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Sometimes. . .

By nightflameblue (Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 12:31:34 PM EST) (all tags)

Meh.

Typical. More typical. Solutions.

We were told to lock down the sports sites outside of lunchtime during the NFL season because these two jokers in the offices spent somewhere around five hours a day playing fantasy football stats games.

March Madness? The same guy that requested the lockdown is now requesting we give the same two yucksters that caused the problem in the first place full access to any and all sports sites because they need to keep fully up-to-date at all times on scores.

I pointed out, politely, that they were the reason the lock-down was in place. I was told we'll lock it back down right after this is over.

We won't. But hey, I got no problem with it. It's an ever-moving target, this web-filtering business.

BREAK

<<Foyer.htm>>

NFB,

Please give me access to this website.

Thanks,

Head of HR
Foyer.htm
Foyer.htm

LOLWOT!?

BREAK

Solutions, I'm all about them. I've ordered myself a set of de-harshifying stings for my fiddle, a nice under-bridge pickup and a crappy little pre-amp. Why? Well, that gives me the ability to make use of what I have, and when the day comes I finally do get a new instrument, I can convert my current one into a chin-cello. It's so nasally that it ought to balance out well with the low-tone octave strings used for chin-cello. And hey, it gives me the chance to make you people weep at how horrible I play right freakin' now.

It's all about sharing the pain.

Sure, my current fiddle will still sound nasally and harsh, but I can EQ out some of that. And the claim is the pickup I grabbed has a very mellow tone. And the strings are synthetic core, supposed to sound less abrasive than steel. I'm pretty sure it's currently strung up with the cheapest steel strings I could find in 1987, so it'll at least be a change in the right direction. Enough of a change to make a difference? We'll see I guess.

That's really all I've got today. Zippy hasn't stopped playing hearts long enough to hose anything up this morning, so bonus.

Laterz.

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Sometimes. . . | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Instrumentation by MartiniPhilosopher (2.00 / 0) #1 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:25:06 PM EST

I've been thinking of getting back into playing bass again now that the job gives me a bit more cash than I had before. I'd like to get one of the acoustic/mic'd guitar types but the wife hinted that she'd like to see me get a contrabass like when I was playing with the high school and college orchestra days. The thing is, unless I get one of those cheap fiberglass models I'd be looking at an easy two or three grand for a good (not great) wood version. Not counting the bow and rosin for it. Could split the difference and get an electric upright, cost is going to be about the same for a good model.

Whenever I hear one of those aforementioned douche bags pontificate about how dangerous [...] videogames are I get a little stabby. --Wil Wheaton.

The upright basses. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #2 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:33:54 PM EST

Thems things esssspensive.

I'm always amused how much difference there is in price between a violin and viola that's, aside from size, exactly the same instrument. Then you start looking at cello and bass and the prices just shoot up through the roof.

[ Parent ]

Heh. Tell me about it by MartiniPhilosopher (2.00 / 0) #3 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:49:00 PM EST

My parents got off cheap in that they were able to rent my practice instrument for a couple of hundred a year from the school. My sister's viola on the other hand was not nearly as economic. Phew. I was very glad I was mostly out of the house during those arguments. They sold the thing as soon as it was apparent that the college she chose would have nothing to do with "amatures" who wanted to play for fun or for the simple joy of it. Funnily enough she bought herself a cello while in S. Korea.

I'm leaning towards an electric upright in my head lately. One of the dual-use ones that can be bowed and pizz'd. I'm going to have to start saving up to do it, too. Even with the new job, I'm really wanting to get those cards down to a far more reasonable level before I go and spend 2 to 4k on a instrument.

Whenever I hear one of those aforementioned douche bags pontificate about how dangerous [...] videogames are I get a little stabby. --Wil Wheaton.
[ Parent ]

That's me right now too. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:49:43 PM EST

While I could afford a thousand for a decent full electric violin right now, I'd be much better off getting the rest of the cards paid down first. That's why I went the cheap route at the moment. Granted, I didn't go that cheap, but it's certainly a lot less than I would have spent on a new instrument.

There's always later when it comes to spending the big bucks. And later means I don't have to add debt.

[ Parent ]

CC debt by houser2112 (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 08:42:51 AM EST

You own a home, correct? If you must go into debt to pay for something, why not put it on a home equity loan? They're much cheaper than credit cards; I use my card as a convenience only, and pay the full balance every month.

[ Parent ]

Nothing that major left. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #13 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:14:59 AM EST

We're down to scraps on the cards now. It's just a matter of holding discipline and getting them wiped out at this point. Certainly nothing that would justify doing a home equity line.

[ Parent ]

doesn't hurt to have one anyway by houser2112 (2.00 / 0) #15 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 11:48:05 AM EST

You could even put a car on it. Provided you have the discipline to pay off the HELOC in the same time as the car loan's term, it's much cheaper than the usurious rates you'd get from the likes of GMAC.

[ Parent ]

Yeah, those GMAC bastards by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #16 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 11:51:22 AM EST

and their horrible zero percent rates!

Oh wait, were you talking about a different GMAC? Or the retards that get zero percent loans and then don't pay them off in time?

Adding another possible credit line doesn't make sense to me right at the moment. I know the general idea is to get as much credit as you possibly can just in case, but I'm a little more careful with how often we go back to the well these days than that. Removing levels of credit is the name of the game, not adding to it.

[ Parent ]

0%! Those bastards! by houser2112 (2.00 / 0) #18 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:05:52 PM EST

I bought a 2008 Cobalt on Dec 31, and the rate GMAC gave me was around 9.25% (and I have good credit, in the 700s). I initially financed with GMAC to get a $1k discount, then refinanced with my credit union as soon as the title came in for 7.09%. Perhaps that 0% loan was for a particular model...

I like the idea of having a credit source that's cheap and easy to tap into, like a new roof that I had to have put on a few years ago, or your wife's pre-marital financial clusterfucks. :(

[ Parent ]

Credit's ridiculously easy to get. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #19 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:26:02 PM EST

So if we ever need it we basically just have to snap our fingers.

As for the zero percent thing? Why the hell would you buy a 2008 vehicle at the end of 2007? And I ask that with all politeness. Buy any 2007 model from November on and GMAC gave zero percent. Part of the dealer incentive to push the remaining 2007s off the lot. Around here anyway, 2007s were EVERYWHERE up until about the middle of January. Our dealers have huge stock around here though, and didn't gauge how the year would end very well. So there were a LOT of 2007s around at the end of the year.

[ Parent ]

Lease expiring by houser2112 (2.00 / 0) #20 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:32:31 PM EST

Lease was expiring on wife's car in Feb, and they were offering an early turn-in bonus on a new vehicle purchase.

[ Parent ]

: And no available 2007s? by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #21 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:40:12 PM EST

Or was that only "new model year" applicable?

[ Parent ]

Clarification: by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #17 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 11:54:29 AM EST

I do not currently have a vehicle loan. But I know someone who just got one at zero percent end of last year from GMAC.

[ Parent ]

Hmm. by Herring (2.00 / 0) #4 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:57:56 PM EST

The synthetic cored strings should be more mellow. However, have you considered moving the soundpost? I realise it's a thankless job*, but you can make a hell of a difference.

But you probably already knew that.

*The soundpost on my cello is a bit loose and if I'm not careful, every time I slacken off the strings, the damned thing falls over.

You can't outlaw rabbits! They'll just go underground - Milton Jones

Actually. . . by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #5 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:13:05 PM EST

I got out of violins before I got much further than the ability to restring an instrument on my own. So, I'm about as clueless on violin setup as anybody can be that's capable of stripping a guitar down to the fingerboard and building it back up. Which is to say, I can line the bridge up over the soundpost, but anything internal I leave to the pros.

Luckily, this town does have a few people that can work on violins. Though I have yet to meet anyone capable of working on a guitar and not just screwing with things until they sort of work.

[ Parent ]

Maybe by Herring (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:56:04 PM EST

you don't want the bridge exactly over the soundpost. And it's easier to move the bridge.

If that doesn't work, then it's the resonance of the instrument. Get a nice new Japanese/Korean one.

You can't outlaw rabbits! They'll just go underground - Milton Jones
[ Parent ]

: Yeah. by nightflameblue (2.00 / 0) #10 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:04:26 PM EST

Soundpost should be behind the actual bridge position, but I couldn't come up with a more precise single word meaning than "over" for where the bridge sits in relation to the soundpost.
And I think I'm gonna hold off on a new violin until I can afford a keeper instrument. Somewhere in the thousand dollar range. Then I can pick and choose between electric or acoustic and still end up with a really good instrument either way. There's even a place selling European built violins online for around the thousand dollar mark. Case and GOOD bow included for about 1200.
Speaking of which, I think my next thing is gonna be a bow. I've got a ratty old wood bow that needs a rehair, and a plastic (not fiberglass, PLASTIC) bow that's usable. That *may* have something to do with my tone as well.

[ Parent ]

When the Head of HR says give me access... by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #6 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:30:19 PM EST

unless you're a Veep of something, you just give them access crisply and smartly, soldier.

This coomenat has be n soidnsord by hurricanbe ice malt liqur

Yeah but, by nightflameblue (4.00 / 2) #8 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:50:48 PM EST

do you see a website there?

Also, this particular person has wide-open access through the filter and the firewall. It ended up being a site that was down for a few minutes. But that first panic message had me very confused for a bit.

[ Parent ]

dear head of hr by alprazolam (4.00 / 2) #11 Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:47:08 PM EST

sorry, zippy had inadvertently denied access. all is running smoothly now, thanks for you understanding.

regards,
nfb

[ Parent ]

: That's cruel and heartless. by nightflameblue (4.00 / 1) #14 Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:15:37 AM EST

I like it.

[ Parent ]

Sometimes. . . | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback