another natural but heated aquarium. They are still living there together with Betta imbellis. They could even produce some young fish in the meantime.

Celestial pearl danios (Celestichthys margaritatus) are small swarm fish with Asian origin. They are close relatives of the well-known zebra danio (Danio rerio). I preferred pearl danios to zebra danios because they are smaller, calmer and they don’t have the habit of jumping off the aquarium. Like scarlets they can perfectly be kept in unheated aquariums with temperatures varying between 15° and 25°C. Pearl danios proved quite compatible with scarlet badis because they are peaceful and surface dwelling swarm fish. They look healthy and satisfied but I am not sure if they will get enough food in the long term. Maybe they are too large a burden for the food chain of a small biotope without insects raining from the sky.



Male yellow dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma borellii)

All went very well until I found female scarlets from a private breeder in Germany. My male scarlets were very happy for a couple of days. But only a couple of days because all the fish except pearl danios died, I guess, due to a disease carried by female scarlets. A tragic end to my experience with scarlets. Since then, I am keeping dwarf yellow cichlids (Apistogramma borellii), another subtropical species.

Unfortunately, I had to give up my self-sufficiency concept with borellis because they are not tiny enough like scarlet badis. I had to begin giving some supplementary food even in miniscule amounts. Nevertheless, I am now quite sure that the self-sufficiency concept was a success with the tiny scarlet fish.

[lorcantips]

Clay Pond Build for bass

Clay Pond Build for bass

This site was perfect for a natural clay pond construction. They wanted this pond so their daughter could fish for bass. Creating … source

[ifuckinglovestvincent]

St Vincent: “Pour a Drink, Smoke a Joint... That’s the Vibe”

Ding dong! Daddy's Home

By Johnny Davis

19/03/2021

Annie Clark, known professionally as St Vincent, picked up a guitar aged 12 after being inspired by Jimi Hendrix. During her teens she worked as a roadie and later tour manager for her aunt and uncle, the jazz duo Tuck & Patti. Originally from Oklahoma, she moved to Dallas, Texas when she was seven and later attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts for three years, before dropping out.

Clark worked as a touring musician with the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, before releasing Marry Me, her first album as St Vincent, in 2007. By her fifth album, 2017’s Masseduction, she had become one of the most celebrated artists in music, the first solo female artist to win a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album in 20 years.

She became unlikely Daily Mail-fodder around the same time, thanks to an 18-month relationship with Cara Delevingne, and later Kristen Stewart. Her ever-changing music, dressing up-box image and head-spinning well of ideas have seen her compared to David Bowie, Kate Bush and Prince. To complete the notion of her being the "artist's artist", in 2012 she collaborated with David Byrne on the album Love This Giant.

Indeed, she is surely one of few performers today who could stand in for Kurt Cobain with what’s-left-of-Nirvana, performing “Lithium” at their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, as well as cover “Controversy” at a Prince tribute concert in 2020, with such guitar-playing fireworks its author would surely have approved.

Following the glam-influenced pop of Masseduction, St Vincent has performed another stylistic handbrake turn. Complete with a new image – part-Warhol Superstar, part-Cassavetes heroine – she has mined the textures of the music she loved most as a kid: the virtuoso rock of Steely Dan, the clipped funk of Stevie Wonder and blue-eyed soul of mid-Seventies' David Bowie, on her upcoming album, Daddy’s Home.

The title refers to Clark's own father, locked up in Texas for 12 years in 2010, for money laundering in a stock manipulation scheme, one in which he and his co-conspirators cheated 17,000 investors out of £35m. It is also, in typical Clark style, a bit of saucy slang.

Back on the promotional trail, Clark Zoomed in from Los Angeles one morning recently – fully caffeinated and raring to go. “My vices?” she pondered. “Too much coffee, man…”

What question are you already bored of being asked?

There’s not one that’s popping out. There’s no question where I’m like “Oh God, if I ever hear that again, I’ll jump off a building.” I’m chill.

I mention it because prior to releasing your last record you put out a pre-recorded “press conference”, seemingly to pre-empt every inane question the media would throw at you.

It’s so funny. It didn’t really occur like that. Originally that was supposed to be a legit green screen conference. Like, “I’ll just answer these questions ‘cos when they need to have me on ‘The Morning Show’ in Belarus they can have this and put their own graphics behind it”. But then when my friend Carrie Brownstein [collaborator and Sleater-Kinney vocalist-guitarist] and I started writing it and it became very snarky. For some reason it didn’t occur to me that “Oh, that might be off-putting or intimidating to journalists” I just thought "This is silly”. So anyway… I understand.

We're curious about your dad and the American legal system.

I have had a lot of questions about that. For some reason it didn’t occur to me how much I would be answering questions about… my hilarious father!

How do you view his time in prison?

Just that life is long and people are complicated. And that, luckily, there’s a chance for redemption or reconciliation, even after a really crazy traumatic time. And also anybody that has any experience with the American justice system will know this... nobody comes out unscathed.

You recently presented an online MasterClass: "St. Vincent Teaches Creativity & Songwriting". One of the takeaways: “All you need are ears and ideas, and you can make anything happen”. Who’s had the best ideas in music?

Well, you’ve got to give credit to people who were genuinely creating a new style – like if you think of Charlie Parker, arguably he created a new style. This hard bop that was just absolutely impossible to play. It was, like, “Check me out – try to copy me!” So, that’s interesting. I think Brian Eno, for sure, has some great ideas about music – and obviously has made some of the best music. Joni Mitchell – completely singular. I mean: think about that. There are some people who are actually inimitable – like, you couldn’t possibly even try to imitate them.

It’s a brave soul who covers a Joni Mitchell song. Although, apologies if you actually have.

No, I have not. And there’s a reason why not. Come on – Bowie. Bowie never repeated himself. David Byrne also didn’t repeat himself. He took all of his influences of classic songs and the disco that was happening at the time, and the potpourri of downtown New York music from the mid- to late Seventies… and synthesised it into this completely new, other thing. I mean, that’s impressive. Those are the ones we remember.

How hard is it not to repeat yourself?

It’s whether people have the Narcissus thing or not. Like, it’s always got to be a balance where you’re, like, “Well, I need to believe in myself to make something and be liberated. But I can’t look at that pond of my previous work and go ‘Oh you! You’re gorgeous!’” So I don’t go back and listen to things I’ve done. I finished Daddy’s Home in the fall and it was, like, “This is done” and it felt great. I loved the record and it was so fun to make. But what I did immediately afterwards was to write something completely different. But then I don’t know, ‘cos there are people who do the thing that they do just great. And you just want to hear more songs, in the style of the thing that they do great.

Right. No one wants an experimental Ramones album.

Exactly. Or, like, or a Tom Petty record. I don’t want a tone poem from Tom Petty! I want a perfectly constructed, perfectly written completely singalongable three-chord song.

The new album has a very “live” Seventies feel. I’d read that some of the tracks are first takes. Can that be right? It all sounds very complicated.

That’s not right. I should say [rock voice] "Yeah, that’s right, we just jammed…" But, you know, I’ll be honest. There are some vocal takes in there that are first takes. But it really is just the sound of people playing. We get good drum takes. And good bass takes. And I play a bunch of guitar and sitar-guitar. And it’s the sound of a moment in time, certainly. And way more about looseness and groove and feel and vibe than anything else [I’ve done before].

Amazing live albums, virtuoso playing, jamming – those were staples of Seventies music. Have we lost some of that?

I mean, I can wax poetic on that idea for a minute. In the Seventies you had this tremendous sophistication in popular music. Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and funk and soul and jazz and rock…. and all of the things rolled into one. That was tremendously sophisticated. It just was. There was harmony, there were chord progressions.

What else from that decade appealed to you for Daddy’s Home?

It reminds me of where we are now, I think. So, 1971-1976 in downtown New York, you’ve got the Summer of Love thing and flower children and all the hippy stuff and it’s, like, “Oh yeah, that didn’t work out that well. We’re still in Vietnam. There’s a crazy economic crisis, all kinds of social unrest”. People stood in the proverbial burned-out building. And it reminds me a lot of where we are today, in terms of social unrest, economic uncertainty. A groundswell wanting change... but where that’s headed is yet to be seen. We haven’t fully figured that out. We’re all picking up pieces of the rubble and going “Okay, what do we do with this one? Where do we go with that one?” Being a student of history, that was one of the reasons why I was drawn to that period in history.

Also: that’s the music I’ve listened to more than anything in my entire life. I mean, I was probably the youngest Steely Dan fan. It didn’t make me that popular at sleepovers. People were, like, “I want to listen to C+C Music Factory” and I was, like, “Yeah, but have you heard this solo on [Steely Dan’s] ‘Kid Charlemagne’”? That music is so in me. It’s so in my ears and I feel like I never really went there [making music before]. And I didn’t want to be a tourist about it. It’s just that particular style had a whole lot to teach me. So I wanted to just dig in and find out. Just play with it.

Is there a style of music you don’t like?

That I don’t like?

You're a jazz fan...

I love jazz. Are you kidding me? I was that annoying 14-year-old who was, like, “Yeah, but have you listened to Oliver Nelson’s The Blues and the Abstract Truth?”

I love jazz. Are you kidding me? I was that annoying 14-year-old who was, like, “Yeah, but have you listened to Oliver Nelson’s The Blues and the Abstract Truth?”

That does sound quite precocious for a 14-year-old.

It’s annoying. Just insufferable. [Thinking aloud] What music don’t I like….? Here’s what can happen. And I feel like it’s similar to when an actor has some lines in a script and they’re not very good – not very well-written – so they overcompensate by making it very dramatic and really overplaying it. I would say that is a style of music that I don’t really like. Where somebody has to really oversell it and it all feels… athletic. Instead of musical or touching.

Did you put your lockdown time to constructive use?

If you need any mediocre home renovations done, I’m your girl. It was fun. I did – let’s see now – plumbing, electrical, painting. Luckily there’s YouTube, so you can more or less figure it all out. I did a lot of that stuff and I have to say it was such a nice contrast to working on music all day. Because when you’re working on music you have to create the construct of everything. You’re, like, “I need to make this song. But what is this song?” Everything is this kind of elusive castle in the sky thing. But then, if you go and sand a deck, you’ve done something. It feels really good. And it’s not, like, “What is a deck? And who am I?” You’re just, like, “This is a task and I get to do it and I can see how the mechanism works I understand it it’s not esoteric – it’s simply mechanical". I can do something mechanical. I loved it.

Which bit of DIY are you most pleased with?

Painting the kitchen cabinets. That’s a real job. We’re talking sanding. We’re talking taking things off hinges. We’re talking multiple coats. The whole lacquer-y thing at the end. That. I’m, like, “That looks pretty pro”.

What colour did you go for?

Oh, you know, it’s just a sort of… teal. But classy teal.

Of course.

Yeah. The wallpapering wasn’t as successful. But, you know, that’s fine. So that was really fun. And then I also went down a history rabbit hole. I realised I had some gaps in my knowledge about the Russian Revolution and life under the Iron Curtain and the gulags and Stalin and Lenin. So, I went down that hole. And then I was like “Oh I forgot – I haven’t read any Dostoevsky”. So I have been working on his short stories – which are great. And then Solzhenitsyn I really liked – I mean liked is a strange word to use for The Gulag Archipelago. I read Cancer Ward… All of them. I recommend all of it. And then, before that, it was a big Stasi kick. I can’t remember the last time I had time to brush up on the Russian Revolution.

There’s a lyric on “The Laughing Man”, “If life’s a joke… then I’m dying laughing”. It’s also on your new merchandise. What do you think happens when we die?

Nothing.

This is it?

Yeah. I mean, I understand that it would be comforting to think otherwise. That there might be a special place. It would be nice! The thought’s never really been able to stick for me. I would say that we are made of carbon and then we get subsumed back into the Earth and then eventually we become life again – in the carbon part of our makeup.

Well, that sounds better than an endless void.

I don’t think it would be an endless void.

In what ways are you like your mum and dad?

Let’s see. Well, my mother is a precious angel who has unwavering optimism. She is incredibly intelligent and also very nonjudgmental and able and happy to explore all kinds of possibilities. Saying that, though… it’s sounding not like me at all. I’m like my father in that I think we have very similar tastes in books, films, music and a very similar sense of humour. My mother’s so kind that it’s hard for me to… Her level of kindness and decency is aspirational to me.

How famous are you, on a scale of one to 10?

God, I mean, like, “TikTok Famous” probably a one, right? I’m gonna say – I don’t know about the number system – but I’m going to say I-occasionally-get-a-free-appetiser-sent-over famous. Which is a great place to be.

What do you look for in a date?

It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date. You know, I once read something, it might have been something cheesy on a card, but [it was]: if you don’t like someone, then the way they hold their fork will bother you. But, if you like someone – or love someone – they could spill an entire plate of spaghetti on your lap and you wouldn’t mind.

You play a zillion instruments. What’s the hardest instrument to play?

Well, I can’t play horns or anything like that. The French horn is supposed to be really hard. I don’t like to blag… but I’m an incredible whistler. Like, I can whistle Bach.

Is Bach a particularly tough whistle?

I think… yeah. It’s fast. And noodly.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when we're out of lockdown?

I’m gonna get a manicure and a pedicure and a massage. Massage from a stranger. Any stranger.

What about a night on the tiles?

I will probably attend a dinner party.

That sounds quite restrained.

It sounds hella boring. Sorry.

Clubbing?

No, I don’t really go to clubs. I think in order to go to clubs you have to be a person who likes to publicly dance. And I don’t publicly dance. I mean I would feel too shy to dance at a wedding. But for some reason I will dance on stage in front of 10,000 people.

That’s why alcohol was invented.

Exactly! But I swear I would reach the point of alcohol sickness before I would be drunk enough to dance.

The effects of drugs on creativity: discuss.

Unreliable. Really unreliable. Sometimes after a day’s work in the studio you’re like, "I’m gonna have shot of tequila and then sing this a few more times, and then play". It’s okay but you peak sort-of quickly. You can’t sustain the level without getting tired. And then I would say that weed just makes me paranoid and useless. Every once in a while some combo of psychedelics can get you someplace. But, for the most part, you either come back to [the work] the next day and you’re, like, “This is garbage” or you get sleepy or hungry or distracted and you’re not really doing anything. I’ve never had opiates. Or coke or whatever. So I don’t know. I can’t speak to that. But with the slightly more G-Rated [American movie classification: All Ages Permitted] thing, it doesn’t really help.

What do you have too many of in your wardrobe?

I’m not a hoarder. I tend to have one thing that I get really obsessed with and then I wear it every day. Some people, having a whole lot of things gives them a sense of safety and security. It gives me anxiety. I can’t think if there’s too much visual noise. If there was a uniform that I could wear every day I would absolutely do that. And at certain times I have.

Like Steve Jobs?

Or, oh God, what’s her name? The Theranos lady… Elizabeth Holmes!

The blood-test-scam lady?

Well, I guess it was unclear how much of it was self-delusion and how much of it was, you know, actual fraud.

Another black turtleneck fan.

And – again, this is unconfirmed – she also adopted a very low voice like this in order to be taken seriously as a CEO.

Like Margaret Thatcher.

Did she have a low voice?

She made hers “less shrill”.

Oh yes. Yes!

What movie makes you cry?

The Lives of Others

That’s a good one.

Right. I rewatched that during my Stasi kick.

I’ll be honest, your lockdown sounds even less fun than everyone else’s.

I mean… Look, I had to educate myself. I went to a music college [Berklee College of Music] where I tried to take the philosophy class and the way that they would talk about it… it was taught by this professor who was from one of the neighbouring colleges in Boston. And it was very clear that he really disliked having to talk Kierkegaard to a bunch of music school kids. He was just so bummed by it. I’m trying to learn, “What’s the deal with Kant?” and he felt he had to explain everything only in musical terms [because he assumed it would be the only thing music students could relate to]. Like, “Well, you know, it’s like when Bob Marley…" I’m, like, “No, no, no! I don’t want that!” So I had to educate myself. This is where its led me.

Where should we ideally listen to Daddy’s Home?

Put it on a turntable. Pour yourself a glass of tequila or bourbon – whatever your favourite hooch is – and smoke a joint and listen to it. I think that’s the vibe.

Daddy’s Home is released on May 14

[whitepolaris]

Submerged Towns of the Carolinas

Thanks to Hollywood, everyone knows what a ghost town is supposed to look like: a row of false-fronted buildings with a wooden sidewalk, rails to tie up the horses, and a tumbleweed or two blowing in the wind. But in the Carolinas, the much  more likely scene is this. Everything is a shade of green, a dappled light plays over the remains of former homes and work places; a wrecked car sits without tires, its hood rusted permanently in the raised position; an old wringer-washer lies tipped on its side with a bass lazily swimming out of it . . . That’s right, a bass. For most of our old Carolina ghost towns are underwater. 

Early settlers founded their towns along waterways for transportation, drinking water, and power. Until steam power, gasoline, and electricity made it possible to site industries away from water, waterwheels powered nearly all heavy machinery. And wherever the water-powered mills were, towns grew up around them. Until the hydroelectric dam coming along. 

Hydroelectric dams require a great deal more water to turn their turbines than the old mill wheels. The lakes they needed where much larger and deeper than any old-time millponds, and to create them, valleys, river basins, and entire regions were flooded, including the old towns. Other than the Carolina Bays and a few other natural lakes like Pungo and Mattamuskeet, almost all of the lakes in the Carolinas are artificial, and nearly all of them have a town or an important historic site at the bottom. 

Lake Norman covers towns like Long Island and East Monbo, along with the Battlefield where General William Davidson fought the British at Cowan’s Ford. Under Lake Logan is the town of Sunburst. Under Lake Tillery is Allenton. The old Cherokee village of Keowee is under Lake Keowee, along with pre-Revolutionary Fort Prince George. Fort Charlotte is hidden under lake Strom Thurmond. Lake Marion drowned Pond Bluff, Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion’s old home place, along with the town of Ferguson’s Landing and Benjamin Schenkingh’s Fort. The site where the botanist André Michaux discovered the rare Oconee bell flower is now under Lake Jocassee. 

The government promised the people who lived in the communities now at the bottom of Lake Fontana around the lake’s north side from Bryson City. But after only a few miles were completed, the road was abandoned and construction came to an abrupt halt. The famous Road to Nowhere or Road of Broken Promises still generates angry resentment along the old long-term inhabitants. 

[dustedmagazine]

Steve Gunn — Other You (Matador)

Other You lands lightly, its breezy melodies unfurling in a quiet way. Bits of blues folk guitar are tucked in inobtrusively between the vocal phrases. A full rock band is on hand for support, plus piano, but the arrangements melt into the air. There’s a lot of air and space and light in these songs, though not a great deal of drama. It’s a nice rest, listening to Other You. It’s hard to remember what you heard, but very, very pleasant while it’s happening.

This is Gunn’s six album as a song-writer — he has a whole alternate persona as an improviser and instrumental collaborator — and it showcases the skill and assurance that he started to demonstrate along about Eyes on the Lines and really nailed in 2019’s The Unseen In Between. These are carefully constructed, beautifully arranged bits of melody, even if they mostly float on the surface.  He works with an able though somewhat reserved group of musicians – Ryan Sawyer on drums, Ben Boye on piano, Justin Tripp on bass and other instruments, Rob Schnapf on guitar (he also produced the album), and Jerry Borge on keyboards. Guests include a number of people firmly within Gunn’s orbit. For instance, Bridget St. John, who sang on the Gunn-produced Michael Chapman record 50, adds some counterparts to “Morning River.” Bill MacKay kicks in a third guitar to the subtly textured “Circuit Rider,” while Tortoise vet Jeff Parker joins in on “Good Wind.” Mary Lattimore plays harp on “Fulton.” Yet despite, or perhaps because of the collective chops of the players, there are no overt displays of proficiency. Everything is subsumed into sunny, idling grooves of great clarity but little agitation.

Thus, while the title track glitters with jewel-like accents — twangy guitar parts, crisp, propulsive drums, twinkling runs of piano — the song is wrapped in misty atmosphere. Gunn sings gently, unhurried, as if he’s telling you a story. There’s a chorus, but it’s entirely devoid of bombast. The song ends in an instrumental free-for-all, but a muted well-behaved one, as if you’re hearing it from down the hall.

Late in the album, Gunn adds some welcome friction to cuts like blues-guitar-heavy “Protection,” one where the guitar licks take flight against a humming, nodding, slumberous motorik beat. “Reflection” takes shape in a wavery keyboard pulse, spare and introspective, yet gains density as it goes in swelling synths, bass and drums. The song’s melody is lovely, both as a bare confession and blown out in the chorus, and there’s some wild guitar work in here, though again, you have to listen for it.

The odd song out here is “Sugar Kiss,” a shimmering instrumental that teems with natural life and energy. Think of it as a pond somewhere out in the wild, Mary Lattimore’s harp skittering in treble-y sunlight activity over the surface, the bass dodging through the mix like a hungry mosquito, a synth making rippling waves, the whole thing humid and indefinite and very beautiful.

Mostly though, Other You feels prettier than it is consequential. Pleasant to a fault, it disappears with alarming speed into the background of whatever else you’re doing.

Jennifer Kelly

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Tranquility State Wildlife Area

3532 Big Run Rd.

Seaman, OH 45679

Tranquility Wildlife Area is a 4,490-acre state wildlife area located in southwest Ohio, 16 miles south of Hillsboro, OH, on State Route 770. The property is in Adams County. County Road 100 (Old State Route 32) runs along the southern boundary of the area. Acquisition of the Tranquility Wildlife Area began in 1956 and continued through 2002. The property was acquired using multiple state funds. Wildlife Restoration federal funding was also used to acquire the property. Management work has included the planting of conifers, protection and improvement of existing woodlands, selection of areas to be returned to woodland through natural succession, and maintenance of open fields. Numerous ponds have been constructed.

The terrain is typical of the unglaciated hill region of Ohio. About 40 percent of the wildlife area consists of native woodlands. Oak and hickory dominate the dry ridges and upper slopes. Maple, beech, elm, and ash are most common on the lower slopes and along the streams. Mixed brush with dense stands of red cedar make up about 40 percent of the area. The remaining 20 percent consists of grassland and cultivated fields. Tranquility Lake is 22 acres in size. It is approximately 20 feet deep at its deepest point. When fishing, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish including Bluegill, Channel Catfish, and Largemouth Bass.

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Sven Wunder - Wabi Sabi - here is his jazz-funk take on the music of Japan

By welcoming the beauty of imperfection and simplicity, Sven Wunder applies the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi on this musical journey. What you can hear is filtered through Ukiyo-e (which translates as “pictures of the floating world”), which illustrates everyday life, as well as through Japonism, the study of Japanese art, and more specifically its influence on European works. The result is a surface that creates an illusion by sound. The infusion of Min’yō with jazz rock, this hazy scene evokes the landscape of Monet’s ”The Water Lily Pond”, which depicts the painter’s Giverny garden, with a Japanese bridge, bamboo, ginkgo trees and the reflection of the sky in the pond. This illusion constructs both time and space. The surface of the music, like the canvas of the painting, invents a journey between now and then by interpreting the idiom of folkloric and western art instruments. In this composition, the sound of the Western concert flute, which stretches back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, evokes the sound of the bamboo-flute (”shakuchachi”), which reached its peak during the Edo period. The guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, with a more than 2,500 year history, joins traditional Japanese folk melodies with modern pop percussion and 20th century electronic instruments such as the Moog synthesizer, Wurlitzer electric piano and electric bass. This is the illusion that celebrates the fleeting nature of all things. A journey. A deep inhale and a slow exhale. It has a mix of jazz (both funky and progressive), East Asian and South Asian sounds. The idea of fusing these styles and reframing them with the aesthetic of wabi sabi is to reconnect with nature and concentrate on asymmetries and emphasize ornamentation to generate new ways of looking at the world, here and now. This record is produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.

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Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area

9945 Winegar Rd.

Greenfield, OH 45123

Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area is located in southwest Ohio, at the south edge of Greenfield on the Paint Creek fork and the southeast edge of Centerfield on the Rattlesnake fork of Paint Creek Lake. State Routes 138 and 753 bisect the Rattlesnake fork approximately 15 miles east of Hillsboro. The area may be reached by turning north off U.S. 50 onto State Route 753 or onto Rapid Forge Road in Ross County. The 5,090-acre wildlife area lies at the upper end of Paint Creek Lake, a flood control reservoir operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In summer, the reservoir is normally 1,170 acres with 25 miles of shoreline. During periods of heavy rainfall, the reservoir covers portions of the wildlife area that are normally dry. Paint Creek State Park, 5,934 acres, lies south of the wildlife area on both sides of the reservoir. Meadow and grain crops make up about one-third of the wildlife area. The remainder of the wildlife area is about equally divided in woodland and reverting fields of shrubs, small trees, grasses, and forbs.

Paint Creek Reservoir was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and recreation. It was completed in 1974. Of the 9,179 acres licensed to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 5,090 acres are managed by the Division of Wildlife for public hunting and fishing. The remainder of the area is managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation. State parks have special hunting and trapping regulations. Wildlife area habitat management work has included development of crop rotations and field sizes to provide food and cover for upland wildlife. Wildlife habitat has been enhanced by planting trees and shrubs to establish field dividers, improving existing fencerows through selective cutting, and protecting and improving woodlands.

Bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasant, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed deer, fox and gray squirrels, and groundhogs are the major game species. Common furbearers are raccoon, opossum, muskrat, mink, weasel, skunk, red fox, and gray fox. Waterfowl are most common during migration and good numbers of wood duck’s nest and rear their broods on this area each spring and summer. A variety of songbirds can be found on the area. Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, white and black crappies, bluegills, catfish, sunfish, suckers, and carp are found in the lake. The fishery has developed from the resident fish population in the main streams. Saugeye were stocked in 1982.

Paint Creek is popular for hunting rabbits and squirrels, both of which are found throughout the area. Squirrel hunting is best for gray squirrels in the larger stands of mature woodland and for fox squirrels in the smaller woodlots, along the streams, and in woody fencerows. Rabbits and groundhogs can be found throughout the area. Waterfowl hunting is available on the reservoir and the streams coming into the reservoir. Deer hunting is good throughout the area. Trapping is most productive around pond areas and along the streams running into the reservoir. Crappies and bluegills are taken around brush and in tops of fallen trees throughout the lake. Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass are taken along the shoreline, around stumps, logs, and large limestone rocks. Catfish, sunfish, and carp are taken throughout the lake. Several low-level rock dams were constructed below the dam and all species are taken in this tailwater fishery.

Several parking areas are distributed throughout the wildlife area. Two canoe launching areas are available along Rattlesnake Creek. Two boat ramps with sanitary facilities, picnic facilities, and drinking water are located on the lake. A camping area is located off Taylor Road on the east side of the lake. A pioneer farm is located on the west side of the lake. An overlook, a playground, and picnic and fishing areas are located below and around the dam area, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.