The Abacusynth

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Creator Elias Jarzombek on this amazing thing:

Abacuysnth is a synthesizer inspired by an abacus, the ancient counting tool used all around the world. Just like an abacus is used to learn the fundamentals of math, the Abacusynth can be used to explore the building blocks of audio synthesis.

It exists in two forms, one digital and one physical, that are both based on the same primary interaction: placing and manipulating shapes on rods. The visual and tactile control makes it easy and fun to create rich timbres sounds without having to fiddle with lots of knobs and sliders.

Be sure to check out the whole article via Elias’s blog. I’m entranced - and want to hear what EJK and/or Fran would do with it.

boofuckinghoo

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Given the insanity endemic in the Rethuglican party and the Ohio varietal’s accelerated transformation of this state into a (more) corrupt MAGAstan hellscape, I'm hopeful that Householder won't be the last of this coterie who trades in their suit and tie for an orange jumpsuit. They deserve every day of their sentence and then some – Ohio will (if it finds its way back to sanity - a big if) be digging itself out of the mess Householder et al created for years beyond that.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Black gave (Householder) the maximum possible sentence of 20 years and then ordered blue-shirted U.S. Marshals to immediately take him into custody. He rose, put his hands behind his back, the marshals cuffed him and led the once-powerful pol away...

"You conned the people of Ohio and you tried to con the jury, too," Black said in his gravely voice as Householder, clad in a gray suit and red tie, slumped his bulk back in his chair...

Steven Bradley, Householder's attorney, sought leniency for his client. Referring to the possibility of a 20-year sentence, he said "That is effectively a life sentence for Larry Householder given his age and health situation."

Householder is 64 and overweight.

Bradley argued that his client was around 60 when the racketeering conspiracy began in late 2016 and that prior to that, Householder did "innumerable" good deeds "for decades." A 20-year sentence would "effectively give no consideration" to those good deeds, Bradley said.

Can you hear the song I’m playing on the world's smallest violin?

Ryuichi Sakamato’s virtual encore

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While it sounds like the tech leaves something to be desired, the execution and intent of the project as a whole seems a poignant farewell to one of the greats. Love the IKIRU homage.

... gentle fog that curls around everyone's ankles for the opening piece; a tree that draws itself on top of the piano a bit later. "It was never my intention to simply service people who knew they loved Ryuichi, but to try to expand the audience that would come to understand his work," says Eckert. Luckily, the artworks elevate the performance instead of detracting from it. While Sakamoto is playing the hit track "Energy Flow," for example, a window opens high above him, and snowflakes start floating through it. The snow effect references Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film IKIRU, where the main character--an elderly man who knows he will die soon--spends his final moments sitting on a park swing during a snowfall, singing a romantic ballad.

Picked up Sakamoto's final album, 12, on vinyl this week and it’s sublime.

The Collection, 2023w26

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Slightly mortified that, while I amassed most of The Collection in only a few months, there's enough stuff on my overflowing shelves to be considered a lifelong collection – but, as K reminded me, I've had this space and the things populating it in my head for the better part of 30 years. Anyhow, here are a few of the treasures that I’ve added to the overflowing Paintshop shelves this week…

First up, this 1943 Dick Tracy postcard, from part of a set released by Coca Cola to soldiers and their families during WWII. I have a set of the 1942 issues, but these ‘43s are exceedingly rare. No clue what the other ‘43s look like:

Next up, this 1950 Line Mar Japanese tin Superman (in yellow garb - Mighty Mouse meets Fleischer?) wind-up toy, in which the Man of Steel lifts a tank. Not sure if it still works as I don’t have a key (adding one to the list of things to procure) but I am, nonetheless, in love with this little gem:

Continuing the Superman trend, this 1940 Saalfield puzzle, which is, when assembled, a beautiful, full-color piece of early Superman art:

Next, a mid-70s Shadow bagatelle game, from Madison, the same group behind that odd bunch of similarly-branded Shadow merchandise I wrote about a few weeks back. Been looking for this one for a long time.

And finally, a few of the (major) additions to the comics collection. The two issues of SHADOW COMICS are Volume One, issues two and three (Spring, 1940) while the two AMAZING SPIDER-MAN issues are 11 - Ditko! second Doc Ock! - and 31, the start of the seminal “Master Planner” story (need to get issue 32 to complete the story) and the first appearances of both Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn.

A banner week, to be certain.