Sunday, August 3, 2008
Must........Not.......Kill..........
My tolerance is shrinking, my headache is growing, and there are a lot of people nearby who seem to be begging for an incredibly vigourous pummelling. All that and now products of conception to process. I wonder if I could punch myself in the head hard enough to knock myself out.....
Cotangent Over Sine
CHAPTER ONE: The Recording Studio Blues
Crap. I have plunged headlong into yet another project only to come up short, stopped by the simplest of problems. After lugging the turntable and stereo back downstairs, and dragging the old computer out of its somewhat dusty storage space, I run into the incredibly simple problem of no memory space. If at all reasonably possible, it seems that the old computer system (running Windows 98Plus) only has a 20 MB hard drive. I was stunned. It may be a very good reason why its been in storage instead of in use, but still. I'm pretty sure that most battery powered toothbrushes out there have more memory than that. The option of unhooking everything and taking it all back upstairs isn't really available, as Pinklady has already redesignated the space where the stereo once sat. So, I sat back and considered my options. I think I've settled on getting an external hard drive to augment the secondary computer. Seems I can get a 250 GB drive with a USB hookup for around $100. What really caught me off guard was the rather large size of the uncut WAV files I had been working with while doing the Giant's project. Get a few LPs worth of those in one place and it eats up a lot of memory. The notion of the external drive does also give me the option of portability. Since the backup computer doesn't have a CD burner in it, if I was intent on making a CD, I could just unhook that drive, take it to the upstairs computer, and do whatever burning work I needed to do there. My main challenge would be to avoid cluttering up that portable drive with crap like games and other misc stuff. I do like the idea of having all my music in one place, in theory. The potential of what could happen if I got that drive fully loaded and then it died on me is also not beyond my imagination. But I think I just may take a stroll over to Best Buy tomorrow and use the past two year's worth of gift cards from work that are sitting in my drawer collecting dust and get me a drive. Maybe then I can get this whole notion of having all my music in the same place as all my other junk going. Of course, I also now find myself wandering in circles and scratching my head while trying to figure out where the hell all the cables I had have wandered off to. I'm starting to remember that I did use the speakers that are now hooked up to the upstairs computer were integral to getting sound from the computer to the stereo. Otherwise, I may need to get a cable that goes from a 1/8 mini jack to a split RCA lead. Something else I could pick up at Best Buy, or if that fails, Radio Shack. End up spending a little more money on something that was supposed to be a no-cost project.
CHAPTER TWO: Worth the drive?
After months of rumor and speculation, I finally received an envelope containing the itinerary for the MTHS Class of '88 20 year reunion. The plan is to go to a sports bar. In Washington. End of story. To say that I was unimpressed would be a hideous understatement. I almost feel like the victim of some great practical joke, but for the fact that this skimpy event has been confirmed by others. I realize times are tight for everyone, but c'mon. I'm half a tank of gas away, and I'm thinking about skipping out on this one. I had been looking forward to this, in my own rather angst ridden way, but now I just feel disappointed. Are any of the people who have kids going to want to come from more than a town or two over to go hang out at a local bar for the evening? I also have to acknowledge that it is easy to criticize from a distance, and setting up something like this can be a huge undertaking that involves more that just a little money. Still, hitting a local bar is something groups of people would do after the actual reunion type event. Not even a tour of the high school or anything like that. Had hoped to kinda make a weekend of it, get away from the house for a while, maybe see a few folks from the old days, hang out with Cromag, try and get Dimples and Haikublonde to come out-just a lost weekend type thing. Now I'm not even sure if I want to spend what it would cost in gas to go down there. Got a whole two months to figure that out though.
It's not everyday that someone asks you more than once what kind of wood you want.
I think I need to mow the yard again.
I know I need to vacuum the house.
Crap. I have plunged headlong into yet another project only to come up short, stopped by the simplest of problems. After lugging the turntable and stereo back downstairs, and dragging the old computer out of its somewhat dusty storage space, I run into the incredibly simple problem of no memory space. If at all reasonably possible, it seems that the old computer system (running Windows 98Plus) only has a 20 MB hard drive. I was stunned. It may be a very good reason why its been in storage instead of in use, but still. I'm pretty sure that most battery powered toothbrushes out there have more memory than that. The option of unhooking everything and taking it all back upstairs isn't really available, as Pinklady has already redesignated the space where the stereo once sat. So, I sat back and considered my options. I think I've settled on getting an external hard drive to augment the secondary computer. Seems I can get a 250 GB drive with a USB hookup for around $100. What really caught me off guard was the rather large size of the uncut WAV files I had been working with while doing the Giant's project. Get a few LPs worth of those in one place and it eats up a lot of memory. The notion of the external drive does also give me the option of portability. Since the backup computer doesn't have a CD burner in it, if I was intent on making a CD, I could just unhook that drive, take it to the upstairs computer, and do whatever burning work I needed to do there. My main challenge would be to avoid cluttering up that portable drive with crap like games and other misc stuff. I do like the idea of having all my music in one place, in theory. The potential of what could happen if I got that drive fully loaded and then it died on me is also not beyond my imagination. But I think I just may take a stroll over to Best Buy tomorrow and use the past two year's worth of gift cards from work that are sitting in my drawer collecting dust and get me a drive. Maybe then I can get this whole notion of having all my music in the same place as all my other junk going. Of course, I also now find myself wandering in circles and scratching my head while trying to figure out where the hell all the cables I had have wandered off to. I'm starting to remember that I did use the speakers that are now hooked up to the upstairs computer were integral to getting sound from the computer to the stereo. Otherwise, I may need to get a cable that goes from a 1/8 mini jack to a split RCA lead. Something else I could pick up at Best Buy, or if that fails, Radio Shack. End up spending a little more money on something that was supposed to be a no-cost project.
CHAPTER TWO: Worth the drive?
After months of rumor and speculation, I finally received an envelope containing the itinerary for the MTHS Class of '88 20 year reunion. The plan is to go to a sports bar. In Washington. End of story. To say that I was unimpressed would be a hideous understatement. I almost feel like the victim of some great practical joke, but for the fact that this skimpy event has been confirmed by others. I realize times are tight for everyone, but c'mon. I'm half a tank of gas away, and I'm thinking about skipping out on this one. I had been looking forward to this, in my own rather angst ridden way, but now I just feel disappointed. Are any of the people who have kids going to want to come from more than a town or two over to go hang out at a local bar for the evening? I also have to acknowledge that it is easy to criticize from a distance, and setting up something like this can be a huge undertaking that involves more that just a little money. Still, hitting a local bar is something groups of people would do after the actual reunion type event. Not even a tour of the high school or anything like that. Had hoped to kinda make a weekend of it, get away from the house for a while, maybe see a few folks from the old days, hang out with Cromag, try and get Dimples and Haikublonde to come out-just a lost weekend type thing. Now I'm not even sure if I want to spend what it would cost in gas to go down there. Got a whole two months to figure that out though.
It's not everyday that someone asks you more than once what kind of wood you want.
I think I need to mow the yard again.
I know I need to vacuum the house.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Topsoil Or Loam?
CHAPTER 1: An Unmarked Passing
It seems that the odometer/speedometer on my bike is having issues. At leastI'm not the only one. Either it is dying, or the battery that powers it is dying. After being peeved for a while that I was going to have to shell out $5 for another battery, I decided that I didn't really care to. All that thing gave me was numbers. How far I'd ridden. My top speed. How much time I'd spent on the bike. Not what cool thing I had seen, or the fun I'd had just riding, or who I'd gone anywhere with. Just numbers. And none of them of any real significance. Sure, it would be occasionally impressive in the right company to say that I'd ridden X number of miles so far this year. Well, whoop-te-freakin-do-dah. That number might seem like a lot to some people, and might seem like small time crap to others. Either way, it does nothing to alter the quality, or quantity of my bike rides. They're just numbers. I think, rather than being upset when these numbers aren't the numbers that I think they should be, I'll just concentrate on enjoying the ride.
CHAPTER TWO: Finally!
The giant's project is complete! And only two and a half months behind schedule! I should seriously consider working for the government with a track record (no pun intended) like that. 15 or so full length albums converted into 9.06 gigabytes of WAV files that were then trimmed, sectioned and converted yet again into less than 700 megabytes of MP3s. (Oh look! More numbers!) This project does let me add quite a bit of classic rock from the early 70's to my collection. The whole conversion process actually moves along pretty smoothly once you get all the actual albums recorded.
Kinda got me thinking that I'll set up the old computer in my studio. I can hook it up to the old steroe and record player, and once again be using that as my whole house system. That also lets me clear out of the office for the most part, which means Pinklady and I will spend less time tripping over each other in there. I'll just use the old computer basically as a stand alone music center. That will give me even more reason to spend time in the studio. Could also help me get moving again on my inventory. Before Pimpdaddy SC sends Milt to rough me up in order to recover his tripod. Spending more time down there would also help me work my way through the heaps of vinyl of my own that needs to be recorded and converted.
If I managed to figure all that out, all that would be left would be pulling all the speaker wire terminals into the studio so I can start reusing all the speakers again.
CHAPTER THREE: Survey Says!
I really don't like spending too many of my days off like I spent this last one. I also have absolutely no remaining desire to have any type of monitoring device snaked into my body in any way, shape, or form. After a few hours of being knocked out, numbed, biopsied, and scoped, I had had as much of those particular events as I could ever hope to enjoy. And, from the results that I have thus far been able to lay my hands on, it would seem to be all for naught. Once again, I seem to be mostly normal, with only a few notable oddities. (NOTE:Anyone having a problem with the previous statement can send your complaints elsewhere) About the most that I can say is that until I have my follow-up appointment with the doctor, it seems that there is no current problem, I may be on the road to Ulcerville. Whoopee.
CHAPTER FOUR: Wonked Up
Just having an off day today. Yesterday really mucked things up, and the sedative they gave me made me want to little more than just lay around and nap once I got home. Poof! There went another day off! Been uneasily toying with the idea that I may need to change to some other med(s). Don't really like the thought of that. But that thought, combined with the return of the dreams, and my hodgepodge manner of taking my meds leaves me thinking that I may be coming close to the edge of the envelope of effectiveness. Again. Maybe it's a good time to take a chance to see if I can get out from under this whole mess. Make a run while the sun is high, and all that jazz. Alternately, I could work on changing my mind instead of changing my meds. That, of course, would be me operating on the assumption that the issue(s) that I have are software realted. I really do find the notion of having hardware issues much, much more disturbing. The meds can correct some hardware issues, and muffle some of the software issues, but that would mean I would be dependent on them for semi-normal function. Or, I could just hold my breath and see how deep the rabbit hole is. Why, oh why, would I want to take the red pill?
CHAPTER FIVE: Nauseating 'Wilderness'
This movie was so bad that my brain refused to even remember the whole title. It was released by Adam Sandler's production company (Happy Madison), and was apparently written by a team of 7 and 8 year old boys. Bad, Bad, bad, it was just way way way way damn bad. Worse than monkeys with a camera could do while stoned inside a garbage truck bad. Bad to the point that if I could remember the name of this so callled 'film', or even one person in the movie (Ernest Borgnine excepted. And I thought he was dead.), I would advise you to not even approach this DVD lest its toxic aura render you senseless and cause you, in a fit of uncontrolled stupidity, to rent this sorry mess.
Did I happen to mention that this was not at all good in any way?
PURPLE LEMURS WEARING SPAM SCARVES
**Naturegirl can sure get maximum impact from a minimum of words.
**Before she embarks on her epic journey, a quest for Dhawk will soon be revealed....
**Thoughts of kissing the Goaltender.....How interesting....
**Bananas do not travel well when unprotected in a backpack. Nor do peaches.
**A stray chair has become a target for my restless thoughts.
It seems that the odometer/speedometer on my bike is having issues. At leastI'm not the only one. Either it is dying, or the battery that powers it is dying. After being peeved for a while that I was going to have to shell out $5 for another battery, I decided that I didn't really care to. All that thing gave me was numbers. How far I'd ridden. My top speed. How much time I'd spent on the bike. Not what cool thing I had seen, or the fun I'd had just riding, or who I'd gone anywhere with. Just numbers. And none of them of any real significance. Sure, it would be occasionally impressive in the right company to say that I'd ridden X number of miles so far this year. Well, whoop-te-freakin-do-dah. That number might seem like a lot to some people, and might seem like small time crap to others. Either way, it does nothing to alter the quality, or quantity of my bike rides. They're just numbers. I think, rather than being upset when these numbers aren't the numbers that I think they should be, I'll just concentrate on enjoying the ride.
CHAPTER TWO: Finally!
The giant's project is complete! And only two and a half months behind schedule! I should seriously consider working for the government with a track record (no pun intended) like that. 15 or so full length albums converted into 9.06 gigabytes of WAV files that were then trimmed, sectioned and converted yet again into less than 700 megabytes of MP3s. (Oh look! More numbers!) This project does let me add quite a bit of classic rock from the early 70's to my collection. The whole conversion process actually moves along pretty smoothly once you get all the actual albums recorded.
Kinda got me thinking that I'll set up the old computer in my studio. I can hook it up to the old steroe and record player, and once again be using that as my whole house system. That also lets me clear out of the office for the most part, which means Pinklady and I will spend less time tripping over each other in there. I'll just use the old computer basically as a stand alone music center. That will give me even more reason to spend time in the studio. Could also help me get moving again on my inventory. Before Pimpdaddy SC sends Milt to rough me up in order to recover his tripod. Spending more time down there would also help me work my way through the heaps of vinyl of my own that needs to be recorded and converted.
If I managed to figure all that out, all that would be left would be pulling all the speaker wire terminals into the studio so I can start reusing all the speakers again.
CHAPTER THREE: Survey Says!
I really don't like spending too many of my days off like I spent this last one. I also have absolutely no remaining desire to have any type of monitoring device snaked into my body in any way, shape, or form. After a few hours of being knocked out, numbed, biopsied, and scoped, I had had as much of those particular events as I could ever hope to enjoy. And, from the results that I have thus far been able to lay my hands on, it would seem to be all for naught. Once again, I seem to be mostly normal, with only a few notable oddities. (NOTE:Anyone having a problem with the previous statement can send your complaints elsewhere) About the most that I can say is that until I have my follow-up appointment with the doctor, it seems that there is no current problem, I may be on the road to Ulcerville. Whoopee.
CHAPTER FOUR: Wonked Up
Just having an off day today. Yesterday really mucked things up, and the sedative they gave me made me want to little more than just lay around and nap once I got home. Poof! There went another day off! Been uneasily toying with the idea that I may need to change to some other med(s). Don't really like the thought of that. But that thought, combined with the return of the dreams, and my hodgepodge manner of taking my meds leaves me thinking that I may be coming close to the edge of the envelope of effectiveness. Again. Maybe it's a good time to take a chance to see if I can get out from under this whole mess. Make a run while the sun is high, and all that jazz. Alternately, I could work on changing my mind instead of changing my meds. That, of course, would be me operating on the assumption that the issue(s) that I have are software realted. I really do find the notion of having hardware issues much, much more disturbing. The meds can correct some hardware issues, and muffle some of the software issues, but that would mean I would be dependent on them for semi-normal function. Or, I could just hold my breath and see how deep the rabbit hole is. Why, oh why, would I want to take the red pill?
CHAPTER FIVE: Nauseating 'Wilderness'
This movie was so bad that my brain refused to even remember the whole title. It was released by Adam Sandler's production company (Happy Madison), and was apparently written by a team of 7 and 8 year old boys. Bad, Bad, bad, it was just way way way way damn bad. Worse than monkeys with a camera could do while stoned inside a garbage truck bad. Bad to the point that if I could remember the name of this so callled 'film', or even one person in the movie (Ernest Borgnine excepted. And I thought he was dead.), I would advise you to not even approach this DVD lest its toxic aura render you senseless and cause you, in a fit of uncontrolled stupidity, to rent this sorry mess.
Did I happen to mention that this was not at all good in any way?
PURPLE LEMURS WEARING SPAM SCARVES
**Naturegirl can sure get maximum impact from a minimum of words.
**Before she embarks on her epic journey, a quest for Dhawk will soon be revealed....
**Thoughts of kissing the Goaltender.....How interesting....
**Bananas do not travel well when unprotected in a backpack. Nor do peaches.
**A stray chair has become a target for my restless thoughts.
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