Author Archives: cleek

Math

A big talking point for hawks appears to be : Gazans voted for Hamas. So this is what they voted for. So they deserve what's coming to them in return.

Enter, Numbers.

1. Turnout in the last election was ~75%
2. Hamas won ~45% of that vote.
3. So ~33% of eligible voters voted for Hamas.
4. That election was in 2006.

And at least half of all Gazans today are 19 years old or younger.

So the "they" in "they voted for Hamas!" means something like 20% (?) of Gazans?

Also: Fuck Hamas.

Chad Smith Hears Thirty Seconds To Mars For The First Time

The YouTube channel "Drumeo" has a series of videos where they invite professional drummers into their studio and then play them a song they don't know, with the original drums removed - so they just hear vocals, guitars, etc.. And they're asked to play drums to the song. It's usually something out of their style, so it's a bit of a challenge. Most people come in, give the song a listen a two, take notes, get the feel for the overall song, chart out sections, etc.. And they give it a few tries all the way through. The end result is always pretty fascinating, and impressive. They're rarely exactly the same as the original, but they make it work. At the end they hear the original back and see how they did - they're usually pretty humble about it.

But Chad Smith, of Red Hot Chili Peppers, is no ordinary professional drummer. No note taking for this guy...

Watch this.

Many People Are Saying

“And if you’re not paying attention,” Huckabee continued, “you may not realize that Joe Biden is using exactly those tactics to make sure that Donald Trump is not his opponent in 2024. Here’s the problem: if these tactics end up working to keep Trump from winning, or even running in 2024, it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than bullets.”

“The next stage is violence,” Carlson said. “Are you worried they’re going to try to kill you? Why wouldn’t they try to kill you?”

Trump did not directly answer. Carlson tried again later. “If you chart it out it’s an escalation,” Carlson said, recounting the two impeachments and four indictments against Trump. “So what’s next? They’re trying to put you in prison for the rest of your life, that’s not working. So don’t they have to kill you now?” Trump again avoided answering directly.

At the conclusion of the 46-minute interview, Carlson returned to the subject of potential violence. “Do you think we’re moving toward civil war?” he said. “Do you think it’s possible that there’s open conflict?”

“I don’t know,” Trump said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) predicted "bloodshed" from the MAGA movement if Donald Trump is convicted of crimes and not permitted on state ballots. ... "But when you start telling people that they can't express their participation in this American experience through a vote, then they start looking for other ways, and they're not, the vote is the best way to do it," he continued. "The other ways are not so good. And I worry if they start to take the vote away, you could see bloodshed in this country. Like none of us want."

Total coincidence, I'm sure.

Reverb Redux

Three years ago, I diagnosed a problem with my Fender Blues Jr amplifier. There was a distinct fizzing buzz from the amp whenever I played a specific note. It turned out to be the reverb tank, and the sound happened even when the reverb level was at zero. A $30 reverb tank replacement was all it took to fix the problem.

Since then, the Blues Jr has gone away, and has been replaced by a Fender Princeton Reverb - seen here:

And, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the same issue - a slight buzzing on certain notes played anywhere, on any guitar, even with the reverb set to zero.

And, the same fix fixed it: a new $30 reverb tank from Mod. - cheaper than the stock part from Fender!

Come on Fender, get your shit together.