Signage SNAFU at McDonald’s

Just the other day, while buying some McDonald’s for dinner, I looked up at their signage screens for queue numbers and saw this. It was showing the signage ok, just that it had this error message on the screen. McDonald’s has this “new” type of ordering system where you choose what you want to eat, order it from a touch-screen menu, and then pay for it via NETS, or you can pay at the counter. The counter or machine will give you a queue slip after payment has been made, the staff will pack your meal for you. That is what this counter is for…for showing your queue number. Well, this queue screen had that errors. Well done McDonald’s!

 

One is never too old to DJ

I totally agree with what the picture is all about. But since this picture came from the Internet, it may be a posed picture. But I will tell you this. What I do is anything but a posed picture. I have been DJ’ing for more than 30 years. I may not look as old as this gentleman but a few friends and I are still doing it…and enjoying it. There is no other outlet that allows you to enjoy your music more than being a DJ…and getting people to dance to the music you are playing.

ITT Cannon XLR jacks

One thing I love about these ITT Cannon jacks of old is that they are built tough and I have a couple of them, still soldered to the cables they were originally soldered on…30 years and counting. You can get some Made In China XLR jacks like these but that is where the similarity ends. These quality ITT Cannon jacks were also found on the those old Canare snakes that I was wrote about some time back. I wish that these can be found more readily in the marketplace instead of the Neutrik ones that I use all the time now.

Press button to hear marketing presentation

Everyone must have gotten those calls on the phone, late at night or even while at meetings. One thing I really hate is the fact that these marketing people do not seem to take “no” for an answer. Then there is the salesman that comes and goes on and on and on. Do not get me wrong…I know that this is part of their job but get to the point. And for those fellas  that call you at the most inconvenient time, stop it. Its bloody irritating

Levi’s 501 jeans

I have a pet peeve with the Levi’s jeans importer in Singapore. Everywhere I go, I cannot find the jeans that are my size. What I want is a waist size of 34 inches and an inseam of 36 inches. Unfortunately, all they have, store-wide in Singapore, are 501’s that measure 34 inches for waist and 34 for inseam. That is why I never buy Levi’s jeans in Singapore. And besides…their jeans are severely overpriced. I always ask my sister in the USA to buy it and ship it back here. And you want to know what is even more amazing? Even with the shipping cost added to the cost of the jeans, it is still cheaper than buying it here! Go figure!

Yamaha LS9 digital console

About a week back, at an event I was the sound engineer back, I had a backup console next to my main mixing desk. That backup desk was hooked up to another set of speakers and amplifiers, designed to take over should the main system I was mixing on go tits-up. The mixer of this backup system was the Yamaha LS9. I thought that it was a nice, small, compact mixer and it can handle up to 32 channels. According to Yamaha and taken from their website:

The LS9 series consoles follow in the distinguished footsteps of the Yamaha PM1D, PM5D, and M7CL, expanding Yamaha’s digital mixing console lineup for live sound and installations. The LS9 series consists of the 32-mic/line input 64-channel LS9-32, and the 16-mic/line input 32 channel LS9-16. While being compact and light enough for one person to move and set up easily, both models include features that have been field-proven in previous Yamaha digital consoles as well as outstanding sonic quality. In addition to an extensive range of gating, compression, and equalization capabilities, there’s also a built-in USB memory recorder/player for recording or BGM playback, and other functionality that give you everything you need for small to medium scale live sound or installed applications in remarkably compact, all-in-one consoles.

I am really starting to take a look at this, along with the Allen & Heath QU-Pac that I covered some time back because this could be the small mixer that I am looking for. I am starting to delve more into digital mixers, although I remain an analogue guy at heart. This mixer could be it. Looks like I gotta go to the Yamaha site and find out a bit more about this mixer

Philips compact fluorescent bulbs

These compact fluorescent bulbs are something else. Just the other day, the bulb in my kitchen fused. So off I went to the local Sheng Siong supermarket to buy a new one. A few days later, the bulb in the toilet blew. My wife needed to use the toilet so I took the bulb from the kitchen that I had just installed, and “plugged it” into the toilet. Problem is that the bulb did not light up and while I was fiddling about with it, the bulb slipped out of my hands and broke. Bloody hell. Well done Alan you idiot. So we were without light in the kitchen and bathroom for a couple of days. The reason? Not every corner store sells bulbs like these. So I make the journey back again to Sheng Siong and bought two more. This time, they are there in their respective places…for keeps….unless they blow of course.

I wonder why they invented those compact fluorescent bulbs when the other fluorescent bulbs work quite well. Oh well…I suppose some people wanted to create another format so…there we go. I just wish that they were more readily available.

Tupperware flower holders

Just the other day, when my wife and I were walking at the wet market near my place, we came across this florist that had this stand with these Tupperware tumblers attached to it. It brought back vivid memories of myself as a kid, following my mother around the market and seeing stands like these when she bought flowers from the florist in the market. These tumblers were used to hold water so that the flowers could be placed in them. These tumblers were also used by my mother, at least a couple of them (my mother was mad on Tupperware) to store drinking water in the refrigerator. Ah memories. That is what glimpses of old Singapore bring…memories

North Korea wants to go to war over loudspeakers

Yep…Kim Jong Numba One…er…Un is getting a bit hot under the collar. And why you may ask. Apparently, he has put North Korea on a war footing and threatened “indiscriminate strikes” against the South if it doesn’t agree to halt propaganda broadcasts a certain time. The country has threatened action unless South Korea stops its anti-Pyongyang broadcasts over the heavily fortified North-South border.

In short, he is “making noise” about these loudspeakers pictured above.

It’s the first time since 2004 that South Korea has used the speakers to blast messages like these across the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Though North Korea has its own speakers on its side of the border, the technology behind the South’s is far superior, and their sounds are easily heard.

Seems like Numba Un likes requests like “The Sound Of Silence”.

Shure FP16A Distribution Amplifier

These past few days, I have been using these at an event…of sorts. These distribution amplifiers are hardy…very hardy. I must say that when Shure build their stuff, they build their stuff right! What is it? Well, the FP16A is a 1-input, 6-output, compact audio distribution amplifier for routing multiple audio signal feeds. In short, it is similar to that Behringer MX882 that I have installed previously in several clubs, except that the Behringer is stereo and umm, inexpensive. I must say that I like the sound of this baby and I wish I had this as part of my inventory. It will be very useful indeed. Read this for a better description.