mondie

Spotted this on another forum. Love this band and this footage is about the most amazing music related thing I have seen for years.Absolutely awesome to see these guys playing some tracks from one of the best albums of my lifetime! Zach sure is intense, 'settle for nothing' was so new he had to refer to a lyric sheet but still they were so tight. oh to have been there that day!

 

Anyone got a time machine?

 

Just watched this great doco, not sure if it has screened in Oz but worth checking out online. Dingle is a tiny remote village in Ireland that for the past 10 yrs has managed to draw some great musicians to its small Parish Church music festival where they play to a crowd of around 80. The doco feature interviews with Amy and others involved with pulling the night together along with footage from the show . Amazing performance from Amy, its given me a new appreciation for her music. Imagine being one of the 80 that enjoyed her talents in such a tiny and historic old church.

 

Cheers

mondie

 

 

I have been on the cusp of doing an MBA for a few years. I got as far as enrolling for a Masters (not MBA) in Adelaide but we took a relocation to Scotland just a month before the course started.

Now we are settled in Scotland it's time to get serious on this; at 43 its really the time to do it or forget about it for good. I can enroll at Robert Gordon University just 7 miles from home and fortunately for me, take on an MBA specific to "Oil & Gas Management' Since that is my profession and where I wish to continue to push on its an easy choice. Would undertake the course over 4 yrs of part time study while working.

I am keen to hear from any SNA'ers who have taken on an MBA and find how you found the work/life balance while studying, and if you felt you learned valuable skills that helped you progress or gain that job you always wanted. Does the MBA deserve its reputation as a marriage breaker?

Cheers
mondie

Thought some of my SNA mates might be interested in a few pics I took on the weekend of our new house in Drumoak, Scotland. We moved in over the weekend after nearly 2 months of various temporary accommodation and months of commuting prior to that. Its an old traditional Victorian 2 storey granite house built in 1837, its really quite spacious but alas I lost out on the listening room. Its much smaller than the one I enjoyed in Adelaide at 5.0 x 4.5m but has 10ft ceilings and a suspended floor. It sounds so much better than it should with such a large set of speakers and in some ways I prefer it to my old room. The bass is astonishing and I love feeling it through the floor, you can literally feel the air move and your clothes flap The speakers are only 2.5m c-c and that has inproved the central image a lot to what I am used to. Its fun and great to have my tunes back.

Still the desire to sell down my system is strong, not shown in the pics is the rear of the room and about 25 boxes of LP's, I cannot be bothered to even unpack them or setup the TT for now. We'll see if the desire kicks in soon but if not its time to list some gear for sale. I am (nearly) officially a reformed audiophile.

We are loving the new life in Scotland, just one mile from our house is Drum Castle and some stone circles older than Stonehenge. I love living history and the perspective this gives you on life. Its been a long 6 months to get ourselves moved and finally settled into our own property and was a lot of grunt at times, but it has all been worth it. Looking forward to winter now, I might not be saying that this time next year but I cannot wait for some snow!

Cheers
Simon

Sold my road bike before we moved to Scotland as l never felt as ease on it having ridden MTB's since the early 80's. Went off to the shops last week to see what l could get for 1000 quid, quite a lot as it turns out. Then l was faced with an unexpected choice, do you want 26" or 29" wheels. Apparently 29" wheels have been slowly gaining in popularity to the point now where a lot of mainstream manufacturers have got the frame design sorted and the wheel & tyre choices are plentiful.

I will use the bike mainly for trail riding, not into hard MTB work. Would like to cover some good distances and will have to deal with a lot of wet conditions. I love the agility and handling of a 26" bike as thats all I know. Apparently the 29" will suit my needs better as its strengths over the 26" match up with my intend use. Now I am confused as l want to retain the maneuverability of the 26" so what to do but ask for opinions on SNA.

Anybody bought a 29er that can offer an opinion on their choice?

Cheers,
mondie