It is, indeed, a guitar "footpedal". As far as I know it's a homebrew project, built from a readily available circuit diagram. I think it looks absolutely ridiculous, but damned impressive too.
Valvecaster, dieselpunk guitar overdrive/distortion pedal. Condition is "Unused custom build”.
This is a low voltage Matsumin Valvecaster pedal circuit that drives a 12AU7 tube to convincing overdrive.
I thought this clever and rich pedal circuit needed a stylish and imaginative home in keeping with the feel of its main function.
Using a vintage Weston Electrical meter I mounted the valve (tube) externally to make a show of this beautiful retro technology! Taking cues from the shape of the upper plinth and the meter's viewing window, I hand crafted 6 cooling fins from 2mm aluminium.
I fitted the case with a 9-12v, 2.1mm input (no room for an internal battery) and pilot light ( a fender amp jewel light with a led). The Valvecaster has 3 controls, volume, tone and gain. The meter’s original brass terminals operate the controls for the pedal with the 4th being a switch to operate the brightness of a 3mm led that illuminates the valve from below emulating a tubes glow.
Comes WITH a vintage, Mullard 12au7 (new old stock) tube/valve...the most sought after for this pedal circuit.
The guitar input and output jacks fit amazingly well owing to the efficient and space saving point to point wiring of the circuits components onto the valve socket itself. The pedal is wired for true bypass!
And there we have it, a real tube based, Machine age style overdrive pedal with genuine tube distortion...as used by “The Rocketeer”! This is a one-off design that has stunned everyone who has seen and heard it! There will be no others like this, this is your one chance to own this totally unique creation that sounds as amazing as it looks!
Does anyone here play Dwarf Fortress? I'm not usually attracted to computer games (the last one I played was Lemmings about 40 years ago) but DF looks like the kind of insanely difficult and idiosyncratic game that could just get me interested. Just its description and the fact that it was created by one man made me sit up and notice.
Unreal to even imagine where graphics will be in 10 years, 20 years, though I could probably look it up and read some decent predictions.
Couldn't fit this anywhere else, I've looked up the term 'marmite' and was wondering what exactly people mean when using it in discussion not related to popular(banned in some places?) sandwich spreads.
My first encounter with the term though was in WW1 books. One instance in particular is when the war first began French soldiers were still wearing huge red baggy pants and heavy dark blue jackets, making them highly visible, back when people were unaware of the devastating new weapons that had come into existence since their last major conflict. One shell landing in a group of 150 men in a tight formation would kill 70 outright and maim the rest. Some of the soldiers didn't even know what that was that hit them and had been told that "those are marmites, if you hear their whistle it may already be too late".
Marmite is one of those things that's become iconic through no fault of its own. Opinion about the flavour is sharply divided, and people supposedly, either love it, or hate it, there is no inbetween. Hence, "a bit Marmite" means black and white, no grey areas, it's either one thing or the other.
I didn't use to need the internet, my wife knew everything.
I can take Marmite or leave it Much prefer Natex which is also a yeast extract
More music from better kit Played last : Underworld -King Crimson -Beach Boys -Hybrid -Jazzanova -Rod Stewart -Dave Seaman -Geoffrey Richardson -Eric Burdon -Max Richter -James Lavelle -Boards of Canada -Jonny Lang -Gerry Rafferty -Level 42 -Voice of the Seven Woods -Manassas -The Rides -Bonnie Raitt -Mogwai -Viktor Krauss -Bajofondo -Bent -Chris Rea -Rick Springfield TAD/Technics/Coherent
I really hope he's since bought a lottery ticket...
A British soldier has survived a 15,000ft fall after crashing into someone’s roof when his parachute failed to fully deploy.
The parachutist was taking part in a training exercise on July 6 in California when he jumped out of a plane in a High Altitude Low Opening exercise known as Halo.
Halo is used by the SAS and SBS for covert insertions into hostile territory.
During the training exercise, the soldier experienced issues in freefall and lost control when the parachute failed to open over the skies of Atascadero.
Although he deployed his reserve parachute, he did not have sufficient height to land on the allocated Drop Zone.
The soldier made a speedy descent towards the ground and smashed into a local resident’s house about 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Eyewitnesses immediately called 911 when they saw the incident unfolding.
“I was in shock. I’m like, what?” Neighbour Rose Martin told KSBY.
“So I ran in to make sure he was okay and I checked on him and his eyes were open but I wasn’t sure if there were any injuries. I didn’t want anyone to move him.”
A large hole was left in the tiled roof of the bungalow where the soldier fell through the loft and into the kitchen.
The property was empty at the time of the incident.
“It’s a miracle in my estimation, really. I mean, who lands like that without a parachute and lives?,” said Ms Martin.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the Standard: “There has been a parachuting incident involving a British soldier training alongside American allies in California.
“The soldier received minor injuries and is recovering well.”
Linda Sallady, the mother of the homeowner, said: “[He] came through the roof, through the tresses and there’s not that much damage in the house.
“It’s amazing. It’s mostly the ceiling, the sheetrock. He missed the counters, appliances, everything.”
The rest of the training group from nearby Camp Roberts touched down in the landing field chosen for the assignment.
Atascadero Police Department tto7i JulyS lponunasShdt 0or4:n3e7iiadudr · Parachute Accident
On July 6, 2021 at 4:55 pm, Atascadero Emergency Dispatch received multiple reports on a parachutist who fell without a full chute deployment in the 9500 block of Via Cielo. Atascadero Fire and Police responded to the area and located the parachutist who had fallen through the exterior and interior roof of a residence.
The parachutist was conscious but stunned with complaints of pain but no visible serious injuries. The occupants of the residence were not home at the time and therefore were uninjured.
Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services treated the injuries and assisted in the transportation of the individual to the hospital.
Investigation revealed that a parachute failed to fully deploy during maneuvers by a group training at Camp Roberts. This was the only incident involved and all others participating in the jump landed safely at the designated landing field.
We are grateful that the parachutist received only moderate injuries and that no other persons suffered injury.
How wonderfully understated and "English," is the MOD comment though: “There has been a parachuting incident involving a British soldier training alongside American allies in California. The soldier received minor injuries and is recovering well.”
I honestly couldn't think of anywhere else to post this, but I didn't want to let it pass unremarked.
Alex Scott proud of accent amid criticism from Lord Jones
The former Arsenal and England footballer has been presenting the Olympic coverage for the BBC
BBC presenter Alex Scott says she is proud of her London accent after ex-House of Lords member Digby Jones criticised her pronunciation.
Lord Jones tweeted on Friday she "spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her 'g's at the end of a word".
Scott said she was "proud" to be from a working-class family in east London.
The tweets were trending throughout Saturday.
Lord Digby Jones @digbylj
Enough! I can’t stand it anymore! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word.Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimming
She’s hot on the heels of Beth Rigby at Sky the Home Secretary for God’s sake! Can’t someone give these people elocution lessons? I fear that it may be aped by youngsters along the lines of the use of the moronic interrogative originally caused by “Neighbours”; on behalf of the
English Language…..Help! 6:44 PM · Jul 30, 2021·Twitter for iPad
Lord Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, added she was "hot on the heels of Beth Rigby at Sky" and Home Secretary Priti Patel and said they should be given elocution lessons.
Responding, former Arsenal and England footballer Scott said: "Any young kids who may not have a certain kind of privilege in life" should not allow "judgments on your class, accent, or appearance hold you back".
Alex Scott MBE @alexscott
I’m from a working class family in East London, Poplar, Tower Hamlets & I am PROUD 🙌🏾 Proud of the young girl who overcame obstacles, and proud of my accent! It’s me, it’s my journey, my grit.
A quick one to any young kids who may not have a certain kind of privilege in life. Never allow judgments on your class, accent, or appearance hold you back. Use your history to write your story. Keep striving, keep shining & don’t change for anyone
Tweets like this just give me the energy to keep going Fuel pumpRaising hands See you tomorrow.. live on BBC baby 12:52 AM · Jul 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
Lord Jones later responded that Scott should not play the "working class card" as she was "worthy of much better".
He added: "I admire & often publicly praise the adversity you faced & defeated to achieve all the success you deserve.
"Not sounding a g at the end of a word is wrong; period. It's not a question of class, it's not a question of accent, it's a question of poor elocution. Don't let it spoil your otherwise excellent performance."
Lord Jones was educated at Bromsgrove School, a co-educational independent boarding school, while Scott is said to have attended Langdon Park School, a mixed secondary school in Poplar.
He is a former director-general of the Confederation of British Industry and was a Labour transport minister and a member of the House of Lords between 2007 and 2020.
Scott, who has recently been announced as the new host of the BBC's Football Focus, received support from many including colleagues and politicians.
Lord Jones was educated at Bromsgrove School, a co-educational independent boarding school
Labour MP Dawn Butler replied telling her to "keep rising" while fellow Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted that regional accents added, "to the joy of the Olympics coverage".
Golfer Thomas Bjorn, former footballer Micah Richards and ex-rugby international Will Carling added to the many voices of support, while Arsenal Women tweeted: "Keep being you, Alex Scott. Forever proud!"
BBC colleague Eilidh Barbour also defended Scott on Twitter.
She wrote: "This thread is what makes AlexScott such a wonderful role model. Keep rising girl."
What a pompous old prick. Alex is knowledgeable, and a breath of fresh air in the world of "pundits," although I should probably limit that to football pundits. When she started out she attracted no end of sexist comments, but she has won people over simply by knowing her subject and putting it across in a way fans can relate to. Her rise also seems to have coincided with a few of the "old guard" of punditry retiring. Basically, she's better than them, and they can't hack the competition. Punditry had stagnated, people like Alex (and Sue Smith) are reinvigorating it. More power to them,and who gives a toss that they don't speak "BBC English," like what Digby obviously does.
The fact that she is rather gorgeous doesn't hurt either.
I've followed Alex's career since she started playing football for Arsenal, and for England Ladies, and the girl done good. She's just been confirmed as the next host of the BBC's Football Focus too - replacing Dan Walker - making her the first female host since the program began, in 1974. I think we can safely assume that the BBC thinks quite highly of her.
As Stephen Fry pointed out if his Lordship wants to get picky, then he should style himself Digby, Lord Jones, not Lord Digby Jones, and as I pointed out, he doesn't seem to understand the difference between a "period," and a "full-stop".
If Lord Jones really "cared" he'd be addressing a letter of complaint to the BBC, not tweeting for effect, to see how many feathers he could ruffle with his ignorance and arrogance. He did rather put me in mind of this though, so there was a silver lining.
I didn't use to need the internet, my wife knew everything.
Then again, some presenters (I don't know Alex Scott) set my teeth on edge with their pronunciations. A few newsreaders, in particular, ought to know better. One of them used to say 'nucular' in the manner of George Bush when he should have been saying 'nuclear'. Got me shouting at the TV!
Alex is an East London girl and speaks with an East London accent (although not nearly as pronounced as some I've come across ) it's as simple as that. The difference between her and Priti Patel - another one on his shit list for dropping her "g"s - is that Scott is not trying to be anything other than what she is.
Here's a bit of Alex Scott for anyone who doesn't know her.
Stephen Fry @stephenfry
Replying to @digbylj
You are everything linguists and true lovers of language despise. Also, since we’re being picky, you are not “Lord Digby Jones”, you are Digby, Lord Jones. There’s a world of difference. But however you’re titled, you disgrace the upper house with your misplaced snobbery 2:23 PM · Jul 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone