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Rabaelthazar

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Posts posted by Rabaelthazar

  3. Posted

    The music industry is struggling, in virtually all areas.

    Professional studios are closing down as the output quality of cheap home studios increases, quality musical instrument sales are down due to cheap Chinese manufactured equipment becoming more prevalent, CD sales are down as internet sharing becomes easier and more accepted. Australian retail sales are down as internet shopping becomes easier and safer.

    Musicians study for longer than medical students to become proficient in their craft and 99% are unable to survive on music alone and live music venues find it harder and harder to find it financially viable to keep their doors open.

    From a consumers point of view, cheaper technology and free music is great, but the reality is that it is taking money from the industry and the industry is suffering from it. Smaller record labels are finding it harder to make a profit and justify investing in smaller, less commercial bands and as a direct result the number of "artists" (read commercial products) that grace the mainstream airwaves has reduced significantly. Even twenty years ago, when taping songs off the radio or copying a tape in real time were the main forms of piracy, we'd have a top fifty that consisted of probably 45 different artists, now we've got Lady gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and a handful of others generally with a number of songs in the charts at any one time.

    It's a cycle. Commercial music gets shitter, so we don't want to pay for it and as we don't pay for it, commercial music gets shitter still.

    The current model of the music industry is slowly dying... that doesn't kill music, but it does make it harder for people to make a living from it, which makes it less enticing for truly artistic people to pursue a career in it, which means we lose a lot of our artists to non-artistic professions. The industry needs to change and we as consumers need to be responsible for supporting the change.

    I believe that free music is the way we're headed.... I think downloads are going to eventually be replaced by on-call, high quality streaming, ie: the ipods of the future won't necessarily store music but you will be able to search for any song and instantly have it playing on your portable device. The majority of people seem to not care so much about actually owning music anymore... they just want to access it. If this is where we're heading, there needs to be something put in place for the artists and labels to see some reward for their labour.

    Support free music, but please also support the industry. Only a very very small proportion of the industry are the champagne sipping money getters.

  4. Posted

    I'd be concerned that plywood wouldn't hold up to being stomped on regularly. Doesn't have to be super expensive (just realised how much Koa wood could set me back) just solid and somewhat good looking.

    Merbau would be fine in the looks department... and I'm assuming it would be good and solid.

    Cheers,

    Ra

  7. Posted

    I've got no beef with Teotz... I always find his posts either interesting, entertaining or ridiculous... any of which are ok in my book.

    I think he's a she, or else that she's a he.

  9. Posted

    Can these posts just be edited away? There's enough pressure on collectors as it is, without throwing petrol on the fire.

    [Edit:

    the damage has probably already been done, as the n@rks will be trawling here every day.]

     

    Some of the mods are definitely on to it. A post appeared yesterday from a member with 2 posts basically asking for someone to sell him magic mushrooms The thread was gone within ten minutes. There're a lot of threads popping up, so I guess it's a big job.

    Good work to whichever mod caught the mushroom one.

  10. Posted

    betadine throat gargle,

    just has iodine in it,

    one or two zaps of that and it'll be gone in a few days

     

    Betadine throat gargle works a treat (I use it myself), but from memory there are potential health risks associated with it. I can't find the link now, but I checked up on its safety during pregnancy a while back and there were some reports of it having potential to cause birth defects. Not sure how reliable the reports were, but I thought it worth mentioning.

  11. Posted · Edited by Rabaelthazar

    I'm not going to get involved in the argument, just tell a quick story.

    When I was in early high school (all boys school), I had a wonderful teacher. An amazing musician who inspired me to pursue my musical dreams.

    He was involved with lots of extra curricular activities and clearly loved spending time with the young boys. had he wanted to molest me (or any of the other kids) he could have easily done so... I went camping with him on numerous occasions, watched tv with him in a hotel room. He never treated me with anything other than respect and kindness and certainly never touched me or tired to touch me in an inappropriate way.

    A few years after I left school, he turned up in the newspapers, convicted of having sex with underage boys in the seventies (when he would have been in his 30s). He was labelled a child molester, and yeah... that's what he did.

    Regardless of what he did beforehand, when I knew him he was a good role model, an excellent teacher and, in my opinion, an honest and good hearted man.

    I won't defend his actions in the seventies because I wasn't there and I'll never know the full story. Obviously somebody had been hurt enough to raise the issue after a couple of decades, but it was sad to see a man I had known be brought down due to desires he obviously had come to realise were not appropriate to be acted upon.

    Anyway, not sure of the point of saying this... just wanted to share.

  16. Posted · Edited by Rabaelthazar

    I got talking to god at a party once, and geez it was a bore. He was one of those guys who goes on and on about his job and just doesn't get that it's of no interest to anyone but themselves.

    "I just finished a project involving the balance of good and evil and you wouldn't believe the amount of programming and organisational skills involved".

    Jeez, give me a break. I tried to excuse myself to go get a drink about 15 times but each time he just seemed to ignore it and move on to the next part of his story.... and there was that eye contact thing, you know where they lock onto you and after a while you're so bored that your eyes start drifting to that cute chick sitting by the fireplace or to your watch and then you realise that they've been looking at your eyes while you're looking elsewhere and then you feel really guilty as if they might twig that you find them absolutely boring and, as boring as they are, they seem kind of nice so you don't want to offend.

    Anyway, I finally got relieved of the chore when god realised he hadn't checked his iphone for prayer updates. As soon as he logged on, I buggered off out of there. Never even got a chance to talk to that chick by the fireplace cos I got snagged up listening to god's monologue so long she must have left.

    Shithouse party. :(

    • Like 2

  18. Posted

    did someone call my name?

    hey Raba, reading your post again, I realised you must be speaking about Accion Mutante , what an adorable , weird and funny film!

     

    Mutant, you are an absolute legend!!! I have asked so many people about this film over the last fifteen years and you are the first to positively identify it. Thank you!!!!

    Just checked it on Youtube and it is definitely the flick. Now, to find myself a subtitled copy. :) :) :)

  19. Posted

    I'm pretty sure it's genuine. My take on it was that there are some heavily duty bound Christians desperately looking for permission in the scriptures for them to indulge in a bit of hedonism.

    Too bad they couldn't have included "homosexuality in the grace of god"

  20. Posted

    Yeah, you're spot with that diagram, Dworx, other than the fact the attaching screws would need to come from underneath rather than from on top. The main operating part of the pedal is flat metal with two holes that screw into the rounded original top covers. I'd remove the original covers and attach the flat, cut out section of the wooden pedals to the metal with the full cylinder section overhanging.

    Thanks for those links.... I've always been a bit sceptical about electronic/mechanical stuff from Aldi. Nice and cheap, but would it do what it says on the box?

    Anyway.... I think I'll have a crack myself. The replies to this thread have inspired me to at least give it a go. I'm not particularly confident that I'll be able to create exactly what I want but hey.... nothing ventured, eh?

    I'll post an update in a year or two when I'm finished. :wink:

    Seriously, much appreciation for everyone who made some input here.

  21. Posted

    I stumbled across this site today (don't ask how), and was close to pissing myself laughing as I read through it.

    Basically, some pretty serious Christians interpreting the scriptures in such a way as to condone less traditional sexual practices.

    Don't forget to pray while you masturbate!!!

    http://www.sexinchrist.com/fist.html

    (The readers Q&A is very entertaining reading)

    I'll never see a church congregation in the same light again.

  22. Posted

    Okay, brother says that for getting the materials, cutting and smoothing the ends, it would cost up to $150 (70 for labour, up to 50 for materials, 30 for postage)

    He says, if you don't want to finish them yourself, with some spray on varnish or something, then the cost could double, to compensate for time consumed (varnish 3 coats, 3 hour drying of each).

    He didn't seem too thrilled with the job tbh, reckons you can do it yourself with small effort, you only really need a power saw and/or a sander.

    He said he'd probably get broom handles for it anyway, because 1 inch diameter is not the kind of materials that he'd usually use...

    Do it yourself Rab (I think you should anyway) I reckon if you take your time and don't rush them they'd turn out quite nicely.

     

    Thanks for checking... I wouldn't imagine anyone would be thrilled with the job.

    I'll think more about doing it myself, just lack of time, tools and woodworking experience make it a bit of a daunting prospect. I reckon if I bought a power saw I'd end up losing a finger.

    Appreciate you asking your bro.

    Cheers

    I might leave this thread here... seems a bit of a lost cause.

    Thanks everyone for your input.

  23. Posted

    I could pitch this to my older brother if you like. He's a carpenter (and a damn good one at that I'm told) and will definitely have some suggestions for the type of wood, finish etc.

    I'll tell you hopefully tonight, maybe tomorrow if he's interested. It does look like a piss-easy job, the only real work in the finish really.

     

    Thanks mate, I'd really appreciate that.

    Cheers. :):):)

  24. Posted

    I had a feeling you had already made your mind up :lol: . But if worse comes worse, and you HAD to use the PVC, you could fill it up with 'space invader' to increase the strength. Some Rose wood would look nice. Is there a reason the pedals are not tongue shaped , to fit the foot?

     

    Thanks for the suggestion about the space invader... I'll keep it in mind if I end up having to do the woodwork myself (cos if I do it, it will probably end up being a veeery drawn out project).

    A rosewood would be ideal... would look great and would polish up nicely. That's why I'd need someone else to be the craftsman cos there's absolutely no way I'd be able to craft the shape needed from a solid block of wood.

    The reason for the pedals being rounded and not tongue shaped is that you want to be able to easily slide your foot from one note to the next. Tongue shaped could look cool and be comfortable, but I think it would hinder playing a little.

    Thanks :)

  25. Posted · Edited by Rabaelthazar

    Yeah, actually... it may have been italian. I've always had it in my mind it was German, but maybe just because the way the guy in the wheelchair thing looked (kinda like your stereotypical german mad scientist).

    ...and yeah, it was almost certainly a Saturday night cult movie.

    Here's hoping someone knows the answer.

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