關於 paper design for wall ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

Tomorrow at noon PST, a special edition of this print drops on the 100% Soft website: https://100soft.us

Like many, I fell in love with Truck Torrence’s Dumpster Fire character as soon as I saw it, picking up a resin version at San Diego Comic Con for a friend, wishing I had bought an extra one for myself. Even before 2020 and our current, collective flirtation with the end of world as we know it, the Dumpster Fire perfectly encapsulated the time. When Truck approached me to see if I’d be interested in shooting a production version of the toy, I jumped at the chance and carved out time in-between War Toys trips, thinking that I wouldn’t have another chance with everything I had planned for 2020. Sigh.

Setting up late at night, underneath strings of paper lanterns and among scurrying cockroaches, Truck and I had settled on a simple shot concept – the Dumpster Fire in its natural setting: dirty yet cute. I asked Truck to expand upon a newspaper design that appeared on his toy packaging, wanting to capture that same tongue-in-cheek message of disbelief that every news headline elicited, “Are you serious right now?”

The prop newspaper was suspended on a rod, as if blowing through the scene. The lighting was a combination of actual fire from a small, die-cast dumpster stand-in (to make the light on the wall and ground appear accurate), ambient sources, and handheld flashlights. A bit of water was used to pick up reflections and add to the textured griminess. The various elements were all brought together and refined in postproduction.

It’s been a treat to collaborate with Truck, both on the shoot as well as the print release. A few months shy of a year old, the photo feels just as timely now as when it was shot, if not more so, thanks to the prophetic perfection of the Dumpster Fire toy. I hope that his little smile and plastic flames warm your heart and give you a little solace in these especially troubled times.

Alumine Five of Stenheim

Stenheim is a relatively late entrant to the high-end speaker field. It was founded in 2010 by a collective of mainly ex-Goldmund engineers, and its products have inherited an unmistakable aesthetic and, to a lesser extent, sonic DNA, although it was a significantly evolved character that was to emerge in the shape of the debut model, the compact, two-way Alumine Two. It’s a developmental divergence that has continued and, if anything, accelerated with the emergence of each subsequent product. The latest Stenheim speakers, developed under the auspices of new owner Jean-Pascal Panchard, definitely have their own, unambiguous identity, both visually and musically.

I’ve been seriously looking forward to the arrival of the Alumine Five. Previous experience with the brand has included impressive exposure to the various versions of the enormous and enormously impressive Ultime Reference models, as well as a brief but highly rewarding flirtation with the stand-mounted Alumine Two in my own system. The possibility of combining the sense of musical articulation, enthusiasm and communication I experienced from the Alumine Two, with more than a hint of the clarity, scale and authority so effortlessly delivered by the Reference models, all in a package that, if not exactly affordable, at least isn’t completely out of the question, makes the Alumine Five a distinctly interesting proposition.

Yet, confronted with the Alumine Five in the flesh, there’s little to hint at the extraordinary promise lurking within. Resolutely rectangular in true Stenheim style, the Five’s aluminum cabinet, with its plate-to-plate construction, stands just 48" tall, 15" deep and presents a broad 11" face to the world, dimensions based on golden-ratio numbers. The front baffle is split by a physical break between the upper midrange-treble enclosure and the lower bass cabinet, independently ported by the laminated full-width slots above and below, a physical separation that is mirrored by the contrasting inlaid strips that help visually break up the one-piece side panels. The regular lines, smooth surfaces, flawless matte finish and lack of visible fixings could easily result in a bland, almost featureless appearance. But those trim strips and the offset midrange and treble drivers do just enough to give the Five a subtle hint of individual style without resorting to the sort of gauche and ostentatious flourishes that so often pass as design.

The result is a refreshingly clean, classical appearance that will blend seamlessly with a range of different decors. Despite the lack of grilles (although they are available as an option, does anybody really spend this kind of money on a speaker and then compromise the performance by fitting covers?), the beautifully profiled baffle and absence of visible fixings makes for a genuinely neat, finished appearance that matches the superb surface finish on the cabinet. The end result just looks right, in a way that makes you wonder why you’d want grilles anyway.

The first hint of its potent sonic capabilities comes when you try to pick it up. Each comparatively compact cabinet tips the scales at 220 pounds. That’s a grunt-inducing, two-man lift. Now, take a look at the figures for bandwidth and sensitivity, and an in-room response that digs down as far as 28Hz combined with 94dB efficiency should raise your eyebrows, especially given the compact cabinet dimensions. Which brings us to the first experiential disconnect: boxes this size shouldn’t produce this much bass or do it so easily. Nor should they weigh so much -- although therein lies the clue to this particular conundrum. When it comes to bass extension, it’s not the external dimensions of the box that matter, but its internal volume. Just like the Crystal Cable Minissimo, a thin-wall cabinet makes for a much larger internal volume than the external dimensions might suggest -- especially if we apply the expectations of more conventional wood-based construction. Throw in the sheer weight of the aluminum panels and the combination of mass and physical dimensions would subconsciously suggest massively thick walls -- and a correspondingly limited internal volume. Instead, what we have here is a deceptively large volume, which, combined with the inertia of the heavy cabinet and the mechanical stability provided by the material, makes for an effective mechanical reference for driver movement, meaning that more of the energy your amplifier sticks into the speaker comes out as sound and (at least in theory) it will be more precisely rendered.

So far, not very much that’s new. It’s not like Stenheim (or Magico, or YG Acoustics) has exclusivity when it comes to aluminum cabinets. But what does make Stenheim different is the unique material they use in damping their cabinet panels. Of course, the separate enclosures and the internal baffles they demand make for an inherently heavily braced structure, but look inside a dismantled Alumine Five and you’ll find strategically placed pads stuck to the cabinet walls. These three-layer, self-adhesive pads combine a heavy damping layer (adjacent to the cabinet wall itself) with added foam and impervious layers, allowing the low-volume pads to influence both the mechanical behavior of the cabinet itself and the enclosed volume. It’s an interesting solution because it manages to overcome the weakness so often audible in simple, braced aluminum cabinets (the all-too-recognizable resonant signature of the material itself) while maximizing the benefits (large volume and rigidity) by obviating the need to stuff the internal space full of wadding or long-haired wool. In fact, if the Stenheims were stood behind a sonically transparent curtain, you’d be hard-pressed to recognize the music as emanating from an aluminum cabinet at all. The absence of the bleached, grainy or lean colorations, the lack of sterile, mechanistic reproduction, is one big half of the Stenheim story, living, breathing proof that it’s not what you use but how you use it that counts.

The other half is down to the drive units, and after the cabinets, those come as quite a surprise, both the lineup and the chosen materials. In stark contrast to the use of the latest, precision CNC techniques, complex damping pads and finishing options, the Alumine Five's drivers are as traditional as they come, with a coated silk-dome tweeter and pulp or laminated paper midrange and bass drivers. The cone drivers use textile double-roll surrounds and massive magnets more normally found in pro-audio applications, and while Stenheim doesn’t build its own drivers, the company works closely with its chosen supplier (PHL, definitely not one of the usual suspects) to specify the electrical parameters, mechanical characteristics and precise details of the surface coating.

The use of such lightweight cone materials and large motors aids the system efficiency, while a hybrid second-order/Linkwitz-Riley crossover, the result of extended listening and evolution, ensures phase coherence and excellent out-of-band attenuation and makes for easy non-reactive load characteristics, despite the three-way topology. The other aspect of the driver lineup that might be considered slightly unusual is the use of a large-diameter (6 1/2") midrange unit -- although less so since Vandersteen’s patent on the approach lapsed some years ago, resulting in a rash of companies suddenly exploring the possibilities of the topology.

Perhaps more important, in the case of the Alumine Five, it means that you are getting the tweeter and midrange drivers from the Ultime Reference series speakers, teamed here with a pair of 10" woofers but without the benefit of a super tweeter. Even so, Stenheim quotes bandwidth out to 35kHz, which should suffice for most purposes. The review speakers arrived with the optional second set of terminals installed, allowing for biwiring or, more significantly, biamping, an upgrade opportunity that makes this an option you should take. If, in the meantime, you are single-wiring the speakers, make sure you factor in a set of jumpers that match your speaker cables: the Alumine Five's overall sense of musical coherence makes the benefits especially obvious. Likewise, good wiring practice is essential, both in terms of cable dressing and diagonal connection (red to midrange/treble, black to bass, with jumpers arranged accordingly).

Aside from the speaker's substantial weight, the parallel sides and flat surfaces of the four-square cabinet make setting up the Fives an absolute joy. Precise, repeatable, angular adjustments are easily achieved, while changes in attitude are just as straightforward, helped by the beautifully profiled stainless-steel spiked feet and deeply cupped footers. Both the cones and their locking rings have nice, large ports to take the supplied pry bars, but it’s worth greasing the threads before installation. One other thing to watch out for: the spikes are seriously (refreshingly) sharp -- sharp enough to penetrate a thick rug and score the floor below, so be careful where you stand the speakers once the feet are installed. Final positioning disposed the speakers on a broad front with minimal toe-in. When it came to dialing in their considerable musical energy, the most critical factor proved to be height off the ground, with tiny adjustments of the spikes making profound differences to the weight and pace of the presentation. Likewise, equal weighting of the four spikes was crucial to a proper sense of grounded weight and dynamic authority.
........................................................

Price: $60,000 per pair.
Warranty: Five years parts and labor.

(Source: The Audio Beat)

媽，妳看！客人給了我一個大紅包⋯⋯

袋。😂

Look, Mum! My client gave me a BIG angpow...

packet. 🤣

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

美不一定實用

There are many schools of thoughts when it comes to Feng Shui.

Different practitioners use different methods to get a Feng Shui audit done

Whose methodology works best?

The one that brings you the results your little heart desires.

Let me share with you how I work.

When I'm at your place for a Feng Shui audit, you have to give me at least 2 hours.

For I am going to poke my nose into almost every single space in your lovely home.

I audit every.single.room, even the place where you do your business.

I have heard from clients that some Feng Shui Masters they engaged say interior design doesn't matter, so they do not check every room and only spent half the time I did.

The commando way I have been trained, every living compartment in the home matters.

Having an audit done by me is almost like attending a mini Feng Shui workshop.

So make sure both you and your spouse are present, with both taking notes down. More often than not, one party would overlook certain pointers as he/she gets too engrossed in what I am rattling.

You spend good money to get me in, don't waste it.

I explain to you how your home Feng Shui cause you and your family certain problems.

I give you time to whine and grumble about your life.

I sometimes play a mediator between quarrelsome couples.

I hear you out on your parenting difficulties or those headaches you have with your maid(s)... or in-laws. 😏

Along the way, I tell you what and where you did wrong.

Most importantly, I give you the solutions, enhancements and remedies.

In areas where most people lose their hair over like...

* Marriage stability
* Career progress
* Children
* Education
* Wealth accumulation
* Health
* Family Harmony
* Sleep quality

(I don't peddle auspicious ornaments by the way.)

Most of you would be familiar with those areas above but there are more.

E.g why does your child always wake up screaming in the middle of the night?

How do you know if your Husband harbour lusty intentions towards another woman e.g. domestic helper or someone in his workplace?

Why do you always get pains in your body for no reason?

Why can't you and your spouse agree on anything?

How can you get your children to be more focused in learning and be easier to care for?

What can you do to plug the wealth leaking away from your home?

Why can't you secure a single interview, despite sending a hundred resumes?

Why are you in so much business debts?

Why do you not get the credit and recognition you deserve?

Why do you always feel lost in life?

Etc...

Some people tell me they don't want to get a Feng Shui audit done because they want to be free and not be restricted by some "old superstitious stuff".

Ostrich syndrome. The worst lie is when you lie to yourself that everything is okay and deny yourself of further progress.

Just because we can't see UV rays with our naked eyes does not mean they do not exist.

A smart man will go understand the modus operandi of UV rays and work his way around it. Not dumb dumbly go expose himself to UV rays only to be stricken with skin cancer later.

You will surprised at many misconceptions people have about Chinese Metaphysics, despite being highly educated and holding managerial positions. #ignoranceblinds #discriminationkills

For me, getting a Feng Shui audit done is not the most difficult part.

Communicating to the client is.

It is not always easy to be the one dashing their dreams and visions, when those hopes clash with Feng Shui principles.

Most people don't like to hear bad things about their home.

👉 Even if they know it does not have good Feng Shui.

Sometimes clients have exhausted $XXXXX on their renovations and they dread hearing my conclusion that they have done it all wrong in the first place.

Honey, remember this. I will always give a solution and an explanation.

.

Question #1:

If I have gotten a Feng Shui Master to select my property from floor plans, is it guaranteed to have good Feng Shui?

My answer:

No. There's a chance it won't. An onsite audit is the most accurate. For the directions, landforms, views, air quality, light and environmental sound are factors that we can't determine from a paper floor plan.

Think of it like a dating agency. Just because the dating agency pairs you up with someone of your chosen traits, good education, five-figure income, great looks etc doesn't ensure 100% compatibility right?

But something is still better than nothing. Some layouts are taboo. A layman wouldn't know what to look out for and assesses it merely by his/her limited logic.

So getting the layout right is still a crucial part of this Feng Shui jigsaw puzzle.

.

Question #2:

So now what? I'm stuck with a property the Feng Shui Master chosen from the floor plan and now another Feng Shui master say it's not good. #dielah #alldiefor5years

My answer:

Don't get pessimistic. Before you start on your renovations, get a Feng Shui Master that you trust and has a proven track record to mend things from the inside.

If the layout is good, there are still many ways to effect the positive change you want.

If the unit is really undesirable, it may not give you 100%. But a resourceful Feng Shui Master can still raise the bar to perhaps 65-80%, depending on the condition of the Feng Shui.

Not all is lost. If you really have to sell it after 5 years, you may still profit and upgrade next time. So don't get all gloomy over bricks and mortar. It's just a house. You don't have to die inside it. Don't get all drama.

.

Question #3:

I want an open-concept kitchen. It's hip. I also want to tear down the walls of a room so that it can function as my walk-in wardrobe in my master bedroom. My MBR is too cramped. Do I still need Feng Shui advice for this?

My answer:

ABSOLUTELY! Not every Bazi can withstand an open-concept kitchen. Not every marriage can endure the wall-less concept.

Our homes play a pivotal role in transforming our destiny. What is vogue and pretty can do you more harm than good in your marriage and personal luck.

Don't be like that old Uncle who just withdraws his CPF monies and falls for a young pretty China lass. Looks can rob.

I understand that compulsive urge to do up your home the way you have always dreamt of.

But if you have already decided to engage me, that marks your first baby step to turning things around for yourself and your family.

So don't succumb to your fate that easily.

Listen very well to what I have to tell you.

This giant red packet marks the 4th angpow I received within a week that has the word 福 on it.

It's a sign that I'm here to bestow fortune upon you and your family, not to ruin it.

#duaangpow #have31福s #鴻運當頭
#福氣滿滿 #吉祥如意 #tashidelek

Sometimes, you might find yourself having to protect your painted walls. But you might not be so sure how to do it. So when do you have to protect painted walls?

How to protect adjacent walls you’re not painting | Anthony's Guide to Home DIY - with Deco-man. Visit https://www.deco-man.com/ for more DIY, decorating and design ideas!!