Tobias Wolff – This Boy’s Life

Tobias Wolff - This Boy's Life

This Boy’s Life is a memoir written by short-story writer Tobias Wolff. I stumbled upon a recommendation for the book somewhere, though I can’t recall the precise source, and was intrigued enough to purchase it.

A boy in the late 1950s United States lives alone with his mother after her divorce. They frequently move from place to place, with his mother consistently drawn to problematic men. Then, after settling in a boarding house at the edge of poverty, she meets Dwight. After moving in with Dwight, Jack discovers that Dwight epitomizes the toxic men to whom his mother is inexplicably attracted. He is a manipulative, deceitful, downright stupid, and self-serving alcoholic who despises Jack. Dwight exploits the boy, forcing him to work and stealing his hard-earned money. Despite being shaped by this harsh environment, Jack retains a moral compass and a sense of decency.

Tobias Wolff
Tobias Wolff


Even when not burdened by Dwight’s demands, Jack struggles. One afternoon, he gambles away the $100 he had painstakingly saved. He also manages to get himself expelled from school, further complicating his tumultuous youth.

Eventually, several pivotal events unfold. Jack’s father appears and helps extract him from Dwight’s toxic influence. Jack is admitted to a boarding school and the narrative gains speed. During his final year, he is expelled and subsequently decides to join the army.

This coming-of-age story resembles Charles Bukowski’s semi-autobiographical “Ham on Rye,” though it doesn’t quite reach the same literary depth. The narrative echoes themes from other contemporary novels about fractured families, such as John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead,” and Gabrielle Zevin’s “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.”

The book was adapted into a 1993 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro as Dwight. Though I haven’t seen the movie, De Niro’s reputation for portraying intense, complex characters suggests a compelling interpretation of the villainous Dwight.

I have never seen this before in a Wikipedia entry:

Home media
This Boy’s Life was released on VHS September 1, 1993; LaserDisc in November 1993;[12] and on DVD May 13, 2003.[13]


Mud Pump Wrangle mixtape

I enjoyed creating a new mixtape on Friday and Saturday of this weekend. Searching for the songs was great fun, sifting through the selection to find the song that belongs to this Mud Pump Wrangle mixtape.

A couple of songs founded the theme for this tape: Tom Waits’Make It Rain (Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law vibe), Left Lane Cruiser (goodness, what a band), and Grinderman’s Electric Alice. I was looking for a scratchy guitar, probably a very American, rural feel, bar band, and fun to play. Instruments may be slightly out of tune, distorted, scratchy, drum sounds improvised, wobbly, and the singer hissing and humming in the microphone. And goodness, Black Diamond Heavies – Oh, Sinnerman, what a song with that keyboard solo let through a fuzz-box!

You can listen to the Mud Pump Wrangle playlist on Spotify.

I drew, scanned, cut, and glued the black-and-white cassette cover using the templates from de Bandjesfabriek.

Side I
Tom Waits – Make It Rain – Remastered
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Sure ‘Nuff ‘n’ Yes, I Do
Left Lane Cruiser – Big Momma
De Kift – Kijker
T Bone Burnett – Palestine Texas
Grinderman – Electric Alice
Black Diamond Heavies – Oh, Sinnerman
The White Stripes – One More Cup of Coffee
Side II
Mr. Airplane Man – Sun Sinking Low
Soledad Brothers – Going Back To Memphis
Billy Childish, Dan Melchior – Bottom of the Sea
C.W. Stoneking – The Thing I Done
The Wanton Bishops – Howl
James Leg – Drinking Too Much
The Dirtbombs – Livin’ for the City
King Automatic – Le Redresseur De Torts
Don Cavalli – I’M Going To A River
The Abigails – The One That Let Me Go

Color photographer turned Black-and-White (for this project)

I am massively enjoying making these prints of my black-and-white Polder project. I also like printing in the darkroom but never got to do it.

Before the black-and-white project, I have always photographed in color for no other reason than to limit my options. For more than ten years, I shot with little direction. Consequently, my work is all over the place. I have always liked this, and still do. I do not like to put any boundaries on my work a priori, but at the same time, I wanted to create a more consistent piece of work.

Looking for a more intentional, focused project, I began to analyze the pictures from the past decade and stumbled on my polder landscape pictures. I like a couple of them, but I found for a larger work, the dominating green color became problematic. So, I tried to convert a couple to black-and-white, and I liked the result. So I crawled through my archive and surfaced about 200 acceptable images, which I further edited down to some 40 pictures.

When converting to black and white, you find that some pictures do not work in black and white. B&W needs more rest. Where color may divide a picture into spaces, after converting it into black and white, the result may be a headache of grey tones and forms.

Color pictures, I think, have a closer relation to reality, opening a broader palette to distort that reality and create an interesting image. On the other hand, Black and white pictures can have a more poetic, sometimes dreamy effect. Black and white pictures, I think, need more space and benefit more from careful design-like composition (though I am not a fan of the word composition in photography). That is probably also why snapshot-type pictures work best in color.

Anyway, I searched for some nice papers (a rabbit hole in itself), and a friend advised me to use Canson Baryta Photographique II or RAG Photograpique Matte. Never mind the name. The first is a fine art luster-type paper, and the second is a high-grade matte paper. I started with the Baryta and liked it so much I have not even tried the RAG/Matte. By the way, I am printing on an Epson p600, a good entry-level pro photo printer with good ink.

Here are some results. Needless to say, taking (iPhone) pictures of photo prints does not serve them as it should.

How Fablabs Revolutionize Personal Manufacturing

I found this interesting article via waag.org, How to make (almost) everything, by MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld. Gershenfeld invented the concept of a Fablab.

Fablabs are global network maker labs that give individuals access to tools for digital fabrication. They Are also a learning and innovation platform based on open-source principles.
In the article, Gershenfeld explains how manufacturing technology changed in a few decades. New technologies became available that allowed for ‘additive manufacturing.’ That means that instead of making things by cutting away material, like in milling processing and wood carving, 3D printing tools could build things by adding material.

These new tools became available to the public at affordable prices. Gershenfeld uses the analogy with personal computing. At first, large and expensive computers were only affordable for large organizations. In the 1980s, personal computers became more and more accessible to individuals at home.

Similarly, 3D printing technology, laser cutters, and other technology have become affordable for individuals.
These developments changed manufacturing principles. In the past things were made for the masses to keep things affordable, but now, products can be created for the market of one.

Fablab at Waag, Amsterdam

Fablabs further lower the bar for access to such tools by making them available as a shared platform.
Now, you can make things you can buy, customize them to your own needs and tastes, and have them produced locally.

According to Gershenfeld, the next phase would be the creation of digital assemblers, which are Lego-like structures on a much smaller scale (nano-level) that allow the building and recreation of structures. Ultimo assemblers could build assemblers.

In the article, Gershenfeld discusses the potential dangers of this technology (I would generalize this to any technology): it could produce weapons and jeopardize intellectual property.

So, do we need to regulate these technologies? Very difficult. And how would it help against bad actors?
Regarding intellectual Property rights, Gershenfeld promotes the idea of open source. In Fablabs, like in the software industry, open source has become the norm. Communities have sprung up, helped by digital communication. Fablabs allow communities to address local demands and create what is locally needed.
Gershenfeld emphasizes the key innovation potential of this movement. Innovative people question assumptions, and communities drive innovation. This development provides an open innovation space to many more people outside known situations, and it can potentially change the culture.

The article (paywalled).

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2012-09-27/how-make-almost-anything

The article (non-paywalled)

http://www.cba.mit.edu/docs/papers/12.09.FA.pdf

Melkmuil mixtape

mixtape

Creating this first mixtape after getting a (cheap second-hand) Pioneer cassette deck was tremendous fun.

I reused an old cassette I found in my mother’s cassette deck. I tried to fix the cassette deck but had to part with it in the end—replacing the electromotors became too much of a hassle. I found another place that sold old cassettes for 50 cents. I bought a handful and will use these for other mixtapes.

The first mixtape theme I hit upon was Dutch bands, probably most 90s bands, although De Kift and The Ex have been around much longer and are actually still active. I called it Melkmuil. You can find the Melkmuil playlist on Spotify.

Creating the cover – collating – was another part of the fun. Cassette cover templates were easy to find, for example, at de Bandjesfabriek.

Side A

  • De Kift – Nauwe Mijter
  • Skik – Betonpaolties
  • The Ex – Soon All Cities
  • Tröckener Kecks – Andere Plaats, Andere Tijd
  • Bettie Serveert – Healthy Sick
  • JOHAN – Day Is Done
  • Spinvis – Paradijs
  • Daryll-Ann – A note about time
  • Eton Crop – It’s My Dog Maestro

Side B

  • Claw Boys Claw – On The Run
  • Hallo Venray – Slow Change
  • Bertje Doperwtje – Alleen Maar Jou
  • Roosbeef – Vergis ik mij
  • Urban Dance Squad – Demagogue
  • Ivy Green – Another Sub-Culture Going Bad
  • Blue Murder – Get Lost
  • The Vernon Walters – Present History

Surprising Facts from ‘Uncommon Knowledge’ by The Economist

Uncommon Knowledge published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage

I wrote earlier that I love rare facts. Uncommon Knowledge is published by The Economist, edited by Tom Standage, editor by The Economist.

The book consists of short essays of no more than two pages, each zooming in on an unexpected fact. The essays are well written and mostly indeed surprising. For example:

Swaziland is actually called Eswatini; it was renamed in 2018 (the name is eSwatini according to the book, but it is generally spelled Eswatini today).

Carrots are white. Orange carrots originate from the Dutch town of Hoorn and may have been grown out of a gesture of support for William of Orange.

Why most refugees do not live in camps: because camps are miserable places. Even when aid is more accessible in camps, refugees prefer an uncertain life in cities because they have more opportunities to do things. Conclusion by The Economist: let refugees out of camps; let them work.

China loans pandas to other countries as a political tool.

Why do people eat more chicken nowadays? It is cheaper, and breading them is so efficient. Chickens are so big nowadays that they can’t get on top of each other anymore to mate. I also talked about this after reading Jonathan Foer’s book Eating Animals (Dieren eten). (Yes, I eat vegetarian.)

Expensive weddings yield higher chances of divorce.

Import tariffs do more harm to the economy than good. (The book was written during Trump’s first presidency).
In 2018, the WHO published a list of deadly viruses, including the placeholder’ Disease X’, an undetermined disease that could cause an international epidemic.

The US has, next to Brazil, one of the highest deaths caused by firearms per capita in the world. Two-thirds of these deaths in the US are suicides. So, I would say you could very well conclude that the NRA in the US is a lobby organization promoting suicides. You never hear a pro-life organization about these approximately 26000 deaths per year.

Islamic zina laws inhibit illicit sexual relationships. This often applies to the victim of rape as well. That is a horror even worsened by the primitive punishments of whipping and stoning. A complete nightmare for women.

Turkey puts most journalists in prison of all countries in the world. (And is still contemplating the introduction of zina laws).

An interesting book that gives a different view on many topics.

Grave of the Fireflies on Netflix

We can now watch Studio Ghibli‘s arguably most sad and moving story, Grave of the Fireflies, on Netflix. So far, the film by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata is only available on Hulu, which is not available in Europe.

The film, released in 1988, is set in Japan, in the last months of World War II. The film is based on a short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, telling his own experiences during the war. Brother and sister Seia and Setsuko lost their mother during the US firebombing of Kobe in 1945. They are taken care of by their aunt, but she doesn’t treat the children well. The kids decide to go and live in a cave they have discovered.

Like other Ghibli animation movies, this film is not a children’s movie. It is a lovely story that was beautifully made, yet it is a moving film about human survival and the devastating effects of war.

Grave of the Fireflies

Wallpaper and Vinyl: Ian Dury’s ‘Do It Yourself’

Some weeks ago, I found the vinyl album Ian Dury & the Blockheads’ “Do It Yourself” at a small vinyl market in the once-famous Buk Buk in Heiloo. The album largely slipped from my memory, waiting to reveal its surprises.
Ian Dury did not want to include singles on his albums. This choice results in a more nuanced collection of songs. These album tracks showcase a different side of the artist—more restrained and soulful than the raucous energy of familiar hits like “Hit Me” and “Reasons to Be Cheerful.” The songs feel more intimate, trading pop exuberance for subtle musical depth. The album’s last track, “Lullaby for Franci/es” underscores this.

My copy is a later release, interestingly bundled with a 7″ featuring “Hit Me” and “There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards.” I’m uncertain whether this bonus single was part of the original release or added subsequently.

Funny facts: Stiff Records released it with an extraordinary twist. The album came in 34 or more alternative sleeves, each featuring a unique Crown Wallpaper design. Each sleeve displays the Crown catalog number for its specific wallpaper pattern in the bottom left corner. In a delightful bit of cross-promotion, Crown even wallpapered the sets for the Blockheads’ subsequent promotional tour.

Analog restoration: SONY WM EX112 walkman repaired

Cassettes are back on the scene. Analog is in. I want to make mixtapes again, after Austin Kleon’s example.
My brother and I used to spend hours crafting mixtapes of our favorite radio pop shows. We would painstakingly hit record and pause to avoid the DJ’s chatter, creating our own uninterrupted music experience.

I stumbled upon a Sony Walkman WM EX112 for a bargain. I couldn’t wait to use it again.

Sony Walkman WM EX112

The spindle didn’t run. That meant the drive belt was probably stretched or decayed. So I looked for a replacement belt on the Internet. To my surprise, you can find a belt for almost any old cassette player. I found mine on fixyouraudio.com. I believe they are based in the Czech Republic; anyway, the belt will arrive within 2 days.

Not sure if it was luck as well to very quickly find a real service manual for this Sony Walkman. This was a rare gem in a world where everything is designed to be replaced, not repaired. By the way, if you ever retrieved such an old manual, save it immediately in your archive, an archive folder, or a tool like Evernote. You never know if this website will still exist the next time you need the manual.

Sony Walkman WM EX112 belt from fixyouraudio

Opening the walkman for repair is a small challenge. There are no screws, unfortunately, but you have to open some clips. That could be more convenient. This video explains how to do it. In the service manual are more details. First, press the clips under the lid with a screwdriver so that the top of the plastic case comes loose. Then, carefully follow the numbering and open the other clips in circles. Carefully, although it requires a fair amount of force.

Sony Walkman WM EX112 opened up for repair

Once you have it open, replacing the string is a straightforward process. You’ll notice the string wrapped around the spindle. Carefully remove the old string. Then, take the new string and wrap it around the spindle in the same way as the old one. If the string has popped off, cleaning the wheels from the rubber cake is a good idea. In my case, they were still clean, and the problem was just that the string had become very limp.

Fixyouraudio includes a nice checklist for cassette-repair enthusiasts.

cassette player repair checklist