LR, Thursday June 14, 2012

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi gang,

Welcome to Flag Day and another early LR. Thanks to those who participated yesterday. And not withstanding all my spare time is taken up by these LR's, they have been very helpful so far. Why? For the second day in a row my anticipated lunch destination became reality. So indeed, I had bangers and mash at Bell Town Pub yesterday.

Lunch
Anticipating lunch on Thursday is harder. It is strongly coupled with lunch on Friday. Either of these 2 days we go to Buckley's Irish Pub with a large group to be server by the Norwegian Princess, sit around their private bar in the back, and talk shop. If that is today, than undoubtedly we'll go to Bambino's Pizzeria tomorrow for their excellent calzone and beer selection. If not Buckley's today, then it might be Tilicum Café just for me and my work companion; a small eatery with most excellent food in the French cuisine tradition. You won't get too much food and you pay a little more so you can feel good about keeping your diet

G&L related
Today one of these weird ones that get produced by the Custom Creations Department once in a while in an almost under the radar kind of way: a Special Build mahogany body ASAT Classic "Blues Boy". About 28 of these were produced in 2005 right around the time that many other mahogany models were produced in small quantities. Recently there was an extensive thread on the single mahogany Invader produced in 2004. This BB has an SD '59 (SH1) in the neck instead of the Seth Lover. This choice is interesting for a variety of reasons. First, SD claims that it goes well with a mahogany body and rosewood board, both true for this model. Second, it is the pup that Seymour advised against when Tim Page designed the very first series of Blues Boys in '99. Lastly, the neck pickup is not the G&L AW4250B listed on this website. I don't know whether both were used interchangeably or what but as evidenced below it is a '59 beyond an doubt in this guitar.





Non-G&L related
Although this game prototype I work on is all consuming in terms of time and attention (most of these LR's were actually written last Sunday), I love what I'm doing. It is right up there in the top 3 of the most funnest things I have ever done in my life together with getting my PhD and the first software project I ever worked on after leaving academia. It stimulates my brain: it this wonderful mixture of physics (game mechanics), psychology (what are your players looking for) and sociology (what kind of player are you dealing with), and business (how can you monetize in, what I personally hope, is an ethical fashion; otherwise a game developer is no different than a drug pusher IMO) and the game itself is a puzzle game, something that I love doing. And a strange and interesting world it indeed is. Although a loaded question, do you love what you're doing? And if so, I am just curious why? What facets of your personality is it tailored to?

One more day to go. Check with you folks tomorrow.

- Jos

[louis cyfer]

i love what i do. i get to help people everyday get healthier. whether it's rehab, post rehab, body composition change, they feel better, a lot better about themselves. of course, if they were going to places like you go for lunch i'd be whipping them with the 12' snake whip i carry to get the point across. there is one thing about my job that very other jobs offer. i get paid to tell people what to do. not unlike a dominatrix, but i don't have to wear the crazy uniforms, but i get to dose out a pretty severe discomfort for my clients, and the more i hurt them, the more they like it.

[darwinohm]

Jos, great reports this week and I have been too busy to participate a lot.

Your comment yesterday on the Red SC-2 is right on! I have a Fullerton red one and sweet it is.

I see that you finally found your Hog Bluesboy and a very nice on it is. I still kind of wish I had mine but I do know of two others so you never know. The guy I traded mine to never liked the neck, but I think that he still has it, They are really a masterpiece guitar.

Life passions? Mine is gigging. We are gigging more than we ever have and I find that it is the most rewarding, mind relaxing thing that I can do. I think that music has the ability to make most people escape their daily stress. It would be interesting to measure heart rates and blood pressures of people who are playing music. It is the one thing that can totally captivate my mind. Having my daughter in our band is just a great bonus and she has certainly earned her spot. I loved the computer business for the first many years I was doing it. It eventually became stressful and this retirement is the best job ever for me! Great guitars so far this week Jos, It would take you a month to cover all of them.--Darwini

[zombywoof]

Neat guitar!

Sounds like you be treating yoruself to some nice lunches (I say that with just a touch of envy sitting here nibbling on a leftover pork chop sandwiched between some slices of white bread).

You consider getting a Ph.D fun? I am guessing you did not have to take comp exams. What I recall is 32 hours (one day a week for four weeks) of pure hell. On that last exam - my hand was so badly cramped I could hardly hold a pencil (this is back in the day of blue books) and I pretty much just spent the whole day writing in the bathroom. I recall after being told I passed just not feeling anything.

I love what I do for a living though - but for the past couple of years just not where I am doing it. I was happy as a pig in clover back in Mississippi but ended up having to switch over to another job location in Kansas so my wife could take a job she really wanted.

[Ches]

Jos -
You've got some great lunch choices, but not very "diet-y" for those of us who have to watch our caloric intake! Lucky you!

I really want to check out a mahogany ASAT. That Bluesboy you have is really nice looking, and I bet it sounds fantastic. I'm going to keep an eye out for a hog bodied Tribute ASAT Special. I've got to think that body wood would be a great match for a large MFD.

I've been in sales forever. I didn't really care for it at first, but it grew on me. Not too surprising that the better I became at selling, the more I liked it. That said, the closer I get to retirement, the more I want to get out of this rat race!

[blargfromouterspace]

Another nice guitar. I wonder why Mr. Duncan advised against the '59?

Glad that you like what you do. I don't like what I do. I'm studying electrical engineering, about to go into my final year, and the closer I get to finishing the less I want to work in that field - I don't think I have the necessary brain horse power to do it well. I'm kicking myself for not sticking to the winemaking career I started but gave up. Thats a job that I could be happy doing. 20:20 hindsight

[Philby]

That's a gorgeous hog BB Jos. Is it naturally that red or is it a red-tint finish?

I did a lot of programming during my Ph.D and really enjoyed it. There is something intellectually very satisfying about conceptualizing a problem or idea, deconstructing it, then implementing the solution as code. Bug testing I could live without though.

I work in pharmaceutical development these days and wish I didn't. The opportunity to do anything creative, or even anything at all, is completely neutralised by thick and heavy regulation, overlaid with having to deal with a large US bureaucracy (the FDA). I got into it because I thought I'd be helping people, but the average time to get a drug to market is 10-20 years, and the attrition rate is phenomenal, something like 99%. Life is too short. If it paid the bills I'd prefer to work at a soup kitchen or learn how to bake decent bread. You'd get to see the results of your toil on a daily basis.

[yowhatsshakin]

i love what i do. i get to help people everyday get healthier. whether it's rehab, post rehab, body composition change, they feel better, a lot better about themselves. of course, if they were going to places like you go for lunch i'd be whipping them with the 12' snake whip i carry to get the point across. there is one thing about my job that very other jobs offer. i get paid to tell people what to do. not unlike a dominatrix, but i don't have to wear the crazy uniforms, but i get to dose out a pretty severe discomfort for my clients, and the more i hurt them, the more they like it.

Hey louis,

How could you ever not like what you're doing I can totally envision you as the health drill instructor ...

- Jos

[KenC]

Jos,

I haven't had time in the evenings to weigh in this week, but you've posted some great LRs and coincidentally kicked my GAS into overdrive. I even find myself thinking about G&Ls built after 1990!

Like several others have commented, I love what I do but not necessarily where I am doing it. I've carved myself a niche in combining a variety of science and engineering disciplines to prevent occupational diseases and workplace injuries. I find the technical problem solving to be endlessly fascinating, and tend to deal with workplace health hazards which haven't received much attention yet from researchers or regulators. The absolute best times for me, though, are when I find out that something I've done has made somebody's health complaint go away or improved their quality of life.

I'm working for a very large bureaucracy, with thousands of employees spread around the world (not FDA, by the way). Many of our employees work in exceptionally dangerous environments. There should be endless opportunities for me to prevent disease and injury among our workforce, but the layers and layers of approval that are needed to do anything meaningful are absolutely crushing. Not to mention the effects of hiring freezes, which create a workload that can't be kept up with. I won't complain at all about having a job in today's economy, but I could sure use 2-3 new co-workers to get it done...

Overall, though, I would not hesitate to recommend my profession to anybody with some degree of technical aptitude and a desire to help people. I just might not recommend my employer as a good place to start...

I certainly don't miss my doctoral qualifiers. They were just two days, but the first was a 16-hour marathon of retaking all of the final exams for a masters degree in my field. Then we were given an envelope with several recent scientific publications, and told to be ready to critique them a week later on the second day of the exam. I definitely preferred the first day. The sad thing is, I still haven't written my dissertation. In my field the doctorate is just a research/teaching credential, so I really don't have a major incentive to wrap it up.

Back to the important stuff (G&Ls): I haven't played any BBE-era 'hogs, but I would really like to try a few. The original ASAT Jr. is one of the BBE instruments that's high on my wish list. I have recently started playing 'hog basses (an L-1000 and L-2000E), and have been absolutely blown away. My 'hog S-500 is also magical. I can't describe just what it is, but the bodies on all of them resonate in a way that ash and maple don't.

Ken

Ken

[yowhatsshakin]

... Life passions? Mine is gigging. ...

Howdy Darwin,

I have always had a dream of becoming a gigging musician but with my many other interests, and what turned out to be some innate talent for science, when at the fork of the road I chose a different career path. And it has been good to me. And I can still dream can't I?

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

...You consider getting a Ph.D fun? I am guessing you did not have to take comp exams. ...

You are so right Woof. I got my PhD in the netherlands and the system worked quite different over there compared to over here. When I started my second post-doc at the Nuclear physics Lab of the UW, I was 30. I worked with grad students my age who had been slaving away at their thesis for 8 years and sometimes more. I was totally flabbergasted. And not that the Dutch system is a walk in the park, but I was at least not treated as cheap labor (you got a decent salary as a grad student) and slave. Call me lucky

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

Jos -
You've got some great lunch choices, but not very "diet-y" for those of us who have to watch our caloric intake! Lucky you!

I really want to check out a mahogany ASAT. That Bluesboy you have is really nice looking, and I bet it sounds fantastic. I'm going to keep an eye out for a hog bodied Tribute ASAT Special. I've got to think that body wood would be a great match for a large MFD.
...

Howdy Ches,

Not being the slimmest I have ever been, I am always checking caloric intake. But being a little older now, I tend to weigh that against enjoying life. And you can always leave off the fries, mash, noodles, rice, etc. which is what I do a lot.

Hog bodies sound great with large MFD's! Check out the Junior (first version) and the Super!

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

... I wonder why Mr. Duncan advised against the '59?

Hi Jamie,

According to Tim Page, Seymour opined that choosing the Seth Lover would lead to a better balance and smoother sound in the middle position. And I believe the experiment supported the hypothesis and hence the Seth Lover it has been ever since. Like I wrote, I haven't really done the comparison yet soI owe you folks a report on that when I (finally) get around doing it.

Sorry to hear EE does not seem to be your calling. But I'm pretty sure you still have garnered experiences that will come in handy in whatever you turn out to do in the future. Oh, and being a lover of the final product, I'm all for wine making ...

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

That's a gorgeous hog BB Jos. Is it naturally that red or is it a red-tint finish?

I did a lot of programming during my Ph.D and really enjoyed it. There is something intellectually very satisfying about conceptualizing a problem or idea, deconstructing it, then implementing the solution as code. Bug testing I could live without though.

I work in pharmaceutical development these days and wish I didn't. The opportunity to do anything creative, or even anything at all, is completely neutralised by thick and heavy regulation, overlaid with having to deal with a large US bureaucracy (the FDA). I got into it because I thought I'd be helping people, but the average time to get a drug to market is 10-20 years, and the attrition rate is phenomenal, something like 99%. Life is too short. If it paid the bills I'd prefer to work at a soup kitchen or learn how to bake decent bread. You'd get to see the results of your toil on a daily basis.

Howdy Philby,

Nice to see you check in. The finish is Clear Red which works great on about any kind of wood I have seen.

I never worked in the nuclear industry. It just isn't my thing, and hence I went for fundamental research. It didn't necessarily make your car go faster but it was fun to do and you could learn some neat skills and teach them to others. But the nuclear industry is also rife with regulations. Initially, there are nobel and honorable reasons for that: there might be a hidden danger and/or other safety concerns. But the moment you get lawyers (and lawmakers) involved it quickly disintegrates into a maze of passages all alike from which no escape seems to be possible. During my life I have not been able to form a favorable opinion about that profession. They usually don't know what the heck they are talking about and express that lack of understanding into jargon only understandable to themselves. And if there are any lawyers amongst you and you don't like my opinion, well .... SUE ME!

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

... Back to the important stuff (G&Ls): I haven't played any BBE-era 'hogs, but I would really like to try a few. The original ASAT Jr. is one of the BBE instruments that's high on my wish list. I have recently started playing 'hog basses (an L-1000 and L-2000E), and have been absolutely blown away. My 'hog S-500 is also magical. I can't describe just what it is, but the bodies on all of them resonate in a way that ash and maple don't.

Howdy Ken,

I have been railing against lawyers and regulations already above so enough of that

I have quite a few hog bodies right now: Junior, Super, HB, Bluesboy, and 25th Anniversary. The Junior is great but personally I think the Super is better. The 25th Anniversary also is a fantastic guitar: loud and kicking some serious you know what. One day I hope to be able to compare it with one of the original Leo-era hog F-100's. The HB was the most surprising. Its Legacy Alnico neck pup is so incredibly sweet in a hog body. I guess that is the thing you are talking about.

- Jos

[oneeyedog]

must say thanks for the reports this week... some good stuff there
I really enjoy what I'm doing at present , running my own business http://www.oneeyedog.co.uk Its probably not the best economic climate for a start up business but we'll get there. The rehearsal rooms side is ticking over and meeting the bills and its now time to push the sensory rooms side of the business. It's wonderful when people like the service you provide.Before I started thsi I was an I.T. Engineer, field based travelling around Scotland, latterly working on systems for pharmacy shops. It used to be a great job but as the company grew so did the lack of concern for their employees and the skills base of the new guys they took on seemed to decrease as well.. I was really glad to take my redundancy at the beginning of this year and get out! Now we just have to get our band moving as well and everything will be great!

john

[yowhatsshakin]

must say thanks for the reports this week... some good stuff there
I really enjoy what I'm doing at present , running my own business http://www.oneeyedog.co.uk Its probably not the best economic climate for a start up business but we'll get there. The rehearsal rooms side is ticking over and meeting the bills and its now time to push the sensory rooms side of the business. It's wonderful when people like the service you provide.Before I started thsi I was an I.T. Engineer, field based travelling around Scotland, latterly working on systems for pharmacy shops. It used to be a great job but as the company grew so did the lack of concern for their employees and the skills base of the new guys they took on seemed to decrease as well.. I was really glad to take my redundancy at the beginning of this year and get out! Now we just have to get our band moving as well and everything will be great!

john

Hey John,

I hadn't responded to your contribution to this day's LR. What a great idea to run rehearsal rooms! If there is any comment I would make is to add a dat stamp on when the band has answered the 10 questions.

The problems you list are certainly present at my place. Not withstanding that it is great to provide employment to many, especially in this economic climate, you would like to have these new people to do something that a) makes sense, b) allows them to develop into something better, and c) doesn't stomp onto work done by others. As a specific example of what I mean by the last point, in my business, if your codebase is only so large and you hire a bunch of developers because you want to produce many features in parallel and get them released fast, you will be in for a surprise. All of a sudden you realize that only a lot of chaos and entropy is created because everybody seems to be modifying the same pieces of code but 'locally optimized' to their needs and breaking the product as a whole all the time. The equivalent that is frequently use is this: 9 women who just became pregnant do not produce a single baby in a month. Oh well ... Sigh .... That's why we are using XP as a development technique in my team. You'd be pissing off a lot of higher ups though because you will say no a lot to their wishes and desires unless they can make a business case and are able to prioritize them. Sigh again, ...

Good luck with the band John!

- Jos