shinyhappyrainbows

On the ABC today... Abbey Road console used by The Beatles finds new home at MONA's Frying Pan Studio I think this is a marvelous acquisition by David Walsh and his crew. History should be preserved including audio history, and any museum is a good museum to preserve it. Add to that the fact that it is going to be a piece of living history, used to record Tasmanian music, even better. Preserving old techniques is as important as preserving old tools. The one problem I have with this is the "rabid analog worshipers." Analog is not better, it is different. Different is good. If you're recording Miles Davis era Jazz, or delta blues, or Beatlemania... [breaths]... it's appropriate. Some analog electronic instruments, like classic synths are better for certain genres of EDM, likewise, valve amps have a particular style of distortion or drive that sits really well with guitar. These are colourations, and colourations are simply mathematical formulae, and can just as e...

I have some, shall we say, "unusual" views on alternative transport. Riding isn't worth getting the bike out for for under 10km, for that, I'll use my e-scooter, especially under 8km one way. Less than 4km, I'd rather walk. And I've recently realised that a train trip (with a bike) to Bairnsdale, to do the East Gippsland Rail Trail is 2 days riding (Bairnsdale to Orbost and back) because I can't put the bike on the coach from Orbost back to Bairnsdale. So, why not walk it over three days, yet plan for 5, and make an adventure of it? The whole trail is about 98km, the walking equivalent of 490km cycling. That, for me, traditionally was 5 days cycling, but I find I have, post heart attack (Nov 20, 2020), more stamina walking. So I'm aiming for 33km/day on foot, with a 5 day "reality check" packing and timing limit. Here's the route... East Gipsland Rail Trail::RideWithGPS.com Wikipedia has a great article on the trail and, if ...

JAx Dragon Violin , via Thingiverse. eSun PLA wood and Flashforge PLA aluminium. Verily did the Devil make his way unto Georgia, forsooth!

What it says in the title. Seriously, telecommunications, especially broadband, isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. It's what used to be called a "common carrier service," back in the days when a landline phone was considered an essential service and carried government guarantees. Telecom Australia wasn't expensive because they had no competition, they were expensive because successive govenment ministers were funded by international Telcos, so they artificially priced the service for low probablity disaster contingencies. I used to work there when "the debate" about privatising telecommunications was taking place. It wasn't a debate, it was a skilled market manipulation. Prices didn't come down because Telecom was sold off as Telstra, into a competitive market. They came down because of major advances in technology, in exchanges, in network systems, etc. We wuz conned.

With Melbourne having an unseasonably, soaking wet start to summer, I haven't been able to get the welder out. I have all the parts, apart from 56 of the right length spokes for the front wheels and the sheet steel needed for the seat shell, I just need favourable weather to be able to get the project into the only suitable welding workspace I have access to, the driveway. Can't take an electric MIG outside when it's raining, sigh. So, to feel like I'm actually "proceeding", I've been 3D printing jigs and braces to help keep the frame true. That, up there ^, is the jig for starting the side seam on the head tube. Yes, the angle is _meant_ to be -45 degrees, it's a lean steer trike. It works like this schematic... The hardest join in this style of trike is the the cross-member and steerer. I printed a clamping jig for that, too. See the earlier post about that here .

Forgive me reader/riders, for I have sinned and not posted for ages. But yeah, you know that, If I had any readers, you've probably all effed off, and who can blame you?! Anyway, NY rez, ride more and, now the weather is looking dry enough to take the welder outside, start building the bloody trike. But right at this moment, I has an insulated "fridge bag" (xmas loot) and new Blackburn drybag cages for the trusty touring bike, my HIGHLY modified, 2016 Reid Urban X2. Check the pics... The test bag is one of 2 Roswheel drybags from my bedroll system, which will now be moving to my forks because of my "Wild Man" bar bag.

I have a wonderful partner. Dropping suggestions for xmas gifts, on the offy I might get one or two, she dropped the lot on me. Spoiled? Much! The stand out among a standout bunch, a Blues Buster overdrive pedal kit from PedalParts Australia . Named for the "Bluesbreaker" Marshalls, as made famous by that unevolved creap, Eric "the arse" Claptrap, it's a classic and highly modifiable overdrive in the style of a Tube Screamer or an orig' OD-1. I started preproduction on that project today, making sure I have all the bits. It's getting built up in a bright red diecast box. Red ones distort more, right? EDIT: Changed out stock pic from PedalParts' catalogue for drilled and fitted out box. The great thing about pedal kits are the mods you can do so, as well as drive, volume and tone on the front panel, I'm breaking the treble trimmer out to a knob on the front panel for extra credit. However, I may have underspecced the housing. It'll all fit...