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Viewing posts from 2011

Stereo to 2.1 "upmix" on Linux - part 1

I recently upgraded my set of speakers after my old Braun boxes finally reached their end of life. The "surrounds" of the speakers were degraded too far after almost 30 years. Given that the speaker system was from Braun's budget series of speakers (still relatively expensive at the time) it does not make sense to refurbish it. So I replaced the front speakers with a set of Nubert nuJubilee 35 (comparable to nuLine 32) speakers. If you are a fan of the 70th classic music sound like me: give Nubert speaker systems a try. At least the nuLine series is quite close to the sound of medium to large Brauns, though slightly more modern (i.e., more bass.)

Anonymous comments turned off

I've turned off anonymous comments as ReCapture apparently is no hurdle for spam bots anymore. If you want to comment on my entries and don't have an account on LiveJournal or any of the other accepted OpenID providers yet: please register with one.

Sewing machine

I bought a cheap sewing machine at Lidl (a German grocery chain) today for only 60 Euros. An independent test report said it's okay for the price, and indeed it is. It does sew neat straight seams. However, the manual is a bit confusing and if I hadn't learned how to use a sewing machine (well, at least the basics) on a quality machine ten times worth this one I would have been totally lost. Which leads me to the question who is the targeted user of this machine? Everyone from experienced hobbyist level on would rather spend some more money for a quality machine. A beginner would quickly despair and give up.

How to handle a tricky public relations issue

What do Mormons and the Furry Fandom have in common? Next to nothing. However, both face the same problem when it comes to answering ridicule: how to react appropriately and at the same time ask their own community to not engage in an embarrassing debate. Trey Parker and Matt Stone of Southpark fame wrote a satirical musical called Book or Mormon which will premier next month on New York Broadway. This is the official statement by the LDS Church. Quite brilliant, from a PR point of view: they do not take the bait, do not criticize the musical, don't say they're offended, don't try to justify themselves, they just state what's important to them. And, more directed at their own fellowship than at outsiders, they link to their general stance on media coverage, which remarkably well explains how to react on unfavorable reports and fiction without getting into a defensive position.

California Vacation 2011 - Day 15: Back to Germany

Finally caught up on vacation reports. This entry is about Saturday, January 22nd.

California Vacation 2011 - Day 14: Pacific Coast

Still catching up on vacation reports. This entry is about Friday, January 21st.

California Vacation 2011 - Day 14: Cartoon Museum

Still catching up on vacation reports. This entry is about Thursday, January 20th.

Califorina Vacation 2011 - Day 13: Exploratorium

It's been a couple of years since I visited the Exploratorium, and Kayjay and Lynard didn't know it at all, so this is where we spent the day. Furvan went shopping on his own, though. Lucky for him he doesn't know what he was missing. There are some similar museums around the world based on the same didactic concept, but the Exploratorium is still the best in my opinion. Countless physical experiments to try yourself, well constructed and explained. We entered at half past ten in the morning and got thrown out after only twenty minutes — when they were closing at five in the afternoon. I believe that's one of the few experiments without a proper description: the difference between your sense of time and the actual time spent at the museum.