Studying: Working on assignments

I've got a fair slab of work to do today - 3 heuristics about different aspects of learning theory and I also need to get stuck into a multimedia learning object that I've been tinkering around the edges of.

I've been reading a lot of interesting articles on different aspects of education - if you're interested (or chronically bored, insane or in need of a good laugh), check out my thoughts at http://elearningnews.edublogs.org

Watching: Nazi Robot Attack

Robots are cool (but also potentially a little scary).



Bec from work pointed me to this amazing CGI animation of robots in World War II made by Marco Spitoni from Cee Gee.
It looks like a cutscene from an incredibly cool computer game.

Check it out here - http://www.e-motionaldesign.com/blog/nazi-robot-attack/

Reading: John Peel's all-time favourite records

In the course of taking a stroll down memory lane, I've been reading about John Peel's record box.

If you don't know who John Peel is (or have heard of the Peel sessions), he was probably the best music loving radio DJ of all time. (Read up on him here)

The Pussycat was working for the BBC in Wales at the time of his death and she tells me that the whole institution mourned him.

In his collection of more than 25000 albums, he kept a special box of his current all-time favourites - the box to grab if the house caught on fire.

Obviously everyone's favourites change over time and no doubt this box reflects his favourites at the time of his death - had it been a week or a month earlier or later, the list could be quite different but it's pretty interesting to see who Peel rated.

There's a great article here about the 142 songs that lived in this box - here's a short quote.

The first thing that strikes you about the full list is how little of the grinding dark-core, impenetrable electronica and twisted ultra-noise that he loved to champion — “The unpleasant and disorientating racket”, as he once described it — actually found its way into his heart.

There’s a lot of old-school soul there, such as Eddie & Ernie, OV Wright, Johnnie Taylor and Ann Peebles, and plenty of reggae: Lee Perry, Andy Capp, Blood Fire Posse and Izzy Royal. Indeed, if a theme emerges, it’s that he truly loved music that was simple.

He seems to have had a bit of a thing about two-piece outfits, or raw, basic tracks with straightforward lyrics: Al Casey’s Surfin’ Hootenanny, five Charlie Feathers singles, Don French’s Lonely Saturday Night and an astonishing 12 tracks by the White Stripes.

Rather than hunt through this slightly hard to navigate website, here is the complete list.

1. Al Casey - Surfin' Hootenanny + Easy Pickin (PIE INTERNATIONAL) 1963

2. Al Ferrier - I'm Not Drinking More + Don't Play Blue Eyes' (MASTER TRAK) 1980

3. Alan Price Set - I Put a Spell on You (DECCA)

4. Andy Capp - Popatop + Reco - The Lion Speaks (TREASURE ISLAND) 1969

5. Anemic Boyfriends - Guys Are Not Proud + Bad Girls in Love (RED SWEATER RECORDS) 1980

6. Ann Peebles - I can't stand the rain + i've been there before (LONDON) 1972

7. Anti-Social - Traffic lights + teacher, teacher (DYNAMITE RECORDS) 1977

8. Arthur K Adams - Wildwood flower + It's a wild, wild, wild, wild wildwood flower (JETSTAR)

9. Big Stick - Drag racing + Hell on earth (RECESS RECORDS) 1985

10. Bill Oddie - Harry krishna + on ilkla moor baht'at (DANDELION) 1970

11. Boards of Canada - Aquarius + Chinook (SKAM)

12. Bobby Lee Trammell - If you ever get it once + Don't you know I love you (ALLEY RECORDS)

13. Cat Power - Headlights + Darling said sir (THE MAKING OF AMERICANS)

14. Charlie Feathers - Deep elm blues + Nobody's darling' (HOLIDAY INN RECORDS)

15. Charlie Feathers - Nobody's women + When you decide (KING) 2x copies

17. Charlie Feathers - Today and tomorrow + Wild wild party' (MEMPHIS RECORDINGS)

18. Charlie Feathers - Tongue-tied Jill + Get with it' (METEOR RECORDS)

19. Charlie Feathers - When you come around + Too much alike' (KING)

20. Cheeze - Dancin With The Dead - Dancin queen + Direwolf 1989 (BOB RECORDS) 1989

21. Clague - The stride + I wonder where (DANDELION) 1969

22. Clefs of Lavender Hill - Stop! - Get a ticket + First tell me why (DATE)

23. Cleveland Crochet - Sugar bee + Drunkards dream (GOLDBAND)

24. Don Covay - It's better to have + Leave him (MERCURY) 1973

25. Don French - Lonely saturday night + Goldilocks (QUALITY) (LANCER) 2x copies



27. Dreamland Express - Groovy + u.f.o (EMI)

28. Easy Teeth - Car noise + Her blade (DENTAL RECORDS) 1980

29. Eddie & Ernie - I believe she will + We try harder (CHESS) 1984

30. Eddie & Ernie - I'm gonna always love you + Outcast (EASTERN)

31. Eddie & Ernie - Time waits for no one + That's the way it is (EASTERN)

32. Electro Hippies - Mega-armageddon death (STRANGE FRUIT) Peel session

33. Elmore James - The sky is crying + Standing at the crossroads (FLASHBACK RECORDS)

34. Firemen - Old smokie + Louie's theme (LE CAM)

35. Freshmen - You never heard anything like it + Bombing run (RELEASE RECORDS) 1979

36. G L Crockett - It's a man down there + Every hour, every day (4 BROTHERS)

37. G L Crockett - Look out Mabel + Did you ever love somebody (CHECKER)

38. Geater Davis - For your precious love + Wrapped up in you (HOUSE OF ORANGE)

39. Gene Dozier & The United Front - Give the women what they want + The best girl I ever had (MERCURY) 1974

40. Golinski Brothers - Bloody + Toy (BADGE RECORDS) 1980 2x copies

42. Green Hornes - Stayed up last night (ITALY RECORDS)

43. Hooten 3 Car - Danny + Numena (RUMBLESTRIP RECORDS)

44. Idle Race - Here we go round the lemon tree + My father's son (LIBERTY) 45. Izzy Royal - Coronation St (WEA) 1983

46. Jane Bond and The Undercover Men - Hot rod Lincoln + Come on up (EAR MOVIES RECORDS) 1982

47. Jerry Byro - Memories of Maria + Invitation (MONUMENT) 1961 2x copies - different labels

48. Jody Reynolds - Endless sleep + Western movies (LIBERTY)

49. Johnnie Taylor - I've been born again + At night time (STAX) 1974

50. Johnny Adams - You're a lady + I wish it would rain (ATLANTIC) 1972

51. Johnny Fortune - Dragster + Soul surfer (SONET) 1964

52. Ken Colyers Jazzmen (TEMPO RECORDS) 1953

53. La Peste - Black + Better off dead (BLACK RECORDS) 1978

54. Larry Bright - Mojo workout + I'll change my ways (TIDE)

55. Laurie Anderson - O Superman + Walk the dog (ONE TEN RECORDS) 1981

56. Lee Perry - Bafflin' smoke signal + Black smoke signal (BLACK ARC) 1978

57. Lightnin Hopkins - Mojo hand + Glory be (FLASHBACK RECORDS)

58. Marc Bolan - Marc Bolan talking to Stevie Dixon, 1973. Jennifer Sharp, Steve Harley & John Peel talking to Stevie Dixon 1977. (CUBE/PYE RECORDS)

59. Mary Monday - I gave my punk jacket to Richie + Popgun (MALICIOUS PRODUCTIONS)

60. Max Romeo - Sipple out deh' Lee Perry + Revelation (UPSETTER)

61. MC5 - Looking at you + Borderline (A-SQUARE RECORDS) 2x copies

63. Medicine Head - Coast to coast + All for tomorrow (DANDELION) 1970

64. Medicine Head - His guiding hand + This love of old (DANDELION) 1969 2x copies

66. Mel and Tim - Starting all over again + It hurts to want it so bad (STAX) 1972

67. Meow - Kat nip + One night stand + Anthem + Kill kill kill + Catastrophe + Boy groupies (TWIST LIKE THIS RECORDS)

68. Mickey Lee Lane - Tuitti Fruitti + With your love (MALA)

69. Mike Spencer and the Cannibals - Good guys + Nothing takes the place of you (BIG COCK RECORDS)

70. Nice - The thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (IMMEDIATE)

71. Nilsson - Everybody's talkin' (RCA)

72. Nilsson - Kojak Columbo (RCA)

73. Nilsson - Without you (RCA)

74. O V Wright - That's how strong my love is + There goes my used to be (GOLDWAX)

75. Paul Blake & The Blood Fire Posse - Every posse get flat + Flat out (STUDIO WORK) 1984

76. Paul Revere & The Raiders - Him or me - what's it gonna be? + Legend of Paul Revere (CBS) 1967

77. Pavement - Demolition Plot J-7 (DRAG CITY) 1990

78. Pocket Fishrmen (sic) - Yr story + The leader is burning (NOISEVILLE) 1989

79. Quads - You've gotta jive + There must be thousands (BIG BEAR RECORDS) 1979

80. Ray Martin - Blue tango + Bell of the ball (COLUMBIA) 81. Revelino - Step on high (MUSIDISC)

82. Rod Bernard - This should go on forever

83. Roshell Anderson - The grapevine will lie sometimes + Such a beautiful thing (CONTEMPO) 1974

84. Roy Head - Treat her right + So long, my love (VOCALION) 1965

85. Sam & Dave - I can't stand up for falling down + Soothe me (STAX)

86. Sasha Caro - Grade 3 section 2 + Little maid's song (DECCA) 1967

87. Scrugg - Will the real Geraldine please stand up and be countered + Only George' (PIE) 1969

88. Sheena Easton - 9 to 5 + Moody (EMI) 1980 2x Copies

90. Sipho Bhengu - Tickey dopies + I saluti (INKONKONI) 1971

91. Soledad Brothers - Sugar & spice + Johnny's death letter, with Jack White (ITALY RECORDS)

92. Some Chicken - New religion + Blood on the wall (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies

94. Spit Out - O from I + Tan + Rot'n'roll' (MA FROG RECORDS) 1996

95. Stanley Winston - No more ghettos in America + It's alright (JEWEL)

96. Status Quo - Down down (VERTIGO) 1974

97. Super Sister - No tree will grow + She was naked (DANDELION) 1971

98. The Beatles - Come together + Octopus's garden + Something (foreign pressing, country unknown)

99. The Big Three - You've gotta keep her under hand + If you ever change your mind (DECCA) 1964

100. The Buzzcocks -­ Ever fallen in love (UNITED ARTISTS) 1978

101. The Factory - Path through the forest + Gone (MGM) 1968

102. The Galactic Symposium - Y.M.C.A + Money (VAGUE RECORDS) 1978

103. The Legion of Super-Heroes - The great name dropper part 1 + The great name dropper part 2 (AMY RECORDS)

104. The Mark Four - Hurt me if you will + I'm leaving (DECCA) 1965

105. The Mighty Avengers - So much in love + Something they say (DECCA) 1964

106. The Misunderstood - I can take you to the sun + Who do you love (FONTANA) 1966

107. The Move - I can hear the grass grow + Wave the flag and stop the train (DERAM) 1967

108. The Negatives - Love is not real + Stakeout (LOOK) 1979

109. The Nightcaps - Wine wine wine + Nightcap rock (MUSICOR)

110. The Ramrods - Zig zag + Riders in the sky (LONDON AMERICAN) 1960

111. The Smoke - My friend Jack + We can take it (COLUMBIA) 1966

112. The Squirrels - Oz on 45 + Alone again (POPLLAMA PROD) 1988

113. The Undertones ­- Teenage kicks (GOOD VIBRATIONS RECORDS) 1978 3x copies

116. The Upholsterers - Makers of high grade suites (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY)

117. The Upsetters - Bucky skank + Yucky skank (DOWN TOWN)

118. The Upsetters - Key card + Domino game (DL INTERNATIONAL)

119. The Users - Sick on you + I'm in love with today (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies



121. The Versalites - Cutting rasor + Black belt Jones (DL INTERNATIONAL) 122. The White Stripes - Lafayette blues + Sugar never tasted so good (ITALY Records)

123. The White Stripes - Party of special things to do + China pig + Ashtray heart (SUB POP)

124. The White Stripes ­- Merry Christmas from.... (XL)

125. The White Stripes - It takes two, baby + Fell in love with a girl (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD COMPANY)

126. The White Stripes -­ Dead leaves and the dirty ground (XL) 2001

127. The White Stripes - Hand springs (EXTRA BALL RECORDS)

128. The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba (XL) 2001

129. The White Stripes - Lord, send me an angel (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

131. The White Stripes - Hello operator + Jolene (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2000

132. The White Stripes - The big three killed my baby (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

134. The Henchmen featuring Jack White - Some other guy + Psycho daisies (ITALY RECORDS)

135. 2 Star Tabernacle - Ramblin man' (BLOODSHOT RECORDS) 1998 cover photo by Jack White

136. The Wildbunch - Danger - Jack White backing vocals (FLYING BOMB)

137. Surprise Package vol 2 featuring White Stripes, Rocket 455 and the Blowtops (FLYING BOMB)

138. Surprise Package vol 3 featuring The Real Pills, MHz, The Dirtbombs (FLYING BOMB)

139. Travis Wammack - Fire fly + Scratchy (ARA) 140. XL-Capris - My city of Sydney + Dead bugies (AXLE)

141. Yami Bolo - Richer than Cory (JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL)

142. Yardbirds - Happenings ten years time ago + Psycho diaries (COLUMBIA) 1966


I was going to bold the albums that I've heard but there are very few, looks like there is work to be done here.

When Peel appeared on the famous Desert Island Discs programme in 1990, these were his selections.

* Handel's Zadok the Priest as recorded at the coronation of George VI
* Roy Orbison – "It's Over"
* Jimmy Reed – "Too Much"
* Misty in Roots – "Mankind"
* The Undertones – "Teenage Kicks" (choice if only allowed one record)
* Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto
* The Fall – "Eat Y'self Fitter"
* Four Brothers – "Pasi pano pane zviedzo"
* Book: A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell
* Luxury: A football, and a wall to kick it against.

Watching: Nothing

That'd be the film called Nothing, obviously.

Reasons to check it out:

1. Directed by Vincenzo Natali, the legend behind Cube (and thankfully not Cube 2)
2. Original, creative, humourous and quirky (not in the bad way either)
3. Bouncing heads
4. Tofu
5. Based on a true story (we assure you)

In short, two guys suddenly end up (with their house) in a big wide empty nothing, just after it looks like their lives couldn't get much worse. Then they discover why they're there and a pretty amazing new power they have. A little weird but very wonderful.

I could go into more detail here but the concept of this film is really what makes it - so enjoy.
I found it at Civic Video in Braddon in the comedy section, so it's out there.

Quote: (from IMDB)

(A cop on a horse has just knocked on their door)

Mounted Police Officer:Dave Johnson?
Dave:Yes?
Mounted Police Officer:You're under arrest. For embezzlement
Dave:[closing door] Oh, hang on a sec, let me just get my horse.

Apparently the trailer makes the film look much more like a horror film (there are certainly unsettling moments but it's much more a weird comedy) but you can find a bunch of clips by searching on YouTube if you want to get some idea of what you are in for. Here's the opening part - but things get progressively stranger and funnier as the movie progresses.

Updating: the amazing coincidence

For those who came in late, a few weeks ago I posted a story here about a pretty spectacular coincidence that my new girlfriend/main-squeeze/pussycat Rachel discovered with our families.

PC and I met fairly randomly through a net dating site called RSVP but it turns out that we actually met each other nearly 30 years ago. PC's dad briefly shared a flat in London with my dad and her mum studied nursing with mine and they have kept in touch (more or less) ever since. They even came down to Melbourne on a holiday and stopped by for a visit, sometime around 1979 as far as we can work out.

Now there is even photographic evidence - sadly I'm not in it, I was probably around 8 and presumably far too cool to hang out with some "babies" or girls or something. My sister Penny is there though - and sooooo cute with those chubby chubby bigger-than-Arnold's-from-Diff'rent-Strokes chubby cheeks. You can also see our height of fashion 70's wallpaper.

(This pic is a scan from a black and white negative - click on it for a larger version)



(Here's a pic of the Diff'rent Strokes kids - Arnold in the middle - just for comparison)

Cooking: Pumpkin and sweet potato soup

I tend not to cook very much when it's just for me - the time and effort seems to outweigh the time spent enjoying the food. I'm happy to cook when it's to share but on the whole my cuisine is mainly steamed veg and tuna (when I'm being healthy) or packet food (when I'm not). (And a fair bit of dining out which I guess is closer to healthy than not but a drain on the wallet).

Now that I've decided to a) eat more healthily and b)get serious about saving money, I've launched into trying some new things. Most of my cooking to now has been some variant on a pasta, curry or chilli - hearty, comforting one pan foods. For some reason I've never quite done the soup (from scratch) thing, which is odd as I like a bit of soup.

Anyways, I broke my soup cherry last night with a pumpkin and sweet potato soup. (I was going to add some broccoli but there was no room in the steamer).

(I'm sure that right now there are at least a couple of people rolling their eyes at the song and dance that I'm making about cooking something which is probably one of the simplest things in the cookbook - that's ok, you have to start somewhere)

Now from what I've been told all you really need to do with soup is boil up your chosen vegies in some stock (vegie or chicken) until they are mushy then stick it all in the blender, add in your herbs/spices of choice and put it back on the stove to let it simmer for a while.

Well of course that was far too simple for me, so I figured that I'd steam the vegies instead (I would have steamed them over the stock but didn't have enough) and also fry/sautee up some onions to add for a bit of extra taste. (I don't know why but I seem to be obsessed with adding onions to pretty well everything I cook - and this is usually the first thing I add. Do you have a staple ingredient that seems to end up in almost everything you make?)

Anyways, this all worked out pretty well but two onions were probably 1.5 too many, as I have a pumpkin and sweet potato soup texture and a strong onion taste. (Lucky I like onions so much :)

So there's a lesson learnt. I also learnt that the handful of coriander that I added made almost no difference - hard to say whether it's just drowned out by the onion or whether much more is needed. Things to try.

Next on the agenda - less useful as a take to work and save money kind of thing - is baked fish. PC made this the other night and it was superb - and reaaaaalllly simple.

(My first - and I thought last - attempt at cooking fish was such a disaster that the kitchen stank of overcooked, possibly slightly off fish for the better part of a week.)

Update: I sent the above photo to my gmail account from my phone, simply labelled soup. This was the first of the "context-sensitive" Google adsense ads that appeared next to it. Everyone's a critic :) (Click on the image for a full size version - it says Urine Odor Remover Recipe)

Listening: ABC NewsRadio

The radio that you listen to in the morning often sets the tone of your day. I've been through various stages, from the light classical of Classic FM (wonderfully gentle way to wake up but they do tend to prattle a bit between songs) to JJJ (Adam and Will, not the current jokers) and RRR/PBS (Melbourne's finest), finally settling on my very own 2XXfm. (Which is always diverse and interesting)



The PussyCat on the other hand likes a bit of NewsRadio first thing and so for the last week or so this has been the station of choice and I have to say, for an info junkie like me, it's pretty damned good.

NewsRadio is exactly what you would expect, wall-to-wall news. No ads, the bare minimum of station promos, just news bulletins on the quarter-hour with traffic, weather, sport and finance tacked on. (In the morning at least).

In between all this, they manage to sandwich in at least one more in-depth look at the story of the minute, so while you might think it could get a little repetitive, there's enough variety to keep you listening. (It's generally a different in-depth story each time).

There are occasional technical hiccups, which you would expect on a station that doesn't stop talking (they usually involve stories not starting on cue), but these are always handled smoothly. (These are encouraging for a community radio hack like me as it shows that it's more about how you handle them than the fact that they happen at all).

NewsRadio is also the station that broadcasts Parliament when it is sitting and looking on the website, I see that they also have podcasts of Questiontime available.

Nice to see our tax dollars being well spent. Click here to listen to NewsRadio now.

Listening: Standing on the outside (Songs of Cold Chisel)

Standing on the outside (The Songs of Cold Chisel) is a bold attempt to restore some musical cool (whatever that means) to Cold Chisel, an iconic Australian band of the 70's and early 80's.

Cold Chisel featured some great performers and songwriters (Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss and Don Walker) but massive overplaying on commercial radio and wholehearted adoration in bogan (i.e redneck/white-trash) circles has meant that they don't get their dues today among "hip" types.

I grew up in outer suburbia at the time of their success and might come back to my varied (sometimes snobby) love/hate relationship with the band another time but lets just say that my ears pricked up when I read that a bunch of Oz music notables were putting a tribute/cover album together.

Here's my take on it, track by track.

(You can listen to full versions of each song on the official website here)

Rising Sun (The Living End) - the original has a certain rockabilly quality to it but The Living End really emphasise this - perhaps over-emphasise it. When they do their rockabilly thing, you get the feeling that they only have two or three basic songs in their repertoire. It's a lively song none the less.

(I've added a YouTube video of this track at the bottom)

Standing on the outside (Dallas Crane) - you get the sense that Dallas Crane are in many ways the inheritors of the pub rock crown from Cold Chisel, it's different but the same. Singer Dave Larkin puts all the passion and scratchy-voicedness into this song that he can muster.

This is the song that I've had floating around my mind for the last few days, particularly the line "I had a friend broke through illegally, pulled a job on a small-town TAB, five grand down on his own little piece of Eden". This comes back to my appreciation of the fact that Chisel songs seem to be more grounded in real life (and not how hard it is to be a musician on tour).

Forever now (Pete Murray) - a slightly updated version that keeps the basic feeling but centers around Murray's voice. I'm less of a fan of these pretty-boy singer types than most, it's nice enough I guess but is neither far enough away or close enough to the original to really impact

No sense (Ben Lee) - sounds like more of a new song, but in a good way. I've always had some kind of respect for Ben Lee though. For some reason this sounds like it might have been a Crowded House song circa 1987. Highlights the strength of the song writing and doesn't sound like a vehicle for Lee as much as Murray's one.

Water into wine (Evermore) - A Chisel song from their comeback album (The Last Wave of Summer) that I really haven't listened to so it's interesting to examine it as a song in it's own right. Not being able to compare it to the Chisel delivery is a shame though, as while the structure of the song feels right, the delivery is a little wussy. Don't really know that much about Evermore either. Overall, it's a little soft. Nice but soft.

My Baby (Thirsty Merc) - Respectful and lively version with some funky keyboard and nice fat fuzzy guitar, vocals very Barnesesque (without the rasp). I've had an image of TM as a bit of a JJJ band, somewhat inoffensive but maybe I'll give them a go.
(I welcome the return of keyboard to rock)

Khe Sanh (Paul Kelly) - As a bit of an alternative Oz anthem, this would be a daunting task for most bands so it makes sense that it was handed over to an equally iconic Oz muso in Paul Kelly. He puts a slight bluegrass/country spin on it - which is interesting, it's hard to ever dislike a PK song really and I guess it's nice to hear the lyrics a little more clearly on this one. The lyrics still hold their power, in spite of nearly three decades of maniacal thrashing from commercial radio. This is the song (above all others) that has given Chisel their bogan associations - my image is of redfaced drunk guys with arms around shoulders half singing half shouting this one.

Bow River (Troy Cassar Daley) - Troy gives this song a distinctly (and unsurprisingly) stripped back country sound, in some ways it seems a little slow but he's made an effort to make the song his own. The rockier nature of the original makes this song suffer a little in comparison, I generally don't mind a little bit of country but it seems to lack a little passion. The use of banjo on two songs in a row distracts a little too.

Saturday Night (Grinspoon) - Grinspoon launch themselves headlong into this song with an enthusiasm that puts a smile on the face, trying to outdo Barnesy in the sing/screaming stakes but there's a slight desperation in the over-the-topness of the track which seems to miss the slightly laid back sense of cool that came from the original. The vocals behind the main lyrics just seem slightly strained, like they are the class swots desperately trying to impress teacher. Definite points for energy and balls-out cheesy guitar.

Hound Dog (You Am I) - Putting aside my You Am I issues for a moment (I get what they are doing, it's just not quite the sound for me), I'm impressed with this take on a less well known Chisel track. (Which I guess is the kind of track you would choose if you were trying to be a little cool about it all). It's true to the sound of the original but has updated the rock sound a little (mainly in stripping back some of the guitar flourishes and throwing in a little more distortion).

Listening back to the Chisel original though really emphasises the power and emotion that Barnes is able to put into his voice. One comparison that popped into my mind (a little surprisingly I might add) was Kurt Cobain. Tim Rogers by comparison sounds a little too proper and pronounced, like he learnt how to sing this song at a rock finishing school. (But as I say, Hourly Daily aside, not such a You Am I fan)

Choir Girl (Katie Noonan) - As this song started, I was cringing, it just seemed so out of whack and so much more like a vehicle for Katie Noonan's (impressive) cocktail lounge stylings. It's just her and a sparse piano backing and just at the point when I thought it was definitely going all wrong, the goosebumps kicked in. It seemed as though the rhythm and phrasing were completely out but somehow she manages to hold the notes/lyrics and/or pauses until the last possible moment before they would be wrong and make them even more powerful than the original.

For a song about a girl going in for an abortion, it makes a real difference to hear it sung by a woman and each line has added oomph and meaning. Beautiful.

You got nothing I want (Alex Lloyd) - I was a little surprised by Lloyd's version of this at first. It's an energetic country jam which kind of springs on you after you have been lulled a little by Katie Noonan's Choir Girl. At first, you just think WTF? but then you realise that this approach to what was originally a relatively shouty rock song actually works quite well. It clearly suits Lloyds voice much more than a faithful cover of the original would have and it becomes kind of fun. The instrumentation kicks along as well and really complements the vocals.

When the war is over (Something for Kate) - Twenty plus years of rock/pop history are on display right from the opening line of this version, Paul Dempsey's near whisper butts up against a very 80s "everybody sing" harmonised take on it that you just couldn't do in rock these days. (Well of course you could, it's just that noone does). This version again pays its respects to the original but creates a much thicker, rockier sound where the vocals aren't as prominent but still generate a similar level of emotion. It misses Ian Moss's soaring guitar and Don Walkers understated keyboards but hacks out its own uniqueness.

Four Walls (The Waifs) - another lesser known Chisel track, this one is again fairly true to the original. What is the frackin' obsession with banjo is one question that pops into my mind though. A little bit of a nothing track I'm afraid to say, very stripped back, the singer sounds a little tired perhaps and the plinky backing is a little distracting. I actually tend to tune out when listening to this one.

Cheap Wine (Shane Nicholson) - You often find that when someone puts a tribute album like this together, they take the opportunity to put themselves (or some friends) on amongst all of the other more impressive acts, often cherrypicking one of the bands more popular songs. This track has this feel.

Shane Nicholson's main claim to fame appears to be as a member of Kasey Chambers band and the mixture of his slightly insipid whiny vocals with the twangy country style slide guitar call out for the attention of whitebread adult oriented rock radio stations that still find the original a little too rocky.

Shipping Steel (The Flairz featuring Dave Larkin) - Another lesser known Chisel song but a good rockin truck driving one. As it begins, the guitar is promising but the vocals seem a little off - like a girl rock band but a little tamer perhaps, a little unconvincing. Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane) chimes in to strengthen up the chorus with but the contrast between his rockin vocals and the lead vocals is too much. The guitar and drums drive the song fairly well, even with it's slight tendency towards cheese.

Now because I haven't heard of these guys either I was on the verge of putting them into the above category of (possible) friends of the producer/label but I just googled them and damned if these guys aren't talented little bloody overachievers. A West Australian band consisting of 3 x 14 year olds who released their first EP in 2004. Bearing this in mind, it makes more sense now - it's not a girl on vocals, it's a teenage boy. This song is a brave experiment and it'll be interesting to see where the band goes (other songs on their MySpace page are interesting/cute). I get the feeling that this may still be a favour to the label but how can you knock the kids really.

Janelle (Augie March) - This song has been one of my favourites for a long time and I've also been an admirer of Augie March for a while now (though the sameness of recent efforts and onstage antics/sulkery have put me off a little) so I was particularly interested to hear this version.

The good news is that Augie March have done a nice job - it is perhaps a little overdone at the start, the original begins with a lonely feeling of sitting listening to the blues in a darkened bar at 1am and then builds in intensity whereas this one peaks sooner but overall the emotion is there and the song doesn't just sound like any other Augie March song. They've added bits to it, I can't explain why but a visual that I get is a gypsy caravan or perhaps the Speigeltent, something vaguely circusy anyway. Keeping the keyboard was a must and adding something accordionlike works pretty well.

Flame Trees (Sarah Blasko) - This starts well (there's something about Sarah Blasko's voice that is kind of hot) but before long you get the sense that this version is just a little too melancholy, a little too reflective. There is certainly a sense of nostalgia tinged with sadness in the original (which is why it is one of the most beautiful and popular non-rockin Chisel songs) but also a sense of movement, which just doesn't quite come across in the Blasko version. By the time it does ratchet the pace up a notch, it's too late.

Here's The Living End version of Rising Sun

Feeling: a little poorly

Off sick today. Back tomorrow most likely

Saying goodbye: Kurt Vonnegut Jr (1922 - 2007)

No doubt you've seen the stories now that Kurt Vonnegut Jr died on Wednesday as a result of injuries sustained in a fall a few weeks ago - this isn't so much about news as saying thanks old man and farewell.

I don't claim to have great insight into the man or his writings - I read many of them in my teens and I'd say that a revisit is well in order as I got the feeling at the time that while I really liked what he had to say (and the darkly satirical and often out there ways he did so), I was missing a lot of things.

I remember being impressed with the way that he managed to create a whole world across his books, with minor (and major) characters bobbing up in unexpected places and this under the surface sense that this was a world quite similar to ours but different in many ways.

There was an interview with him on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show recently where he took these amazing logical twists and turns and was a fascinating guest that Stewart had trouble keeping up with and I highly recommend taking a few minutes to check it out.

Watching: Priceless (Hors de prix)

Priceless is a fluffy romantic comedy about love and money in the jetset coastal resort areas of France. (The Riviera? Monaco?). The two leads - Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh (both hugely popular stars in France)- carry the film beautifully.

The story is simple, Irene (Tautou) is a young woman who is happy to take up with any man who will have her as long as he is able to afford her taste for luxury and Jean (Elmaleh) is a poor waiter/barman in a luxury hotel who Irene initially mistakes for a millionaire. Jean is instantly smitten with Irene and keeps up the facade as long as he can until it all comes tumbling down.

She skips town, he follows, spends his savings to be with her a little longer and somehow falls into the life of a similarly kept man/gigolo. Friendship grows as Irene helps Jean make the most of his new unexpected "career" and as it's a romantic comedy, things take a few more twists from here.

I've already mentioned the performances of Tautou (familiar from Amelie) and Elmaleh (great to watch as a comedic actor) and would also have to throw in the locations themselves as additional eye-candy.

The story is a little edgier than your standard Hollywood rom-com - the behaviour of the two (particularly Irene, the old hand at this game) is perhaps a little unsavoury (but then again, their respective partners seem well aware of the rules of the game) and it makes some pointedly cynical (but funny) observations about love, flirting and seduction along the way.

There's not a bunch of substance to this film but it keeps you interested and chuckling and is a fun watch.

Here's the trailer.

Watching: Keating remixed

Economic rationalism aside, I'm a fan of old Paul Keating - he had a vision and a great talent for giving the bad guys what for.

This video was put together by Red Symons (yeah, Skyhooks & Red Faces Red Symons) from a recent interview where he showed that he's still got it. He described Peter Costello as all tip and no iceberg and John Howard as a dessicated coconut araldited to the (leadership) seat. Bless you Paul, come back any time you hear.

Cutting some slack (for now) : Kevin Rudd

Little by little Kevin Rudd is starting to concern me. Is he more than a slightly more cluey Kim Beazley? The big question I guess is whether he is more than a more palatable John Howard-lite?

A story in The Age yesterday has me wondering. In essence it says that in spite of the fact that Alan Jones has been found to have

broadcast(ing) material on Breakfast with Alan Jones that was likely to encourage violence or brutality and to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle-Eastern backgrounds on the basis of ethnicity

(essentially encouraging the Cronulla race riots of 2005), our alternative Prime Minister has said that

nothing he had read so far about the authority's report had caused him to reconsider appearing on Jones' show.

"In terms of the future appearances (on) Alan Jones' program, there's nothing I've read at this stage that would cause me not to go on," he told ABC radio.

Now I've expressed my feelings on the Cronulla riots before (here) and the disturbing racist/nationalist dogwhistling politics of the Howard government and so I'm not surprised that John Howard might come out and say that Alan Jones is a good bloke. Jones' audience consists of rusted on conservatives who appear to hang on his every idiotic word. (This is a guy who for a long time loudly supported a plan to turn around several Australian rivers to irrigate the dry interior of this country).

Kevin Rudd has a regular spot on Jones' show (one of the highest rating in Sydney) and is known as someone who enjoys and knows how to use the media spotlight so it's understandable that mightn't want to lose a media channel but he (or his advisors) have it all wrong in this instance for a number of reasons:

• Jones' audience will never turn around and vote Labor


• People who don't listen to Jones do so because they don't like him


• Supporting Jones endorses his actions, which many people find distasteful


• Rudd needs to emphasise the differences between himself and Howard

The final point, that of needing to emphasise the ways in which Kevin Rudd (and a Rudd government) isn't like John Howard and his mob is the most important of all.

In recent times, it hasn't just been the Alan Jones thing that Rudd has been following Howard on. There has been the issue of performance pay for teachers, "clean" coal, maintaining the current imbalance of funding between public and private education - (70% of students use public education but it only gets 35% of federal funding), dropping opposition to subsidising private health insurance and an Australia-China free trade agreement.

Now I'm still prepared to give the ALP and Kevin Rudd the benefit of the doubt here as the removal of the Howard Government from office is a priority. It may well be that Labor is trying to remove as many wedge issues from the debate as they possibly can as Howard is a master of wedge politics (the use of simplified but emotional issues to create division) and Labor is trying to focus as heavily on dissatisfaction with the new Industrial Relations system as they can.

I just get the sense that there is a little too much strategising going on and not enough principled planning. We want to know that things will be done better, not just slightly less worse. We want a West Wing kind of leadership, not a lesser of two evils.

Sucking up to Alan Jones is not what we want.

All is forgiven for now Kev in pursuit of a win at the next election but that had better be what it is actually about and not just being tweedle-dee to Johnny's tweedle-dum.

(Thanks to Certified_Su for the image too, it's great)

Uploading: Cotter camping trip pics

Another busy day in the neighbourhood but I've broken free for long enough to pop up some of the pics from the bike camping trip referred to yesterday. Click the pics to see the full size versions on Flickr

Going: bike camping

The owl and the pussycat
went for a ride
on bikes of purple and black

They went to the Cotter
which wasn't that far
yet further on the way back.

Under stars they did camp
and listened to songs
sung in a voice so divine

There was Cherry Cherry,
Kentucky Woman
and of course Sweet Caroline

Don't have time for a full roundup of the weekend's camping expedition but it was fun - hell, so much more than fun - and I hope to have pix and a fuller roundup soonish.

Got work stuff to do now though :(

Uploading: cheetahs washing each other

I've been working on a video project for uni using this clip that is pretty durned cute - thought that it might be worth sharing with the world.

I've tagged it with cute, cats, cat and cheetah - why do I get the feeling I'm going to get so many more hits on this than any other video I've put up? :)

Watching: The lives of others

The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) is a German film telling a tale of repression and redemption in East Germany in the 1980s.

Georg Dreyman is a highly regarded playwright and loyal socialist who (perhaps unfortunately) is in love with a beautiful actress - Christa-Maria Sieland - who the Minister of Culture has a major thing for. Being a right bastard, the Minister calls on his connections in the much feared Stasi (the secret police) to dig up some dirt on Dreyman to put him out of the picture.

This job falls to the talented and loyal Hauptmann Wiesler, who gets to know the couple well in the course of his surveillance of them.

(I won't go into further detail here but I'm sure you can see we have the beginnings of an interesting, chilling and yet beautiful tale)

Here's the trailer.



I've had a bit of a fascination with East Germany for a while now - as the communist state which I feel I can most closely relate to on a cultural level, it's interesting to get some kind of idea of what life might have been like in a place removed from corporate domination and materialism gone mad. (Not to say that what it was replaced with worked any better given the need to use fear and coercion to keep it running of course).

The idea of privacy and particularly of losing it to a faceless and repressive state system has come to the fore in recent years, particularly as a result of the war against terror which has seen the creeping up of more and more invasive and repressive state powers in the name of 'security' and the slow erosion of long held principles of law.

Anti-"sedition" laws (which in essence can criminalise making disparaging remarks about the Government or monarchy), extensions on surveillance powers and the ability to hold 'suspects' for extended periods of time without charge and making it a criminal offence to tell anyone (even family) where you were or why you were there when you are released point to a potentially frightening future.

These haven't been turned on the general population yet, for the most part, however the mere fact that they are available to the powers that be is somewhat chilling should these powers fall into the wrong hands.

The Lives of Others takes us directly into a world just like this - though it was interesting to see at times how systematic and bureaucratic such a system might be. After the Stasi agents methodically search Georg's apartment, cutting open cushions and such, the lead officer hands him a card telling him that "In the unlikely event that we have caused any damage, you are entitled to put in a claim for compensation".

Performances across the board are compelling (the Minister is particularly creepy and Ulrich Muhe puts so much across with just a stare), the music and photography is beautifully bleak and while the story leans a little toward the classy Hollywood drama at times, it's gripping and moving.

I've read complaints that it makes the Stasi guy too sympathetic and that things were never like that and there are no documented accounts of such things - these people seem to be missing the point. At it's heart, it's a story about people that happens to be set in East Germany in the 1980s. The time and location are pivotal parts of the film but it's still mainly about people.

Goodbye Lenin! it's not - it's pretty much the other side of that coin - but it still holds a similar level of fascination. (Goodbye Lenin! is a great film in it's own right but it's a comedy and doesn't really touch on the dark side of things)

This is well worth a look.

Watching: tv current affairs

One of the favourite issues that comes up seemingly every few weeks on tabloid tv current affairs programmes is that of speed cameras and how the government is doing you, the otherwise law-abiding speeding driver, wrong.

The ethical twists and turns that these programmes take in coming out and slamming people for breaking other laws (parking in disabled spots, scamming Centrelink, lying to dodge speeding fines) while simultaneously crying out that speed cameras are nothing more than revenue raisers for greedy governments and promoting ways to "beat the speed camera" are absolutely breathtaking.

A Current Affair last night got just a little obsessed with this, running three related stories back to back.

They began by talking about a new speed camera system being introduced in Victoria that uses two separate cameras located at a certain distance apart that calculate the average speed that you must have been travelling between the two to figure out whether you slowed down for the camera but then sped along to the next one.

Now let's put aside for a moment the slightly scary prospect of CCTV like surveillance of every car on the roads and look at the stated intent of the system - to prevent speeding and to avoid the common practice of drivers only obeying the law because they are afraid of being caught.

They even drag in a motoring journalist to make this point and in the process, trivialise it and perhaps even try to put some kind of near national pride spin on it.

"Slowing down at speed cameras then speeding up is almost a national sport. These cameras will certainly stop people doing that," Cadogen said.

The ACA journalist then got obsessed with the notion that a driver could whiz past the first camera at 200km/h and then stop by the side of the road, take a little rest and drive past the second camera at a legal speed and not get busted.

I'm not going to get into how many different kinds of stupid this idea is but our hero just couldn't let go of it when he was talking to one of the traffic cops implementing this new system. It was like he had uncovered Watergate, found the stained blue dress and shot video footage of John Howard getting jiggy with Amanda Vanstone all in one, such was his level of excitement.

Eventually traffic cop admitted that this was possible but there are still road patrols and whatnot to deal with such anti-social types. The reporter then realised that he was probably being a tool and quickly moved on.

ACA followed this up with the standard stats on how much money is raised and how many fines are issued by each state every year (neglecting to put it into any context whatsoever - such as what proportion these make up of car trips, how many accidents are prevented, where the money goes etc) in some kind of bizarro attempt to say that punishing motorists for breaking the law is bad.

This is the same genre of tv that routinely cries out that criminals across society (well ok, mostly petty poor ones - heaven forbid we look into corporate/advertiser crime) aren't treated harshly enough and punishments need to be jacked up all round.

Personally, I don't give two hoots if there is a speed camera on every street at 20 metre intervals if that slows drivers down. Let governments raise all the money they need this way and put it into providing services for the community.

Another argument put by the anti-speed camera mob is that speed cameras fail in their purpose of slowing down traffic (to the legally prescribed limit) because drivers just slow down when they see them and then speed up again. ACA got all riled because the South Australian government (I think) was deceptively hiding speed cameras in wheely bins, fruit crates and bushes. (Interestingly, SA had the lowest revenue raised from speeding fines - connection there perhaps?)

The purpose of a speed law is to create safer roads - the purpose of any law is to create a safer society. If you only obey a law because you are worried about being punished, then you should accept the consequences of breaking that without bitching and moaning. You make a decision and you own it.

Again, I say put them bloody everywhere and see how much traffic slows down once speeders have received half a dozen fines and the message finally sinks in.

Actually, if revenue raising is such a horrible thing, change the system entirely - give community service orders to all speeders (as well as demerits). This would benefit society even more and teach people even better lessons. (Of course, the costs of administering this is another matter I guess)

They finished up with their favourite piece on people who have challenged speeding fines in court and won - one guy because his GPS said that he was (conveniently) only doing 59 in a 60 zone (he had been charged with going 85 and the other raising the more valid question of the accuracy of some of the handheld speedguns.

Ok, so if there are legitimate problems with the equipment, it's fair that these should be pursued and rectified. At the same time, these people have spent thousands of dollars to get out of fines in the hundreds of dollars and clogged up hours and days of court time. These people weren't actually called heroes but this is how they were portrayed. I wonder when the next story on "our failing legal system - how a clogged up court system affects us all" will go to air.

No mention in this story of Justice Marcus Einfeld, who (alledgedly) tried to get out of a $77 speeding fine by claiming that the car was being driven by a woman friend of his who turned out to have died three years earlier. (He later claimed that he was talking about another friend of his with the same name) I guess this didn't quite fit into the heroic category. (I assume they have covered his story at some point but can't find anything online - I wonder what angle they took in this case. It's ok to speed but wrong to lie about it?)

Wow, I had no idea this bugged me so much - I'm not saying that I think all laws are right and that we should blindly follow the ones that don't benefit society - in fact I think we have some kind of duty to society to constantly work on our system of justice - but speeding laws seem like the wrong place to start.

Jumping on people for parking in disabled spots (morally wrong sure and illegal but not so dangerous) while trying to encourage people to weasel around speeding is just wrong.

Shame current affairs shame.

Jealousing: V Festival Sydney (guest report)

Yes Jealousing is a word - I just verbed it :)



My rock buddy Jo made it up to Sydney on the weekend for the V Festival and sent me this wrap up email - it's too cool and too funny not to share. Thanks Jo (you lucky cow ;)

Phoenix and Nouvelle Vague playing as we arrived - never thought I'd hear 'Dancing With Myself" and "Too Drunk To F*ck" done as a bossa nova, but surprisingly entertaining.

New York Dolls - what can I say ? Glam punk pioneers, and poster boys for the long-term cosmetic benefits of a life time on the junk (c.f. Kim Deal, infra.). David and I actually screamed out loud at the horror, the horror, when David Johansen took off his sunglasses. And then his jacket. We both vowed that we'd have to leave if any other items of clothing were removed, but thankfully were saved that particular ordeal. All killer, no filler!

Gnarls Barkley - terrible sound quality, but a testament to the sheer joy one can get from bands who persist in wearing ludicrously over the top fancy dress. Sadly, they may never again reach the giddy heights of the entire band being dressed as Star Wars characters (Chewbacca on drums was uncannily like Animal from The Muppets). This time it was lovely crisp tennis whites and enormous sweatbands - Centre Court at Wimbledon generally an underrated motif in band costumery, although I guess Mark Knopfler was the pioneer of the dubious headband - will we ever come to grips with his horrifying legacy?!

Jarvis - living, breathing proof that skinny blokes in National Health Service specs can still get the girls (and boys) whipped into a complete frenzy. Best between song banter since Turbonegro - played his set just as the sun was going down, and said "ooh, it's about to get all atmospheric. You'll be able to touch each other". And lots of jokes about the French, always guaranteed to get a laff. Final song, of course, a rousing rendition of The C*nts Are Still Running the World. Not a dry eye in the house.

Beck - all the hits'n'memories from the world's most winsome Scientologist. And puppets! And a Pixies cover - crazy!

Pixies - Black Francis as surly as ever. Kim Deal off the junk and clearly on the pies, and has started dressing like the mum of one of your mates. And yet despite that, fully rockin' .

Groove Armada - totally fun. Gloss taken off the show a tad as a result of copping a stray couple of punches at the end when a skirmish broke out between two testosterone fuelled boys fighting over an inflatable ball - kids, eh?! Sporting quite the shiner today, but nothing that a spot of Siouxsie eye make up can't fix !!

Pet Shop Boys - we were second from front! Genuinely surprised at how tremendous they were. When we got home, Barry downloaded all of the concert pics from his phone, and a few little video snippets taken during their set. Pretty much all you can hear is me singing loudly and incredibly badly, interspersed with the occasional piglet-y squeal. Just be thankful that I was so restrained during Groove Armada ! So impressed that we've all bought tickets for their show at the Hordern next Friday - yay !!

(I'm just impressed to see what I think is correct legal citing in a music review - something sadly lacking in the rock press in general)

Thanks Jo

Scavenging: Second Hand Sunday

There is virtually no furniture in our shared space at Chez Ridley that was bought new - with the exception of the bookshelves, tv (is a tv furniture?) and a beanbag, everything is second hand and has either come from family, friends, previous housemates or Aussie Junk. (Aussie Junk is a great tip based recycling shop - they even extend this philosophy to their website, reusing one from 1997 - right down to marquee text)

While some may think that this just cements the mild squalor of share-house life, I like the sense that it lessens our eco-footprint a little and it brings a certain eclecticism to the mix.

(I also suspect that my parents - uh, thrifty is a nice word I guess - ways have rubbed off on me to some extent)

There's a certain thrill to the hunt when you score something second-hand, particularly when you are out looking for it (not looking is even better) and stumble across something that you need. I've known some people who couldn't imagine having everything but the newest and shiniest and I wish them well in their identical, treeless suburban estate lives.

Back in Melbourne, hard rubbish day (usually 3 or 4 times a year) was always a great time to just wander the streets and pick through parts of people's lives that they've decided to leave behind. It's a bit like walking through a contemporary antiques shop in some ways. (I haven't been to many but the thing I like about antiques shops is the sense of being in a musuem, but one where you can pick everything up and where you have more of a sense that everything has some story to it)

There are whole subcultures dedicated to making use of the things that other people have discarded - the French film The Gleaners & I is a beautiful celebration of this. (It also makes the interesting point that this is the foundation of a lot of post-modern sampling culture).

All of this is my (probably longwinded) way of saying that I'm quite the fan of Canberra's hard rubbish day equivalent - Second Hand Sunday. (SHS)

Second Hand Sunday works on the principle that you register your address on a website a few days beforehand and then a complete list of participating homes (ie people hoping to throw out their old, still usable crap) gets published in the Sunday paper. (The government doesn't follow through with picking up the leftovers as you get with hard-rubbish day but nevermind, points for effort anyway).

PC (I'll spare you the explanation of the no doubt nauseatingly cute pet names for now) and I stumbled across a few things on the way to brekky yesterday morning - notably a low-set lounge chair and stereo setup - and I remembered that it was indeed SHS. Fortunately PC shares my love of a spot of gleaning and plans were made to go a-foraging.

Now there's a little strategising to be done with a hard-rubbish day / second hand sunday - you might think initially that the primo locations would be the well heeled areas - in Canberra that would be places like Yarralumla, Red Hill, Griffith, Manuka and Campbell perhaps but the thing is that rich people tend to get that way by being a little on the stingy side.

Aspirational is where it's at - particularly people moving into shiny new homes in big estates who are gradually upgrading all of their old stuff to keep up with the neighbours. Areas around Belconnen and Tuggeranong were very well represented in the listings in the paper - kudos to Kambah in particular for their community spirit in being by far the most enthusiastic participants.

Hippy-esque left leaning university type suburbs were also a nice source of goodies - at least on first impressions anyway. (O'Connor, Turner, Ainslie etc)

Long story short, here is a sampling of the haul. (SP did some nice work with some tupperware, tins and a bananas-in-pyjamas knitted coathanger as well)(There is also a pretty nifty ergonomic chair in the haul but I've always found them a little odd so that quickly disappeared into Eric's room)

Highlight for me (our loungeroom is crying out for comfortable chairs - aside from my pride of place Aussie Junk recliner rocker, it's a challenging place to sit) was this baby - a little ratty at the front end but nothing that a bit of fabric won't fix up.



We've been on the lookout for an amplifier for quite a while, so finding this combo of a record player, speakers and amp was quite the treat.



Of course, sometimes things are left out for a reason and while the speakers seem pretty useful, the record player quickly showed itself to be a little iffy - unless of course you like the (random) variable speed thing.



My attempts to pull it apart and see if there was anything obviously the matter was I think the main part of the problem in terms of things getting worse.

Well it was either that or my choice of test album (thanks Electric Pandas)



The amp is offering it's own particular challenges - the times it worked (so far just in one speaker or the other) it has sounded great but the more I've tinkered, the worse it has gotten. (So obviously, more tinkering is in order there)

All in all though, a good days hunting.