Jackie's Fridge

Krudler is coming at it like music is a zero sum game, which is silly. I love the Ramones. I also love more innovative, complex music, as well as plenty of vapid garbage. I’m happy jumping from Art Pepper to Guatafán. None of it is a waste of time if it’s what I’m in the mood for.

The Ramones were a fresh slap in the face back in the day, and without them punk & new wave wouldn’t be what they are. In the meantime, other artists have built on the Ramones’ foundation. Similarly, Jimi Hendrix revolutionised how people used the electeic guitar as an instrument, but other artists ran with it to the point that his stuff is archaic (I can’t listen to Hendrix for the same reason K dismissed the Ramones, but to each their own).

I guess what I’m saying is that even if you personally don’t like an influential band, you have to acknowledge that they might be exactly what resonates with someone else. That’s why we have so much music in the world. To the original topic though, Ramones music does all sound the same. Why mess with perfection?

On the old vintage Singer shuttle machines (the 27s and 28s) there was no reverse mechanism. The instruction book specified to make sure the needle is out of the fabric, lift the presser foot, slide the fabric back a few stitches’ worth, then lower the foot and stitch over the previous stitches. Do that a couple times and you’ve tied off the thread. That technique might help with yours.

If it’s the bobbin winding mechanism, the wheel will spin but the needle won’t move. In that case, tighten the centre of the wheel. Here’s a quick & dirty run through: https://youtu.be/DFwollQFufI

The 401 is an excellent machine and very much worth repairing.

I use Photoshop for work, and I keep GIMP installed as a conversion tool because for some reason Photoshop is an absolute wimp when it comes to opening downloaded PNG or WEBP images. About 1/4 of the time I get “Not a PNG” or “Can’t open image due to a programme error.” Clicking the Help option in the error dialogue takes me to Adobe’s help page about saving images, not opening them.

GIMP has effortlessly opened every single image I’ve thrown at it. After exporting from GIMP, suddenly Photoshop works. Bad look for the industry standard image editing programme.

I do like InDesign tho

I was going to advocate machines, specifically the vintage Singer machines (the black, all-metal dudes). They are very simple, there’s tonnes of information online for repairing & maintaining them, and you can usually find people just trying to get rid of them. Find one that isn’t rusty and moves freely and you’ll probably just need to oil it and mess with the tension.

If space is a concern, you don’t need to keep it in the sewing table (though it’s more comfortable). Those vintage machines are simple and tough to kill.

If you can’t play music but want to play WITH music, I’d recommend getting a groovebox like the Novation Circuit (original or Circuit Tracks). It gives you 2 synthesizers and 4 drum parts in one small, battery-powered box, with a sensible note/pattern sequencer. It’s limited, but there are a lot of resources online for using it, and it’s cheap if you buy used. Great fun to sit on the couch and make tunes.

There are also groovebox apps for iOS (like Grooverider GR-16) that do the same and sound great for less money.

What I’m saying is: music creation is more accessible than ever these days, so never tell yourself you can’t do it.

I’ll repair last chance socks and stockpile (clean) last chance underwear for long trips. Throw them out as the trip goes instead of stashing dirty laundry in your bag.