Archive for January, 2005

Not Your Mama\'s MiniMag, Part Two

Monday, January 31st, 2005

Last week, I posted my review of Opalec’s NewBeam MiniMag LED upgrade kit. This week, a similar offering called the MiniStar2 from TerraLux, as well as two options for tailcap switches.

Like the NewBeam, the MS2 is a pop-in replacement for the standard Mag lamp, along with the associated replacement parts to allow the new module to fit properly. Also like the NewBeam, the MS2 features a step-up transformer circuit to boost the battery power and keep it constant throughout most of the battery life. Otherwise, though, the MS2 is a very different beast.

Garage Sale of Sorts

Saturday, January 29th, 2005

Hey everybody,
I’m doing some house…er, hotel room cleaning, and figured I’d offer these up to you, my faithful readers, before I end up going the eBay route. Anyway, now that I’ve got the new toolbox, I have an Anvil ATA briefcase in pretty good condition that I’m looking to sell. I got it new for $90, if you’re interested, make an offer! E-mail Andy@OneFromTheRoad.com with the subject “Garage Sale”.

Why Marriott Rocks the Casbah

Friday, January 28th, 2005

Just caught wind of this article in today’s USA Today:

“Marriott’s fresh look puts bedding concerns to rest”

For the short version, it’s an announcement about an overhaul in the bedding at all Marriott brands that includes getting rid of those nasty, skanky, cleaned a few times a year at most bed spreads.

And not just in the fancy top of the line Marriots, even the “limited service” ones like Courtyard Inns will be swapping the spreads for new top sheets that get cleaned for every new guest. Woohoo!

–Andy

Yet Another Design

Thursday, January 27th, 2005

For those keeping count, we’re now on the second redesign of the site. I was having some issues with the small fonts that the old template used for the posts and especially the comments, and couldn’t get it to resize nicely, plus I didn’t like the really narrow box it shoved the posts into. So, let’s try this one.
-A

Boxed In

Thursday, January 27th, 2005

Okay, I’m a geek. I admit it. So, then, it won’t come as a surprise that I’m so excited over a frickin’ box. Of course, that’s getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s back it up a bit.

Working in theatre, there’s all sorts of tools (and toys, of course) that we carry around to do our jobs. Some are necessities, and others just make our work easier and more fun. Either way, we need a way to carry all this stuff from venue to venue, and job to job.

Not Your Mama\'s MiniMag, Part 1

Wednesday, January 26th, 2005

At long last, the first detailed review here at OFTR. I originally wrote this review of Opalec’s NewBeam kit, which allows you to easily turn a standard Mini Mag into an LED flashlight in less than two minutes, for USITT’s official magazine, TD&T (it appeared in the fall ‘03 issue). This weekend I’ll be posting a companion review of another LED kit from TerraLux, comparing the two.

A New Look!

Tuesday, January 25th, 2005

Just a quick post to call attention to the fact that I now have a prettier design for the blog, including a new logo. I’m still open to other suggestions, but for now, this beats the pants off the old bland template.

I’ve been coming down with some sort of cold or some other nastiness that I caught from two of the other crew members, and am doing a split-week this week, so it may be a day or two before I get to the promised updates, but I do have those reviews, an updated links listing, and some other stuff coming as soon as I find time and don’t feel entirely crappy.

Iced Tea, Part Deux

Saturday, January 22nd, 2005

A quick follow-up on my post about Honest Tea. Right before I made that post last night, I e-mailed Honest Tea to ask if they could point me to any other mail order sources for the plastic bottles of their teas. Imagine my surprise this morning when I found an e-mail from none other than the company’s president and “Tea-EO”, Seth Goldman, waiting in my inbox. Seth did one better than providing me with another mail order source–he told me that Target is now starting to stock the plastic bottles in all their stores! They may not be in store just yet, but they’ve been sent to the distribution centers, so they should be soon. Next time you’re in Target, be sure to check ‘em out! And, if you like what you taste as much as I do, be sure to drop Seth and Barry and e-mail and tell them, ‘cuz these are two kickass guys.

MacGyver to the Rescue

Saturday, January 22nd, 2005

Shock of shocks, a post that’s actually about work! I’ve always been a big fan of MacGyver, even if it is cheesy, at times lacking in verisimilitude, and with plentiful bad acting and every bad 80s and early 90s stereotype in the book. From the time as a teenager I rewired a Radio Shack walkie-talkie to work as a wireless mic receiver (I shudder at the memories of 49 mHz wireless mics!) to putting together a curtain hanging gadget on a New Year’s Eve gig out of gaff tape, a coat hanger, and a broom stick, I’ve always had a penchant for quick, last minute MacGyverisms in my work in the theatre. This time, I figured I’d share a quick MacGyver-esque trick I came up with a week or so ago to solve a problem with one of my wireless mic transmitters.

Best Iced Tea, Ever!

Friday, January 21st, 2005

Yeah, I know, I’m starting off with three posts, none of which have anything to do with theatre toys or tools or stories. Those are coming soon enough, but first, some variety.

As those who know me well know, I”m a bit of an iced tea fiend. I love the stuff. For some guys it’s coffee, but my caffeine-fix has always been tea. Recently, I’ve become hooked on a few different flavors from an awesome little company called Honest Tea. They make all organic teas, ranging from barely sweetened to slightly sweetened, and the ones that are sweetened all use real sugar and honey and such, none of that awful corn syrup junk. Who’d've thunk, bottle iced tea that actually tastes like tea?!