hafwen

I chose my new Xperia phone mainly because it takes such brilliant photos, and I use it constantly to photograph local fungi.

Only problem is that now every photo I take ends up duplicating itself, which is a nuisance, especially as I have to wade through literally hundreds of images at the end of a fungi trek.

This started happening a few weeks ago, and I have no idea how to get rid of this unwanted duplicating. Is there something in the settings I can adjust?

I'd appreciate any ideas!

Thanks in advance,

Hafwen.

Blerghhh. I've hit the middle of my novel and this awful inertia has crept up on me. I don't know why, but I just can't write a word at the moment, haven't been able to for a couple of weeks now.

The plot is okay (I think) but there's a nasty little imp perched on my shoulder, constantly whispering, "Hafwen! Your novel is RUBBISH! Why bother continuing with it?"

But I WANT to finish it!

Any ideas???

Hafwen x

Last night, I was blown away when I realised that 4'33" is available on CD - and there are actually MANY recordings available of Cage's most [in]famous work!

Any thoughts?

What would constitute a "superlative" interpretation of 4'33"?

Put it this way, how on earth would one decide which version to buy???

I'm looking forward to your response!

Hafwen x

1. Do you like Vegemite?

2. If so, what's your favourite way to enjoy it?

3. What country were you born in?

I'm gnawing on a mummified pineapple ring. Tough but toothsome!

Believe it or not, most toilets flush in E flat - I just went upstairs and tested my own thunderbox and yes, mine certainly does!

Funny that they should choose such a heroic key for this purpose - but thankfully there are many compositions in E flat that offer far more musical excitement than a flushing dunny ever could! There's Beethoven's Third Symphony and Piano Concerto #5, and Mozart's Piano Concerto #22 to name a few.

I'd love you to share some of your own favourite classical works in E flat. Thanks in advance!

I just had Irritable Bowel Syndrome diagnosed - which is kind of a relief, as I was scared it was something much more sinister.

I have to organise a visit to a dietitian soon, but in the meantime, which foods, in your experience, are the worst culprits for IBS? I realise that food intolerances vary from person to person, but I'm keen to at least build up a general picture of this condition.

And I guess I'm going to have to cut down on my beloved spicy Indian food :o(

Anyway, thanks in advance!

Hafwen.

This morning, I chanced across a news item announcing that a "potted" version of Wagner's Ring Cycle is set to be performed in 2013, in Melbourne, Australia.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/v...

I couldn't believe it - fifteen hours of opera reduced to a mere handful! I know that even the most dedicated opera lover might find the Ring Cycle a bit of a marathon, but even so, I was quite flabbergasted to learn about this. Potted opera - I'd never heard of it until now!

But why? Is this symptomatic of the society we live in - people too time-challenged or - God forbid - too lazy to sit and experience a musical work in its entireity? Are we becoming a society with a generalised "attention deficit disorder" - adults, as well as internet-addicted kids?

It all feels wrong to me, cutting and slashing at a work of art and reducing it to a few juicy, easily-digested morsels.

And what next? A Potted Messiah for those poor frazzled souls with way too much Christmas shopping to finish? Or a condensed set of Beethoven's nine symphonies to fill the half-hour bus trip into work?

I'd be most interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Hafwen x

A few weeks ago, I was watching Master Chef on TV, and each contestant had to create something edible inspired by one of the Seven Deadly Sins - which involved a real pushing of the creative boundaries.

My task is for you to take each of the Sins, and supply a musical work that you think corresponds best - and tell us why.

The Seven Deadly Sins are: Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony.

Have fun, and I'll provide my own list when I choose Best Answer!

I'll expand once I have a bit of data :o)

This is a two-part question. Please answer only if you have long or short-sighted vision.

1. Are you long-sighted or short-sighted?

2. Which would you rather own - a microscope or a telescope?

Thanks in advance!

Hafwen x

Sometimes you hear of musicians discovering less-than-desirable things in, on or under their instruments!

I still feel unwell when I think about the fat millipede that crawled inside my bassoon reed - no wonder I couldn't get a sound out of it :o/ (Luckily I didn't suck back!)

And a student complained of a blocked recorder, only to discover his mouthpiece was chock-a-block with grey furry mould...

Care to share any of your nasty experiences?

Hafwen x

Care to share any

My question is inspired by an intriguing one posted here earlier today by ACRENRAC, who mentions a work composed by a Mr. Greeler in the 1870's - he set the entire United States Constitution to music! Definitely the most unusual libretto I've ever heard of - and certainly a change from the usual myths and legends!

This tweaked my curiosity, and after a bit of exploration, I found reference to something equally unusual - a contemporary opera by Luca Belacastro, recreating the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Material from official documents and newspapers of the time are set to music, and sung and recited by the characters!

http://www.1896.lucabelcastro.it/

I LOVE the idea! Do you know of any other examples of unusual musical texts? Please feel free to share!

Hafwen x

At the moment, I'm here in my bookshop, listening to a yummy CD of Albinoni oboe concertos. Outside, further down the street, there are some Harley Davidson motorbikes - a very strange, throbbing basso continuo, and a bunch of giggly, squawking teenage girls adding another layer to the "orchestration," competing with the solo oboe. And now someone's having a sneezing fit in the other room - an interesting explosive staccato effect.

Wonder if Albinoni would like this interpretation of his music?

What bizarre music/ambient sound combo are you experiencing at the moment? Listen carefully...

Have fun!

Hafwen.

I can't stop listening to Vivaldi's glorious "Lauda Jerusalem." I discovered it last week, and now I'm hopelessly addicted!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzo2uLfaJzY

Isn't it yummy?

How about you? Is there a piece of music you're crazy about at the moment?

Hafwen :o)

I'm currently writing a novel (a humorous whodunit) and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself! The book is going well - it's almost writing itself.

I'm also yearning to start work on another novel which has been pulling at me for ages - a dark psychological story, almost the antithesis of the "whodunit."

What are your thoughts on working on more than one major project at a time?

The two novels are vastly different, so there would be no chance of confusion between the two. It's just that the two are pulling at me equally strongly. I've never worked on two novels at once, though I always read at least two novels st the same time - it's good to choose something corresponding with my particular mood.

And bear in mind that I write purely for fun :o)

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Hafwen.

Oh dear...I've just discovered that I've run out of Broadband credit :S

So it looks like it's back to a lethargic old dial-up system for the weekend.

But then, living life at a slower pace isn't at all bad...especially if there's some appropriate music. What are your favourite slow pieces/movements?

Hafwen x

It's little wonder so many musicians have health problems caused by (or at least exacerbated by) playing their particular instruments. Not surprising, when you consider all the weird, unnatural things we do with our bodies when playing.

RSI - ear problems - hernias - chronic problems with lungs, backs, teeth, jaws, diaphragms, etc. - crazy stuff! Yet we soldier on. I even knew of a tuba player who burst an ear drum, and a trumpeter who gave himself a hernia.

When I played bassoon full-time, I had awful RSI in my thumb, thanks to all the fancy key-work operated by that particular digit. Now I "only" get a bit of sinus pain from the high pressure. But there's no way I'll stop playing!

How about you? What punishing effects does your instrument have on your body?

Hafwen x

There's a big one currently happening here in town, as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts. The guest writers include Sarah Waters, Richard Dawkins, William Dalrymple, Salley Vickers and Sarah Dunant. An impressive line-up, indeed!

I'm committed to running my bookshop, and can't attend the event - but I'm intrigued by the diversity of opinions expressed by my customers who have managed to experience it.

Some people think Writer's Week is a jolly fun time, a wonderful treat to hear their favourite writers talking and (hopefully) revealing their creative secrets.

Others think these festivals are a waste of time, just an excuse for a bunch of elitists to mount their high horses.

Some hate the crowds and the heat, and prefer to stay indoors and read the books and try to nut out the writers' secrets themselves.

Still others consider literary festivals to be little more than a huge commercial enterprise, with the emphasis not on writers and writing, but on selling zillions of books.

What do you think?

Hafwen x

The other day, I was on the bus, and overheard the following exchanges:

"Yuk! What stinks?"

"Your mum."

"Your face."

"Your mum's face."

Then there was this one:

"What's the time?"

"Your mum."

And how about this gem?

"Hey, I got an iPhone last week."

"Your mum got an iPhone last week."

Weird stuff. It seems that kids use "your mum" as a response for all kinds of things.

But where does this oddly ubiquitous phrase come from?

And why don't they ever say "your dad?"

Can you give more examples of this phrase's usage?

Cheers,

Hafwen x

Last night, we spotted a little grey gecko inside the house, and, terrified our cat would catch it, my friend picked it up in his hand and put it safely outside.

But in the process of catching the gecko, it dropped its tail, as lizards tend to do when threatened by predators.

I've heard of this defensive mechanism (known as autotomy - and thankfully, it's painless) but to actually witness a lizard's dropped tail madly writhing and squirming on its own was a most peculiar thing. It freaked the poor cat out, too - he just took off away from the surreal sight!

Have you recently seen anything just as bizarre?

Hafwen x