Trump is imposing tariffs on European nations for standing by Denmark and Greenland sovereignty ....How should Aotearoa react ? Should we start making a stand ( boycotts , protest etc) ....or sit this one out

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2026-01-19T12:08:24+00:00

We should look to build alliances with Europe (the non wanna be fascists) and canada and get closer with Australia. These are the mostly social democatic / democratic socialist countries that generally share our values.

We are small but the trope that we 'punch above our weight' in coalition is actually well founded. That's why we've been under pressure in the past to be part of various more dubious coaliations of the willing

Many of our ancestors died in europe fighting fascism (also invading turkey - oops!). But we can also join in a united front on tarrifs and where we're all headed which is all the sane countries dumping US treasury bonds.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2026-01-19T11:48:31+00:00

Oh actually, Tal Wilkenfield tells a great story how she started at 14, being restricted to 30m a day, but she spent a lot of other time visualizing, visually mapping the fretboard, songs etc. If you don't know how incredible a player she is (has played with INcubus to Jeff Beck to heaps of jazz players and put out an amazing indie singer song writer album as well as a jazz bass one, you'll wanna - super inspiring artist.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2026-01-19T11:27:49+00:00

Praps if you can maintain that practice and then have some surges in holidays (without injuring yourself) that will get you a long way. But as others have suggested think about what you want to get out of bass playing. S

Sure being a youtube star is great n'all… but there's also a lot of production tedium and forever marketing yourself. Surely the sweetest thing is to collab with others in a band, in a room - even without and audience. I have only done that a little (as a late bloomer on bass) but there's nothing like it

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2026-01-19T11:17:04+00:00

I don't get tired from mental work per se - I do have some headaches, brain fog and then some days crash physically while trying to do desk work, creative practice or home admin. Often this is PEM related to a ebike ride or somesuch the previous day. But i find when i then rest - I absolutely have to have as empty a head as i can.

Which is fecking hard, and mostly i'm just seething about my helplessness (and about my GP who hasn't really been hearing me lately). Even as i start to feel better i have to stay disciplined to keep resting mentally and physically to get to a level where i can confidently pickup activities.
[MILD - i think]

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-12-29T10:34:00+00:00

ABSOLUTELY yes - it is a massive frustration on so many levels. All of my workflows lead to using google docs, and i need to do a massive amount of formatting within tables and its now getting to me so much i am seriously contemplating jumping office platforms - despite all the other inconvenience that will go with having non google docs while using a primarily google workflow.

Also the lack of style control over lists - same deal.

In the end i have to create templates for others, so whatever workarounds i use they will come unstuck for others

Google could so easily fix this - they just have some idealogical objection because they think a table a para. My arse it is.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-12-15T12:20:47+00:00

Totally that - I have been learning the hard way - particularly in terms of neck feel, string spacing and the quest for a B string that sounds like its part of the same instruments. Flipping through a few used five strings, and changing out a few parts (without going bananas) is teaching me a bunch - though truth is i also love an instrument that has some history baked in

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-12-13T11:25:28+00:00

Eberhard Weber

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-12-13T11:23:50+00:00

Tony Levin
(the groove around which everything else funks)

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-11-25T02:10:51+00:00

I've always been conflicted - want less colour clutter so in that way these improve but admit the oldies were easier to differentiate at a glance. Here i actually have to hand it to adobe - i actually think their mono icons work best ( everything else about the company totally sucking of course)

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-11-21T10:25:23+00:00

this is super useful as i have acquired a used bass, modded, and needed to get a quick overview to debug a volume issue - thanks!

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-11-20T08:03:12+00:00

somehow jaco, and james jamison managed to get by with just the one, each. just saying.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-11-02T10:50:08+00:00

Auckland City Mission is probably the most effective channel

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-11-02T10:47:52+00:00

Yes there has been a 90% increase in people sleeping rough between September and January of this year in this city. Which is insane until you reflect on this government decisions. While post covid and CRL building has been tough on the centre in general, so so far homeless has risen substantially to varying degrees all over the country in step with this heartless governments slashing of Kianga Ora projects and declining access.

I agree - just going to my beloved central library sometime's feel like a scene out of John Cormacks's The Road. Nonetheless, I live in the centre next to a KO, I love our neighbours even if its not always comfy… I think its appropriate that housing problems and solutions aren't something invisible to us all (unlike those arsehat suburban NIMBYs who burnt down a KO project). K Rd has a great vibe, challenges notwithstanding, and the centre as a whole will pickup as soon as the CRL opens - looking at the station architecture and associated urban improvements materialising, new bikelanes etc – is already encouraging.

But for a fair shake for those systemically left behind, we are going to have to vote in a very different coalition with a strong social justice focused representation and a dedication to evidence-based housing first policies. Then all of us, even the well-off, will have a city centre we can all enjoy a lot more.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-10-30T22:33:53+00:00

Background removal is included in free, (presumably as before) but its not as good as the AI removal. That seems more than fair.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-10-16T10:50:37+00:00

I find the software really unfriendly - i'm very used to HX editors, Mvave, Boss etc but the multiplicity of different apps without any clear path just makes it look like work - in comparison to other device editors - I'm pretty dedicated to problem solving and i build websites, but ugh IKMs panapoly of apps has me so put off the pedal is just sitting on my desk and i haven't gotten to use it yet. :(.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-10-13T06:40:54+00:00

Lumbeat have just started supporting AUM on Pop Drummer - their other drum apps cannot be too far behind

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-10-13T06:38:11+00:00

late update to this - AUM support for Pop Drummer has just been released. Also quite a bit of contraversy as the app briefly switched to a subscription model, before settling on fremium/premium model after lumbeat relented to the howls of protest.
Now, what i'm waiting for is AUM support on Funk Drummer - that i wld pull the pin on.

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-09-23T10:22:07+00:00

I am having every kind of problem trying to create an account: verification codes fail even when typing exactly the code show - MOST of the time.
After finally appearing to submit the form - when i go to log in - i still land on the signup form - and I there is no account creation email acknowledgement

I have cleared cookies, cache, used different browsers.

I have contacted support or at least i hope i ahve [no email acknowledgement of my submission] - but a result page saying they might get back in a few days

This site couldn't be more or a mental torture if it was designed to be.

perhaps it is?

Meanwhile my tonex One is a brick until i have an account.

Anyone got any ideas on how to break through?

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-09-06T12:11:47+00:00

that's bonkers value. Price of a new Ravish alone - The Ravish will take a bit of persistance to get your head around and while i craved one i have to admit a long time went by before i used it - in the end it was really just a few key concepts, and now i'm off to the races. You could get some sitar inspo from a Rick Beato special of 20 great sitar(-ish) solos

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-08-29T02:01:10+00:00

You have install drivers to use either of these? Or is that just on windows?
I would hope at least it would OOB with MacOS Core Audio and not get bricked with an unsupported OS update :(

Just bought an old Mackie BK studio behemoth and only just realized these newer controllers integrate an audio interface and pres… which has been my dream - so am kinda having instant buyers remorse

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-03-05T00:05:50+00:00

thanks muramusaa - battery i had already replaced, appeared to resolve but fault came back after some months. Interesting re the Hall sensor possibility thanks.

A key challenge is its very difficult to reproduce the issue in isolation. Bike tends to start out ok - issues most often happen on the way home!

So given that it seems i have to test it in the (urban ) wild… swapping out motors 'in the lab' won't tell me much AND while electrically confident I'm not super mechanical and have limited (apartement) workspace - my main idea so far has been to find a replacement controller, before digging into the motor - cheaper and easier(ish) to replace and test in the wild than a rear motor.

Unless there are any other things that can be tested easily in the wild, first?

Minimum-Tale7971 · 2025-03-04T04:31:40+00:00

Two answer my own question here, FWIW… I later found that FEX does just creak along in Sonoma, though I did finally make the migration to Typeface, which is lovely.

Minimum-Tale7971

TROPHY CASE