[floppybootstomp]

A few things...

Phoned adsl24 today to order their C & W service, unlimited bandwidth for 20 quid a month and speeds 'up to' 24Mb d/l.

As with 02/Be, adsl24 can't supply the service as my local exchange - Greenwich - has no 'slots' or 'rackspace' left.

Unless BT physically expand the size of the exchange it ain't gonna happen either.

I was told I could queue up but that it could take months, years even, before a slot became available and in the meantime I'd have to be on a permanent month's notice with Zen.

The guy I spoke to, in Lancashire, was a nice fella and he told me that Greenwich exchange is 'possibly the most popular and in demand in the whole of the UK'.

Bugger.

My # 2 machine, 3.2Ghz AMD dulaie, XP SP3 install, is going flakey on me.

It is a very old install and XP does need a spring clean every now and then.

The computer sometimes restarts when I shut it down and also the printer is sometimes not recognised.

Not sure if this is a hardware or software fault, tbh but the fact a couple of games have frozen today makes me suspect my install.

I have had some malware and one virus which I managed to get rid of, maybe that doesn't help.

Also, on a whim, I thought I'd install Freespace II but that froze at start as well but it could just be because it's 11 years old.

I discovered that Steam supply a backup service for online downloads. Basically you open the Steam games list, right click on any game you want to backup then tick boxes for all the other games, create and select a folder and backup to it.

Mine's about 60Gb on this machine, it's currently backing up and will take about 75 minutes.

That should save on some bandwidth if it works

Work is still grim but I have had a request to survey a sound system in a local school at half term on Feb 15th with a view to upgrading the amp rack/replacing some speakers/setting up a maintenance contract. Not gonna be booking a holiday to St Lucia on that but it's still encouraging.

Had this idea about mail-shotting churches, they all have PA systems and also hearing-impaired sound loops, of which I've fitted quite a few.

Would it be hypocritical of me, working for priests, vicars, rabbis, imans and the like? Ha-ha, don't know, don't care really, cash is cash

Just sold the hard disk caddy I had advertised, geezer from another forum visited me at 7pm this evening and paid cash. Luvverly.

Days are getting longer, sunsets less spectacular, I just hope the poxy rain stops.

I have to e-mail at least 5 people and I'm too lazy, I am a miserable sinner, lol

Dumpy, him of the Rusty Nuts fame, sent me a message on Facebook and put the idea forward of a reunion - T F Much Disco (dat's me) and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts, maybe at The White Swan at Greenwich, where we worked together all them years ago.

Good bloke, is Dumpy

Signing off, Sir Flops.

[muckshifter]

Had this idea about mail-shotting churches, they all have PA systems and also hearing-impaired sound loops, of which I've fitted quite a few.

Airports, football grounds, train stations, bus stations even pubs-n-clubs, fairground parks such as Alton Towers ...

[floppybootstomp]

Originally Posted by muckshifter

Airports, football grounds, train stations, bus stations even pubs-n-clubs, fairground parks such as Alton Towers ...

Excellent suggestions Mr Mucks and I thank you for them.

But. All those big customers are firmly in the hands of the big boys. All the major supermarket chains, IKEA. B & Q et al as well.

A company named Baldwin Boxall actually install the public address systems in UK IKEA stores and they're one of the smaller companies.

The rest are wrapped up with bribes, backhanders, greased palms, business lunches and plain old nepotism.

I have found it almost impossible to get toes in a door with any of the big boys.

Biggest customer I ever had was when I had a Limited Company with 3 other guys, 1996 - 2002 and that was The Really Useful Theatre Company. I've worked in most of the major West End Theatres, mostly with CCTV but I did install a sound system in The Palladium. That was good, they were rehearsing for Grease, as I recall.

We lost them when our sales guy put in a quote for some work that was frankly taking the Mick and I expressed my reservations about the high price. He said 'Don't worry, they trust us, we'll get the work'.

But we were busy and couldn't start that work for three days. The theatre manager was impatient and called in another company to give a price. Their price was two thirds of what our salesman had quoted and we never received any more work from The Really Useful Theatre Company.

Later that year Islington Council made lots of staff redundant and those made a maintenance company to do the work they used to do. But this new company didn't give us the work Islington used to, they used other people or done it themselves.

Then Tower Hamlets done the same thing.

Then Ashridge Management College changed management and had it's AV budget slashed so we no longer received work from them. They were our biggest customer.

So more or less overnight we lost our 4 principal customers.

So we called it a day, had paid seven years of a ten year mortgage on an industrial property and just managed to come out of it with a couple of hundred quid each. Still, could have been worse.

And it was also at that time I lost my home and family and (probably as a consequence) spent some time in Hospital. I do not remember 2002 fondly

Still, this church angle might be worth a bash.

[nivrip]

Still, this church angle might be worth a bash.

Think you'll actually get in?

Are you sure a bolt of lightening won't strike you down as you walk through the door?

[floppybootstomp]

Originally Posted by nivrip

Think you'll actually get in?

Are you sure a bolt of lightening won't strike you down as you walk through the door?

I've already worked in four churches, near Gravesend, Dartford, Islington and Forest Hill.

And I wasn't struck down by lightning at either of them

And lo, a light shone and they trembled in great fear and dread.

Blimey

Despite being agnostic, I really like the architecture of lots of churches, the older the better, fabulous buildings and so very very English.

Or British, perhaps

And steeped in history in many cases.

[captain zed]

Could ya not get some work repairing disco gear and computers and stuff ?? You seem to know a lot about amps and speakers and set ups etc. Also i haven't heard mention of NAD in a long while, lol. I hope your luck picks up soon.

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks for the suggestion zed but although I used to repair AV equipment to component level I came to realise it's a lot of work, time and agro for very little money. And you need a workshop.

I do have a dual beam oscilloscope, avometer, fluke voltmeter, frequency generator, dummy load, and variable bench psu, plus a couple of good solder stations and sometimes I'll repair something for a friend.

As for computers - too many at it, too many variables, not enough money.

And you're at the mercy of the customer's understanding of their software. If their machine crashes, they're likely to blame your hardware repair for their software error. So nope, don't wanna go there.

Again though, I often repair friends' machines, usually for free cos I'm a mug

[Rush]

Hope all picks up m8, Do you have a website running in the background !! at least it might offer jobbies ???

[floppybootstomp]

Rush, I do have a website but it's a franchise and doesn't really represent what I do.

But today I had some good news. I sent some flyers out last week and today it has been confirmed that I'll be working all of Feb 15th to 19th, which is the schools' half term holiday around here.

This will earn me enough to keep going for at least two months by being able to pay all bills, eat, drink and maybe even replace some of those ageing clothes of mine. I know it's supposed to be fashionable but I'd rather not have holes in the knees of my Levis, thank you

So, a little Woot! is in order

I have sales information on it's way to me giving details of induction loop systems with pricing and I have started compiling a mailing list of local churches.

Gaming:

I'm selling: Spore (see other thread); Soldier Of Fortune II (Have just finished playing it again and I honestly don't think I'll play it through again); Call Of Juarez Bound In Blood (Played about two hours worth and I'm really not keen on it); HAWX (I've been useless at all flight sims I've tried except MS FSX including this one) and Crysis Warhead (just finished it).

I'll probably put a thread in the sales section or may just take them to the Cex shop. PM me if interested for a price.

Almost finished Syberia One, a good game, makes a change from fast action and mayhem.

I'll probably get into Guild Wars with a vengenance quite soon.

Went to the dentist at Guys Hospital yesterday, had a filling, going back Monday for another one. Not pleasant but you got to have them things done.

The weather has been poxy since about 1803, it seems, either rain or snow.

Left freezer door open by one inch the other evening, in morning realised about two weeks worth of food was ruined. Cooked a load of defrosted raw lamb chops, burgers and 2lb of minced beef, have been eating chilli for 3 days running, good job I like that stuff.

Haven't been out for a drink since New Years Eve where I was working as well cos of lack of funds. And partly cos the weather's been so miserable.

Realling liking new albums by Vampire Weekend, Hadouken and Delphic.

Two people have asked if I'm available to a disco at their 50th birthdays later in the year, I'm waiting on that.

My AMD computer is still intermittently re-booting on shutdown but seems to be having no problems with the printer now. I may just reinstall XP anyway, it's getting a little cluttered now after about 18 months.

And that load of old twaddle is what's occuring in flopzworld

[Rush]

I will do a website for you ...no problem m8 just give me a domain name and i will register it and do all the donkey work...I have a couple of free hosting opportunities still available.