Emma and Pete
(a bird and her nerd)

Mental Health June

As Pete and I were discussing on the last episode of the show, we have decided that the show is going to have a Mental Health June event, with the idea of supporting the Time To Change campaign here in the UK.

The idea behind the campaign is that we can end discrimination against people with mental health issues – and make it easier for them to get the treatment and support they need – if we all speak up and make it obvious that mental health issues are both common and an illness like any other.

Pete and I will be talking about our own mental health issues, and some of the ways we lessen their impact on our lives. We’re also hoping to do some interviews, and that listeners to the show will contact us to share their own mental health stories – whether they are affected themselves or know someone who is, or just want more information. If you would like to take part in Mental Health June you can email the show or leave a comment here on the website. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question anonymously then you can do so via our new formspring.me event, but in any case we won’t be giving out too many personal details about the people who write in!

Time To Change have given us a box of stuff to giveway, so listen in to the show if you want to find out how to get your hands on some of it. And do head over to the Time To Change website and make a pledge to help end the discrimination.

Posted by emma · Thu, Jun 3 2010

Binaural beats

Coming soon: I’ll be adding 5min downloadable previews and a Flash player.

My recent bouts of night-time insomnia and lack of focus during the day have been lessened significantly with the use of binaural beats and a bedtime regime change. I’ll go into more detail on the regime change thing in another post, this post is about the binaural beat side of things.

The following mp3 files were created with the express use of helping me get my focus together during the day, and calming me at night so I sleep more soundly. In both cases, they had an effect within two or three uses, and I’m still using them today in order to train my brain.

Before you undertake any course of binaural beats, you should be aware of the effects they can have. The vast majority of people will be absolutely fine, but a small number of people may have adverse reactions. If you start to feel unwell/odd, stop listening. I am not responsible for any bad stuff happening as a result of these files, I am providing them in good faith.

Disclaimers out of the way, here are your files:

I made a couple of variations of some of the wave types to suit my mood and task at hand, so try a few for size. Find the best that works for you.

For the best results, listen on headphones. You may find that the lower frequency waves (delta, theta) might rattle certain brands of headphones. If you get rattling, turning the volume down might help. Have them playing at a comfortable volume.

Nerdy stuff: each file starts and ends with a 30sec fade in and fade out. The should play on any mp3 player without issue. There is no DRM on the files.

Very nerdy stuff: waves were output-ed in bbEngine v.011 by rpflech at 24-bit 96khz, grabbed at the same quality by Wiretap Studio, chopped and post-processed in Soundtrack Pro and derived into mp3 by Compressor (no dithering or explicit chopping of frequencies).

Posted by pete · Fri, Nov 6 2009

Free charity donations at MooseJaw

The folks at MooseJaw have come up trumps again. This time, a purchase of their own-brand Moosejaw gear will also benefit your preferred charity. There’s a good list of charities, too. Check the appropriate charity/coupon combo below:

Site: MooseJaw
Code: 153L for the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Code: 153R for the American Red Cross
Code: 153H for the Habitat for Humanity
Code: 153A for the Access Fund
Code: 153W for the World Wildlife Fund
Code: 153G for the Global Giving
Expiry: unknown

Just enter the respective coupon code at checkout and the MooseJaw charity donation will be taken care of. It won’t cost you a cent.

If you’re buying things from MooseJaw that don’t qualify for a charity donation, we can get you a frankly awesome deal on both new and sale items. Check out the Moosejaw coupon page for more information.

Posted by pete · Mon, Sep 28 2009
Disclosure: cmp.ly/5

The Age of Stupid Global Premiere

If you haven’t seen this already, you really should!

Posted by emma · Sat, Sep 19 2009

It can't be that hard

If you’re under 18, please ask your mum whether you’re allowed to read this ;) apparently it’s horribly political and controversial.

Porn is not a dirty word in this house. It’s something we joke about, not something that gets stuffed under the mattress or builds up in the back of the wardrobe. Pete and I both tend to agree with the sentiment expressed by Dr Cox in Scrubs when he said something along the lines that if all the porn was removed from the internet then there would only be one website left – and all it would say was ‘bring back the porn’. Beyond that it’s not something that crosses my mind very often.

But I’ve just come across an opinion piece in the Guardian (entitled ‘A limp response to women’s erotica‘!) about a new print magazine I hadn’t heard of before – Filament.

The ideology behind Filament is that it’s a women’s magazine with a difference. It doesn’t run any features on fashion and cosmetics, diets or celebrity gossip. There’s nothing in there that attempts to make you feel bad about how you look, and what there is instead is pictures of beautiful men.

The people behind Filament have done some research and have come to the conclusion that what their readers would really like to see is pictures of aroused men (some of them time, anyway!), but they’ve run into a bit of a problem – although the law will allow it (gay porn does it all the time), the printers they can afford to use won’t print it, for fear of running into problems.

In a country where equality is the name of the game, or at least something we should be working towards, this doesn’t strike me as entirely fair. Pictures of women (aroused, or at least feigning arousal) are everywhere, and practically inescapable. If a woman wants to look at pictures of an aroused man, why shouldn’t she? If she wants to spend her money on women’s erotica then surely that’s her choice.

Filament need to sell 328 copies of Issue 1 to raise enough money to make history and print (they’re pretty sure) the first explicit male pictorial in a British women’s magazine. To support the cause of equality order Issue 1 or subscribe.

And yes, this is a little off the beaten track of what I usually witter on about. And no, I am not condoning the exploitation of women, men or any other life forms. If all of this has got you all hot under the collar, then take a break and go look at some pretty flowers instead.

Posted by emma · Fri, Aug 14 2009

Pete's Big Clearout - Summer 2009

I’m selling stuff. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. It’s all part of a ’5 out, 1 in’ process to reduce the amount of stuff around the place that I don’t use and to make purchase of new toys useful things easier to swallow.

I’m aiming for 3000GBP as a target. With this, I’m hoping to buy a Canon 5D mk II camera and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM lens.

To get to this vast figure, I’m going to go through the house and find the tech I no longer use, then prep it for sale – either via eBay or similar – or on a local classified site like DailyInfo/Gumtree/Craigslist.

As a pre-cursor to this, I’ve got some things that I know I’ll be selling. If you’re interested in any of these things before they get sold to the general public, please do drop me a line (gaekwad at gmail). All items excellent condition unless stated.

Studio gear
· Korg Kaoss Pad 2 / KP2 (unboxed, with PSU and I’ll throw in some good interconnects) – guide price 80-100GBP.

Hi-fi/DJ gear
· Nad C370 power amp – guide price 275-300GBP.
· REL Q150E sub – guide price 150-200GBP.
· Stanton STR8-150 turntable – guide price 175-200GBP.
· Mission 780 speakers, black. Guide price 50-70GBP.

Camera gear
· Canon 30D (boxed) w/ BP-2 battery pack, 2x batteries, hand strap and some other bits. Guide price 275-300GBP.
· Sigma 17-70mm DC f/2.8-4.5 lens (Canon fit) w/ UV filter. I’ll throw in a load of Hama 72mm filters. Guide price 150-175GBP.
· Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens (Canon fit) w/ UV filter. Guide price 225-275GBP.
· Sigma DG 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 lens w/ skylight filter. Guide price 130GBP.
· Casio Exilim Z600, w/ charger and 2gb card. Guide price 40-70GBP.

The list above will likely be updated as more stuff is found/listed and items are sold. Happy shopping :)

Posted by pete · Sat, Jun 13 2009

More posts in

Mental Health June

As Pete and I were discussing on the last episode of the show, we have decided that the show is going to have a Mental Health June event, with the idea of supporting the Time To Change campaign here in the UK.

The idea behind the campaign is that we can end discrimination against people with mental health issues – and make it easier for them to get the treatment and support they need – if we all speak up and make it obvious that mental health issues are both common and an illness like any other.

Pete and I will be talking about our own mental health issues, and some of the ways we lessen their impact on our lives. We’re also hoping to do some interviews, and that listeners to the show will contact us to share their own mental health stories – whether they are affected themselves or know someone who is, or just want more information. If you would like to take part in Mental Health June you can email the show or leave a comment here on the website. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question anonymously then you can do so via our new formspring.me event, but in any case we won’t be giving out too many personal details about the people who write in!

Time To Change have given us a box of stuff to giveway, so listen in to the show if you want to find out how to get your hands on some of it. And do head over to the Time To Change website and make a pledge to help end the discrimination.

Posted by emma · Thu, Jun 3 2010

Binaural beats

Coming soon: I’ll be adding 5min downloadable previews and a Flash player.

My recent bouts of night-time insomnia and lack of focus during the day have been lessened significantly with the use of binaural beats and a bedtime regime change. I’ll go into more detail on the regime change thing in another post, this post is about the binaural beat side of things.

The following mp3 files were created with the express use of helping me get my focus together during the day, and calming me at night so I sleep more soundly. In both cases, they had an effect within two or three uses, and I’m still using them today in order to train my brain.

Before you undertake any course of binaural beats, you should be aware of the effects they can have. The vast majority of people will be absolutely fine, but a small number of people may have adverse reactions. If you start to feel unwell/odd, stop listening. I am not responsible for any bad stuff happening as a result of these files, I am providing them in good faith.

Disclaimers out of the way, here are your files:

I made a couple of variations of some of the wave types to suit my mood and task at hand, so try a few for size. Find the best that works for you.

For the best results, listen on headphones. You may find that the lower frequency waves (delta, theta) might rattle certain brands of headphones. If you get rattling, turning the volume down might help. Have them playing at a comfortable volume.

Nerdy stuff: each file starts and ends with a 30sec fade in and fade out. The should play on any mp3 player without issue. There is no DRM on the files.

Very nerdy stuff: waves were output-ed in bbEngine v.011 by rpflech at 24-bit 96khz, grabbed at the same quality by Wiretap Studio, chopped and post-processed in Soundtrack Pro and derived into mp3 by Compressor (no dithering or explicit chopping of frequencies).

Posted by pete · Fri, Nov 6 2009

Free charity donations at MooseJaw

The folks at MooseJaw have come up trumps again. This time, a purchase of their own-brand Moosejaw gear will also benefit your preferred charity. There’s a good list of charities, too. Check the appropriate charity/coupon combo below:

Site: MooseJaw
Code: 153L for the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Code: 153R for the American Red Cross
Code: 153H for the Habitat for Humanity
Code: 153A for the Access Fund
Code: 153W for the World Wildlife Fund
Code: 153G for the Global Giving
Expiry: unknown

Just enter the respective coupon code at checkout and the MooseJaw charity donation will be taken care of. It won’t cost you a cent.

If you’re buying things from MooseJaw that don’t qualify for a charity donation, we can get you a frankly awesome deal on both new and sale items. Check out the Moosejaw coupon page for more information.

Posted by pete · Mon, Sep 28 2009
Disclosure: cmp.ly/5

The Age of Stupid Global Premiere

If you haven’t seen this already, you really should!

Posted by emma · Sat, Sep 19 2009

It can't be that hard

If you’re under 18, please ask your mum whether you’re allowed to read this ;) apparently it’s horribly political and controversial.

Porn is not a dirty word in this house. It’s something we joke about, not something that gets stuffed under the mattress or builds up in the back of the wardrobe. Pete and I both tend to agree with the sentiment expressed by Dr Cox in Scrubs when he said something along the lines that if all the porn was removed from the internet then there would only be one website left – and all it would say was ‘bring back the porn’. Beyond that it’s not something that crosses my mind very often.

But I’ve just come across an opinion piece in the Guardian (entitled ‘A limp response to women’s erotica‘!) about a new print magazine I hadn’t heard of before – Filament.

The ideology behind Filament is that it’s a women’s magazine with a difference. It doesn’t run any features on fashion and cosmetics, diets or celebrity gossip. There’s nothing in there that attempts to make you feel bad about how you look, and what there is instead is pictures of beautiful men.

The people behind Filament have done some research and have come to the conclusion that what their readers would really like to see is pictures of aroused men (some of them time, anyway!), but they’ve run into a bit of a problem – although the law will allow it (gay porn does it all the time), the printers they can afford to use won’t print it, for fear of running into problems.

In a country where equality is the name of the game, or at least something we should be working towards, this doesn’t strike me as entirely fair. Pictures of women (aroused, or at least feigning arousal) are everywhere, and practically inescapable. If a woman wants to look at pictures of an aroused man, why shouldn’t she? If she wants to spend her money on women’s erotica then surely that’s her choice.

Filament need to sell 328 copies of Issue 1 to raise enough money to make history and print (they’re pretty sure) the first explicit male pictorial in a British women’s magazine. To support the cause of equality order Issue 1 or subscribe.

And yes, this is a little off the beaten track of what I usually witter on about. And no, I am not condoning the exploitation of women, men or any other life forms. If all of this has got you all hot under the collar, then take a break and go look at some pretty flowers instead.

Posted by emma · Fri, Aug 14 2009

Pete's Big Clearout - Summer 2009

I’m selling stuff. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. It’s all part of a ’5 out, 1 in’ process to reduce the amount of stuff around the place that I don’t use and to make purchase of new toys useful things easier to swallow.

I’m aiming for 3000GBP as a target. With this, I’m hoping to buy a Canon 5D mk II camera and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM lens.

To get to this vast figure, I’m going to go through the house and find the tech I no longer use, then prep it for sale – either via eBay or similar – or on a local classified site like DailyInfo/Gumtree/Craigslist.

As a pre-cursor to this, I’ve got some things that I know I’ll be selling. If you’re interested in any of these things before they get sold to the general public, please do drop me a line (gaekwad at gmail). All items excellent condition unless stated.

Studio gear
· Korg Kaoss Pad 2 / KP2 (unboxed, with PSU and I’ll throw in some good interconnects) – guide price 80-100GBP.

Hi-fi/DJ gear
· Nad C370 power amp – guide price 275-300GBP.
· REL Q150E sub – guide price 150-200GBP.
· Stanton STR8-150 turntable – guide price 175-200GBP.
· Mission 780 speakers, black. Guide price 50-70GBP.

Camera gear
· Canon 30D (boxed) w/ BP-2 battery pack, 2x batteries, hand strap and some other bits. Guide price 275-300GBP.
· Sigma 17-70mm DC f/2.8-4.5 lens (Canon fit) w/ UV filter. I’ll throw in a load of Hama 72mm filters. Guide price 150-175GBP.
· Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens (Canon fit) w/ UV filter. Guide price 225-275GBP.
· Sigma DG 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 lens w/ skylight filter. Guide price 130GBP.
· Casio Exilim Z600, w/ charger and 2gb card. Guide price 40-70GBP.

The list above will likely be updated as more stuff is found/listed and items are sold. Happy shopping :)

Posted by pete · Sat, Jun 13 2009