Since I started a little self-disclosure yesterday, I am going to
continue that theme. Very few people know this about me.
The fact is, I have congenital amusia. No, that
does not mean I am "easily amused." It means I am tone deaf.
A couple of days ago, I heard a piece on NPR. This was one of
those bits where they record people's stories. The story was
about a woman who said that some old teakettles had harmonica reeds to
make the whistling sound more musical. She was thrilled to
get a teakettle that had three holes in the cap, so that the whistle
was not just a whistle, it was a musical chord.
They played a recording of it. The sound drove me nuts.
It also sounded familiar, because I have a teakettle that
does the same thing. It is an Ikea kettle. The
visual design is wonderful, but the noise is maddening. I had
no idea it is supposed to be pleasant. To me, it sounds like
a fire alarm.
In fact, when I first heard it, I was as bemused as I was annoyed.
How could something with such an elegant
design have such an awful sound?
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width="50">
border="0" height="7" width="4"> Whistles
when the water is boiling.
border="0" height="7" width="4"> Aluminum/phenolicplastic
border="0" height="7" width="4"> Volume:1.5 l
width="50">
height="3" width="50">
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Hmmmm ... you do know that it is an alarm?? :-) "Take me off the heat and I'll stop screaming!!"
Sorry ... it's been a long day ...
Mine has three holes but it never whistles. I've almost boiled it to bits on several occasions. If you'll excuse me, I have to look up "phenolic plastic" now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
Phenol is just benzene with an hydroxyl group stuck on it. It is a chemical that forms the basis for many plastics. Compounds derived from phenol are called phenolics.
Phenolic plastic is plastic that is made using a phenol-type of compound, in which a bunch of little units are strung together.
The name "Trudelutt" means something like "small ditty" or "quick melody" in Swedish. A pretty clear clue (if you know Swedish, of course, but don't we all?).
A friend of mine is a super-taster -- another congenital type condition -- and he can't stand bell peppers.
That's hilarious -- my friend has one of these, and the first time I heard it I absolutely had to get one, I liked the sound so much. It sounds like a foghorn to me.
On the subject of amusia, you may be interested in this item from the BBC . Click on Listen again to hear a thirty minute programme on amusia and its ophysical cause.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers_20061213.shtml
Only nine bucks new? Gee, I just bought this at the Goodwill for seven dollars. What a sucker I am.