Scott Nelson--Qwerty Master: 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Vintage Vinyl

For the past ten years, I’ve been playing my records on a Crosley CR711 record player. Since I’ve been playing my records more frequently now, I decided to look into getting another turntable/record player. To save room, I looked at record players with built in amplifier and speakers.

Last year, I purchased a Gadhouse record player from Amazon.com. Just a few weeks earlier, I bought, a Jenson, but that one didn't work too well. The Gadhouse record player, like the Crosley, is just a basic and cheap record player. It needed a little bit of maintenance (loose speaker cover, loose connections, etc.) to keep it working properly, but it sounds OK with external speakers.

This year, I bought two used Garrard turntables. After cleaning/restoring them, I discovered I discovered that my last receiver did not have a phono input. Instead of buying a preamp, I purchased a 1970s Realistic receiver. Using an A/B input switcher box, I have the two Garrard turntables working with the Realistic receiver.

I’m also back to using my Crosley record player. Since I have enough turntables/record players, I’m dedicating the Crosley to playing only shellac 78 rpm records. I replaced the stylus/needle with one specifically made for 78 rpm records, which require a different size needle for playback--it is wider than the needle used for 33/45 rpm records. Now I can play my parent’s old records as well as some that I’ve purchased at thrift shops.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Joke a Day Video Project

A few weeks ago, I started a joke a day video project. My goal is to record on video (at least) one joke per day for an entire year. At the end of the year, I would edit all the jokes into one video and post it.

At first if sounded easy, and the only difficulty that I would have was to remember to record something. After a few days, I realized that I was not only telling a joke but also creating a kind of journal. The context of the joke should try to match the environment of the background in the video. I have a few jokes planned for certain situations, but usually most are not planned out in advance.

Also, I now realize that not only should I edit all the jokes into one final video, but also I should have been posting each individual one to Facebook. Yeah...I might still do that.

Looking back at the videos so far, I can see that I don't look too comfortable in the early ones. I hope that the final video will also show how I progress in telling the jokes while I'm being recorded.

Here's a list of some of the jokes that have used or may use in the future:

Did you hear the story about the broken pencil…there’s no point.

What's the difference between a violin and a viola?

A viola burns longer.

Why does a viola burn longer?

It’s usually still in the case.

My dog used to chase people on a bike. It got so bad that I finally had to take his bike away.

I wanted to grow my own food but I couldn’t get bacon seeds.

The secret to t good BBQ is to have a sauce that will cover up your mistakes.

When I see lovers’ names carved in a tree, I don’t think it’s sweet—I just think how surprising it is how many people bring a knife on a date.

I buy a lot of expensive cologne—I guess I have no common scents.

What happens when blondes move from New Jersey to New York? Both states get smarter.

Why can’t the bicycle stand up? Because it’s two tired.

Farting on an elevator is wrong on so many levels.

Friday, April 1, 2016

April 1

Since my last post, I've been busy connecting my electronics and audio projects. My, how time flies!

I've cleaned out a small section of the basement to use as an office. I moved a small desk into the area so that I can use a laptop to do my work. I'm still working on my job search, but in my spare time I now have a small space to relax and listen to music.

This weekend as I prepare to do my taxes, I'll see if I can locate a file cabinet to organize my paperwork. Right now, I'm using some crates as a bookshelf.

Last month, I purchased a new record player. It's nothing fancy--just enough to play my records without skipping. Since the audio output is not too strong, I have it hooked up to some amplified computer speakers. It's good enough to fill the room with sound.

Now when I do my work, I can listen to the record player, radio, CD player, or cassette tape player.

I also dusted off my guitar and amplifier. I'm running it through my iPhone so that I can use some guitar pedal apps and Garage Band. The batteries on my iRig stomp box keep dying--now I have to find my AC adapters.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Traveling with Snuggles

The new year started out with Snuggles traveling along the East Coast from Long Island, NY to the Washington DC area.

One of the first stops this year was to Center Moriches High School in Suffolk County, New York. We went there to see a girls volleyball tournament.

In February, it was off to the Capital Hill Volleyball tournament in Washington DC. While there, he toured the areas of Arlington, VA and Washington, D.C. Here's Snuggles reading the Washington Metrorail map.