Just after Christmas I bought myself a BluRay player and had been really enjoying the immense picture quality. It made me want more. The next thing, I thought, would be to get the best standard of sound available. So I started doing some research into home cinema systems. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I realised that I had to get myself a 5.1 speaker package and also an amplifier to decode the digital signal from my BluRay into 5.1. I went to richer sounds and bought the Yamaha RX-V365 (see above) and went for Yamaha Speaker set up too (NSP-270).
NS-P270
After about 3 hours of setting up the amp and speakers in my house, I sat back, stuck an episode of Band Of Brothers on and was totally blown away. I had heard surround sound before. But I was fooking amazed at how good my sound was. I totally didn’t realise just how much more of an immersing experience watching a movie is with this get-up. The last few nights I’ve been having a great time surrounding myself with sound. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Since getting the setup I have also connected my PC up to the 5.1 and also my Virgin+ Cable TV box. Amazing!
Wires and Plugs
Which kinda leads me onto my next point. I have everything in my life in one room. DVD, BluRay, TV, PC (and peripherals), Cable TV, Amp, 5.1, Router, Modem, Speakers and a Wii. I’m all out of plugs. I have two wall sockets on the side of my room where everything is. Connected to these sockets are two 1:4 sockets. With another 1:4 connected to one of the 1:4′s. That gives me 11 plug slots. On one of the slots I have a 1:2 adapter giving 12 plugs. Every one is in use as I type this.
ElectroForms is software for mobile devices that allows users to create Excel documents using an extremely easy-to-use data capture interface.
Users enter data using forms, which are customised exactly to your requirements. This is then converted to an Excel document instantly when it is e-mailed from the device.
It is ideal for small businesses as it does not require any IT administration or maintenance, and no databases or file servers are required.
Doesn’t that sound great? Being out on the road working, logging various pieces of data about your job. Coming back to your office and the previously inputted data is waiting for you in a nice structured spreadsheet for you to work on. No fiddling. No lugging a Laptop about. No re-logging notes that you took when you were on the road.
Not just that. Imagine you were a company with several workmen out completing various jobs around your catchment area. Your central office will get the real-time situation with all jobs in a easy to understand/organise format.
The good folks at Electroforms have done a great job developing such software.
A few years ago I went to King Tuts in Glasgow to see a mates band, Luma. Honestly. In all the gigs I’ve ever seen this one is probably my favourite ever. Purely for the fact I was only expecting to enjoy the band I came to see. Too many times I’ve been to King Tuts and disappointed with ‘Volume Up To 11′ bands that have little interest in anything close to a melody.
Luma were on first that night. I had obviously seen them a few times before but was even chuffed at their performance that night. They played a brand new song, that I consider to be their best. Blue Peter Garden.
Luma – Blue Peter Garden:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Fortune Drive
Another band played that night that blew my socks off. They were called Fortune Drive. The voice of the singer was unreal. I remember them ripping into a song I know now as ‘My Girlfriend’s an Arsonist’. It was one of they moments that I was not really concentrating on the band just drinking my pint being sociable; my head doth turn after hearing the little guy on stage absolutely fucking belting out the tunes. Been following them ever since.
Fortune Drive – My Girlfriend’s an Arsonist:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
But, the biggest surprise to me, and the subject of this here post, was a band called Blackbud. I remember being intrigued by them initially cause Ryan from Luma said something along the lines of “These guys are proper musicians.”
I don’t think it would be an understatement to describe the next few songs that went into my lugs as ‘life changing’. Imagine, if you will, being in King Tuts. The band comes on, they don’t say much, and go straight into playing this tune:
Blackbud – Cold Haroundan:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Joe Taylor is the lead guitar of Blackbud and does all the vocals. He reminds me of Hendrix the way he plays. Effortless. Emotionally attached to every note. Eyes closed, shoulders reacting to the wail of his electric.
Joe Taylor
The other guys, Adam and Sam clearly know what they’re about too. I’ve read some amazing critical acclaim for their work. They just, and I’m sure they would admit this, lay an immaculate floor for Joe to do his stuff.
They are signed to Independiente and are now on their second album.
Their first album is immense. Every song is absolute genius, from the Stone -Roses-esc, Days Passing Away to the haunting track Alone.
Second album is more of the same. But I do get the feeling that some of the tracks were a bit forced. Highlights include Golden Girl, Left Your Arms Empty and Came Down Easy.
OK. So you get that I’m a fan. I’ve seen them every time they have been in Scotland since that night.
What really irritates me. Nay, fucks me off: Is that if you are reading this and don’t know me in person, then chances are this is the first time you have heard of these guys. 3 or 4 years I’ve been expecting them to kick off. Remember that video of the Britney’s fan crying under the covers? Well thats me right now, only I’m in despair of the coverage these guys deserve.
Sure, Zane Low had them on his show and their song ‘Heartbeat’ was Hottest Record In the World for a Week, but that ain’t good enough.
Have a watch, have a listen.
Blackbud – Came Down Easy:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Blackbud – Heartbeat:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
OK. I’ve been working with Photoshop for over a decade and today I discovered something for the first time that I WISH I had figured out years ago.
So. Imagine this. You have a big, multi-layered PSD. Only a specific part is of interest. You want to use this area for an image but want to retain the layer structure. Only way to do this is to Crop the image then Save As to create a new PSD. The PROBLEM with this is that the crop tool (C) is a totally visual tool. If you, for example, wanted to crop the image to a specific size you’ll be in bother. You’d have to create an new image of a desired size and then copy all the layers to the new document.
Today I discovered a solution to this.
Fixed Size
What to do is: Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M). In the Toolbar you’ll see an option that says ‘Style’. Select: ‘Fixed Size’, and input your desired size for the image after the Crop. Add the selection around the area of interest.
Now here is the cool part that I never realised. Instead of going to your Crop tool, go to the Toolbar, select Image > Crop with your previous selection still active. Hey Presto. You have a new image of a specific size and your layers are still intact.
So it’s all over. The door has been unlocked and it’s now time to get back to reality. About 30mins ago I had to leave the cosiness of Gemma’s flat and get home as I’ve got work to do for Lucid Studio. Before summing up the experience I’ll get us up to speed…
After the daytime movie yesterday we both had a mess about on the Wii. Played Wii Fit and Wii Resort for a bit.It definitely gave us an appetite for dinner.
Dinner!
I had bought a Fajitas sauce from Tesco and the Wraps. Just stuck some chicken on the fryer added the sauce and served it with grated cheese and Mayo. Peppers and all that jazz are in the Fajita mix. Fooking marvellous so it was. The Simpson movie was on while eating so that was a laugh.
After dinner I had a wee chillout while Gemma done the dishes (result). Messed about on the iPhone and read a bit more of the aforementioned book.
Then it was on to the main event of the evening.
Gemma had just recently finished reading Alex Garland’s – The Beach, so on Friday, after we had decided that we were going to do this lock-in, I bought the movie adaptation on DVD. Gemma’s LOVED the book so I suspected she might want to see the film.
I got wine and the (long awaited) cheese out to accompany the movie, Gemma had a wee stash of chocolates that she got for Christmas.
I enjoyed the movie. Had seen it before ages ago but it was nice to have a refresh. Gemma did too but was disheartened by how different the film was to the book “Especially towards the end”.
Cheese Please!
After the movie we flicked the channels and ended up watching a bit of Requiem For A Dream. It’s an intense movie and perhaps not he best thing to watch with the Mrs. Seemed like she was getting into it though, but in the end tiredness won over us and we hit the hay around 1.40am.
This morning when we got up it was a bit of a sombre mood. The Sunday blues had well and truly kicked in and we were both gutted that our wee weekend was about to end.
I commented that one of my workmates had said, upon hearing what I planned to do this weekend, that “We wouldn’t last the pace”, and that “Cabin Fever would set in”. Gemma’s reaction was “I wish we could keep locked-in for the rest of the week, I don’t want to go back to the world”. She went on to suggest that we make this a regular thing and do it once every three or four months. I totally agree with her.
I know blogging this was a bit of a personal endeavour, and a means of escaping into my thoughts, but I hope you enjoyed it and even took something away from my experience of isolation.
