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I've exercised regularly for years but never made much consistent headway with weight loss... Last summer I started working for an agency that helps farmers be better environmental stewards. The work includes working at a lot of concentrated animal feed operations or CAFO's. The conditions the animals lived in combined with the environmental impact of their production, and the impact of eating the products of that process on my health was enough to finally drive me to go vegan. I was considering just going vegetarian until I worked at a couple mega-dairies and that broke me of my commitment to cheese... It was a bit of an adjustment at first but I got used to it. It forced me to cook more, eat out less, and eat less processed food. I've continued to work out about 5 days a week, mostly running, and I've managed to drop weight and keep it off like never before.

As far as meat goes, I don't have much of a problem with wild game as long as it's sustainably hunted. I used to farm and raise my own animals on a small scale, kill, and butcher them.  I do think that small scale production can be a better life for the animals and a lesser impact on the environment as well as better quality/healthier meat. I have decided for simplicity's sake to just not eat animal products (except small production honey). I am seeing and feeling the health benefits of going vegan so I'll just stick with it. It's also nice to know that my actions and ethics are finally aligned on the issue after many years of wrestling with whether or not to eat meat. Good luck and health to you and I hope your efforts are successful!

Seen one of these on trogly's guitar show. (youtube it!) he focuses a lot on the wacky norlin years

I did see that. Good review and it helped sell me on doing the trade.

Wow, what a find. It's almost too cool to let go, but I can't blame you. Neat to see my hometown on there. No trip to Asheville this year, but maybe next year.

Yeah, I noticed they misspelled Asheville. Weird... If I recall, you're on the coast. I may be heading that way before too long. I'm in Haywood County now but I finish school this summer and my work says they are likely moving me "down east." Don't know where yet. Wilmington would be cool. How's the hurricane recovery going?

Left NC in 2015. In the other corner now up in Washington state. Wilmington's pretty nice. I'd recommend it. Really miss the food - like - a lot.

Well, I hate  we lost you but I hope you're enjoying Washington. I hear it's beautiful. I'm a tree nerd and would love to check out the giant conifers there.... Let me know if you need BBQ over-nighted!

Seen one of these on trogly's guitar show. (youtube it!) he focuses a lot on the wacky norlin years

I did see that. Good review and it helped sell me on doing the trade.

Wow, what a find. It's almost too cool to let go, but I can't blame you. Neat to see my hometown on there. No trip to Asheville this year, but maybe next year.

Yeah, I noticed they misspelled Asheville. Weird... If I recall, you're on the coast. I may be heading that way before too long. I'm in Haywood County now but I finish school this summer and my work says they are likely moving me "down east." Don't know where yet. Wilmington would be cool. How's the hurricane recovery going?

Well if you ever wondered how many pieces of wood were in a LP body, It's 5. The answer is 5.

*That* Les Paul has 5 pieces. But others will have less. Depends on the model, year, etc.

I'm not hung up on that kind of thing, for what it's worth. And even if I were, the awesomeness of the whole look of the top far outweighs any snobbish dislike of a multi-piece back.

Fair point about the number of pieces of wood. There are definitely 5 in this one    Overall, the looks have grown on me and it's surprisingly not beat to hell. They usually are since they were a player model. The finish reminds of 70's western themed furniture.

Awesome walnut "The Paul" model. I have one from before they were made by firebrand. Those things have sustain for dayz. There's also a "The SG" that are hard to come by.

 


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That's a beaut! I love the grain in it!

That's pretty awesome. Wasn't even aware of this model, honestly. Top looks nice, but the back looks like a cutting board.  I mean, I'd still rock it. 

Well if you ever wondered how many pieces of wood were in a LP body, It's 5. The answer is 5.

I just took this on a trade. It's the cleanest guitar of this age I've had. Very few nics or scuffs outside of Gibson's early go at relicing. It's a 1980 LP 'Firebrand' which is a "The Paul" in mahogany and with the logo branded instead of printed. Same T-top pickups as the Custom but about half the weight. I'm still stoked about it even though I don't really need an LP right now. She's going to the auction block.

Regarding the article. It is interesting but not surprising. Companies generate fake/paid press every day. Of course, all that gets you nowhere if people just don't like your music and don't go to your shows regardless of the hype. Where is the line between hype and reality? I hear music all the time that I think people only like because of its hype. Maybe that's true or maybe I just don't understand a lot of people's tastes? The fine art and wine worlds have been shown to often be hype-based markets and I don't think music is immune. Just narrowed down to the niche of metal bands I can think of some that were/are successful that I didn't understand what made people choose that band over others.

I played in bands and was around the industry enough to realize how much of it was based on hype and personal relationships. Some musicians aren't great musicians but they are good with people. Some musicians are creative but introverted. As in most industries, people skills often trump actual output.

I'm not supporting or making excuses for the guy. It's just that, given today's technology, it's not surprising that this was done. I'm sure it happens a lot more than we know.

Amazing album. The guys vocs are grating at times but the music is incredible and not predictably genre dependent. (Well, at least for a sci-fi prog. thrash band.)

That looks like an Osh board. How do you solder that? Flux and oven? Tiny minions?

What is that 100+ or whatever pin IC in the middle of the Sonic Crayon board? It says diy delay. Is it?

One of my suppliers has the PB503...goes for $1700 :|

Sheesh! They sell brand new in the states for $350-$450.

Score!!! Seems like that would work great for analog breadboarding too!

Yeah, I don't see why not. The breadboard set up is a little weird but that easy enough to work around. This is fueling my gas for an oscilloscope.

Wow! huge score! Now I have to go try and find one

I saw a used one for parts online but none in good shape. I'm sure they pop up though.

What a cool contraption....!!!
Next thing is you will swamp us with wonderful circuit ideas and genius bursts.... can't wait!

I hope

Global makes two smaller ones too, with power supply and a function generator, the pb503, and 505

This is the PB 503. An older version of it though.

If my wife called me up from a thrift store, it's because she needs more money.
Where can I find these women?

Steve.

I'm pretty lucky with her. She brings me anything old and electronic she finds at the thrift stores. I'm close to done on an old 40's radio project she picked up awhile back.

Cool I love it. No doubt I would sit there and make bleep-boop noises while I pushed buttons and turned knobs. I wouldn't even need to plug it in 

It does look a bit 'mission control' at first glance

   My wife texted a photo of this thing to me from a thrift store asking if I wanted it. The answer was of course yes, and then what the hell is it? I hadn't seen one before. It's a proto station. Plugs into a wall outlet and then delivers a variable + and - 15V DC, 'I measured about 22V max. dc', as well as a dedicated 5V DC. There's a function generator. The settings are for three wave shapes, .1 Hz to 100K Hz in six ranges. There is an 8 ohm speaker, a few switches, logic switches, pots and some other bits.
    Not at all something I even knew existed much less find at a thrift store. I tested everything I knew how to test and it works great. I don't know much about digital at this point but this is an extra motivator to learn more. Now I just need time to use it

Just in regards to the Chinese slave labour issue - I obviously can't vouch for every business using the Chinese factories, I can pass on a few stories from my uncles, one who worked for one of Australia's 2 big supermarket chains (he's worked for both at one time or another), and the other works for a major shoe label importing around 2mill shoes per yeah.

Basically, the workers live on site, or close enough, and are paid an above average wage for China. Many send the wages home to family as the food and accomodation is covered by the company. We might think its peanuts, but to them it's a substantial amount... To the point where a worker could buy a house in a year. In 5 years they could have 5 houses and retire, but in the words of one uncle, they're pissing the money up against a wall.

Having said that, you are expected to work. A shoe order was due to be shipped the next day but it couldn't be completed due to a breakdown - my uncle was there and all the labour had gone to bed while it was getting fixed. This was around 10pm. He came in the next day and there was still no one around. He asked why the order that was due to leave at 10am wasn't getting completed and he was told that it had already been shipped - the machine had been repaired at 1am, and all the workers were called I. To get the order out.

So while I can't comment on work conditions or oh&s, the pay is apparently pretty good. Either way, you wouldn't get that work ethic here!

There's been plenty of abuse of the Chinese work force documented. I seriously doubt any claims that the workers are getting rich and waisting the money. Are the jobs better than the alternative? That's the question with most work.
  China's government keeps it's labor cost low by design and by force. We didn't lose western jobs due to any lack of work ethic. We lost them because we had been fighting for a better working environment since the start of the industrial revolution. My hope is that people are people and no one will put up with low pay and poor treatment forever. The sooner they stand up for themselves the sooner the playing field gets leveled.