>Eye, eye, captain…

Posted on 18 February, 2010 by jb

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>I think I shall become a potter

Posted on 17 February, 2010 by jb

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Getting my hands mucky and living on the poverty line has never appealed to me that much, but with these newfangled 3D printers, it’s dead easy.

If I’ve understood this right, all you do is to get someone to do a CAD design (my mate Robin Capper in Auckland should be good for that..), plug in the printer, fill it up with clay and away you go.

Just sit back and watch a masterpiece evolve.

Only need to buy some glaze and a couple of paint brushes and we’re in business.

Kiln might be useful, but I’ve got a mate who makes them.

Might be able to borrow one for the day….

To Do list: Buy rubber gloves

Source: Unfold Fab
Via: Boing Boing

Posted in Ceramics, Don't ask me | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

>Not that I can do much about it, but…..

Posted on 15 February, 2010 by jb

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..I’m not too happy with my ISP.

It’s not that I actually CHOSE them, either.

I was with Tiscali for ages and a day, before they went toes up and I found myself a Freenet customer.

I even switched everything from Telekom and did the VoIP/DSL thing.

All of a sudden, I get a letter telling me that I’m now with 1&1, which is quite ironic, because I’ve hosted my server with them for the past 8 years.

They’re crap on every level you can imagine.

Customer service with Tiscali was quite good – regular i.e. non-premium phone number and decent response times.

Freenet is excellent i.e. Freephone until you sign up when all contact reverts instantly to 0900 (as in VERY premium phone numbers) and email responses are measured in weeks, rather than days.

But 1&1 really takes the cake.

NINE BLOODY WEEKS to respond to a question regarding billing inconsistencies and the flossie on the (admittedly) non-premium line SERIOUSLY SUGGESTED mailing back to find out what a normal response time would be.

And it wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t a third slower than the rest of the country.

Or world…

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>Sounds about right….

Posted on 12 February, 2010 by jb

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>Look what I found

Posted on 11 February, 2010 by jb

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First of all, here’s Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris from 1987 with “To Know Him Is To Love Him” (“Teddybears”, written by Phil Spector) backed by the Crème de la crème of the West Coast session scene – Russ Kunkel on drums, Lee Sklar on bass and David Lindley on guitar

And then there’s an interview with Dolly Parton on “Parkinson” that had me laughing and crying alternately.

What a choice bird.

“If I see somethin’ saggin’, draggin’ or baggin’, I’ll go get it fixed”

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>Those strange Australians

Posted on 11 February, 2010 by jb

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Bureaucrats are funny bunch no matter where you go, but for sheer dimness, I think Australian Immigration takes the cake.

Mrs jb is applying for an eVisitor permit.

All very slick, efficient and online.

Except when you come to Date of Passport Issue.

The list starts at ….1960?

And the list for Passport Expiry ends at…2060?

50 year passport validity.

I really don’t think so…..

(My New Zealand passport is valid for a mere 5 years, but that’s another story of imbecility.)

And then you get to “Country of Residence”

German Democratic Republic?

Eh?

That got disappeared 20 years ago.

Didn’t anyone tell them?

Maybe the letter from the German Foreign Ministry informing them of the minor change (i.e. absorbing 20 million or so people) is still on the sailing ship…

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>Rick Danko, Levon Helm & Paul Butterfield – Live at The Getaway, West Saugerties, NY 17 July 1985

Posted on 8 February, 2010 by jb

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The Getaway no longer exists.

West Saugerties is only JUST there, with a pretty patchy historical documentation

“There is evidence in West Saugerties of what appears to be an early 20th century logging industry”(!)

What is well-documented, though, is the concert on 17 July 1985, drifting around the interweb and stated to be at the “Getaway Inn”, although it’s certainly “The Getaway” a nightclub in Saugerties where Richard Manuel recorded “Whispering Pines“.

There are also a couple of wildly creative set-lists drifting around, as well (attached as a footnote for historical reference)

This appears to be it, though.

Walkin’ Blues
Mannish Boy
Let Me Ride in Your Automobile 
Spoonful
They’ll Take Everything You’ve Got
Danny Boy
Louisiana Blues
Getaway Inn
Willie and the Handjive
Crazy Mama
Mystery Train

Set lists
01 Walkin’ Blues
02 Manish Boy Intro (repeats) >
03 Manish Boy
04 Let Me Ride In Your Automobile?
05 Spoonful
06 ?
07 Danny Boy
08 Louisiana Blues
09 Getaway Inn Blues?
10 Willie and Handjive
11 Crazy Mama12 Mystery Train

1.  Stop My Lowdown Ways
2. instrumental3. ?
4. Satisfy Your Man
5. They’ll Take Everything You Got
6. Danny Boy
7. Down to Louisiana
8. Get Away Inn
9. Willie and the Hand Jive
10. Crazy Mama
11. Mystery Train

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

>Bad Ad

Posted on 7 February, 2010 by jb

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Which bright spark came up with this one…?

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>The case for copyright

Posted on 6 February, 2010 by jb

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I’m not talking about the way Big Media sees it i.e. lock everything down tight and don’t even let people use a song to illustrate a story.

I reckon that an artist’s copyright should extend to their being able to FORBID someone abusing the artistic merit of their work.

I heard this on the radio the other day.

I was almost physically ill. Worse than Vic Damone.

Maybe I can get Mrs jb’s friend Tobi to have Bayern2 cull it from their playlist

It was on the same level as this cesspit drivel :

Pat Boone didn’t want to record it – he reckoned he had no idea what it was all about. The record company made him. At least he was honest…

THIS is what it’s all about

Even if  Alan Freed has him on the show as a circus act

And then there’s

The way it should be.

When Bon Scott sings

Hey Satan, paid my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey Momma, look at me
I’m on my way to the promised land

it sounds as chillingly authentic as it was prophetic

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>I’ve been talking to DAVE.

Posted on 6 February, 2010 by jb

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Or maybe it was HAL

I think that it’s most likely Rajiv in Bangalore

I’m looking save some money (€50 isn’t to be sneezed at these days….) by buying one of these thingies in America instead of here.

I asked a fairly simple question on Iomega’s website:

Me: Does the power supply for the 1TB MiniMax FW/USB accept 100-240V input as standard or is it fixed at 110V?

DAVE: (his capitals..) You will need to go to the live 1 on 1 CHAT for TECH Support for that information.
Go to  http://www.iomega.com  click on the SUPPORT tab and then you will see Contact Us.
Look for the YELLOW Bubble with the question mark in it.
It will ask you to scroll to select the product you have.
Enter in the Serial Number, it will tell you that the product is in warranty.
Look for the  How do I get help,  right under that you will see  Live 1 on 1 CHAT,
Click that,  make sure you enter in your first and last name,  email address,  and
operating system.   There will be a window that will open for the live chat.
Their hours are 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.,  E.S.T.,   Monday thru Friday.

Me: How can I have a serial number? 

If I had the product, I would have the power supply and I could read the label on it, which means I wouldn’t have to ask you.

I’m looking to buy the product, I need to know whether it will work 
both in the USA and the rest of the world

DAVE: I am sorry for the misunderstanding.   I should have made it clear that we need the serial number from the drive,  not the power supply. 

Me: Can you understand that I haven’t bought a MiniMax drive yet? This would explain why I don’t have a serial number.
However I do intend buying a MiniMax drive, but before I do I need to know if the power supply is rated 100-240v.
You’re bound to have this on your spec list. If not, just look on the box. 

DAVEIt is 110-240. 

I’m still shaking my head….

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