After a follow-up eye exam, I came home to something special in the mail. It took a very long time and I've been anxiously awaiting this, but my Certificate of Canadian Citizenship finally arrived today, so I've been contacting lots of folks that have either helped me in obtaining this or have just been following the ups and downs and various stories around getting it.
OK, so I know someone had said that they had Brighternow’s email and there was no answer, but it’s coming up on two months with no word. Do we not know anything else about him - like his name. I was thinking that some detective work could be done using his email address if that’s all anyone has. He didn’t appear to leave any notice that he was going away on extended vacation or some such thing. Suggestions?
^^Well, I'm at a loss. I know he hasn't posted here since June 14th, he's from Denmark, his lastfm page is under Norstrand which hasn't been updated since May and he's played a huge role in my musical discovery since I first joined Emusic back in 2003. He certainly is a Music nerd extraordinaire as stated on his Soundcloud page and I'll continue to think good thoughts for him.
OK, so I know someone had said that they had Brighternow’s email and there was no answer, but it’s coming up on two months with no word. Do we not know anything else about him - like his name. I was thinking that some detective work could be done using his email address if that’s all anyone has. He didn’t appear to leave any notice that he was going away on extended vacation or some such thing. Suggestions?
I have his name and email address. I have no idea whether he would (or would not) want it posted here. His last Twitter activity was March 31 (previous frequency maybe 2 a month). Last Facebook post was June 10 (previous frequency about one a month). Neither mention anything relevant. (This is assuming I identified the right accounts, but it's not a common name and we know roughly where he lives).
Yes, I understand. I wasn't looking for it to be posted here. I was just saying that you can do some Google searching to see if anything has turned up - such as an obituary or something else - if you have enough info. In this case, you have TWO sources you can use.
Yes, I understand. I wasn't looking for it to be posted here. I was just saying that you can do some Google searching to see if anything has turned up - such as an obituary or something else - if you have enough info. In this case, you have TWO sources you can use.
I did search for an obit (and searched in Danish for various words for "died") but did not turn up anything. His FB implies that he is involved in organizing a local event in October - if we get that far and the event happens and has contact info that might provide another avenue of inquiry. I could not find anything at https://dødsannoncer.afdoede.dk/ - maybe that's encouraging.
Yes, I am concerned too. I’ll keep searching periodically. i have always thought it one of the weird facets of online forums that it is possible to feel quite connected to someone through the narrow conduit of a username and also possible for folk to simply disappear. I hope @Brighternow returns - we have all gained a lot from him.
Was there something specific, like an event, that has made us concerned about BN's welfare, or is this just the unease from an extended online presence?
^^^Well, as @Brighternow has been such a frequent poster and a wealth of knowledge I'm surprised he would just stop. In these Covid days it's easy to jump to conclusions. I know I've taken breaks in the past and I hope it's that. He's invested so much time in the countless threads he updates and that has always been appreciated right back to the old Emusic days. Plus he taught me how to post pictures and what not and I'm missing him.
Yeah, my concern is that, usually, when someone needs a break from an online forum and leaves, either they announce it beforehand, or they don't, but you'll see them posting to their other locations. Neither of which seems to be the case here and so there's some concern. Also, everytime one of us here types his name, it might be showing up in an email that's sent to him showing our posts of concern (unless there's a way to turn that feature off) and there's still no response. Just doesn't seem like something he would do (or ignore). He's part of our little party here and I would hate for anything to be wrong.
Was there something specific, like an event, that has made us concerned about BN's welfare, or is this just the unease from an extended online presence?
Also, not answering direct email and absent from other online spaces that he visited regularly. And before this he had 13,600 visits here since 2009 (an average of three per day for 12 years).
I'd hoped that with ten days or so away on holiday that by the time I returned there would be some good news. I too have done some searching, but come up with nothing
I just wanted to mention too that Bandcamp has a listing at the bottom of their emails that suggest other people to follow - one of which is "Norstrand" and even tho the purchases aren't dated, the last one he did buy was released on June 18 of this year. So, don't know what this may mean, but it's something noticed. He has purchased 376 items, so if that number changes, I'll let you guys know.
I just wanted to mention too that Bandcamp has a listing at the bottom of their emails that suggest other people to follow - one of which is "Norstrand" and even tho the purchases aren't dated, the last one he did buy was released on June 18 of this year. So, don't know what this may mean, but it's something noticed. He has purchased 376 items, so if that number changes, I'll let you guys know.
The last two items are from a Cantaloupe subscription so the figure will probably increase even if he isn't actually active.
@Doofy, Wow, that's quite a drop in digital album sales, especially in the year when everyone was stuck at home at least part of the time and adjusting to working online and at least some people were wanting to support their favorite bands online.
I remember maybe 6 months ago visiting my friendly neighborhood CD/Vinyl store and chatting with the owner, thinking that maybe with the generally reduced foot traffic and lockdowns it would have been tough for him like it was for restaurants and coffee shops (early in the pandemic it was possible for a while to drive downtown and encounter almost no traffic, and he is in the heart of downtown). He told me they had had their best year ever and paid off all their debts. His comment was that people could not go to restaurants or out for a drink or to a club or concert and many of those people therefore had more disposable income and they were spending a chunk of it on vinyl (this only needs to be true for a very specific demographic subset to float a business his size). This chart seems to give wider credence to his experience. And it also raises the possibility that contrary to what the article says, it could be that restoration of non-pandemic social interaction might dent those album sales rather than float them further, but I am no analyst, just thinking aloud.
I am not sure there is enough data here to figure out what the first two columns mean, but it looks like the overall increase in album sales is all non-digital. We need at least one more column for the whole picture to be meaningful - what was the change in digital non-album sales? (Also maybe: what counts as an album, digitally - my subjective sense was a lot of artists put out EPs and long-form tracks and the like during the pandemic as they scrambled to have product out there; some labels created whole EP series of lockdown compositions. Was that a factor either way in "album" sales?) Is part of the takeaway here that the population is dividing into those who buy physical and those who do not buy albums? (That seems all too plausible to my experience).
I made my own contribution to the CD sales figure (though I also pumped more money into bandcamp Fridays). Until now I have resisted setting myself up in vinyl equipment again, mainly because of the sunk cost (and relatively high-end equipment) I have in CDs/digital. I keep wondering when I will finally cave. I would actually love to have vinyl in my hands again, it has just until now not made financial sense to me.
I'd be interested to know how bundle purchases are tracked (and whether they are even a material percentage of that tracking graph). There have been a number of times I went and purchased the CD because it was just a little bit more than the DL, and if I go through Bandcamp, I'll get a courtesy DL as part of my CD/vinyl purchase. The DL factored into my decision, but technically, I purchased the CD.
@jonahpwll Ditto as to buying CDs when they're comparable to the DL price, though I buy more from Dusty Groove than Bandcamp. There are certain artists, esp local, who I like to support, and most of the discs I buy are likely to be hard to find, eventually. I have instructed my wife to sell the CDs back to Dusty Groove, in the event of my untimely demise...
I'm sure the pandemic has contributed to the ongoing vinyl trend/fad/craze, and just saw this article about video game collecting. Have also heard that prices for old comics are going up, and thinking I ought to go through and see what's left of my old collection.
Not to mention real estate...Neighbors on both sides of us have recently sold for very spiffy prices, within days of going on the market. Perhaps anything to buy a little comfort in these parlous times.
I'm sure the pandemic has contributed to the ongoing vinyl trend/fad/craze, and just saw this article about video game collecting. Have also heard that prices for old comics are going up, and thinking I ought to go through and see what's left of my old collection.
Not to mention real estate...Neighbors on both sides of us have recently sold for very spiffy prices, within days of going on the market.
AP overlooked a brewing controversy over the vintage video game market. Couldn't find the original article that clued me in, but there might be some legal issues arising soon due to (alleged) collaboration between auction houses, appraisers, related parties, etc, that has caused some ridiculous prices for some of the older cartridges.
Just letting you know that I'm finally leaving the house to the kitty sitter so I can go on a first vacation in 2 years, so if I'm not around here, then hopefully it's just because of that. Just a heads-up (this notice kinda comes from what we all experienced with our trying to find our friend Brighternow) and I should be back in a couple of weeks. Happy listening to all!
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I had no idea about this; too much circular breathing?
It took a very long time and I've been anxiously awaiting this, but my
Certificate of Canadian Citizenship finally arrived today, so I've been
contacting lots of folks that have either helped me in obtaining this or have
just been following the ups and downs and various stories around getting it.
The top half looks like this:
but it’s coming up on two months with no word. Do we not know anything else about him - like his name. I was thinking that some detective work could be done using his email address if that’s all anyone has. He didn’t appear to leave any notice that he was going away on extended vacation or some such thing. Suggestions?
He certainly is a Music nerd extraordinaire as stated on his Soundcloud page and I'll continue to think good thoughts for him.
so that's why I'm concerned. Thanks a bunch!
i have always thought it one of the weird facets of online forums that it is possible to feel quite connected to someone through the narrow conduit of a username and also possible for folk to simply disappear. I hope @Brighternow returns - we have all gained a lot from him.
So, don't know what this may mean, but it's something noticed. He has purchased 376 items, so if that number changes, I'll let you guys know.
The last two items are from a Cantaloupe subscription so the figure will probably increase even if he isn't actually active.
Physical music sales actually went up in 2021
I think it's possible that I accounted for that 2.2% increase in CD salesThis Is Your Brain On Vinyl, and Other Tales From Obsessive Collecting in the Pandemic.
Just letting you know that I'm finally leaving the house to the kitty sitter
so I can go on a first vacation in 2 years, so if I'm not around here,
then hopefully it's just because of that. Just a heads-up (this notice
kinda comes from what we all experienced with our trying to find
our friend Brighternow) and I should be back in a couple of weeks.
Happy listening to all!