Greensail wrote:Cocoa butter works pretty well also. Additionally, I always have palm oil nearby for the heads and to apply, I usually rub some on my hands and the "play it into the heads" along with rubbing to distribute evenly - kind of a 2 for 1.
I've tried cocoa butter, but it didn't work for me, so obviously different people have different skin conditions. Wondering what the reason could be, I figured out that cocoa butter kind of waterprotected my palms, substituting grease for natural moisture, but that's a layman's theory. Also, it wasn't good for my nails and nail beds.
Moreover, what you consider an additional asset, appears to me as undesirable: The drum heads are becoming a bit greasy with the time, anyway; with any sort of ointment on your hands, this process is intensified, resulting in a rubber-like consistence of the heads too soon. By the same token, I know that some drum companies use a skin softener, whatever that is, and while most drummers appreciate this, I am one of those who don't. A "reasonable" content of fat is certainly good, but the residues of my hand ointment are too much. I have already used soap and lukewarm water to wipe the skins of my congas.
martingoodson wrote:Did you have any thoughts about a different home for this forum btw?
I'm afraid I disagree with you on the pinned or sticky threads on top being a repelling feature of the forum. It may contribute to, or testify, the general lack of interest and care that is not only demonstrated by the moderators, but also by potential newcomers as well as many of the old war horses who used to post here. Considering the declining number of young conga drum students, there may not be as many newcomers as years ago, anyway, and they may be inclined to other topics, other types of music, and other mediums of communication. Oldtimers are perhaps tired of sharing perspectives that have become undisputible normalcy for them. And no matter what we think of it, Facebook has certainly killed more than one oldfashioned newsgroup. My guess is that some things just come to an end at some time, and although a lot of these things have been good things, we have to come to terms with that fact. Otherwise we would be beating a dead horse.
I think I remember some of the moderators. Laurent Lamy in France may have been the founder of the forum. But you know what? Even though nobody seems to care about updating or managing it, they still keep it online, and I suppose they even pay for it. So we still have the chance to utilize it, and we do, as your thread has shown. The question is: Why don't we utilize it as much as we used to in the past? Has the necessity diminished? Have the general modes and preferences of communication changed in favour of the FB formate? Are the topics of the busiest posters better addressed over there? As you might read between my lines, I don't actually believe that moving the forum would solve the problem. And I agree with the statement that the history of this forum has almost grown into an encylopedia of percussion. How could you effectively move
that?
Nonetheless I appreciate your effort to entertain this worldwide correspondence on our passion and profession and keep it alive. I wish, however, that your efforts are not wasted.
Thomas