Shepard Tone –
Anxious when watching Dunkirk? You’re not alone and there is a specific reason why – the Shepard Tone.
A Shepard Tone creates the auditory illusion of a tone that continually ascends or descends in pitch, yet which ultimately seems to get no higher or lower. The tone is a sound that comprises multiple sine waves separated by an octave and layered on top of each other. And it can cause anxiety and panic attacks.
Here is a Shepard Tone generator – https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/shepardAudioIllusionToneGenerator.php
And this is a 3 minute video explaining how Hans Zimmer has used the special sound to make the movie’s he scored so intense.
Norbert’s Gambit –
Norbert’s Gambit is the process of using Canadian Loonies and/or US Dollars to purchase a stock that is listed on both a US and Canadian Stock Exchange, such that the stock can then be sold, all in an effort to avoid expensive banking fees.
http://jpkoning.blogspot.com/2018/08/norberts-gambit.html
With the movement of money across borders in mind, I must mention transferwise.com. They take this process a step further, by removing the need to purchase a stock and one’s funds are placed in escrow, effectively in the cloud, until withdrawn at a later date. I’ve found the service to be seamless and they have excellent customer service.
The real kicker is the cost. TransferWise costs between .3-.6% vs. 3-4% via a traditional bank.
Merino Wool –
Most folks may know that wool is somewhat of a miracle fabric.
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Fiber Absorbency – Wool is a hygroscopic fiber; it takes up moisture in vapor form. Tiny pores in the epicuticle make the fiber semi-permeable, allowing vapor to pass through to the heart of the fiber. Wool can easily absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp or clammy.
Durability and Resilience – Each wool fiber is a molecular coil spring making the fiber remarkably elastic. Nature has folded the chemical polypeptide chains back upon themselves in such a way that they act like a coiled spring which elongates when it is extended and retracts when it is released. This molecular crimp, along with the 3-dimensional fiber, allows wool fibers to be stretched up to 50% when wet and 30% when dry, and still bounce back to their original shape when stress is released.
Dyeing – Wool absorbs many different dyes deeply, uniformly and directly without the use of combining chemicals. Wool is an amphoteric, which means it reacts with both acids and bases; thus it accepts both acid and basic dyestuffs. Dyes penetrate into the inner medulla core of the fiber where a chemical reaction occurs making the color change permanent except under extreme and prolonged fading conditions.
Flame Retardant – Because wool contains moisture in each fiber, it resists flame without chemical treatment. Instead of burning freely when touched by flame, wool chars and stops burning when it is removed from the source of fire. Wool is self-extinguishing. It will not support combustion; this is why wool blankets are recommended for use in extinguishing small fires.
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But it can be bulky and itchy sometimes :/
And when the fibers are viewed under a microscope you can easily see why.
What I’m Listening To –
Lannka At Scorpios Mykonos – https://soundcloud.com/scorpiosmykonos/lannka-at-scorpios-mykonos
This is what I might describe as Tribal House or more broadly, ambient electronic house.
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