Friday May 07, 2010 at 00:43

New images posted

I’ve reprocessed and uploaded a selection of images to the New Mexico and Arizona Galleries. Please feel free to take a look around…

Posted in Miscellaneous

Stephen · Friday, May 07, 2010, 00:43 · Permalink · Comment [3]

Saturday Jan 30, 2010 at 11:53

A message from Steve?

So with suspicious timing, on Wednesday, day of the launch of the iPad, my venerable MacBook Pro (born circa 2006) decided to succumb to a seizure and is currently in a hard disk induced coma. A message from Steve to buy his latest toy?

Somewhat more suspiciously, Alice’s much younger MacBook Pro decided to do precisely the same just yesterday. We’ve had to dust off the old PowerBook G4 12” – the screen of which looks pretty much identical to the size of the iPad.

Having watched the various “how to” tutorials on replacing the hard drive yourself, and recalling my sadly failed attempt to repair a Fuji FinePix camera (which ended with a puff of smoke) and my over-industrious attempt to repair a Dell laptop on the fly floor of the Chicago Lyric Opera some years ago (which involved me removing 27 microscopic screws only to find that I needed only to have removed six), we decided to let the pros at Boulder Mac Repair do the job instead.

Hence, am slightly behind plan on all things virtual this week. However, assuming I can get working on my desktop this weekend, I should still be on track to distribute TPE for iPhone beta during the first part of next week.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Stephen · Saturday, January 30, 2010, 11:53 · Permalink · Comment [6]

Monday May 18, 2009 at 21:42

They sure can build here in the USA

(Off-topic)

I drive Highway 36 from Boulder to Broomfield most days for my daily commute. In the past three months, they’ve built, from scratch, a complete overpass across a major four lane highway. They’re pretty much done now and there are no road restrictions in place any longer.

I’ve long been impressed by the American construction industry. I had the opportunity to compare US and UK construction practices at first hand in an earlier life (when I looked after a number of automation system installations in theatres and opera houses). UK projects would very often be staffed by clipboard-weilding busy-bodies, more concerned with procedure than progress and generally uninterested in demonstrating flexibility of approach.

In constrast, US projects progressed unstoppably with a fantastic work ethic and refreshingly pragmatic attitude. And things got done. Once tasked, the construction workers pressed on to get the job done and deadlines were met.

Back to highway 36: if this was in the UK, not only would the project have taken 10 times longer (it’s a blog, I’m exaggerating), at least half of this excessive duration would be consumed by setting up and tending the requisite 20,000 fluorescent orange cones and installing the oblgatory speed cameras!

(Having said all that, UK drivers are generally way more aggressive than Coloradoans, so maybe those cones play a role after all. But that’s probably for another post.)

Posted in Miscellaneous

Stephen · Monday, May 18, 2009, 21:42 · Permalink · Comment [2]

Wednesday Mar 25, 2009 at 21:58

Orographic lifting

Well, that’s what the Weather Channel promises us weather-wise for the next 36 hours.

A significant upslope storm is headed towards Denver and the Front Range with the promise of some decent snow. Upslope flow (aka “orographic lifing”) implies air masses flowing towards higher ground, being forced to rise and hence cool, condense and generate precipitation – in this case, snow.

There could be some good winter photography opportunities Friday morning as things start to clear.

It feels like we haven’t really had much of a winter this year, despite December’s record cold, so this is something to look forward to.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Stephen · Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 21:58 · Permalink · Comment

Friday Feb 20, 2009 at 19:00

Remembering Christopher Raeburn and Jimmy Lock

I was saddened to read yesterday of the deaths of both Christopher Raeburn and Jimmy Lock of Decca records.

I had the privilege and pleasure of working closely with both at Decca from 1989 to 1992, when Christopher took me (at the time a reluctant student of Chemistry looking for something more fulfilling) under his wing as the junior member of the A&R department.

I worked on a number of recordings with both starting with the 1989 recording of Rigoletto with Pavarotti – an amazing cast with the greats of an earlier era (Ghiaurov) alongside today’s stars (Antonacci) in the smaller roles.

Christopher’s reputation for loyalty and honesty with artists was legendary and well-deserved. A particular example springs to mind: I was charged with completing the post-production on the Solti recording of Die Frau ohne Schatten (billed at the time as the first £1m opera recording, budget-wise), reviewing the session tapes, selecting the takes and choosing the edit points before handing off to the editors to actually make the joins (digitally, by then).

Christopher had indicated his preferred takes in only a few places in the master score: on reviewing I made a change to one of these (as I recall a passage ending in a high B for soprano Hildegard Behrens) based on some rough ensemble in the orchestra. We later listened together to the assembled sequence and Christopher was immediately concerned – the alternate take was not Behrens’ best. We reverted to the original choice, Christopher much preferring to show Behrens at her best and to tolerate the ensemble flaws. Christopher’s sense of priority in such decisions was always crystal clear and centered on his artists.

It is enormously instructive and enjoyable to spend time in the company of those with especially refined aesthetic senses. Christopher Raeburn and Jimmy Lock were both such people. I suspect that the original 1990 Three Tenors disc marked the beginning of the end of the glory days of Decca, as the traditions of apprenticeship and strong company culture through long tenure – traditions espoused by both men – began to erode in the days of freelancing and outsourcing.

I count myself very fortunate to have worked with them both. And for anyone who might imagine classical recording to be highbrow and dull, I can also attest that my time in their company was some of the most fun I’ve experienced.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Stephen · Friday, February 20, 2009, 19:00 · Permalink · Comment [1]