A couple of years ago my mom asked if I would be interested in building a workbench for the Violins of Hope display that came to Nashville in 2018. The symphony (where she volunteers) organized it with the library. Sure, why not. I like to build stuff and after meeting with those heading the project I had absolutely no idea what to build for them. So I did what I do best. I build something and hope they like it.
A brief background in the Violins of Hope project from the Wikipedia page- “The Violins of Hope collection is a collection of Holocaust related string instruments in Tel Aviv, Israel. The instruments serve to educate and memorialize the lives of prisoners in concentration camps through concerts, exhibitions and other projects. The collection is owned by father and son team Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, who are both violin makers.”
My task was to replicate a luthier’s (fancy talk for violin maker) workbench like the ones the Weinsteins have at their workshop in Israel. Since money was tight (non-existent actually) I didn’t get to fly to Israel and visit their workshop. Instead I got to look at a few photos, and go from there. The only problem with the photos is they don’t really show the workbench. Instead they show the master craftsmen and the astounding number of violins in their shop. And really, does anyone want to see their workbench? Well, me actually. I figured it would look something like this –
Next, I got to thinking about workbench theory – size, use, material, sturdiness, etc. This involved lots of research on the internet, of which only a small portion was beneficial. So I started with material and research on which woods are native to Israel, but are also available here in the United States and narrowed it down to cypress, cedar, and pine. Cypress is too nice, cedar is too fragrant and didn’t seem like the right choice so I picked pine. Easy enough. Home Depot here I come.
I didn’t take as many pictures of this project like I normally would, but it started with giving everything a nice sanding. Not to make it smooth, but to get rid of the logos and stamps that were visible. Nothing says old workbench like a new Weyerhauser logo. Also, I figured nails would give it a nice detail, and I ran the 2x4s through the table saw to remove the rounded edges. This would make each board nice and square and make the bench look like it was made quickly using the cheapest materials around. After all, your time and money is spent on your projects not your workbench. Unless you are actually doing the old style woodworking with hand planes, bench dogs, and stuff like that. Then you want a sturdy bench. I don’t do that and I don’t think that is needed to build and repair violins.
I used some screws to attach the legs to the frames in case it needed to be disassembled. Now I just needed to make it look old by darkening the wood.
The museum curators wanted to be able to hang stuff from from the back so I attached this old sheet of pegboard I had laying around.
And then it was time to put a few coats of poly on it.
And the final product…
It went on display at the downtown branch of the Nashville library for a good 2 or 3 months. Lots of visitors came to see the display…
…but also to look at the violins the Weinsteins have repaired.
They made a little picture book and the workbench made it in…
There is one violin that has a swastika and a Heil Hitler scribed inside of it that the owner likely didn’t know was in there. It was only discovered when the Weinsteins took it apart to repair it. Did whoever do that wake up that morning and think about how he could be a dick that day? Christ, what an asshole.
The Nashville Symphony held a meet and greet for local luthiers that donated a bunch of the odds and ends for the display and the Weinsteins came and spoke at it. Afterwards I was riding in the elevator with the Weinsteins and the elder asked who made the workbench. We had a brief, but fun conversation about it and I felt honored that it was appreciated.
Comments
257 responses to “Violins of Hope”
Very nice sir!
I like the squared off lumber look. Our house, as crappy as early 70’s construction by an amateur home builder could be, at least has good wood. Nice tightly grained stuff (probably old growth), squared sides, stamps from long gone mill, and aged to hardness. Can’t hardly find something like that now and to think of the enormous amounts of (quality) waste from milling the wood that went up in smoke in a wigwam burner.
Thanks Gustav! I have a few 2x4s of old growth oak that is hard as a rock. You just can’t find that anymore.
Very nice!
Thanks Sean!
Beautiful!! I need to learn some woodworking…..once I get my shop built up in Millersville
A local! There’s another one that I know of and we’ve talked about meeting up but haven’t made any plans. Email me at the address shown in my bio if you’re interested.
Very cool. I don’t have any wood-related anecdotes to add 🙂
We don’t judge. ?
And here I was going to make a snarky comment that “Violins of Hope” sounded like a bad Harlequin romance.
That is some very fine work.
Thanks Spud!
That’s absolutely beautiful!
Thanks SP! And thanks for all that you do with this site!
My task was to replicate a luthier’s (fancy talk for violin maker) workbench like the ones the Weinsteins have at their workshop in Israel. Since money was tight (non-existent actually) I didn’t get to fly to Israel and visit their workshop. Instead I got to look at a few photos, and go from there. The only problem with the photos is they don’t really show the workbench.
See, I would have e-mailed them to ask if they could send a photo.
Seriously, lovely work. Unfortunately I was never any good in shop class.
Thanks Ted! I never took shop even though my middle school offered it. I did take a class called World of Construction that got me interested in building things, but some of the students got suspended for making pipes in class and I figured I should stay away from those kids.
I took wood shop all through junior high and high school. I do not have your talent.
Notice how there aren’t any close up photos? ?
Really beautiful. I love the form following function.
The design is actually pretty similar to a bunch of furniture I made for myself in Grad school. I was what those of us in the business call “poor” at the time, so I couldn’t afford real furniture. So I made a TV stand, equipment shelf, set of book shelves and a coffee table out of 2x4s, 1x4s and 4x4s. I went with a nude wood look, so just some tung oil. The set lasted me into my mid 40’s. We ended up painting it to match a bed from Rooms to Go for my son. Then my wife decided to redecorate and into the trash it went. That furniture was built to last 500 years of heavy use. Or 1 wife, whichever comes first.
Thanks Cyto! In my experience the wife comes first. Hey a euphemism!
Looks like someone is playing the Alphabet People card in hopes of reviving his career.
My usual response to someone saying “I want to talk about my sexuality” is “Oh, look at the time.
That’s great but I am gonna have to give you a rain check on that. ”
I. Dont. Care.
Not my business. I don’t know anything about your sexuality and I would like to keep it that way.
Beautiful bench I. B. Really nice.
Now see, if I.B. McGinty wants to get together and talk about woodworking (no euphemism!) I could do that all day.
Wife is going on her yearly trip to the beach with her buddies at the end of the month. To occupy myself I am building one of these:
https://www.hayneedle.com/product/richlandhalltreeespresso11.cfm
to replace the one the dog ruined
Same dog?
I couldn’t build one of those in a million years.
No. Different dog. A little shithead that loves to piss on everything.
When we bought the hall tree I crawled on the floor and examined it top, bottom, back and front. They did such a good job disguising it as wood with veneer that I was fooled.
Dog pissed on it a few times and the truth was revealed. It is compressed fiber board covered with veneer. Ugh. I hate fiber board. The veneer peeled, the fiberboard crumbled.
I am gonna go with solid red oak building another one or…if the wife insists on painting it…clear pine.
*personally I want oak with visible stain. Paint is a sin in my wood based religion, but the wife gets what the wife wants. I can live with that.
*grain, not stain
Amen brother! It hurt to paint that furniture from the post above.
Worst of all? When put in use, the paint remained just the tiniest bit tacky. Not enough that you could tell, but enough that something heavy placed on it for a few weeks would stick to the paint. So it ruins the appearance, and the function! Bonus!
A hall tree or some kind of drop zone piece is on my list. Let me know how it turns out.
https://8020.net/xdiy1708
They don’t sell actual wood, but all the framing is anodized aluminum. I’ve got equipment chassis made out of this stuff and it’s pretty great. Pricey though.
I. Dont. Care.
*nods in agreement*
Things I don’t care to talk with strangers about:
Sex
Politics
Religion
Finances
Medical ailments
#metoo on all of those.
What am I supposed to say to something which declares their sexuality?
If somebody brings up something about working on their car, well, I would be interested in discussing it in detail. If the subject is plumbing, carpentry, cooking, language, or any number of things I know something about I would feel we should be discussing it in detail.
So if a trans/bisexual/queer whatever declares its preference, well, I know something about sex in general so am I supposed to ask questions or explain how I do it? Somehow I get the feeling that I shouldn’t be exploring that topic – so why is it brought up?
To put you on your heels.
Play along and ask uncomfortable questions.
Sometimes I am tempted to be a dick like that.
“So when he puts his cock on you do you usually put a little lube in first? I don’t think I could do that ’cause I’ve got these hemorrhoids, they’re like….”
TBF…
Nothing wrong with bringing it up with teammates – there’s going to be a lot of sex-talk in that environment. His choices are either smile, nod, and take no further part, or be honest about himself. Does it need to be a national news story? Of course not.
This.
I don’t care about that either. I think it’s difficult for those that are LGBTQwerty to not grasp the concept that there are people that don’t judge them on that.
“…the concept that there are people that don’t judge them on that.”
There are people in the world who are completely self-absorbed. I have noticed that any time they are around somehow, some way everything ends up being about them. The last thing they want is for no one to judge them on their sexuality. That is just another way for them to make everyone to pay attention to them.
I had a cousin like that. Jeeeeeeebus what a pain in the ass. As soon as things started going smoothly and everyone was back to living their own life she would have a ‘crisis’ and start threatening suicide. Next thing you know everyone’s attention is focused on her. Again. Everything had to be about her. After it happened a few times and I noticed the pattern I just walked away.
He says he needs his name team to accept his whole person, not just his football performance.
Uh, why is that exactly?
I don’t how it’s necessary, but he should be free to speak. If he wants to announce he’s bi, that’s his decision.
Some people are like that. Most aren’t, I think.
He needs. Well, it is all about his needs, isn’t it.
3 years and you get to be a “veteran”? Huh.
It looked great. Perfect backdrop to show off the violins. You nailed it.
Thanks Tulip!
I saw what you done here.
I love how it turned out. I got skeptical when I read “peg board”, but incorporating a nice frame stained to match the bench make it a perfect extension of the bench itself.
Nice old-school charm. And a good cause. I’d never heard of the organization.
Thanks!
I can vouch that luthiers use a crapton of pegboard.
I didn’t think I would like it when I.B. said he was using pegboard, but I like the final look.
I never really thought about it, but then I read your comment and I was thinking about the little music store in RI where I used to bring my guitars in for a setup, or to swap strings, whatever. Because I was new, I used to ask the luthier if I could watch him swap my strings or fix it (I think I broke a peg once, as well). Anyway, he had a similar workbench to the one I.B. made (it’s wonderful, I.B.!) and what struck me was how he knew exactly where everything was – every tool, string, peg, whatever. He would just reach right up, grab the right thing for the task, complete the task, put it back, grab the next thing.
It reminded me of Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” He has a chapter or two discussing that with mechanics. That gene skipped my generation, but I sure do wish I could find some time and space to have a wood shop in the garage and learn how to make some stuff.
Thanks Hayek! I actually didn’t like the pegboard once I got it finished. But if you look close they covered it with plywood, and that looks better.
Wow!
Thanks Trashy!
Great work
Thanks Kinnath!
I really wish I could do joinery and/or finish carpentry.
So do I. I like how most of my projects have turned out, but ultimately they look like they were made by a hobbyist instead of Norm Abram.
Does Norm still have a show?
I think he’s still on This Old House, but doesn’t do The New Yankee Workshop anymore.
My father’s constant refrain, when watching Norm, was “I could do that if I had those tools!”.
My dad coveted Norm’s biscuit joiner. Dad passed before everything became $49.99 at Harbor Freight.
And great job, I.B.!
I am occasionally moved by the spirit of my father to actually make something, but the reality of my tiny place kicks in
Though I do have that Hitachi compound mitre saw I bought on sale. That’s been used at least twice…
Thanks Slumbrew!
Tools… and a jig!
That was my second big lesson from that show… build a jig to line things up right, and you can make anything.
Finish carpentry is a blast and pretty much the only kind I’m any good at.
Gary Katz will square you away.
He’s a terrific teacher.
I will check that out Tundra!
I guess I gotta do it. Wood!
Btw, very nice work, sir. I am impressed!
Thanks blackjack!
That’s very impressive. What happened to the bench?
Thanks Count! They called after the event was over and asked if I wanted it back. I said it was a gift for them but if they were going to trash it I would take it back. I never heard back so I assume someone took it home. Which is fine with me as I hope someone is getting some good use out of it.
Again I admire the creativity. Well done, Mr McGinty. I am equally impressed how well organized and clean your workshop (garage?) is. Mine is an embarrassment though I’m not embarrassed. Thanks for shaming me. I always enjoy your articles.
/goes out to clean up today’s mess before anyone see it.
Thanks Fourscore! It’s amazing how much room I have with the cars pulled out. ? Believe me the mess is just out of the pictures. Most of my workshop items are on wheels so that makes it easy to setup and stow away when I’m done.
Excellent piece, I.B.M. Way back in junior high, I always preferred woodshop to home ec., but it requires so much more space and equipment than the “textile arts” that for the foreseeable future I think I’ll stick with my yarn & fabric. Thanks for sharing this with us, especially the various stages of progress.
Thanks GT!
I don’t understand why anyone would be bothered by violins on TV. I love the sound they make and think they are good for our kids to hear. While I’m on a rant, one thing that does bother me is the homeylessness problem. I just imagine Lil’ Joker trying to tag up a wall and there’s noone there to tell him it needs more spray paint at the top. Nobody to watch out for the cops, nothing. Everyone should have homeys. Let’s fix this now!
Needz moar sax.
Doesn’t everything?
That’s a nice workbench.
I guess I should have hollered when I was in Nashville. Next time.
Thanks DEG! Definitely next time.
That’s great, thanks for the pictorial.
I’m scratching my head about the “Heil HItler” marking. It’s dated 1936 – was it repaired or the maker knew the owner/ purchaser was Jewish and as you mentioned wanted to be a dick?
I’m so glad given the many events of the past few years we’ve moved on from this kind stuff here in the US…
Or it was scratched into the violin more recently, back-dated for “authenticity”, and then sold or donated to this Jewish charity just to be a prick.
The script and the way the “1” is written is consistent with stuff that I’ve seen from family in Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia from the period.
If so the prick knew how to be authentic!
Maybe a Nazi luthier signed all of his work that way in ’36?
Given the times that’s actually plausible.
Yeah, the handwriting looks like the genuine article to me too.
From what the Weinsteins have said about the violins, they weren’t/aren’t high quality concert level instruments and probably got used every night after dinner for entertainment. So I guess they needed some repair every so often, and this person maybe captured on the anti Jewish sentiment at the time.
Amazing work.
I’ve been building a small portable table. It isn’t anything special but I think it will work for what I want it.
Thanks Not! I made a portable workbench that needs some upgrading so that may be a future article.
https://twitter.com/RitaPanahi/status/1166677996792512513
He’s right you know.
I also love the argument that men aren’t allowed to have an opinion; as if respect for human life is dependent on plumbing.
I don’t know if it’s worth $320, but it looks pretty neat
https://www.yirego.com/
Wow! $320, and you can wash one bath towel at a time!
Or… now hear me out on this one… or, you could get a 3.5 cubic foot top-load electric washer for the same price, and it will do all of your laundry at once! And it will spin it dry too!
Hell, they have had wash tubs with wringers for 150 years that do a better job than this thing. Who gave that an award? I’m not even sure it is worth it for camping, since the capacity is so low and it lacks a wringer.
And those existing models were made of wood and galvanized steel – sturdier and longer-lasting than that plastic
tubtiny bucket.I thought it was gonna be a picture of CP’s favorite. She would be OK on a camp trip if she would do the laundry, even if it mean pounding the clothes on a rock, provided she was wearing a bikini.
I have a neighbor who built a second garage and put in a full cabinet shop. Very jelly.
Awesome! I love these builder stories keep it up
Thanks LJW!
Very nice I.B., I envy people who can make stuff like that from scratch.
The best I have done is kluge together a couple of steps for the older pets in the house to get up on the bed and couch (using some scrap wood and carpet). They look horrible, but at least do what they are supposed to do.
Thanks Whiz!
New ghost pepper infused sexual lubricant for those who love pain!
That’s just no.
ex-ex-ex-Girlfriend (OG-1X-OG) brought some KY Enhance stuff to the party once. I swear, it was like my dick had been pepper-sprayed.
Spice things up?
“this thing is coming off right now….you’re on the pill, right?”
Sounds pretty hot.
Jalapeñis?
Great work IBM. The design reminds me of the simple bench I built a few years ago of much lower quality. I ended painting the frame and staining the work surface. I even used a similar method to attach the pegboard. That project seemed like it was alot of fun concept wise. Taking such a simple scetch and interpreting the rest based on reasonable assumptions. Pine was a good choice.
I have old D. Fir bench I re-made that was created using the leftover original floor joists. True 2×4’s that are over 150 years old.
Thanks Timeloose!
https://twitter.com/41Strange/status/1166769617043243008
wolf corgis?
Aww. So cute
That’s a weird lookin dog. I can’t decide if it wants to snuggle or eat my face.
A friend of ours has a pair of Corgis. If I pass this pic along to her, she’ll make it three (if they’re affordable at all).
That’s a very nice piece of work, I. B.; wish I had the space (and $$) to do woodworking.
Did somebody say corgis?
When I was a kid I was given my great grandfathers violin. We didn’t have much info on it, other than he obtained it in the early 1900s. Inside it’s stamped Maggini 1630. We took it to an appraiser a few years back. Turns out the violin is a copy, likely purchased through a Sears catalog. A genuine Maggini can sell for millions. However, the copies hold value too. I believe they said it’s still worth $1000. I quit playing the violin in high school because I thought it would make me uncool. Would love to go back in time and convince myself to keep playing.
Heh boy were you wrong
Dude, Id blow you if you can play this.
At the least an HJ.
“How to get a job in Music”
That’s what a lot of the violins that the Weinsteins repair are, simple everyday instruments. They said when they repair them, they actually upgrade a lot of the parts to make them concert level quality. One of the violins is called the Auschwitz violin, and that seems to be the favorite of them all.
Heat-treated?
/Ill show myself out
“There has never been a successful escape from Stalag 13!”
My folks made me quit playing cuz I made the violin uncool.
At work, way too many people have access ro the room of tools, so we have bought, and are waiting for delivery of, a locking 4 draw tech cart from Harbor Freight.
Cedar is used traditionally for fences, decks, and clothes storage because it is poisonous to insects.
I worked for Weyerhauser years ago, in a box manufacturing facility.
Good ways to “worst” wood, i.e. make it look old, include tea, torch, and urine (also works on copper).
Great column job, well done.
“Denver, will you please stop pissing on the stock. Your vile splatter is not how we “worst” the wood.”
Ha! I beat up the bench by throwing hammers, pipe clamps, and a chain on it but once I put the stain on it you couldn’t tell unless you were about a foot away.
Yeah, the pics show that. The stain made it look brand new. And pretty. But you were going for something completely different. It’s an interesting problem. Maybe only one coat, then worst it?
For pine I like to get it good and wet let it soak in and then use a wire brush on the piece. A soft wire wheel chucked up in a drill works well. Raised grain is the bomb when trying to age something. Then beat the shit out of it considering natural wear patterns even using a rasp on the corners and high wear places and such. I like to then sand off the little hangers on of wood grain with a med grit paper. Then sand between coats of Poly with a finer grit.
Nice work in the article IB. All my work now seems to be functional and not displayable. One of these days I will get back to making things to look at.
Thanks for the tips West!
The grain thing is great! It made a few ideas of my own kinda gel. Also, Imma take back what I said about giving it only one coat of stain. I think the stain is the problem; don’t use any. Paint it instead, then use your wire brush, etc.
Yes, multiple layers of paint +wire brush +raised grain can be an interesting look if that is what one is going for.
Awesome work, IBM
And based on the pics- you got a lot of cats.
Sup Tres! Yeah we’ve had two pass on this year but my in laws brought down the 4 kittens their stray cat had earlier this year. Bunch of little shits…
Bunch of little shits…
i.e., cats
“Women and cats do as they please, and men and dogs need to get used to it.”
-Heinlein
(or something like that)
LOL I just spent five minutes playing Where’s Waldo looking for evidence of cats and finally spotted it.
I’m pretty sure my neighbor is going to be eaten by her cats. She must have five buckets of litter in the trash each week. I see a different cat in the window each day. There could be dozens in there.
Cool, maybe the Hoarders crew will show up and you’ll get to be on TV.
One can hope. I feel bad for the lady. We cut her grass and shovel her driveway and sidewalks. But I can’t remember her ever speaking to me. I tried, but she is pretty strange.
Cat litter containers have lots of uses.
Cool stuff IB. Thanks.
Thanks Scruffy!
Very nice, IBMcG.
A question: Did you use the table saw instead of a planer to square off the boards because that’s what you had available?
Yeah I set the fence to 3 1/4 inches and ran each board through, the set it to 3 inches and ran the other side through to get a true 3 x 1 1/2 inches.
The making of the making of a workbench for making violins. This is rabbit hole stuff and is excellent. Thumbs up.
Thanks Straff!
Morning Straff!!
Evening, TL. What you drinking tonight? Went to the Yomiuri Giants/Hiroshima Carp game last night and it turned into a blowout by the third inning. Only thing left to entertain ourselves was to drink. Rough shape by the eighth.
Very cool. I’m sober tonight and just got off of work. The weekend starts tonight for me. I’m off till Tuesday.
The wife and dog are going to the woods to a cabin wife the weekend. Lots of food booze and games. Should be fun.
With the wife and dog. We will join two other couples with similar interests. I have to keep my mouth in check due to a certain friend with extreme TDS.
Well, you will be in the woods and have plenty of places to dispose of a body.
And lots of firepower
A cabin in the woods, you say?
“I am never going to see a merman, ever.”
Her husband is great she is challenging some times.
Ha! My mom went to Japan back in the spring and brought me back a Hiroshima Carp hat.
Tigers or GTFO!
/has a Tigers cap, somewhere…
When I first got here, I wanted to choose a team to root for so that I’d have something to talk about with the locals. Chose the Tigers because the Giants are the Yankees of JPB. After about 6 months I changed to Seibu Lions. Tiger fans are the Red Sox of JPB. Douchebags.
Hey! We’re not all douchebags. Mostly.
Generalities are always correct. 😉
My wife has Yomuri Giants washcloth(*) because the Hall of Fame museum was closed on the day I took her to a quilt show at Tokyo Dome and the Giants shop was the only thing open there. The park next door was very nice.
(*)Hello Kitty Pretty League, of course
What a great project!
Have you ever considered becoming a luthier? It would be an excellent complement!
I just remembered I legit met a luthier recently – they were impressed I knew the word.
I don’t recall where, exactly – I’m pretty sure it was the Ann Arbor wedding 3 weeks ago, not the last-minute wedding invite last week.
If I had musical talent maybe? ?
He’s got the nailing part down. Just needs some theses, but the above shows writing chops. Oh, luthier…
OT. I know it is preseason but this is good. The Chargers are playing San Francisco. San Fran had a running back break a run for a touchdown. It was a decent run (RB reversed field) but the fun part was the San Francisco QB (CJ Beathard, the son of the former NFL general manager Bobbi Beathard) through a fairly decent “interference” block to spring the RB for the touchdown. Touchdown wouldn’t have happened unless the QB threw the block.
I mean how often do you actually see the QB throw an effective block.
Only preseason.
It’s not “cool”, but otherwise you see your key player, I dunno, trying to stretch a run for another couple of yards instead of stepping out of bounds, then tearing his ACL in Week 3.
Hypothetically.
Every time the Chargers lose Art Spanos descends a little deeper into hell.
Preseason football is an excellent reminder of why the national announcing crews have little to fear from the local announcers.
So true. Every time I think it’s not a skill, this reminds me it is.
I have a question for the Glibertariat. A friend wants to know, (honest friend question this time) wants to know if synthetic piss can make it through a lab test. Disregarding the fact of how stupid it is for an employer to be testing for that for a position that entails cleaning in a state where smoking pot is legal.
I don’t even know what that is. Couldn’t you just color some salt water yellow?
Pretty sure urine has a few more chemicals in it than just salt and not all pee is yellow. If yours is, you need to drink more water.
Urine’s primary components are water and urea, which is not quite two ammonia molecules stuck together. The lack of the compound which was named after urine as the primary place it’s found would be a dead giveaway.
I take a multi vitamin, so mine’s guaranteed to be yellow.
I can’t disregard that. It pisses (!) me off that that is a thing.
Ya, me too.
No clue.
You would be the one I hoped to have a clue. Not because of your massive drug habit but your clinical/professional knowledge.
Maybe
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30194711
Keep in mind drug testing services are also aware of those products and have an interest in detecting them so that paper may be out of date. Look for “specimen validity testing”.
From one such test provider. They say they can detect synthetic urine, but who knows from the outside
https://blog.employersolutions.com/add-certainty-with-specimen-validity-testing/
https://blog.employersolutions.com/a-closer-look-specimen-validity-testing/
Doesn’t he know anybody who never does any drugs? Why does it have to be synthetic?
Never heard of synthetic piss but my guess is no. It is more than salt, water and uric acid. Urine has a plethora of constituents including hormones, protiens, enzymes etc that would be too expensive or nearly impossible to replicate. A half way decent lab would spot it immediately, especially because they no doubt have seen it before. If the lab uses a spectroscopy method of qualitative analysis I bet they have a printout of fake urine taped to the wall by their equipment with ‘Nice Try! written on it in Marks-alot.
I.B., wonderful work! I don’t know that I can add anything superlative at this point, other than there is no way I could do anything like that. Bob the Builder would have been Dad, and he’s long gone.
Thank you Sir!
What SD said.
Nice carpentering, IBM. And an interesting cause/charity thingee.
I will now post an obligatory music link to some obscure punk/indie song with a tangential reference to the topic at hand.
Block of Wood https://youtu.be/FJE7wIXKBrU
My favorite comment: They should identify as men.
https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2019/08/29/womens-march-argues-that-women-are-least-equipped-to-face-the-challenges-of-climate-change/
Agreed: Chad is talented.
That is not really news to anyone who has had to deal with trying to control the temperature of a room full of women. Half of them are not equipped to deal with the current temperature and demand it be changed one way or the other.
I have yet to see one of them turn to prostitution in that case though not that I would be opposed to it.
Two weeks ago I was at a Company where the A/C was so cold, there were employees with throw blankets around their shoulders or in their laps. I had to wear a sweater all week. Why the fuck was it so cold?
To stop the growth of bacteria? That’s generally the reason jails are kept cold, when they are.
And, as we all know Business = Prison,
It is known!
Probably the temp was controlled by some software based and not something contolled by a simple thermostat. In my experience they are absolutely impossible to control because they suck balls.. That or the maintenance man likes to see hard nips and/or is selling blankets in the parking lot.
Fatties and post menopausal: temp too hot
Stick figures with 3/4 length sleeve “sweaters”: temp too cold
Nailed it.
So the fatties and the olds win the thermostat wars?
Hey! I resemble that comment.
So do I.
You can get in on the beverage run, if you like
Too late! My BAC is already at normal operating range.
Normal? Or, optimal? ‘Cause, we can help you reach that goal.
::SD and Rhywun opt out of going to that office; grab some beverages::
Sounds like it’s going to be rough for them. They might want to toughen up.
I find it interesting that
GeneralRep. Lee sees sex, marriage, and/or having kids as detrimental to these phantom women, in the context of ecological danger. OK, maybe the childbirth thing could bring about problems, but, still…Also, the people (ostensibly males) who are hiring their hooker asses, or marrying them, are somehow not affected by the ecology/biome? Magic powers? Special, top-secret technology? Some hidden spot on the globe that isn’t affected in her imagined crisis?
As a married man I will vouch for always being aware of my wife’s comfort/discomfort level. She will not shut up about it.
I thought there is no difference between men and women? I wouldn’t worry too much about a crisis that moves ahead in the future at the same rate we do in the present.
I’m sure when we have fusion power, we’ll have climate change licked.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Stop it. You’re killing me.
https://www.dailycaller.com/2019/08/29/jussie-smollett-chicago-evidence-hate-crime/
Killing you?!?
HATE CRIME!!!!
Oooh it looks like tomorrow night is going to be great for star gazing. Clear with crescent moon.
Tomorrow night will be steaks at Taylor’s in Koreatown (where I proposed to my wife, like, 17 years ago). And then over to the Bootleg Theater to see The Courtneys. Should be a splendid evening.
The Courtneys https://youtu.be/Xl77f2gFSL4
I thought Canadians were supposed to be nice.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/former-canadian-prime-minister-hopes-hurricane-dorian-strikes-direct-hit-on-mar-a-lago
The endumbening continues.
Your words are cromulant.
Chocotastic, even.
Mostly true.
Way too close to the truth.
Paging Straffinrun and Tejicano.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-xenophobia-keeps-japanese-women-in-workforce
::scratches head::
So, is he for it, or, against it? Bottom line: where does he need to go to grope?
I don’t think it’s for or against. I think Joe was dropping some “wisdom” on us.
“Secret Wisdom” https://youtu.be/GESEe8z5SSk
Shoegaze from Deafcult.
My only real exposure to shoegazer is from early Starflyer 59
I must admit, I like that, e.
I’m confused. That’s not Wasp.
I’ve already intruded into your territory once this week: I dare not trod upon it again. Or, something like that.
https://youtu.be/jv9sDn_2XkI
::ponders deeper meaning of that choice::
I wonder what color the sky was in the Japan he visited?
Even the tiny company my FIL runs has had foreigners in it – and it wasn’t to handle foreign clients as they operate 100% in a domestic market.
In fairness he has a brain doctor because of his medical history. There’s no telling what color the sky is to him.
His sky is paisley, man. Like, oh wow. It’s beautiful.
You mentioned a brain doctor…
https://youtu.be/cmjrTcYMqBM
Two obvious mistakes: Abe is prime minister not “president” and it’s called “Abenomics” not “Abe Economics”.
What’s his point? That women’s jobs should be taken by foreigners? Totally convoluted speech.
I think he’s setting up a fact finding mission to sniff their hair.
Biden was senile 30 years ago when he showcasing his stupidity during Thomas’ confirmation hearing.
Doesn’t seem to be the case that he’s just the same ol’ Joe making gaffes. His mental abilities are clearly slipping IMO. The odds are pretty good that someone his age has early onset dementia. Could be confirmation bias, but the proof seems to be coming in regularly.
The number of those in US politics for whom this ISN’T true is so small that, considering the rest of them, Joe is practically a mentat
He’s always been a bullshit artist and, whatever you think of bs artists, it takes a lot of mental acuity to keep your bs coherent. A slight dip in mental abilities to a normal person can be written off as just being tired or something. When your entire shtick is built on bs, these slips are magnified because of the glaring inconsistencies.
An attorney* who’s been in politics for 53 years, making it all the way to VP? Oh, can confirm!
*apologies to our resident attorneys; your being here proves a difference to Biden’s ilk
Early Onset? What decade is normal onset dementia if seventies is still early?
What a beautiful bench Mr McGinty. Keep up the woodworking posts. Love them.
Can’t make up my mind if this is beautiful or hideous.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnBV9Ay40u4
I tend to automatically attribute hideousness when Cher is involved. I’ll giver her props for her voice, to a degree.
And yes, I realize that I’m saying that the Osmonds are NOT the issue here.
That is a remarkably accurate depiction of every-day life in 1975.
*tosses self out window*
But, can you DIG it?
I dig it.
1975 was the year in which the story No Country for Old Men was set. The year Saigon fell.
I was getting ready to finish high school the following year.
I doubt many people under the age of 40 now would recognize what life was like then.
It was also the year my dad died. That said, what I do remember of it, which isn’t much, is definitely different from today.
I was six years old. Blissfully unaware of most things but some scars remain.
And the year the Khmer Rouge takes Phnom Pehn.
I first came to Japan a couple years after that. It’s been a long, strange trip to see the world change from this perspective. Back then I might as well have been on a different planet – letters and post cards were the only practical way to stay in touch. Now I can open this plastic box and communicate with people in the US in real time. I actually enjoyed being in a different reality. Now much of that reality is shared through the internet.
The downside to that (if you’re a glib) is that you find there aren’t quite so many people worth the effort. YMMV.
You noticed that too, did you?
Well, I didn’t want to say anything, at first. I guess that explains why we haven’t seen an explosive growth spurt here.
That, or the fact that I will now snicker at the idea of an ‘explosive spurt’.
Heheheheheh….
Yeah, for a long time I was thinking that the complete infrequency of my contact with people back in the US had to do with my growing up in a time when it was expensive and took time to get there – and more time to wait for a reply. It took me years to realize that my lack of interest in the content of those replies was the reason.
It all comes out brown in the end.
…except for colored cake frosting. That generally comes out the same color.
“So, has Cadbury finally hired some black folk? What about yellow? Or, red?”
Beautiful:
neontaster
12h12 hours ago
Replying to @adage
Is the white chocolate at the front of the bar?
In the picture from the link…. yes.
247 comments and no “Violins inherent in the system” joke? Its almost as if I don’t know you guys.
*Offers UCS some ghost pepper enhanced salsa*
It would also work well with an omelet.
I had breakfast already.
“Tekeli-li tekeli-li!”
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/08/16/human-sized-penguin-once-lived-in-new-zealand/
Gotta catch it first