Craig Sawyers

Thanks guys. There is actually a story here. Four or five years ago I had a bout of flu, and to see how I was recovering I went for an early walk one day. I fell to thinking about my old dad, who had always expressed an interest in learning to paint. We bought him a starter kit, and in the end he went to his grave without ever having opened the box. Actually, he was probably scared of trying and failing, and didn't book to go on a course to learn. Anyway, one of the things I had always wanted to do was learn cabinetmaking - and that walk in the spring sunshine gave me the moment of clarity - I was not going to go to my maker without learning. So I booked a course - in the end 6 weeks taken in 1 week chunks, with a cabinetmaker in Ross on Wye (UK). I left there was a set of oak drawers, currently in our bedroom, hand cut dovetails etc etc - the kids are in competition who gets in when I pop my clogs. The speakers are the latest think I've built. Apart from the rear support frame and the tweeter sub-baffles, which are solid cocobolo, the rest is baltic birch marine ply. The dipole bass unit is painted with black milk paint, and the top panel and bridge are veneered. That gave me the opportunity to learn a new skill. It is done traditionally using hot hide glue. I then French polished them with lemon shellac - again a new skill. Most importantly - my significant other likes them. Mind you I've inflicted some pretty outrageous speakers on her over the decades, but it is something of a relief after so much work that they get the thumbs up!

What I just built. Linkwitz LX521's. Electronic crossover built, just finishing the second four-channel power amp to drive 'em

I populated my build with fake 3675's. Generated frightening cracking sounds and sparks. Took out a bunch of FETS as collateral damage. With good parts it hasn't missed a beat. I also got some fake FET's too that did not make the build. All from Dalbani in the UK - be warned.

Wrong on so many levels

Good god - I'm astonished that was survivable. I watched the crash and what was left, and felt kind of sick - until I saw that the guy lived, and pulled the passenger from the wreck! Bet that sets a record for kilo (dollars, pounds Euros whatever) per miliisecond, and a record for what his insurance is gonna be.

I'm kinda lucky being in the UK - you just turn on the television and pow - there it is Couple of years ago I was stuck in a traffic queue in front of James May in his RR. Both he and Clarkson live within 30 miles of me, which actually isn't really saying much because the UK is really very very tiny.

Woah - few days late - but have a great one Grahame!

Or even......

<grin>

Heh. Long time since I've been on the list (too much damned work), but watch Dalbani. This was the outfit that sold me the fake 2N3675's that are used in quantity in the T2. They also sold me some 2SJ79 in plastic packages (there IS NO plastic packaged 2SJ79's!) that there was absolutely no evidence of anything other than a short circuit between pins. Check back in the thread for the chaos that this caused me, and the massive collateral damage. Had to replace just about every bit of silicon in the amp. Still working flawlessly by the way, and acting as a nice bedroom heater. Craig

Shelly - have a truly great one!

Wierdly, the musically brilliant, piano classically trained (Royal College of Music, piano and clarinet) Wakeman of Strawbs and Yes fame, and many concept albums now makes a buck on a BBC consumer programme called Watchdog

The very best, good sir!

It depends on whether you have a wooden head or a synthetic head.

^ Damn. Now I know why one of my CD players is flakey. Wilma, get to Bedrock and find the Audio Demon.

Solidly ENTP. Been tested several times over the years - still the same. It has me bang to rights.

I've never really been particularly into motorsport - but after catching the last three hours of the Le Mans last year, I am absolutely going to stay up all night and watch the whole damned thing. Men and machines pushed to their endurance limit - the equivalent of ultra-marathon running, but involving four wheels and an engine.

For some horrendous statistics, have a look at this http://www.btselem.org/ , the website of an *Israeli* human rights organisation. One quote: "Ninety percent of [Gaza] factories and industrial workshops have closed, and the rest have had to scale back operations. After Operation Cast Lead, the International Red Cross reported that 3,750 businesses had closed and that approximately 40,000 persons (some 94 percent of workers in these businesses) had lost their jobs."

David Cameron, on the introduction of Tax on Pasties (a pasty is a hot pastry filled with mince and vegetables, traditional in Cornwall) "I'm a pasty eater myself," he said at an event about the Olympics. "I go to Cornwall on holiday. I love a hot pasty. I think the last one I bought was from the West Cornwall Pasty Company. I seem to remember I was in Leeds station at the time. The choice was to have one of their small ones or their large ones. I've got a feeling I opted or the large one and very good it was too." Then it turned out that the West Cornwall Pasty Company in Leeds station closed down in 2007. The moral of the story is: Never trust a fucking politician.

Way to go, Doug! Happy birthday!

Sporting a glitzy new Samsung G2 Android for control, I just have to get on this bandwagon. Then I can retire the Audio Research LS3.

Bit late - but hope you had a great day!