AirPods

23. October 2018 · Comments Off on AirPods · Categories: Ramble

I did it. I caved and bought Apple AirPods because Costco had them at a slightly (very slightly) lower price. Dan had purchased some yesterday when we were at the store and i thought, “Meh, who needs ’em?” Last evening he suggested I at least give them a try. I knew then I’d be driving back to Costco today. (The miracle in all this is that I ONLY bought the AirPods at Costco … and I didn’t even eat anything from their sample tables!)

And just like that I’m sold. I’m currently listening to a YouTube video on them and for a moment I thought, “These must not be working as I’m hearing the music through my speakers.” But no, I was hearing the music through the AirPods. (Duh: I hadn’t even turned the speakers on!)

I have Sennheiser noise cancelling headphones that I sometimes use on the plane, but the darn things hurt the top of my head. No amount of adjusting has fixed that. I guess I’m just overly sensitive.

So yes, I’m sold, in case anyone is interested. At least after using them for about an hour. We’ll see what I think in a few days, right?

Only issue: I feel just a wee bit nerdy wearing them. Or maybe more than a wee bit.

Music and Peace

23. October 2018 · Comments Off on Music and Peace · Categories: Read Online

It’s often said that people just need to embrace music and violence would halt. People love to post the Bernstein quote when things get rough. Others seem to think that musicians are all peace loving folk.

And then there’s the audience …

The rustling of a gum wrapper at a performance of the symphony last week in the Swedish city of Malmo brought a section of the audience back down to earth, and brought several concertgoers to blows. Mahler’s late Romantic epic became the occasion for an epic clash over candy.

As Andris Nelsons, an eminent Latvian conductor, coaxed the quiet notes from the string section of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a woman in the balcony rustled a bag of gum, the Sydsvenskan newspaper reported. A young man sitting next to her glared a few times and then lost his patience. He snatched the bag from her and threw it onto the floor.

But wait, there’s more:

But as the concert hall vibrated with the final, resounding notes, and as applause rang out, she exacted her revenge.

The gum-rustler turned to her neighbor and uttered something, eyewitnesses told the newspaper, and then proceeded to smack him in the face, knocking his glasses from his face. The woman’s male companion then grabbed the other man by the shirt and began to punch him, as the seizer of the gum sought to defend himself.

And even more if you RTWT

No, great music will not result in world peace. People are people. Go figure.