Well all this dual and 6 processor stuff is crap. No time to pick it up from the guy. There is definately an impending space issue. To that avail I will be installing a new 40 gig hard drive. One that came out of the system that Goldy sold me. It's a nice quick seagate drive. Hopefully not too loud! We will see.

Monday off! I worked Saturday. Yay.

Bought a UPS. It's DOA. I discovered today that ZBox (This Webserver) was off. I was like WTF?! Powered it back on. Later in the afternoon I looked again and it was off again. The bloody UPS software that was on there was like "OMFG teh UPS is not talking to ME OMG!; if the UPS is not talking to me, It must be on battery OMFG! I'd better shut down this server!" All well and good IF THE BLOODY UPS WAS ACUTALLY CONNECTED! It turns out the UPS was a dud and it has to be taken back anyway. I just didn't think the software would have a spaz attack like that... Hence - Server down for most of the day.

Other than that.

I set up my new CRO. A Dick Smith Q1806. It's good for 60MHz. I also set up my new lab power supply. A Dick Smith Q1760. 0-30VDC @ 5A.

The images show the manufacturer's version Pintek CRO. Mine just has "Dick Smith" where it says Pintek on that one and "Q1806" above the original "PS-605"...

PS_605_B	Q1760
PS_605_FRONT_dm_001	PS_605_BACK_dm

Yay. I have to work today. Terrific. Addicted to Firefly. 12:04 AM . . .... .. . must ..... . . .. ...... watch ... .. . ..... . .... .more!!! Nyaaaaaah! 6H Til I get up. Hrm... To start disc 4 or not to start disc 4...

I hate banks, why should they close at 4? BUSINESS hours are 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Why 4? Are they not doing business??? Arseholes...

I just saw a trailer for a movie called Serenity. It looks really cool. I simply must see it when it comes out! It is based around a small series that was screened only on cable called Firefly. It has a big cult sci-fi following. The fans banded together and the director of Buffy and Angel picked it up and went with it! Cool! It looks like it may be similar to some of our Starwars RPG games where lots of property and people get broken and blown up to complete a simple task! Yeah, our characters were never good at diplomacy. Especially Darren's, Jabba the Hutt ended up taking Darren's character, "Drink Solo"s, leg for betraying him! Hrm.... Darren's character "Drink Solo" who smuggles with his ship the "Y2K Falcon" hrmmmm... I had a crazy techie I believe. Or was it a droid. I did have a droid character at one stage called LE-37 He was a gun turret on treads basically! I used to mod myself!

http://www.serenitymovie.com/

Other news: I have re-stocked my supply of yummy V8 juice. That tropical yumminnessssss!

Yay. A quiz. I am a Topaz. Joy.

You scored as Topaz. Not like any other, topaz-types love to stick out from the crowd! They tend to have their own style and make their own decisions and they're rarely afraid to show it. They tend to have many successes because of their own ingenuity and most show their feelings on the outside. They are their own person and many have great imaginations. See All Results/Comment Topaz 67% Aquamarine 63% Garnet 56% Athemyst 53% Peridot 47% Emerald 43% Ruby 30% Celestite 27% Which Mystic Gem Stone Relates To You?

Sunday! Work tomorrow =( Well I got two days weekend, not like some of my staff (Lynx!). Man they really need to sort out that other store. It's a staff-sucking black hole.

Reading Fark.Com today. Lots of interesting stuff:

PLANET-DISSOLVING DUST CLOUD IS HEADED TOWARD EARTH! Yay... It's a "theory" so far and "we shouldn't panic until all the facts are known". 2014...

WORLD'S FASTEST: Bugatti Veyron Busts Out With 1,000-hp and $1.3 Million Price Tag A new VW monster. 1001HP, 0->60Mph in 3 sec, 252Mph Top speed! Incredible. It is now the top speed and highest power production car out. VW bought Bugatti and this is it's first finished product after reviving the dieing company. They have orders for 30 already!

New NINTENDO controller... I think they stuffed it...

The worlds Smallest Robots.... Nanobots anyone?  

NASA to unveil plan for moon mission in 2018: Interesting...

Saturday!

Today I am going to try to make some triggers for different conditions; Lightning, Sound and Beam-Interupt. They will aid in special photography sessions for storms, broken lightglobes, bursting baloons etc. Cool.

In other news I put together one of my metal-halide lights today. Damn they are bright! 150W Floods. They are going to be very helpfull. I modified my old tripod to mount the fixture (lighting terms - the enclosure for the lamp) on the tripod and hang it's ballast from the bottom centre of the tripod. This particular tripod has a rubber plug in the base of the vertical slide. I took this out, drilled a hole, inserted a screw + bolt and cable harness.

Screw->Flat Washer->Cable Harness->Plug->Shakeproof Washer->Nut

This is re-inserted into the vertical's base and the screw tightened so the plug is compressed, securing it very firmly. This was required because the ballast weighs about 2Kg. The ballast was hung from the cable harness using two cable ties.

Pictures Later.

With all this experimenting and no breakfast of coffee, it has occured to me that I am hungry. The cripping imploding stomach feeling also indicates this. Hrm... I really should have a rest and eat something =) But there's so much more experimenting to go today! I need to get my breadboard out and a PC powersupply.

Another thought. BUGGER! I didn't buy any 7809s (9V Regulator IC). I hope I have some in my semis box. All the circuits run off 9V and I don't have my Lab Powersupply yet.

More thoughts. I need a CRO.

2:49 PM:
Finished off the light. The method seems OK. I need to purchase some cheap-arse tripods to put lamps on.

CRW_1344

CRW_1341

CRW_1339

It works quite well. Bloody bright! I want to get some 5000K globes for them now, the ones in there are 4200K which is just under daylight. About time something worked out in this shit-house week.

7:31 PM:
I took some shots lit with my new light staring my new pint mug =)

CRW_1372	CRW_1366
CRW_1361	CRW_1359

Friday at last!

Work.

I'm not a massive fan on Limp Bizket but their lyrics from "Break Stuff" are rather appropriate today:

It's just one of those days,
When you don't wanna wake up,
Everything is fucked,
Everybody sux,
You don't really know why,
But want justify,
Rippin' someone's head off.
No human contact,
And if you interact,
Your life is on contract....

Big resounding un-enthused "meh" to today.

Work.
I may be running a city store for 2 weeks. Hrm. It seems, according to the area manager and the store manager from that store, that I have a big "challenge". If there's not enough staff there, they can go jump off something. If the store is shit or there's stuff I have to fix, they can go jump off something. I am relief managing, why should I have to fix the store that I am in? Grrrrrr. Deep sense of forboding. I really don't need to get screwed with, there is a lot of stuff that I need to fix in my own store.

10:36 PM:
Hrm, heated 'discussion' with my area manager re: Pay. Foreboding was right. It seems there are also a few other managers that have joined the bandwagon too. Others also being roughted sideways. Big can of worms. They tell us to communicate with our surrounding stores! Well. I did. I have MUD on my mind.

>look
You are in an office at the back of a retail outlet.
There is a desk up against one wall. Above the desk is a window opening onto the shop floor. Just below the window there are two telephones mounted on the wall labelled ‘Line 1’ and ‘Line 2’. On the desk is a myriad of paperwork and different coloured stationary. There is a keyboard, a monitor, a mouse, a stapler, a tape dispenser, an orange A4 envelope addressed to you and a selection of stock items that shouldn't be there. In front of the desk is an office gas lift swivel chair. You see various scattered notes on the wall behind the desk reminding you and others to complete various tasks. Under the desk is a safe, the computer's CPU a filing cabinet and a vacuum cleaner. On the floor there is a can and some screwed up paper.

> get envelope from desk
You pick up an orange A4 envelope [closed].

> use envelope
Nothing happens. Perhaps if you opened the envelope.

> open envelope
You open the envelope [open]

> look envelope
The envelope [open] contains a letter of offer.

> get letter from envelope
You slide the letter out from the envelope. It is a letter of offer addressed to you.

> use letter
Nothing happens. Perhaps if you read the letter.

> read letter
Letter of offer. You. Position. Salary: $[not enough]
You are pissed off.

> get can opener from desk
You pick up a can opener.

> look can opener
This is a shiny new Stabco can opener. It is an old style manual can opener. The brand Stabco is embossed along the small green plastic handle.

> get all from floor
You pick up a ball of paper.
You pick up a can.

> dest ball of paper
You destroy a ball of paper using your Zapper[1].

> look can
Writhetech Can 'o Worms. Once this shit starts, it’s not going to be contained easily, guaranteed. On the back of the can there is a small blurb: Writhetech pride themselves on creating situations that can’t be easily resolved. Our research and development team are always adding new features to our series of Can ‘o’ Worms. Using parallel processing and a number of random number generators this product continually adds elements to the situation as time progresses guaranteeing you long lasting chaos and a shit storm you can be proud of! Shake before use.

> use can
Nothing happens. Perhaps if you opened the can or shook the can something might happen.

> open can
You can not open the can without some sort of tool.

> shake can
The can starts to violently shake in your hand and works it’s way out of your grip. The can drops to the floor still shaking violently. After about 10 seconds pass, the shaking settles down to a dull rumble.

> get can
You pick up a can [rumbling].

> use can opener with can
At arms length you begin to open your Writhetech Can ‘o’ Worms. I guess you want to start some major shit! The can hisses as you break the seal. You start working your way around the edge of the can using a levering action. You progress to three quarters the way around and the lid leaps off explosively. Using all your strength you maintain your grip on the can as it unleashes nothing less than an earthquaketyphoonocane! Stock is falling off shelves, paper is blowing around your office wildly. Phones, faxes printers are all operating at random. Your computer monitor explodes. Silence. You peer over the steaming mouth of the can read on the bottom inside face: Consider your shit started.

Work. For a bit then a manager's metting at H/O. Maybe I will shout at my Area Manager, I don't know yet. This whole pay situation is RIDICULOUS. The other fun (not) part of the day will be the after hours ELECTRONICS TRAINING like I need goddam electronics training, especially IN MY OWN FRAKKING TIME! FFS! A wholly un-fun week, feeling rather unstable at the moment, job/pay wise and very under-valued. The whole cap on my salary when I had my own little store was understandable. NOW, however, I am in a store that is currently running second in the COMPANY (Australia AND New Zealand). Where's my frakking payrise you tightarsed bastards.

1:23 AM:
Home! Sleep time! I got myself a pair of OLD pint mugs. I had to drink 10 pints of OLD to get them!well in reality, I only had 5 pints and employed a dubious method of duplicating the stamps on my card but that's a secret !

What a terrific night! Plenty of OLD and Sourcream, Chilli Sauce and Wedges and also Nachos.

7:17 AM:
Kel off to work. Back to sleep for me in a minute!

11:47 AM:
That chicken from the fridge was bloody YUMMY! Off for more Sleep.

5:02 PM:
Woken up because Kel got home from work

7:34 PM:

Tomorrow will be my 100th Blog! (If I do one...) Time for some dinner! 

Work.

Yay for the new timetable! It still doesn't fix the other passengers that I have to sit/stand next to. I had to endure sitting in between two fat, smelly Indians. How much more unpleasant can you get? Why do they smell like that? Obviously, not all of them do but WHY?!? Do they do it on purpose? Racist?! Nay! I am simply describing my observation/experience and drawing attention to the fact that they stank and that I was squished. Don't dare place comments re: racism... Sure there are plenty of other stinky people, not just Indians. They piss me off just as much.

1:06 PM:

The new Foamy should be out today but it's not up yet.

2:47 PM:

New Foamy up. http://www.illwillpress.com/

Work.

Not such an interesting day. I started work on a store map for the new store I am working in. Should be usefull later when we do stocktake or if we need to re-merchendise anything. 

Work.

Had a stack today... Dropped 3 large coffees. PISSED OFF. Bruised Knee, sore calf... $10 down the drain, or on the path as it were. So not impressed. I got up, kicked the cup and kept walking.

New addition to the family (of cameras). The status of my DX4330 was confirmed by the repairer as: Totally and Thoroughly Borked... Plus he can't get parts for it anyway. Here is it's replacement. Finally I have a Carry-Around camera again!!!

Canon Powershot A75

 

Sunday. Yay.

Re-Organised the lounge room today.

Noodles!

 

Let's start off this section with my favorite instrumental "build up" either from a song or a movie be it for suspense or for another effect.

1. Code Red composed by Elliot Goldenthal from Final Fantasy - The Spirit Within. Damn this song builds up from a whisper to a thunderous overture. It is from the scene where Dr. Aki is operating on Cpt. Edwards to remove a phantom contamination.

2. Timecrash - The Fifth Element Soundtrack. Only my favorite movie! 

3. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene Part II. Builds from a simple synth lead into an intricate and technical piece with consistant beat all the way through.

4. Bolero - This piece runs through a number of soft instruments and builds each cycle adding more instruments.

5. The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah - Therion. The first 1min 10sec. Similar to Bolero in method starting with a single instrument and adding layers.

Saturday.

I don't know why, but I have a fascination with this song by Enya. It is called "Tempus Vernum" - That's Spring Time in English... The song it totally in Latin. It is a song about the contrast of elements. There are some direct translation problems but you get the idea as a lot of English is Rooted in Latin. Why is it that I can remember and recite the lyrics to this song but the things i do need to remember fall out somewhere?!?!?

Ergo,
oceanus, maritimus,
ergo
opacare, matutinus,
ergo
septentrio, meridies,
ergo
occidens et orientis,
ergo
oceanus, maritimus,
opacare, matutinus,
septentrio, meridies,
occidens et orientis,
ergo
terra, stella,
hiems et aestas,
ergo
autumnus et
tempus vernum,
ergo
radius solis
et umbra,
ignis, aqua
caelum, luna,
terra, stella,
hierns et aestas,
autumnus et
tempus vernum...

tempus vernum...

Work.

New goodies have arrived. A BG-ED3 - A battery Grip and an EP-EX15 - An eyepiece extender so my nose isn't so squished. 

Work.

The last day in my store 

RIP Tandy North Sydney October 2002 -> October 2005.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa