Travis In Austin

In terms the cost of labor, percentage of cost, etc. It is really simple math. The average wage for labor in China is 65 cents per hour, the average in the U.S. is $22.00 per hour. Travis

If you are the seller, and they want a "Bill of Sale" be sure to write "Item is sold As Is" somewhere on it. Travis

They can be anywhere as long as they have email and can attach a word or wordperfect document. Travis

Great photo Amy. No snow in Austin, none expected for another 5 or 6 years at least. It "snowed" (y'all are laughing I know) last year for the first time in about 10 years and Malcom got to play in it. He loved the snow. Travis

I have a writing project that I need some help with, it is basicly copy writing and I think it would be perfect for a college journalism major. If you are one, or know of a family member that would like to make some money over the holidays please let me know. Thanks Travis

And now some 4 or so hours later, after basting every 15 minutes, and drinking another bottle of Ouzo (green this time) and I don't know how many beers, this is what we end up with. Come and get it. Someone put on Chris Rea, I'm going to Texas, I'm pooped.

Next we have to load this bad boy up onto the pit, it only took three drunks about 20 minutes to get it up there, and then to figure out a way to secure the lamb to the spit so it would actually rotate properly.

Ok, next we have to pack the belly with lemons, and secret spices and a bunch of butter. Notice the almost surgical skill of Gretchen's hands as she helped me get him closed up. Gretchen gives new meaning to "KISS ME I'M THE COOK."

Next we had to get something to use as a pit. Max, I didn't want to disturb you while you were cussing at that turntable, but I hope you were not using this big stainless steel table in the kitchen, so I moved it out back. I couldn't find any wood anywhere, at least nothing that looked like oak anyway, so I settled for going to the local Greek equiv. of HEB and got 6 bags of charcol.

Ok what time is it, about 9 P.M.? I have been drinking for about 12 hours straigh out back. THE LAMB IS NOW READY!!!!!! COME AND GET IT!!!!!! Gosh, someone get Maron up off the floor. Anyone seen Tarheel, he was supposed to help with his BBQ experience but I have not seen hide nor hare from him. Ok, after you guys flip over this you are going to want to know how I did it, so I have pictures here to show you so I don't have to go through the story a 100 times. Here is what we started out with, a nice fresh farm raised lamb.

Lamp, lamb, close enough. Not enough alcohol is the problem, I am going to need a whole bottle while I baste this thing over the next few hours. That Pheonix is sounding pretty good. Ok, now I have to find a knife to cut the lemons. Travis

Max, The spec on that great cartridge are below. 1.9 should be fine, but try in at 2.0 and 2.1 just for grins. Where is the wood? I need to get the pit going so the lamp will be ready. It has been marinating for 12 hours. Where is the spit, I need to get this baby tied to some iron so we can get him spinning. Travis Specifications Design: Yokeless double-ring magnet musically natural MC cartridge Physical: Body: Aluminium, resonance controlled Cantilever: 0.3mm diameter solid boron Stylus: PA (3 x 30um), solid diamond Core/coils: High grade permalloy square core with pure silver coils Magnet: Neodymium (rear) & Samarium cobalt (front) Weight: 7.8g Electrical: Output voltage: 0.4mV (3.54cm/sec, 1kHz) Internal impedance: 7 ohms Frequency response: 10Hz - 20kHz +1.5dB / 20Hz - 40kHz +2dB Channel seperation: > 27dB, 200Hz - 1kHz Channel balance: < 0.5dB, 1kHz Dynamic: Tracking ability at 315Hz at the tracking force of 2g: > 70um Dynamic compliance: 12 x 10 to the minus 6cm/dyne

Did anyone remember to bring a video camera?

Ah the Taverna, what great memories. Last time I lucked out on my timing and got there right before Thor's Twins came a walking up the path. Hope my luck continues. I am bringing a Transfig Pheonix cart. to try swaping out with Max's Denon, (that should keep him busy for awhile), Maron saved me from having to lug a R2R half way across the word, and it's going to be tough to beat that 440. It's a 2 track head stack right Maron? If so, I am going to bring a couple of prerecorded 2 track R2R tapes from the 50's, one is a Jazz tape, from Sonotape, available only on tape, recorded live in NY, with Coltrane and other greats. The other is Rosemary Cloony, touch of tabasco. For my lp, I am bringing Herb Alpert and TTB, Zorba the Greek, this will be played about 1:00 a.m. when the Barbayannis, preferably blue, is flowing freely and we can watch the twins dance around the room to the beat. I am also bringing a whole lamb, 24 lemons, 2 lbs of butter and some rosemerry. You have a pit and a spit there Max? See y'all soon, Travis

Actually, wasn't it: "Hey y'all, hold my beer and watch this . . ." I wish I had a video of that, must of been something. Here is a video of a bow hunter against a deer. I saw another video about 10 years ago on a hunting video, very similar but it went on for about 15 minutes, the guy was able to grab the deer by the antlers, and hold the deers head down, but as soon as he let go the deer with go at him with the front feet. At the very end the deer runs off, and his buddy with the video camera runs up and says something like "that was incredible." I would have said "thanks for the help Carl Perkins." Instead he says, "guess I used too much buck lure." Travis

JB You kill me. Too funny. Travis

Doc, You ever eaten bear? If is very fatty and greasy, at least mine was, and except for a few choice cuts they suggested for jerky and sausage, the rest got donated to the local game meat for the poor program. You would have to really have to hide the taste with something, and I love just about every type of wild game there is. A lot is going to depend on what they eat too, so it will very from place to place. Travis

Klipsched, Do you have an update? How are you doing. Hang in there, it's hard but you can do it. If you have had slip here and there keep going, keep taking the Chantix and it will work. I hope to hear you have been doing well. Travis

You're still probably 2 hours away? (maybe 3?) Chattanooga is about 90 minutes from me. If you DO swing up this way and want to have a Jube-Jam, just lemme know. You are welcome to come by. Probably go to Mikes too. Wife is working (fancy retail jewelry store) so she's going to be working every day from now til Xmas. Besides... might be nice to have another opinion on where to have JubeStock were it to happen. Thanks Richard, it would be right after Xmas, and I will keep you up to date on it. Travis

Wasn't there some news lately about plants in China having big problems with counterfiting and pirating product? So the manuf. gets a great price on the labor and get a lower cost per unit, but they end up competing against themselves on the product that ends up going out the back door under a different, or even the same, name. I am sure that China has had to give more assurances on this but how do you keep that in check. I talked to an engineer who has to go to China periodically to vist their plant, QA, etc., and the conditions he describes are just horific. He just hates it when he has to go over there. Price does matter, it is the first principal in macro economics, however, at some point alltrustic values can come into play. Clothing and the gradual elimination of child labor used to mae it is a good example. When people were made aware of who was making their clothes and the conditions where they lived, they quit buying those clothes, even if others were more expensive. If you had a dog get sick recently you will pay twice the price on food, made in USA like Flint River Ranch, to avoid all of the hearache and expense and glad to do it.. Normally product liability laws insure that products are designed and made in a safe manner. Where products are made in a country where you have no legal recourse the only function that insures safety is inspection. We have discovered recently there is not enough resources to be able to do an adequate inspection. People eventually choose not to accept certain risks, such as with their children or pets, and will avoid products where risks remain. So while price is a major factor, other outside factor do come into play besides price as purely a function of supply and demand. Travis

Well not really for me, but I think I will be driving to TN, Coytee's neck of the woods, to get my wife a new Great Pyrenees puppy for Christmas. http://great-pyrenees-dogs-puppies-for-sale.com/ I am more exited about getting her this then anything I could get myself. Besides, he will end up liking me better then her anyway.[:^)] Travis

Jetro Tull tour dates/venues? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh. I am right, there is a sticker on my forehead that says: Kick him when he walks by, It took me awhile, but I figured out who he was, same old tricks. Maybe he will be nicer this time around. I think he could be if he tried, now that I managed to get him out of hiding, I have to figure out a way to get him to try to be a bit humble. I'm trying, but I don't think we are off to Tull together anytime soon, unless he can get us backstage passes. Doesn't he live in Texas now, or am I thinking of someone else? Travis ? [Y]

Clothing stores. http://www.dawahares.com/index.php

I know right where Florence is, there is a Dawahares there. I thougt Union sounded familar. Travis

I can certainly understand where there are situations where a person may not want to talk about a period/job/siutation in ones past for a whole host of reasons. And my questions, while they were kind of directed to Mas specifically, it does not matter to me if Mas choses to answer them in general, as opposed to what his personal experience was. There may be a situation where for various reasons he is not supposed to talk about what they were using, and I certanly don't want him to violate any agreement he had to keep things confidential. I am interested in those things and I hope he does feel comfortable talking about them, as they relate to him specifically or other wise. So come on Mark, please share some of that knowledge, those were a just of few I have always wondered about. I have about 400 on It's a Beautiful Day Alone, and I know some of those you will want to avoid[] Travis