I counted up after the last entry, and as long as I didn't miscount (a definite possibility), this is the 100th installment of fits and starts. Not sure if this is a fit or a start, but anyway, I'm sure it'll be as content-free as 95 or so of the ones that came before it.

I'm sitting with a laptop in the data center at work, watching Partition Magic do its thing on a server onto which I'm trying to install linux. It's got this Compaq RAID controller that linux just doesn't like. It does its impression of the old commercial: RAID?! followed by a small explosion. At least the magic smoke isn't coming out. I don't necessarily have to be back here in the server racks, but I'm on a wireless card, and it's not like there's anything I can't do down here that I'd do at my desk, other than slouch a little more comfortably ... I might be talking myself into going upstairs after all. Can't watch this progress meter from there though. Feh.

The second of my two new tech toys arrived today, too late to make use of it this week. But I guess I should explain. I finally buckled down and ordered a portable DAT recorder (Sony PCM-M1 for those who care) in order to be able to tape my voice lessons, and also to record audition materials. I don't own any cassette devices except the tape deck in my car, which has been used maybe five times in the three and a half years I've owned the car. I've been longing after a DAT for a couple years now, and I decided after the string of excellent voice lessons that I should go ahead and get one now, so that maybe I can record some audition stuff and send it off, and try to act like I'm really a singer instead of just a hacker who takes lessons once a week. I also joined Opera America last week, so by all appearances I'm at least trying.

So I ordered the deck last week, as well as some Core Sound Binaural microphones, and the mikes¹ came yesterday but the deck and tapes didn't, which means I couldn't record last night's lesson, which is annoying because it was the best one yet. Actually, every lesson lately has been the best one yet, better than the one before it. That's the way this lesson thing is supposed to work, so it's nice to see it happen that way. Anyway, the deck and tapes came today, and they'd put the wrong ZIP code on the shipping label. They read it back to me right, and they even typed it in right on the sales order, but they put it in wrong on the package itself, so it took an extra day to get here. It's heavier than I expected. It's supair-cool though, so I guess the one day is not that much of a complaint. They also sent the wrong tapes (90m instead of 60m) but the prices are the same, and in one way I got more than I ordered (50% more capacity) but I ordered the others because the tape itself is thicker (better) on the shorter tapes.

Anyway, once I get all set up and figure out how to use it best, I'll probably throw an MP3 or two up here.

Yay, the Partition Magic progress bar finally moved. What is it with Windows products that the progress bars jump from 43% to done on one swell foop? What's the point of a "progress" bar if it doesn't update regularly enough to be meaningful? What is the sound of one bit twiddling?

 

 

 

1. I have one particularly pedantic friend (actually, most of my friends are pedantic, and as that goes, he's less so than most, and this is the pot calling the kettle black anyway) who works in sound production, and he insists that "mic" is the only acceptable abbreviation. I've looked it up, and "mike" is also acceptable, and it's what I learned first. So, if you're reading, Mr. Pedantic Sound Guy Friend, there.

(24 oct)