Doug Osborn

After combing through most of the posts, here's my two cents worth. There are a number of varying factors that extend well beyond gun control, so this will be a gross over-generalization. We live in a different moral climate today in the US. Period. From the founding of our country up through the early mid-part of of the 1900's most--but definitely not all--people believed in an afterlife. They believed there would be a judgment day for how they lived. Their beliefs dictated how they would behave and treat others. Discipline was never viewed as violence (punishment born out of anger), but as a loving act by parents to teach children that when you disobey it brings pain into your life. And men were not only present in their homes, but they led their families. I remember my father telling me how when he was growing up his family would always leave their ranch home unlocked so that if a stranger had a need he could come in their absence to eat, warm himself or borrow clothing. Keys were always left in the ignition of their vehicles. If someone needed to borrow a truck or car, they figured there was a good reason and that the vehicle would be returned. There was a deep respect for human life. And when the freedom and liberty of our country was threatened by an outside tyranny, men stepped up and sacrificed for their wife and children to live in a free country. By contrast I think most of us would agree we live in a totally different culture/world today. Morality--nor the human heart--can be legislated. There will always be those who live without consequences or regard for the sanctity of life or for others. The real enemy is the human heart itself. Condolences to all in Newtown, Connecticut as you mourn this season.

+1 on taping the battery terminals. Otherwise no issues with carry-on batteries.

Vermont's finest: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYMprA2riDg&feature=relmfu

Any channel or dado cuts you can make will increase the amount of area being glued and ultimately help increase the overall strength of the box. Most boxes I've seen are glued and nailed (or stapled). MadlyFins actually glues and countersinks screws then caps all the screw holes and finish sands the wood caps. I like nesting boxes for portability and storage but the inner three boxes will be shorter (length and width are usually 1-3/4 inches shorter) than the standard apple box dimensions. This will only be an issue if you try to use them in those positions alongside standard sized apple boxes. The full size box of a nesting series will not have the strength for really heavy items since it is missing the internal reinforcing rib and its one removable end cap is only loosely attached (usually by magnets or a pressure latch). But for working out of your car with limited weight loads nesting boxes are a great way to go.

+1 on cabinet grade plywood. Personally I would build them with 3/4 inch sides and ends and use 1/2 inch skins on the top and bottom. I would also have a 3/4 inch thick center rib. Nice balance between weight and strength. Cabinet grade birth or baltic birch would work great. Maple is stronger than birch, but heavier. Radiata pine is another option that might shave a little bit of weight off but may be prone to slight warping over the long haul. Whatever you use be sure to seal them to prevent warping or delamitation of the plies. If you're only building a couple of boxes and handling them yourself, weight may not be that big of an issue. If you end up building a lot of boxes that others will be handling you can keep the grips happy by shaving some of the weight off each box without compromising structural integrity.

Phil, I checked to make sure p48 power was switched off. I was running phantom power on a separate mixer for my Schoeps cmit5u. Didn't have phantom on to either channel for the wireless lavs on my 302. Thanks for the input. Shipping my 302 off today for service.

Just curious if anybody has experienced a similar problem I recently encountered with the SD 302 mixer. On the final night of a short film shoot my SD 302 experienced static in Channels 1 & 2 for a minute or two before powering down. I had put in a fresh set of AA lithium batteries before camera was up. It had been running on internal power all evening, and I was mixing/recording out of a bag (I had one wireless lav on Channel 1 and a second wireless lav feeding through Channel 2 going into a SD 702 Recorder). I replaced the 302's internal batteries with fresh lithium AA's purchased earlier that day. After powering up I could not get any signal feeding through Channels 1 or 2, although Channel 3 was functioning. The following day I was able to replicate one of the dropped channels (Channel 2) after operating on internal battery power for around a half hour. I could not replicate the drops outs when using external power. Today I've had the mixer on internal battery power for close to eight hours without any issues with either Channel 1 or Channel 2 dropping out. Before shipping it off to Sound Devices to be serviced, I was wondering if anybody has ever encountered this issue before. Any input?

Getting ready to go through my first boom pole. K-Tek recommended using ProtectAll with carnuba wax on their graphite poles. ProtectAll is a non-abrasive marine and RV wax. I'm using Hoppe's 9 gun lubricant--(great precision pinpoint applicator)--for the collars.

Sprayway Glass Cleaner. Used by virtually all auto detailers and pro window cleaners (when they don't squeegee). Ammonia free. Amazing stuff!

+1 Etymotic. Very comfortable. You may also check into having an audiologist do custom ear forms for you and then have Westone build you a custom set of in ear monitors.

Talk about a line-up of talent on one stage! Indeed an amazing rendition.

Piggybacking on the ukulele posts check out Jake Shimabukuro's live rendition of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps. (Concert begins at 0:52)

+1 on wearing gloves. But if you want a cushioned grip you could try Cinelli Cork Tape used to wrap handlebars on road bikes.

+1 on the Ford Transit Connect. Spoke to a Ford dealer recently and he said in 2013 Ford is supposed to add medium and large size vans to the Ford Transit line-up. The current model will be kept intact as the small version. Hoping my current van with 250k makes it until then.

Michael, Looks like an amazing project. Can wait to see the finished results. By any chance have you seen Jesse James' personal '54 Chevy (top photo) or the '54 Chevy Jesse and a crew customized on Monster Garage (lower photo)? Love those 50's Chevy's! Doug

+1 on the Remote Audio Boom Boy being better built than the knock off brands. I have a 10-year-old Remote Audio Boom Boy that is wider than the brand new Remote Audio Boom Boys (3/16-inch wider). My old Boom Boy fits my Loon Penta, but the newer ones are slightly too narrow. I cut off the rear hook on the old Boom Boy and use the front arm as a fulcrum for my boom poles. Wrap a single layer of medical tape around the plastic coating and the handling noise disappears when I make minor one-handed adjustments to tweak placement. No problem with either Remote Audio model--old or new--on my K-Tek booms though. I have to agree with Marc that the K-Tek Boom Cradles are well designed and well built. I prefer them for my longer booms to alleviate stress. But the Boom Boys work fine on shorter booms.

There's another color besides black? Being a Harley rider most of my wardrobe is black anyway. Just a matter of practicality because it hides grease and road grime better. I've only been asked once to wear all black for a production years ago. The only color I won't be wearing following our last shoot is green. We shot a documentary in a medium security prison and the producer wore a green shirt. On the way out, the guard at Master Control asked the producer if he felt he was being watched. The producer didn't know how to respond. The guard went on to explain that the inmates wear green jumpsuits and the guards posted on the four towers had the producer in their "sights" all day long.

I just flew my gear out of state for the first time (I've always driven it in the past). The week before departure I was a few miles from the airport with a couple of hours to kill. I decided to take in my cases, gear, boom pole, etc. and speak with the TSA agents on duty. They were extremely professional and helpful in telling me how to pack; what to carry on and what to check. They actually thanked me for taking the time to ask them for their help. They advised me to carry on my mixer, recorder, short cables and all batteries (with tape over the battery leads). The things they advised that had to be packed in checked luggage were boom poles (I got the same "they could be used as a bludgeon" response), long cables and gaff tape. I also packed my wireless system, shotgun mic, chargers and harness in checked luggage due to carry on limitations. Got through security both ways without a hitch.

Gov't Mule performing Broke Down On The Brazos live on Sirius Radio.

I'm normally taking photos and rarely am the one ever being photographed, so this is one of the few photos of me in the past few years. It was a green screen shot where my entire family got digitally "inked" courtesy of Photoshop for a tattoo themed Christmas card and newsletter. My good friend, Darren--an awesome graphic artist--grabbed this green screen shot and added the sunburst for my website. Currently waiting for the right picture to come along as a replacement profile photo.

There are PDFs made for kayakers and canoeists that may be more conducive to wearing your audio harness. Brands like NRS, Stohlquist, Astral & MTI Adventurewear have vests with much larger openings for paddlers and are much shorter in length than standard PDFs. May be a lot easier--and comfortable-- to get one of these models. Here's a sample of a NRS Ninja PDF:

"The thing about quotes on the internet is you cannot confirm their validity." --Abraham Lincoln

+1 on finding a pair that fit you properly. Fit is everything. You barely have any time to break them in less than a week's time, so try to find a boot that will be comfortable right out of the box. Get two pair of wool socks to help wick moisture, maybe a pair of ultra thin polyprolene sock liners as well. One pair of socks can dry during the day while you're wearing the other (dry) pair. I used to wear a 12 year old pair of Vasque Classic Sundowners and Vasque Skywalkers but had to retire them because they were no longer worth resoleing. The all leather boots will take some time to break in, so a mesh boot may be a better option on this short of notice. Some mesh boots do offer Gore-Tex lining to keep your feet dry, provided you don't submerge them in a stream or lake. I'd recommend the Asolo Fusion 95 boots (if they fit you well)--about $180 + for the Gore-Tex lined models, around $120 for the unlined models. I've had a pair for 10 years and they were super comfortable right out of the box. I've resoled them once and they're still going strong. Any reputable outdoor store in your area can steer you the right way.

I've used the Etymotic ER 4 earphones for close to 10 years and really like them. They're extremely lightweight and comfortable. Also very well built. I've heard of some users having interference issues with the cables, but I've never experienced that at all with my set. The only thing to be aware of with them is to always have extra green filters on hand. They can get coated with ear wax and that will reduce your input source. The filters are very easy to replace on the spot, but don't get caught without having some spare filters in your bag. I also have a set of custom molded Westone UM2 in-ear phones which sound great. Love them! On a shoot where I'm likely going to have to remove my earpieces often I gravitate towards the Etymotic. If they can stay in place the duration of the shoot I prefer the Westones. But you can't go wrong either way in my book with either one.

"I would agree with you if you were correct." Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer in Awakenings.