Add Thursday - Hollyland and Arista

content/blog/wk3day4.md

@@ -1,7 +1,99 @@
 ---
-title: "Week 3, Thursday:"
+title: "Week 3, Thursday: Wireless mic, Cameo ES Mat"
 date: 2024-08-15T21:55:00+02:00
-draft: true
 ---
 
 {{< image frame="true" width="17em" float="right" src="/img/headline/dancekowski-02.png" alt="Credit: Hoer Berlin, Youtube" >}}
+
+This morning I got something fun in the mail - I ordered an electrostatic mat for the Silhouette
+Cameo. The way it (normally) works, is there is a plastic 12" x 12" cutting mat, which has a low
+tack side to which you stick the material to be scored or cut. Then you feed it into the machine and
+it does its work. Afterwards, you peel off the material from the mat. That's okay, I guess, but the
+material easily damaged because the low tack mat, especially when it's new, is not exactly _low_! 
+
+Silhouette has made a gizmo which I think is pretty cool: on the Cameo v5 there are three power pins
+on the front of the machine, and to that power I can connect a plastic tray which has a sliding mat
+which is electrostatically charged. There's a little button with a green LED which turns on and off
+the charge pump, and the paper (or vinyl) pretty much immediately locks into place. After cutting, I
+can turn off the static charge, wait a few seconds, and the paper comes loose again. So cool! Now,
+cutting very small details on paper is much easier than before, because there's no chance of ripping
+or damaging the cut material. Well done, Silhouette!
+
+Marina is off to the _Maag Halle_ today, to see an exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci. Me, I'm going to
+finish the configuration of the Arista switches that I deployed yesterday in R&uuml;lang; and
+Glattbrugg. Before I do so, I extensively play with another thing that I got in the mail (and aluded
+to, yesterday) -- the Hollystar Lark M2 wireless microphones. It takes me a small while to get them
+to a point where they are good to go. 
+
+The mics are super tiny, maybe eight grams of weight with a magnet or clip to put them on the collar
+of my polo. They sound good out of the box, but some tweaking in the OBS settings make them sound a
+fair bit better. They are pretty sensitive, and rather easily pick up the sound coming from the
+monitor speakers, so it takes me a few trials before I'm happy with them.
+
+I break for lunch - which is simply tossing all of the vegetables and beef from yesterday into a
+Miso soup with ramen noodles. It's a rich broth with soy sauce, miso paste, red chilli paste, beef
+bouillon, and the kit'n'caboodle of leftovers from yesterday. And oh, is it good!
+
+After lunch, I take out `bs01.zrh35` for a spin, and configure it, taking notes. Spoiler - I did
+this to learn a bit about the switch configs, as this is the first time that I get up close and
+personal with an Arista EOS. I have a lot of fun
+[[exploring](https://null.53bits.co.uk/index.php?page=arista-hardware-overview)] and
+[[comparing](https://null.53bits.co.uk/index.php?page=hardware-overview-2)] to
+what I know (IOS/XR, IOS, Centec NOS, and Juniper). After an hour or two I think I got it, and
+that's why the video of me configuring its counter part `bs01.zrh56` may come across as well
+organized:
+
+{{< video src="/media/vdo/2024-08-15_13-34-42_16.5.46.mp4" >}}
+
+Compared to the R&oslash;de microphone, the Hollyland Lark M2 button mics are not as pristine of a
+sound, _but_, and this is actually quite important for me, I can wear them and move freely around
+the room, and the audio level and quality is the same everywhere. That's actually quite nice, so
+I approve of my purchase after recording the video :)
+
+By the way, you can regularly see me in this habitat on the weekends, as IPng has lots of tasks like
+this one (although there, I typically would automate it in _Kees_ pretty quickly, to avoid mistakes
+and create consistency). 
+
+Then I pull out the ES Mat for the Cameo, which interestingly comes with no manual. In hindsight,
+that should not surprise me, as all I have to do is click the tray onto the Cameo, and press the
+button for ON and OFF. OK, I think I can do that - I immediately put it to work by cutting the IPng
+logo in white out of some Oracal vinyl, and then again out of IPng-red vinyl. These will go on the
+two Hollyland mics (pictured below), one for a dark outfit, and the other for when I'm wearing a
+lighter top. I can't help but think that addin the ability to sticker over the logo on the mic
+is a nice touch - Good job, [[Hollyland](https://www.hollyland.com/product/lark-m2)]!
+
+Marina comes home and has a video call with the folks from BadgeMatic, and they diagnose the faulty
+stamp. Anja is super friendly and agrees to send a replacement stamp our way, and we'll return this
+one to them. I decide to celebrate this by offering Marina a G&T; elderberry flavored with a side of
+salami. We sit in the yard and admire the growth of our hazel - sitting under it in the shade and
+reading a book may be in my future, some day.
+
+We have a pasta _puttanesca_, which Marina demands to prepare without my "help" (as somehow I tend
+to mess it up?!), and we nom it. After dinner, Quinn goes his merry way and Marina and I watch some
+TV. She has found a belgian police series called _Coppers_ and we watch the first two episodes of
+season one. It's nice that it's in Flemish, and the episodes are standalone _Krimi_ style stories.
+
+Did you know that if you take a sufficient amount of frogs and feed them magic mushrooms, that they
+will successfully attack and eat up two life-sized sharks? See the pictures below for my empirical
+evidence to back my claim. 
+
+After watching two episodes it's only 22:30 but I am bushed. I decide to punt on writing my story
+until tomorrow, and turn in early for the day.
+
+## Pictures of the Day
+
+{{< gallery-category >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0660.JPG" caption="A tasty miso and beef ramen, made from leftover veggies" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0662.JPG" caption="The ES Mat that arrived, fits on the front of the Cameo, and holds paper in place using electrostatic force - it works well!" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0661.JPG" caption="Look at the detailed cut of Cameo 5, it's cut out a vinyl logo of 21mm and it looks beautiful" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0665.JPG" caption="I cut one red and one white logo, so I can mix and match on lighter and darker outfits. I'm such a fashionista!" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0663.JPG" caption="The Gin and Tonic, with salami, was lovely today" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0664.JPG" caption="Our hazel tree is a super happy camper, and grows easily three meters per season. This Fall, we'll have to pair it down a bit." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0666.JPG" caption="We watch Coppers, a belgian crimescene investigation series. It's OK, so far!" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0667.JPG" caption="The frogs have cornered the two sharks, who are fearing for their life." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-15/IMG_0668.JPG" caption="The frogs have consumed the magic mushrooms, and obliterated one shark, and half of the other one! Look at them gooooo!!" >}}
+{{< /gallery-category >}}
+
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+{{< gallery-script >}}
+

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   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-13/IMG_0641.JPG" caption="Somebody left a cute looking tree trunk/log at the garbage bins, but I don't think it will be picked up, it's waaaay to big/heavy." >}}
   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-13/IMG_0642.JPG" caption="Our evening walk is to settle the BBQ meal in our stomachs. It's needed, I am stuffed! By the way, interesting picture quality, the 90s called, they want their compression artifacts back!" >}}
   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-13/IMG_0643.JPG" caption="The sunset over the valley towards Dietlikon is very nice tonight, the picture doesn't quite do it justice" >}}
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