Just a quick post, after having taken some time to think just how much electrical component’s have reduced in size in my lifetime.
What made you think this way? I hear you ask (or at least imagine that you ask.)
Well, today I had ten Audio amplifiers and fifty charging points delivered. Now, years ago I’d have probably had a large van deliver this little lot but today a small sized Jiffy bag came through my door containing all the above.
50 micro usb ports10 audio amplifiers
Ok the charging ports were micro usb ports and the audio amps were some small audio amps in an IC format needed for a current project I’m working on.
Amazing isn’t it just how far this technology has progressed. And shrunk in size.
What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?
To me having it all means having enough to be happy. I’m happy with my lot, I have a good life, I’m closer to being poor than rich but I have all I need in my life. My family, my memories, my dreams and ambitions, I don’t have it all in terms of possessions power or money, I don’t envy what others have, I admire them for how they have obtained their good fortune and the hard work they have put into that achievement.
I have what I want, I have the people around me that I want around me, I have happiness and I’m content.
I believe I may have mentioned him before, but I’d like to speak to my old primary school teacher who took over a troubled individual’s downward spiral and moulded him into a half decent person.
That individual was me, the teacher was Mr. Twelftree, the school was Little Reddings in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
I’d love to meet him and talk to him, I’d love to say just two words – “Thank you”.
He was and has been the most influential man I have met in my life, even overshadowing my own father as he saw something in me that even my own father couldn’t see.
Thank you sir, the debt I owe you cannot be repaid, I only hope that what I have learned from you has been passed forward to help others.
I have an old personal cassette recorder otherwise known as a dictaphone sitting in the drawer of my bedside cabinet. On that cassette is a recording of my lovely mum drunkenly singing at a small dinner my wife and I hosted for her and my father about 30 years ago.
She’s singing the old Platters record, “Smoke gets in your eyes”
It’s my most treasured memory of a most beautiful person, and the fact I can still listen to my Mum after all these years at a time when she is happy is immensely satisfying and comforting to me. She didn’t have a happy life with my father, it’s just so good to hear her without worry on her mind.
Me and my wife both collect. She loves a certain brand of handbag, me, I collect cameras, photo postcards, radios, models, garden plants and ornaments and empty boxes.
Together we both collectively collect dust as we’d both rather be out making memories than doing boring household chores.
For parts or not working, Does not power on don’t know what is wrong with it,screen looks to have a leak
EBay
Technics SL-XP165 portable CD player
This is probably going to be one of if not the least problematic units I have received yet. Probably more along the lines of boring for those looking for a repair report, I fear I have brought you here under false pretences, that was not my intention and I apologise if that has been the case.
Another unit from 1996 (therefore now 28 years old) this one originally had rechargeable batteries which were a bonus item for such a unit at the time. Personally I’m using good old alkaline batteries for test purposes, I doubt I will be using rechargeables.
I down loaded the instruction pamphlet, grabbed a pair of earphones and then dropped in two AA batteries and a CD.
Nothing. Silence…..
I looked at the unit, the seller is right I thought….then I pushed the play button and took the switch off hold on the side and put the second switch into normal operation and almost blew my ears off.
SL-XP165SL-XP165Screen minor issues
Superb sound and it was quite obvious that the unit was working. All buttons are doing what they should do, the Xbass system is phenomenal and the volume dial is faultless and crackle free.
SL-XP165SL-XP165A bit tatty but perfect sound
It just goes to show the seller in this case wasn’t fully aware regarding how the unit works. You have to turn it on and off to get it working, it’s not all automated like other similar units. See video below.
Stop start works good
The unit is a bit tatty and the indicator panel has had some leak by the looks of it (See photo at top of this post) but even though this looks a bit poor cosmetically it does still display most of the information, it’s just not showing the track number info. Yes I could probably try another screen on this unit but what is the point? It works fine and the unit will gain no significant value for doing such a fix. It’s just not a financially viable choice unless I somehow come across a no value donor unit and seeing the prices people think these units are worth, I can’t see that happening anytime soon. And the Sony donors I have just aren’t compatible.
So I’ll leave it as it is. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.” It isn’t faulty, the only fault was in the sellers knowledge of its workings.
Another one saved from landfill. And that’s a positive.
I have no kids, I’ve not done anything particularly good or spectacular for anyone to remember me by, I’ve just lived a good life, been a good citizen and that’s about it.
So like the majority of residents of this planet that have gone before me maybe I might be remembered as being a decent person, but more than likely I will be forgotten. Ive just been a resident, a paid up member of the brotherhood of man, and that’s not such a bad thing.
Maybe, slinking away into anonymity is the way to go. Who cares? No fuss.
Cold has a beautiful aura to it. It also is a major pain in the ass so I mostly feel the latter towards it.
I love visiting cold climates and Iceland is up there with being one of my favourite places to visit on the planet. It’s set up for the cold, it works well and the locals are all prepared and work well in it.
Back home however we are not. A bit of cold that for some countries would be a minor inconvenience, for us becomes catastrophic and the whole country grinds to a halt. We are never prepared.
Cold brings on my arthritic aches and pains and I long for the summer months, however I am accustomed to the fact that like it or not, winter conditions have to be endured, so I do.
Yes I’m ok with the cold, but to be honest I really do prefer the warmer months.
I’ve broken many, but here is one i spoke of a few months back.
I was fixing a heavy wood cabinet at home, I’d been working nights and I was tired, in theory I should have gone straight to bed and rested. Instead I decided to continue, managed to hit my thumb with a hammer, used some ripe old language and then decided to land a right hander square on a solid wood door.
It transpires that after suffering quite a bit of discomfort in my hand I had broken the knuckle on my little finger, also known as a boxers fracture.
BustedMy busted finger
What lesson have I learned I hear you ask? Well to be honest when I feel any anger coming on now I just think of my hand and the anger subsides.
Anger is not worth it and is a waste of energy, it causes pain and upset and no one deserves to witness that.
I was a fool, probably still am but I’m now an educated fool.
I must admit that I’ve not been very good at this for years but now I’m a strict advocate of separating the two. Every new year resolution used to be “ I’m going to work to live not live to work” but I soon ended up dropping that mantra.
So what changed?
Quite simply i just decided thats it, its all got to stop. Im paid for an 8 or 12 hour day nothing more and why should i give them more? They were taking over my life in return for no good will or recognition and i was just working myself into an early grave. How was that fair to my family?
Just a few simple changes:
I came off all work related WhatsApp groups
I left work social media platforms
Added a simple footer to my emails stating that when I’m off I’m off and I’ll reply on my return
Work phone goes off when i leave the depot, and doesn’t go back on until my return
I manage peoples expectations now, explaining that I’m entitled to uninterrupted time away with my family
It really is as simple as that. I sometimes sign on to be hit with issues that have occurred in my absence but thats just how it used to be and I’m now not wasting precious time at home worrying about work related issues.
It really is that easy. Go on change your work outlook and enjoy your life. Time is precious, don’t have regrets, give your family the easiest gift you can give them…
Foxes Den 
You must be logged in to post a comment.