JamesB

Accidental Electronic Engineer. Geek. Servant to too many cats. Growing old disgracefully. Anti-Fascist. Anti-Bigot.

Apparently does radio things sometimes.

Collector of e-waste, handcuffs and injuries, not usually related.

Shitposts and poorly thought through brainfarts.

Jack of all. Master of none.

I'm here to help you feel less affected by imposter syndrome.

I do not take myself seriously and nobody should take me seriously either.

Oversharing online since Fidonet.

Potty Mouth.

Website: https://www.mw1cgg.co.uk


Posh AF. Where are the other people standing in the gangway? I don't even spot a nutter with a can of cider vaping either.

Have you even CrossCountry'd bro?


If you find something worthwhile, let me know. I have a box full of chargers I don't trust either.


Interesting, thanks. Not sure if I can be arsed for the sake of £6 though.


Just seen a post on $platform for $festival where someone was blaming the car park staff for him not being able to find his car.

I don't bite very often but I did this time. What a prick.

Just drop a Google Map pin or go "just right of the radio mast plus 100m". Yeah, took me a bit to find ours but I didn't expect anyone to find it for me.

Entitled knob. Yeah, all the staff keep a database of where KN08 4ED has parked. Twat.


I haven't taken it apart yet but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.


I don't get on with airbeds so I got a cheap camping bed that would actually fit in our tent. Most are longer. It's not perfect but it really helped. Now I've proved the concept I'll look into a better one.

https://www.halfords.com/camping/camping-furniture/halfords-essentials-camping-bed-676630.html


That sounds like TfW these days. Never thought I'd miss Arriva Trains Wales.


Now I've found the secret to camping without absolutely fucking my body, I need to find an ultra lightweight camping bed.

I'm a bit sore today but 100x better than I was after EMF. A lot of the pain could be put down to lots of walking, standing and some sort of dancing.


You can call me anything you like except Sir if you buy me a drink first.


We are legion.

Amusing that I never heard of anyone doing it before either but it had to be you bloody two.


Just reading about these "AI Cameras" deployed on the rail network to detect emotions. I hope they can differentiate between normal anger and despair on the rail network that we all suffer from and someone actually suffering an emotional crisis.


Bought a "Maxim Smart Plug Socket" on a whim from one of the bargain shops for £6. Appears to be a rebadged Tuya.

Can I get it working with Home Assistant as is? No. May play with the Tuya app later but the Maxim App won't let me connect HA.

Not worried if I can't. This had one specific purpose and I don't need HA for it.


As Nordic Spirit were sponsoring the festival they had an offer on the normal circular tubs. £6.50 for one (normal RRP) or £7.50 for two, so I loaded my pockets with that offer as well.


Tallied up Download hoard: 120 free nicotine pouches. I can live with that. That's a few week's worth.


What a bunch of bellends.


There's some wireless microphones in there though marked "VHF". They could be interesting but I'm too tired to go through it all.


It seems that "yeah, I'll take that DVD copier off you" (so I could harvest the lasers) has turned into having 4 boxes of useless e-waste dumped on me while I was out. Yeah, thanks.


I'd riot, but I'm really tired.


Exactly, it was really good.


That was my normal order as well! Sometimes with olives.


Papa Johns have stopped offering anchovies as a topping. Cowards!

That was the only reason I ever ordered pizza from them because their pizzas are crap.


I was right, I did have one.


One of the Coven did have to abandon her tent as it was fucked but we did make her take it to the bin.

Plus I got to launch myself into it to break it even more which is something I've always wanted to do.


Me: Goes around the area where we pitched the tents picking up every tiny bit of litter.

Everyone else: Abandons tents, chairs and everything else they could think of.

People are bastards.


Easier just to look on QRZ though 🙂


Call that a towing eye? THIS is a towing eye.


Us radio lot aren't all Boomers! Rock the fuck on. 73.


Nordic Spirit gave me fuck all freebies so I thought I'd have a fag in front of their stand because I'm a really shit edge lord.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/112/627/946/896/618/996/original/b8d8590e7311d09f.jpg


Limp Biskit doing Careless Whisper was not something I ever thought i would come across.


I did not expect Behind Blue Eyes to be played.


Ah, finally spotted the douche-bro with the mankini. I was beginning to think they'd gone out of fashion.


At least it's not CrossCountry.


They didn't do any more Red Dwarf after Series 6, except a one off episode with the Rimmer Song and this is a hill I'm willing to die on.


That is cool.


If you're wondering about The Coven thing; It's Wifeface and her group of bffs. Someone once called them The Coven because they cackle like stereotypical witches when they're together or messaging each other. They liked it so it stuck.


"Why are you going back to the tent?"

Nothing I want until 7pm and that Buckfast isn't going to drink itself.


More of a domestic incident this year as one of The Coven that isn't Wifeface has endured a kilt/ballsack separation incident.

She forgot she's seen it before when we all used to live together 20 years ago.


Correction: 4 cans.

I have found cromulent substance now.


I have the number of a good divorce solicitor.


In retrospect, 3 cans of cider for breakfast may not have been a good idea.


Here you go.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/112/626/232/855/309/577/original/007fc6a633056078.jpg


Ah, I've just remembered that they're reissuing everyone's to reflect the new licence conditions. I'll probably have mine when I eventually leave this field and get home.


Did you have more than one callsign? They've removed that now so new licence for the only callsign you can use.


Here you go.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/112/625/875/161/056/595/original/e8353773b539e985.jpg


Pride and principles.


We have reached the "wet wipes being used as currency" day of the festival.

I've run out of breakfast beer so I've scrounged one of The Coven's ciders. I dislike cider.


As soon as I've had a mud bath...


Morning 3. No back problems. I think I've solved my camping problem.


"lol"


Have a good time anyway. It's been really cool.


They would be ex trainers within 30 seconds. It's ankle deep in mud in the arena, worse in some places.


If it could get any muckier you'd do a blog post about it Ms Net. ROCK THE FUCK ON!


Waders are advised at this point.


Pays to be nice. Lass from *a stand* complemented me on my hair so I talked with her for a while about hair and now I can haz all the free nicotine pouches. Pockets full.


No because it was something else to carry. Cans and cups are easy to find. I have tennis balls and jam jar lids at our tent but not carrying them around.


Muddy is an understatement.


I'm also on Eco Camp with the EMF bogs so I don't care.


Three ex art students were trying to tell me my way of stopping my chair from sinking into the mud using paper cups wasn't going to work.

Guess who was right?


The toilets may be too sparse but at least they're by actual metaled roads.


I know nostr:npub10gl8h68zlvq56hd5d96xg0pmzvygdl6hnz540fjythvujc6n4c7qs5seww likes being moist but I reckon if she'd have made it to Download it would have been the moistest she'd ever been.


I hope it's waterproof


On EU trucks they have stickers for MORT ANGLES which sounds cooler.


I've been fairly lucky with festival weather over the years. This is the worst I've had.

Never before have I seen so many people woefully unprepared for weather. Guess they like trenchfoot.


It really didn't help Anglo-Dutch relations.


I always get him confused with the angry potato, or Right Twat as he's known .


Not wanting to deal with damp jeans today so the kilt is out and the twins are getting an airing. I promise not to repeat the international incident of 2018.


Fantastic things.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/112/619/828/567/015/222/original/522070cdb7b590ab.jpg


A child thing has just been fascinated that I was listening to the planes taking off. That's it, I've corrupted him now.


The map is awful though. Until yesterday it was a low res bitmap. Today it's finally a Google Map overlay but it's out of date.

They need help. With everything.


Brought Wifeface to a bar tent. I didn't realise it was a silent disco but it's quite cool except for the DJ's love of the Foo Fighters.

"oh, where's this? Didn't know it was here"

I read the map. I find everything. Found a shortcut between our camping area and arena that cuts 10 mins of the walk.

She walked past his bar tent while we were carting our tent and shit up though. For someone of a more artistic tendency she never notices anything around her.


I am surrounded by weird people with various colours of hair, genders, music taste and sexualities. Just how I like it.


Why does my hair look blonde there? It really isn't and never has been.


Bluedot was my last commercial festival, I wasn't a massive fan but the place was so cool.

You'd probably enjoy EMF.


He absolutely deserved it and I will admit to putting the boot into someone in a pit who has displayed similar behaviour, we don't tolerate that shit at all.


Tomorrow if it stays dry. I have brought them.


Me (getting to the bar as they pull the gates together): Ah, just shut then?

Small Festivals: Yep, sorry. We've had a problem with the power, there's one over there [points]

Big Festivals: Yeah, fuck off mate, there's plenty of others around.


I have this thing clipped to my belt so I can whip it out during down time and I barely notice that it's there. Sod the crying, well worth the money.


Just about melt it and throw it at a certain politician then grab the cast as it's cooled.

Art installation: "Farage face in Wood Metal. 2024".


I don't have many good things to say about this festival yet, it's still early days but one thing I will say is that their attention to accessibility is excellent

I can only say this from a view of someone who has had some, but limited experience, with dealing with people who aren't able to have the full abilities that a lot of us do but I think it's great

Someone complained that the accessible viewing area was blocking his view to the main stage. I may have told him to fuck off and move then


Spoke too soon. It's getting a bit bad. No mitigations in place yet, suspect they may happen overnight.

The amount of people with completely unsuitable footware for even a dry festival never fails to astound me.


Embracing my outer weird for the second time in two weeks. Cheers.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/112/616/612/548/003/553/original/1f9275bcd8680463.jpg


I bought a black pork pie hat. It wasn't an impulse purchase. It was originally for a thing I wanted to do for EMF but life got in the way.

Project is back on


It's not too bad. Worst rain was yesterday. It's not too churned up yet and seems to drain ok.

Which is good. I forgot my wellies but my combat boots are handling it quite well.


If it makes any difference the staffing at Download isn't much better.


This helinox chair zero is definitely worth its "weight" in gold.


I'm avoiding him like he has spicy rocks down his pants.


The Coven are complaining that there's more spiders at Download this year. I may have imported a load of nostr:npub1489d2ta7j8tdmveg5esqqp3gcx03mf84c6z39shefak80q85a79qt9zagm in the tent. You're welcome.


I have almost absolute zero trust in that prediction


I had the same once although it was RAF rather than Navy. How come you ended up with the Navy?


Aye, plus whatever else he can pick up. He hasn't got a license so I don't want him transmitting.


It's ok because a lot of people add a slice of lemon to the water. Mmmm. Citrus flavoured bacteria.


Nah, I'd rather him borrow mine so I can disable the Tx first as he won't know what he's doing with it.


Aaaaaand I've just remembered I have a boxful of old BT branded DECT phones somewhere.


MaccieD's might have to do a bit of damage control.

Morgan Spurlock (bloke who did Super Size Me) has died of cancer at 53.


My mate has been on about borrowing my Quansheng for months.

Of course now he's picked the week that I'm going to be away with it.


There's loads of clashes for me this year. Perhaps I should have fewer interests.


https://www.emfcamp.org/volunteer/schedule

You have to be signed into your account.


I also need to time it right so I'm round ECHQ when nostr:npub1zt73057f0sf39g2d9gyw6leudkwe8netpy3f7l59vjzcaup3h0jsc5pwv6 soils himself.


It was a pain in the arse trying to find some shifts that work around the talks I wanted to see but I've made some sacrifices. And got the early ones because I like being in bed early because everything hurts and I'm old.


#EMFCamp shift sign up is now live. HINT.


Cool. We could make a worthy contender to challenge the magnificent Bude Tunnel.


I've never known one that opens at both ends.


Just a 20' then?


I also have a container full of.... useful stuff. But I only have a small house

My excuse is that it's somewhere to keep camping stuff and the kayaks but also a load of old junk^H^H^H^Husefull stuff.


We have... problems with throwing things out. And problems with Ebay addiction.


After just viewing an obscure website* it's just occurred to me that we're soon going to lose a lot of old websites that have survived the geocities demise that were a labour of love for the then middled aged people who started them and kept them going as these people start dying of old age and their family don't keep them going. Time to start scraping for posterity.

*British Telecom vehicles and liveries from the 1960s-1990s as you didn't ask.


I don't fucking believe it. Could everyone stop getting shot?


Fuck knows. Too late to know know but I've done everything she wanted that I was aware of.


Ironically I have an appointment with my doctor for high blood pressure today. It's through the roof today as well. Shame I have to reschedule.

I'll probably be the only person in history trying to do the phone queue at 0830 to try and GIVE UP an appointment.


I can haz interesting paperwork.

Should be fun dealing with the bastard banks that want it though.


Met the Wrexham people on the train platform after they'd been waiting there for a while for a late train.

"How do you always just turn up in time James?"

Maybe I should tell them about RealTimeTrains. But nah.


I fecking love the black country. I'm currently listening to two old fat white men arguing about how to make garam masala.

They're both wrong... And both right.