More? Sure!
Monday, April 30, 2018
Fear Death
SPOILER ALERT FOR FEAR THE WALKING DEAD....
Entertainment Weekly News: Fear the Walking Dead showrunners on major character death. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwsa7wrzg
Timely
For me, as I'm working on disaster recovery documentation that spans across the department and several teams, finding the sweet spot for what the audience knows is a challenge. When a team writes their own disaster recovery documentation, is it appropriate to presume that all members of the team know enough about the subject area to use some shortcuts? For example, if there's an abbreviation that a team uses that is specific to that team, does it need to be spelled out the first time it is used? An interesting question I ask myself after reading this article: https://www.inc.com/alison-davis/how-to-help-anyone-understand-how-to-do-anything.html
50 Legendary Drum Parts
It's obvious to me that it is unlikely to find an Ideal Band that includes all 50 of these tunes in their setlist.
🌟Song list & Time Stamps🌟
🌟Song list & Time Stamps🌟
- Judas Priest - Painkiller 0:00
- Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times 0:16
- Toto – Rosanna 0:38
- Rush – Tom Sawyer 0:49
- Muse – Knights of Cydonia 1:00
- Guns ‘n Roses – Paradise City 1:30
- Molly Hatchet – Flirtin’ with Disaster 1:39
- Sting – Seven Days 2:06
- Led Zeppelin – Fool in the Rain 2:20
- Black Sabbath – War Pigs 2:34
- Nirvana – In Bloom 2:55
- Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight 3:06
- Boston – Foreplay Longtime 3:09
- Metallica – Sad but True 3:49
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday 4:11
- Sweet – Ballroom Blitz 4:26
- System of a Down – Toxicity 4:41
- Meshuggah – Bleed 5:04
- Dave Brubeck – Take 5 5:21
- Pink Floyd – Money 5:31
- Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me 5:42
- Tower of Power – Soul Vaccination 5:53
- Aerosmith – Walk this Way 6:03
- Led Zeppelin – Rock & Roll 6:12
- Led Zeppelin – When the Levee Breaks 6:18
- Queen – We Will Rock You 6:38
- Michael Jackson – Beat It 7:04
- Metallica – One 7:21
- Tool – Schism 7:38
- Blue Oyster Cult – Burnin’ for You 8:03
- Styx – Come Sail Away 8:17
- Disturbed – Down with the Sickness 8:31
- Van Halen – Hot for Teacher 8:53
- The Steve Miller Band – Take the Money and Run 9:19
- Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl? 9:28
- Paul Simon – 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover 9:36
- Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills 9:49
- System of a Down – Chop Suey 10:20
- ZZ Top – La Grange 10:35
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California 10:52
- Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit 11:05
- Golden Earring – Radar Love 11:15
- The Beatles – Come Together 11:33
- Cream – White Room 11:44
- Blink 182 – I Miss You 12:06
- Led Zeppelin – The Immigrant Song 12:25
- The Ventures – Wipe Out 12:34
- The Police – Message in a Bottle 12:50
- James Brown – Funky Drummer 13:02
- Rush - YYZ 13:14
What an AWESOME Cover Page Logo!
My inbox showed me this email
so I went to https://e-bit.us/template/free-business-continuity-plan-template and saw this image AND....
when I looked at the above image, I wanted to remember just how awesome the title page logo was so I took another screenshot to store here. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a link to download the plan on the above website so [sad face] I only get this image:
I admit I had visions of making that picture be on the default HTML page in the RoboHelp project for disaster recovery documentation at work. It would have been really cool to use it.
Need to Trim 20 GB
However, here's a look to the future. I haven't begun to convert the 522 CDs that I purchased on March 28th, 2018. Randomly, I selected Spindle 01, Spindle 10, Spindle 20, Spindle 30, and Spindle 50 - 500ish CDs - to get an idea about the space the 522 CDs will require. As the screenshot shows, those spindles come out to 72 GB (rounding up) so in order to use the V: drive, I need to trim 20 GB to create a current backup and then, trim 70 GB to create a future backup when the 522 CDs from my purchase on 3/28/18 are converted. Guess I'm not going to be using the V: drive in the future. Ending the 4th
- Local radio host will eat horse poop... wow, what a teaser!
- The Bill Cosby verdict was a victory... how in the hell can a man spending his last years in prison be a victory for anyone?!?
- Each year, the same 10 countries top ... is it me or does this teaser make me want to NOT read about the darker reality?
- The Chicago Bears picked an Iowa Hawkeye football player in the NFL draft.
- Restart the I-380 cameras have been controversial since they were put up. I got a speeding ticket because of it. I support having the I-380 cameras. I said, just last night, that having the cameras allows the police to do other things. Plus, I really like the idea of a non-tax revenue source for funding.
- As if Bill Cosby going to prison and spending his last days in prison wasn't enough of a downfall, Cosby's beloved Temple University is stripping away an honorary degree from his legacy.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Friday, April 27, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
More Damn...
Cosby guilty: Jury rules comedian sexually assaulted Andrea Constand
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/04/26/cosby-guilty-jury-rules-comedian-sexually-assaulted-andrea-constand.html
Mind Blown!
I'm taking a class called Lean IT Foundation and it's blowing my mind. I'm taking the class as it relates to the concept of designing the Knowledge process in the department and, since I'm working on the Knowledge Management project, it's relevant.
We just watched this video:
We just watched this video:
Totally Decent? WTF?!?
From this article - Mike Portnoy on Metallica: “Never Has Such a Huge, Huge Band Had so Many Misses” April 26th, 2018 at 9:01am Axl Rosenberg - comes this:
If you read that jibberish and suppressed a little vomit in your mouth, you are not alone.
... everyone seems to agree that Hardwired is totally decent...
If you read that jibberish and suppressed a little vomit in your mouth, you are not alone.
Going on May 1st!!
Karen and I went to see "Rampage" on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, because I know what I want to see on Tuesday, May 1, 2018: Avengers: Infinity War Is Amazing by Erick Erickson! Tuesdays are $5 movie night and I am SOOOO excited to see the movie. I am giddy with glee!
From 10 Rare Metallica Songs Played LIVE - Vol. 1
I can't pass up listening to "Escape" - even when it's part of a compilation of rare Metallica tunes - here's the direct link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H4GvZhRkOQ&t=1329s. Here are the 10 tunes with where they are in the video:
- 0:00:00 - The Ecstasy of Gold (2009.07.28 - Copenhagen, Denmark)
- 0:04:03 - Sweet Amber (2004.09.04 - Lubbock, TX, USA)
- 0:09:39 - Mama Said (1996.11.15 - Stockholm, Sweden)
- 0:14:15 - To Live Is to Die (2011.12.07 - San Francisco, CA, USA)
- 0:22:09 - Escape (2012.06.23 - Atlantic City, NJ, USA)
- 0:28:38 - Carpe Diem Baby (2013.06.09 - Detroit, MI, USA)
- 0:35:31 - ManUNkind (2017.10.28 - Manchester, England)
- 0:42:32 - Some Kind of Monster (2004.08.25 - Fort Wayne, IN, USA)
- 0:47:53 - Just a Bullet Away (2011.12.07 - San Francisco, CA, USA)
- 0:55:00 - Suicide & Redemption (2009.07.27 - Copenhagen, Denmark)
Serve The M - no, the Other M.
I also saw this video the other day. It says to serve the Music, not Me about how a drummer can serve himself, not the music. I admit this is something I face when I play drums at Saint Thomas More. I tend to embellish the rhythms I play so that I don't get bored playing straight 4/4 time with snare on 2 and 4 or, in 3/4, with snare on 2 and 3, or, in 6/8, with snare on 3 and 6. My interest in balancing 'overplaying' with 'boring drumming' is why I watched this video:
After I did a little more digging, I found this video by Brandon Khoo.
I like his style.
For my own growth as a drummer, I listen to my self playing drums. Nowadays, I use my cell phone to record Mass so I can listen to what I sounded like whenever I want to do so. This is not a new practice / method for me. I've always done this - recording myself playing drums - dating back to before I was even in a band in my parent's basement. When I would practice drums, I'd use a boom box and cassettes, which I still have in the sump pump storage room. I also recorded rehearsals and performances with Assume, various practice sessions in that basement, Old Stew, and Free Beer / Corporate Prisoner on cassettes. Later, when I played in Lou's Classic Ride, I used a micro recorder that I borrowed from a former co-worker. Eventually, I transitioned to using my cell phone instead of cassette tapes to create recordings of Uncle Rico the Band and auditions with other Ideal Bands.
Why? Am I obsessed with my own drumming?
No.
I do this because I do want to be able to serve the Music, not Me, when I play drums.
It doesn't really matter when I've played drums - from playing alone or with other musicians. I want to grow as a drummer. I don't want to play the same beat that every other drummer in the world plays. I felt that way the other night when I was practicing on the Yamaha electronic drums. As I played along with the pre-programmed tunes in the brain of the Yamaha set, I focused on the patterns that repeat - think verse, chorus, verse, chorus - in an endless loop. I intentionally tried to play "insane" patterns - that served Me, not the Music - during some of the cycles. I did that to foster creativity. After a cycle of playing an "insane" pattern, I would revert to playing a beat that served the Music, not Me. I actually found that being able to dial back the "insane" pattern to be a challenge during the "sane" pattern cycles. I plan to explore that challenge in future practice sessions. Of all the videos on the "All Videos of Me Playing Drums" page, I think this one - where I achieve the balance I crave. I play soft during the verse so that the drums are felt, not overbearing. I then have a hint at flashy during the "I've been waiting..." part of the song. During Brian's solo, I'm intentionally playing soft again.
Damn, I love the way we played that tune. Brian's guitar playing is spot-on, Matthew's bass locks in with my pattern, and Joe? Well, he belts out the lyrics with emotion.
Editor's Note: For videos, see https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html
After I did a little more digging, I found this video by Brandon Khoo.
I like his style.
For my own growth as a drummer, I listen to my self playing drums. Nowadays, I use my cell phone to record Mass so I can listen to what I sounded like whenever I want to do so. This is not a new practice / method for me. I've always done this - recording myself playing drums - dating back to before I was even in a band in my parent's basement. When I would practice drums, I'd use a boom box and cassettes, which I still have in the sump pump storage room. I also recorded rehearsals and performances with Assume, various practice sessions in that basement, Old Stew, and Free Beer / Corporate Prisoner on cassettes. Later, when I played in Lou's Classic Ride, I used a micro recorder that I borrowed from a former co-worker. Eventually, I transitioned to using my cell phone instead of cassette tapes to create recordings of Uncle Rico the Band and auditions with other Ideal Bands.
Why? Am I obsessed with my own drumming?
No.
I do this because I do want to be able to serve the Music, not Me, when I play drums.
It doesn't really matter when I've played drums - from playing alone or with other musicians. I want to grow as a drummer. I don't want to play the same beat that every other drummer in the world plays. I felt that way the other night when I was practicing on the Yamaha electronic drums. As I played along with the pre-programmed tunes in the brain of the Yamaha set, I focused on the patterns that repeat - think verse, chorus, verse, chorus - in an endless loop. I intentionally tried to play "insane" patterns - that served Me, not the Music - during some of the cycles. I did that to foster creativity. After a cycle of playing an "insane" pattern, I would revert to playing a beat that served the Music, not Me. I actually found that being able to dial back the "insane" pattern to be a challenge during the "sane" pattern cycles. I plan to explore that challenge in future practice sessions. Of all the videos on the "All Videos of Me Playing Drums" page, I think this one - where I achieve the balance I crave. I play soft during the verse so that the drums are felt, not overbearing. I then have a hint at flashy during the "I've been waiting..." part of the song. During Brian's solo, I'm intentionally playing soft again.
Damn, I love the way we played that tune. Brian's guitar playing is spot-on, Matthew's bass locks in with my pattern, and Joe? Well, he belts out the lyrics with emotion.
Editor's Note: For videos, see https://prhmusic.blogspot.com/p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html
This is Why I Don't Listen to New Music
I received an email from a publicist about a death metal band called "Art of Deception" which included 3 options regarding their new single "Lysjakt" (and no, I do not know how to pronounce that word). I could watch a video, listen to the tune, or download the single. Their forthcoming album - called Path of Trees - is being released on June 22, 2018. Feeling slightly adventurous, I clicked the link that says "Video of 'Lysjakt':
Then I saw this:
Thus, when I tried to listen to new music, I was turned away. I don't need this rejection in my life! <grin> I did enter "Lysjakt" into the Youtube.com search field. I was greeted with "About 5 results," which humors me because results are as close to a concrete thing in our digital world. I am smirking because people say "around 2 or 3 <whatever>" or "close to 2 or 3 <whatever>" when math - which I still hate - is cut and dry. I searched for a word and there are 5 results, as shown below:
There's NOTHING fuzzy about math. Or this:
That's insane drumming!!
Then I saw this:
Thus, when I tried to listen to new music, I was turned away. I don't need this rejection in my life! <grin> I did enter "Lysjakt" into the Youtube.com search field. I was greeted with "About 5 results," which humors me because results are as close to a concrete thing in our digital world. I am smirking because people say "around 2 or 3 <whatever>" or "close to 2 or 3 <whatever>" when math - which I still hate - is cut and dry. I searched for a word and there are 5 results, as shown below:
There's NOTHING fuzzy about math. Or this:
That's insane drumming!!
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Shinedown / Godsmack Drum Cams
AND.... I want to figure out what the heck Larken is doing at this part of the video - https://youtu.be/b91sXsdnHtk?t=137 - because it's be pretty damn cool!
Narrow-Mindedness
Thought this was worth capturing here. This article - Christians and Group Identity - refers to this The Ugly Coded Critique of Chick-Fil-A's Christianity The fast-food chain's "infiltration" of New York City ignores the truth about religion in America. It also reveals an ugly narrow-mindedness. by Stephen L. Carter 738 April 21, 2018, 7:00 AM CDT. Both articles are worth reading.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Wouldn't Mind if This Tune Was Inserted into the Metallica Setlist
Warning! Adult language within this video...
Knowing But Not Acting
I *KNOW* Powershell is more popular than MS DOS everywhere in the world... except my workstation. At some point, before I retire, I am vowing, right here, right now, to learn Powershell so that all of the MS DOS batch files I presently use will be Powershell commands. Or a script. I'm not even certain what to call it!
To coincide with that proclamation, here's an article to reference: https://superuser.com/questions/851610/tool-that-converts-any-batch-file-into-powershell
I mean, my gosh, this idea to move from MS DOS to Powershell existed in 2009: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/868318/how-can-i-switch-from-cmd-exe-to-powershell
I can also always count on HowtoGeek.com for information: https://www.howtogeek.com/163127/how-powershell-differs-from-the-windows-command-prompt/
To coincide with that proclamation, here's an article to reference: https://superuser.com/questions/851610/tool-that-converts-any-batch-file-into-powershell
I mean, my gosh, this idea to move from MS DOS to Powershell existed in 2009: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/868318/how-can-i-switch-from-cmd-exe-to-powershell
I can also always count on HowtoGeek.com for information: https://www.howtogeek.com/163127/how-powershell-differs-from-the-windows-command-prompt/
Before I Went Home
Yesterday, I kicked off a copy job to copy the Spindle #24 - 51 folders, the Music_shell\Music folder, and some miscellaneous folders that exist in Music_shell to a folder I named "G:\music_shell\CopyToV. I did this because over the weekend, I had ran a backup job to copy g:\music_shell\*.* to v:\music_shell and it was at Spindle #24 when I ended the job Monday morning. My thought was to copy the rest of the files I need to complete that backup job to a separate folder and then copy just those folders to the v:\music_shell folder. I split this task into three jobs. When I left for home last night, two of the jobs were remaining.
With today's screenshot, you can see that out of 84653 files in the remaining 2 copy jobs, there are 32817 files remaining, which means 61.23350619588201% of this copy process is complete.
With today's screenshot, you can see that out of 84653 files in the remaining 2 copy jobs, there are 32817 files remaining, which means 61.23350619588201% of this copy process is complete.
Yesterday:
Today:
Monday, April 23, 2018
Exhausted!
I'm exhausted from just watching this drummer!!
How many hours did he spend playing drums to get that fast?!?
How many hours did he spend playing drums to get that fast?!?
Pacers & Cavs
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2772005-jeff-green-on-lance-stephenson-big-ass-parking-lot-to-fight-if-we-wanted
Confirmation
This is to confirm that 2 years, 10 months, 3 weeks (1056 days) have passed since Jeff Blalock posted his issue and the Blogger app still does not allow you to pick a previously taken photo: Blogger app 'can't find some of the photos'? by Jeff Blalock 6/2/15. We leave on vacation on May 4th. I can say I'm glad to know how the app on my phone [doesn't] work before I leave, rather than finding out while on vacation.
A Reminder to Do Accurate Work
Yehoshua Paul, on Sunday, April 22, 2018 2:19 PM, sent the following inquiry to TECHWR-L with this subject What are the worst things that have happened due to content mistake?:
I thought it would be a great thing to remember as I am working on two projects that could have the same type of outcome:
I will be delivering a short presentation on May 6 on some of the more costlier mistakes that have occurred because of a mistake in the technical content that was delivered.
The list I have compiled so far includes:
I thought it would be a great thing to remember as I am working on two projects that could have the same type of outcome:
- my disaster recovery documentation in RoboHelp
- Knowledge Management
Great TV Series
My favorite mother-in-law and I had a brief discussion about "Roseanne" (the TV series) on Saturday. I knew that she didn't like Roseanne Barr, the actress, so I didn't bother arguing the merits of Roseanne Barr as an example for actresses - that would have been like talking to a statue. So I conceded that Roseanne Barr was not the greatest actress, but added that the series had dealt with a lot of subjects. I found three clips from the show that provide kind of a snapshot of what I'm talking about when I wrote that the series had dealt with a lot of subjects.
- Jackie, Roseanne's sister, was being abused by her boyfriend and Roseanne confronted her about it. The scene that follows the one above is Dan, Roseanne's husband, confronts the boyfriend, punches him, and ends up in jail. Roseanne gets a phone call that she needs to go bail Dan out at the jail.
- The scene that happens in the episode after the kitchen table discussion with Roseanne, Dan, and Darlene but before the scene where David and Darlene are making out, is a very powerful scene. Roseanne goes to David's house and talks to David's mother, who verbally abuses David. Roseanne tells David to come with her. There is also a very powerful scene when Roseanne tells Dan that she told David to live with them and when Dan protests about having another mouth to feed, Roseanne tells Dan that David's mom was really bad and that she had grown up in a house like that.
- I'm not kidding when I say that as I wrote the above description, tears welled up in my eyes.
- And, yes, those are the actors that play Leonard and Lesile on "The Big Bang Theory"
- The scenes that came before this one are about Dan & Roseanne having a good time at the bar and the guy who gets punched harassing Dan. When Dan threatens to take the guy outside, Roseanne tells him not to do it and Dan listens to Roseanne. Thus, that's why Dan asked for Roseanne's permission before belting him.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Testing the Ability to Create a Link
I can create a link but I have to have the URL in my clipboard, type the description of the link, select the text, tap the link icon, and then paste the URL. Once the link is created, the description can not be changed without recreating the link.
Shitty flow...
Coming Soon
In anticipation of going on vacation to New York City, Syracuse, and Niagara Falls, I installed the Blogger app on my phone. I think I am going to try to make it a point to create blog posts on vacation as opposed to my normal routine of sending what I want to have as a blog post in an email to myself and then, in a single push, creating multiple posts. My hope is that I will be able to create blog posts on my phone and have drafts which I can then publish when I have WiFi. The other side of this is that I am going to try to re-enable the WiFi in the Equinox for the car ride to and fro.
I'll be candid about this subject: I won't be writing huge essays when posting from my phone. I hunt and peck to type and rely on the words that come as suggestions to get the words faster. I have seen the kids type essays on their phones using both hands and of their talent to do so, I am jealous.
I will tag the vacation posts so I can find them later for editing and clarity.
This is a test of the ability to post with a photo I took with my phone.
Not Right
Waffle House shooting leaves 4 dead, several injured; gunman sought
Is no place sacred?!?
Take away ALL the guns if people are going to desecrate a Waffle House!!!
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Friday, April 20, 2018
19 Years Ago
The Columbine shooting was 19 years ago. An exclusive Post analysis shows 200,000 students have experienced gun violence since.
First, the teaser for the article:
Second, Given the following sweeping generalizations:
First, the teaser for the article:
The Washington Post has spent the past year determining how many children have been exposed to gun violence during school hours since the Columbine High massacre in 1999. The federal government does not track school shootings, so The Post compiled a database from news articles, law enforcement reports and calls to schools and police departments. The number of students affected is staggering — and it will grow as more past incidents surface and new shootings occur.
Second, Given the following sweeping generalizations:
- Liberals think taking away guns and more gun laws will end gun violence at schools
- Republicans think taking away guns and more gun laws will NOT end gun violence at schools
How to Forgive
Careful... it's Metallica and they use adult language.
Hilarious! It's from this:
I love this part from Kirk Hammett: https://youtu.be/amP6r414nvc?t=136
Hilarious! It's from this:
I love this part from Kirk Hammett: https://youtu.be/amP6r414nvc?t=136
New tune from 5FDP!
Of course, given the lyrics, Blabbermouth responded: FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Frontman Calls Out BLABBERMOUTH.NET In New Song 'Sham Pain' - April 20, 2018
One of the comments left on the above article included a reference to Byzantine. Having never heard of them, I found this:
I liked that so I went and found this:
New CoC & Newish Stryper
Corrosion of Conformity is a band I've always been aware of, but I've never dived deep into their material. I need to investigate their latest release, based upon this tune!
Back in August 2017, I jammed with Matthew (guitar) in 830 Studios (my basement). I came across the recording of that jam and heard the part of the jam when Matthew started playing Stryper's "Honestly" tune to which I responded, "Veto! The drummer gets one veto" after which we both laughed. I was aware that they had a recent album so I went looking and found this tune:
I was impressed by his vocals, but, frankly, I wanted to know if they could pull it off live so I found this video:
I like how their drummer has his kit rotated so that the bass drum isn’t facing the audience. I need to remember that kind of setup for when (not if) I join my Ideal Band! As of 4/20/2018 at 7:53 AM, I am still on the hunt for that Ideal Band.
Back in August 2017, I jammed with Matthew (guitar) in 830 Studios (my basement). I came across the recording of that jam and heard the part of the jam when Matthew started playing Stryper's "Honestly" tune to which I responded, "Veto! The drummer gets one veto" after which we both laughed. I was aware that they had a recent album so I went looking and found this tune:
I was impressed by his vocals, but, frankly, I wanted to know if they could pull it off live so I found this video:
I like how their drummer has his kit rotated so that the bass drum isn’t facing the audience. I need to remember that kind of setup for when (not if) I join my Ideal Band! As of 4/20/2018 at 7:53 AM, I am still on the hunt for that Ideal Band.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Good Luck!
I paid $35 for 522 CDs & 122 DVDs on March 28th - I would not pay $500 for fewer CDs & DVDs than I could get for $35!
Thus, this is not the opportunity for me!
Thus, this is not the opportunity for me!
Count the Number of Sentences
I was on a quest recently to make my Knowledge Management project as automated as possible. The bottom line is I wanted to use the macro to create snippets that I could add to the HTML pages, which I edit with Dreamweaver, in a "proof of concept" RoboHelp project. This macro serves a specific purpose, but could also be applied to other situations.
For me, specifically, in the working version of our Knowledge Management process, there is a step called "Apply Style Guide" which will be performed by a Technical Writer (at this point, me!) to standardize the language that the Knowledge Repository uses in each Knowledge Article to tell the reader how to perform a task. I don't want to have Knowledge Article A tell the user to "modify the contents" and Knowledge Article B tell the user to "change the contents" - both in the context of a numbered procedure. I'm all for using words that are applicable to a given Knowledge Article so if there is a difference between "modify" and "change" in the context of a specific Knowledge Article, I want to have that documented. The style guide should explain when to use "modify" and when to use "change" so it isn't "my preference" over another person's preference.
To do all of that, I need to be able to quickly analyze text and determine if there are duplicate sentences so that I can process the text for inclusion in the Knowledge Repository. An analysis of my needs and the solution exist on the Single Source Rant page in this section Tool to Analyze Text for Possible Snippets.
Editor's Note: Kudos for not duplicating content on the Single Source Rant page here! Creating this post as a way to include labels is a good idea.
For me, specifically, in the working version of our Knowledge Management process, there is a step called "Apply Style Guide" which will be performed by a Technical Writer (at this point, me!) to standardize the language that the Knowledge Repository uses in each Knowledge Article to tell the reader how to perform a task. I don't want to have Knowledge Article A tell the user to "modify the contents" and Knowledge Article B tell the user to "change the contents" - both in the context of a numbered procedure. I'm all for using words that are applicable to a given Knowledge Article so if there is a difference between "modify" and "change" in the context of a specific Knowledge Article, I want to have that documented. The style guide should explain when to use "modify" and when to use "change" so it isn't "my preference" over another person's preference.
To do all of that, I need to be able to quickly analyze text and determine if there are duplicate sentences so that I can process the text for inclusion in the Knowledge Repository. An analysis of my needs and the solution exist on the Single Source Rant page in this section Tool to Analyze Text for Possible Snippets.
Editor's Note: Kudos for not duplicating content on the Single Source Rant page here! Creating this post as a way to include labels is a good idea.
Nothing Says CB Like this Headline
After I read the headline, I was compelled to read the article.
Law Students Protest Free Speech Speaker with Shouts of ‘F*** The Law’ Call First Amendment ‘a Weak Shield for White Supremacy’ April 18, 2018
Law Students Protest Free Speech Speaker with Shouts of ‘F*** The Law’ Call First Amendment ‘a Weak Shield for White Supremacy’ April 18, 2018
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Looking for a Band and a War?
I stumbled upon the following posts on the Craigslist > Des Moines > Community > Musicians page and found the discussion amusing enough to post here, on my blog.
I hope he finds what he is looking for through the ad. I didn't respond because I'm not interested in joining the band. Despite the $500 signing bonus, Des Moines is a little too far to be an efficient band member - it's less than ideal.
- $500.00 sign on bonus with 2 year contract............revised (WDM)
- Looking for serious musicians to form a serious band. To be considered for an audition, please respond with a cover letter about yourself including your musical skills and experience. If you have a recording or video of your playing and or singing that will expedite the process. Musicians that play an instrument as well as having vocal capability are a definite plus. Open to males and females but please be over 30 to be considered. Need to be totally professional in appearance and manner. Not interested in dopers, drunks, or people with excess baggage or attitude. Music will vary just no current music, blues, jazz, metal, grunge or old style country. You will be expected to commit to the project and give 100% to the band. I am willing to put up my money for only the best, you have to be willing to give me your best. Lets hear from some serious musicians.
- Note: Music will not be originals unless they are EXTREMELY GOOD. Covers will be some obscure bands from the past that did really good albums but limited if any play time. Music also of name bands but of times past or songs that didn't make the A list. All music will be of the high energy, toe tapping, and geared to attract the audience's attention. The music will move the audience as well as the members playing it. The band will be known for playing music very well and not for playing music that everyone else out there is doing or rather a questionable fact similarly. When people say they can't remember the last time they heard that song, then we know we are on target. Be sure to include your email address with your cover letter. Thank you one and all.
- Re: $500.00 sign on bonus with 2 year contract (Des Moines)
- Do we get paid vacation too? Dental insurance? What a joke. Nobody's going to sign a 2 year contract to be in your cover band.
- Re: $500 sign on bonehead
- I think it's hilarious how you think you know everything about me. Sorry, not even close. Say what you want about me, but at least I don't have to pay people to be in a band with me. When I first read your original ad, I thought it had to be a joke or satire, but then I thought "No, this guy is serious." You are a legit psychopath. Good luck playing "Sweet Home Alabama" to a bar full of drunks that don't give a shit.
- $500 Sign On Bonus
- This isn't a slam on the guy offering the $500 sign on bonus. To each their own. My only issue is where are people still getting paid to play live music anymore that aren't dive bars? Live music is dead. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here. People in their 20's and 30's don't want to watch a bunch of people twice their age play songs from the 60s, 70s, or 80's. The only thing that is going to get their attention are random songs from the 90's or current pop songs. And even then, they would rather dance to a DJ. I know it hurts the feelings of us musicians, but it might be time to hang it up. If you are down for lugging hundreds of pounds of equipment to the local watering hole to watch a lady in her 60's jam out to Mustang Sally, be my guest. But don't expect to get paid anything more then $100. That works out to like $2 an hour after you consider all the hours practicing, rehearsing, loading, unloading, and performing. And good luck thinking you're going to compete with a 20-something bride and her iTunes playlist at her wedding. Corporations don't higher classic rock bands. So, where are these elusive high paying gigs for bands playing B-sides?
I hope he finds what he is looking for through the ad. I didn't respond because I'm not interested in joining the band. Despite the $500 signing bonus, Des Moines is a little too far to be an efficient band member - it's less than ideal.
Signed Up Because . . .
I signed up for a webinar today that has this description:
I'm currently not doing ANYTHING with DITA at work and don't plan to ever. The content in Word documents that others in my department create range from "lightly structured," which I would define as having heading styles for a table of contents with manually formatted Normal style everywhere else to "unstructured to the extreme," which I would define as not even having heading styles for a table of contents with manually formatted Normal style everywhere else. DITA is not close to being close to being close to being close to being added to my radar. While I certainly "get" the idea of DITA and structured writing, I have to be upfront when I confess I haven't found a clear cut reason why the type of structured writing DITA makes it easy to do cannot be done in "straight HTML" using CSS. If I have a CSS style defined as "ProcedureOverview" and use it every time I write about the overview for a procedure, isn't that good enough?
All that aside, the seminar is 1 hour in length and happens later today.
Repurposing DITA Content for Microsoft Office Users
Technical communicators around the globe use the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) to help them create structured, semantically rich, topic-based technical documentation designed for reuse. The benefits of DITA, including content reuse, are limited to content teams who use XML editing tools. Content creators working with Microsoft Office tools cannot reuse DITA content easily, so content silos coalesce around the tools that content teams use.
It’s one thing to understand the value of content reuse. It’s another to find a solution that defeats tool-driven content silos so that teams who don’t have access to—or knowledge of—XML editing tools are able to effectively reuse and repurpose DITA content. Attend this free, one-hour Content Wrangler webinar, brought to you by the content management gurus at Astoria Software, to learn how technical content teams are sharing and repurposing DITA content with team members who create content using Microsoft Office software.
I'm currently not doing ANYTHING with DITA at work and don't plan to ever. The content in Word documents that others in my department create range from "lightly structured," which I would define as having heading styles for a table of contents with manually formatted Normal style everywhere else to "unstructured to the extreme," which I would define as not even having heading styles for a table of contents with manually formatted Normal style everywhere else. DITA is not close to being close to being close to being close to being added to my radar. While I certainly "get" the idea of DITA and structured writing, I have to be upfront when I confess I haven't found a clear cut reason why the type of structured writing DITA makes it easy to do cannot be done in "straight HTML" using CSS. If I have a CSS style defined as "ProcedureOverview" and use it every time I write about the overview for a procedure, isn't that good enough?
All that aside, the seminar is 1 hour in length and happens later today.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
PDF to Word
I wanted to have a way to quickly find the list of links that are included on this tip regarding converting a PDF file to MS Word, which could be helpful if I need to take content from a PDF and pull it into RoboHelp as a part of the Knowledge Management project: Converting a PDF File to a Word Document by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 14, 2018)
Another of My Weaknesses...
Some people are grossed out by poop, while others are grossed out by other bodily fluids. Just reading the description of this video - not embedded purposely - grosses me out.
Instead, I shall focus on how awesome the latest Solo trailer is!!!
And yes, Star Wars is yet another of my weaknesses...
Instead, I shall focus on how awesome the latest Solo trailer is!!!
And yes, Star Wars is yet another of my weaknesses...
Friday, April 13, 2018
Super Technology Solutions... Is that for Real?
My initial reaction to the following ad was that "Super Technology Solutions" was a terrible name for a company.
Then, I saw the same ad but instead of Iowa City, it names "Des Moines" in the description:
Either way - Des Moines or Iowa City - it's a no-brainer to remain where I work now...where happiness exists!!
Then, I saw the same ad but instead of Iowa City, it names "Des Moines" in the description:
Either way - Des Moines or Iowa City - it's a no-brainer to remain where I work now...where happiness exists!!
Praise for Magnetic
This article - https://www.iheart.com/content/2018-04-10-how-metallica-returned-to-glory-with-death-magnetic/ - trots out the same excuses that have plagued Metallica for some time:
Let's look at each a little more closely:
... Cutting their hair and getting a complete makeover, Metallica entered the hard rock hall of shame with the releases of Load and ReLoad.
While I will concede that some of the songs on Load combined with some of the songs on ReLoad would have created a stronger album, I don't think that has anything to do with the length of their hair. Lars is, more or less, bald so he doesn't look like he did in 1989. SO WHAT?!?
... The Southern rock-inspired songs held their thrash roots at arm's length, chugging along at half speed.
This is just stupid. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Fade to Black" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and, sure, "Sad But True" are NOT at the same tempo as "Whiplash" but, yet, those songs are often on the setlist at their concerts, presumably because Metallica thinks their fans like those songs. So what if the songs are slower than "Whiplash"? "Seek and Destroy" is another popular concert selection and that's not even close to the tempo of "Whiplash" or "Battery."
... The public opinion on the band was at an all-time low when their legal against Napster made the multi-millionaires seem more and more out of touch with their blue-collar image and fanbase of yesteryears.
I will concede that the presentation of Metallica's disagreement with Napster was not handled correctly. What should have been the focus is that they are artists and their art is just that THEIR ART so they have the right to distribute their art as they want.
....To make matters worse, the documentary Some Kind of Monster pulled the curtain back a little too far, making the rock stars seem like immature, egotistical children.
Actually, I don't think the curtain was pulled back far enough. I wanted to see a lot more footage of how the lyrics were written in that control room with everyone throwing out ideas, which is actually the way most bands seem to work.
....It all culminated with the release of 2003's St. Anger, a misfire on all accounts. What had intended to recapture their aggressive garage-space youth ending up being a bizarrely mixed, forced, and lazily written mess.
"A misfire on all accounts" is pretty harsh. I have said elsewhere that "St. Anger" is one of my favorites because it is a lot like, to me, "And Justice for All" in the sense that the rhythm guitar and the drums are the driving force behind the tunes. The major difference is the lack of guitar solos on "St. Anger" as well as the lack of a "typical" snare drum sound.
Five years later is when the downward spiral began. Cutting their hair and getting a complete makeover, Metallica entered the hard rock hall of shame with the releases of Load and ReLoad. The Southern rock-inspired songs held their thrash roots at arm's length, chugging along at half speed. The public opinion on the band was at an all-time low when their legal against Napster made the multi-millionaires seem more and more out of touch with their blue-collar image and fanbase of yesteryears. To make matters worse, the documentary Some Kind of Monster pulled the curtain back a little too far, making the rock stars seem like immature, egotistical children. It all culminated with the release of 2003's St. Anger, a misfire on all accounts. What had intended to recapture their aggressive garage-space youth ending up being a bizarrely mixed, forced, and lazily written mess.
Let's look at each a little more closely:
... Cutting their hair and getting a complete makeover, Metallica entered the hard rock hall of shame with the releases of Load and ReLoad.
While I will concede that some of the songs on Load combined with some of the songs on ReLoad would have created a stronger album, I don't think that has anything to do with the length of their hair. Lars is, more or less, bald so he doesn't look like he did in 1989. SO WHAT?!?
... The Southern rock-inspired songs held their thrash roots at arm's length, chugging along at half speed.
This is just stupid. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Fade to Black" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and, sure, "Sad But True" are NOT at the same tempo as "Whiplash" but, yet, those songs are often on the setlist at their concerts, presumably because Metallica thinks their fans like those songs. So what if the songs are slower than "Whiplash"? "Seek and Destroy" is another popular concert selection and that's not even close to the tempo of "Whiplash" or "Battery."
... The public opinion on the band was at an all-time low when their legal against Napster made the multi-millionaires seem more and more out of touch with their blue-collar image and fanbase of yesteryears.
I will concede that the presentation of Metallica's disagreement with Napster was not handled correctly. What should have been the focus is that they are artists and their art is just that THEIR ART so they have the right to distribute their art as they want.
....To make matters worse, the documentary Some Kind of Monster pulled the curtain back a little too far, making the rock stars seem like immature, egotistical children.
Actually, I don't think the curtain was pulled back far enough. I wanted to see a lot more footage of how the lyrics were written in that control room with everyone throwing out ideas, which is actually the way most bands seem to work.
....It all culminated with the release of 2003's St. Anger, a misfire on all accounts. What had intended to recapture their aggressive garage-space youth ending up being a bizarrely mixed, forced, and lazily written mess.
"A misfire on all accounts" is pretty harsh. I have said elsewhere that "St. Anger" is one of my favorites because it is a lot like, to me, "And Justice for All" in the sense that the rhythm guitar and the drums are the driving force behind the tunes. The major difference is the lack of guitar solos on "St. Anger" as well as the lack of a "typical" snare drum sound.
UnHelpful Help
I posted to the Techwr-L list about finding snippets in text. See the Single Source Rant page.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Probably Mentioned This
I came upon this article the other day: Common Core and the EduTech abyss Share By Michelle Malkin • January 8, 2014 09:19 AM.
When I compare the uproar about Common Core between now and then - the article was published, 4 years, 3 months, 4 days (1555 days) ago - it feels like no one is in a tizzy about Common Core. There are other things to worry about (obviously):
When I compare the uproar about Common Core between now and then - the article was published, 4 years, 3 months, 4 days (1555 days) ago - it feels like no one is in a tizzy about Common Core. There are other things to worry about (obviously):
Maybe I have a Problem
I started this FileSync job at 5:30 PM last night and see that, over 12 hours later, it is 38.9% complete. Could it be that I have too much music?!?
Heh, I hope that's not true because I have 522 more CDs to rip, thanks to my March 28th purchase. Plus, I found a shoe box with even more CDs - around 25 - that I had set aside and forgotten about until I opened the shoe box and saw them!
Editor's Note: There are 141,333 files that are being synced to the b:\music_shell folder, which is not shown in the picture above.
Heh, I hope that's not true because I have 522 more CDs to rip, thanks to my March 28th purchase. Plus, I found a shoe box with even more CDs - around 25 - that I had set aside and forgotten about until I opened the shoe box and saw them!
Editor's Note: There are 141,333 files that are being synced to the b:\music_shell folder, which is not shown in the picture above.
Just to Follow Up
NO, I did not go see this band last night: http://prhmusic.blogspot.com/2018/04/still-problem-at-g-o.html
Put the Flame on the Moth!
I cannot fathom any feasible scenario in which I see Metallica, live, in 2018... especially if I were to need to spend $314 for a concert ticket:
Even if it's Metallica, I couldn't do it! Consider this: my ticket to see Metallica last year - June 2017 - which I have Scotch taped to a shelf in my cubicle at work so I see it every day - has a face value of $139.50! That was a lot for one ticket, but since Alex went with me, it was close to $300 for two tickets! In Madison, a single ticket for the floor is about the same! Whereas $139 for two tickets for the Newton, IA, concert put us on the track at the Newton Speedway, spending $133 in Madison, WI, would get one person into the second bowl!
And that really sucks because I love Metallica and, unfortunately, Madison, WI, is the 'best' possibility to see Metallica in 2018, given what is shown below:
Looking at the other Midwest dates, I can quickly rule out driving to Lincoln, NE, on a Thursday. I also ruled out Grand Forks, ND, despite taking place on a Saturday. While a better day of the week than a Thursday, it would also take an 8 hour, 57 minute, journey in the car to get there:
To sum all of this post up in a single statement is difficult but I'll try. Given Metallica's touring schedule in 2018, I am beyond happy that I paid the $ to see them in Newton, IA, last June.
Even if it's Metallica, I couldn't do it! Consider this: my ticket to see Metallica last year - June 2017 - which I have Scotch taped to a shelf in my cubicle at work so I see it every day - has a face value of $139.50! That was a lot for one ticket, but since Alex went with me, it was close to $300 for two tickets! In Madison, a single ticket for the floor is about the same! Whereas $139 for two tickets for the Newton, IA, concert put us on the track at the Newton Speedway, spending $133 in Madison, WI, would get one person into the second bowl!
And that really sucks because I love Metallica and, unfortunately, Madison, WI, is the 'best' possibility to see Metallica in 2018, given what is shown below:
Looking at the other Midwest dates, I can quickly rule out driving to Lincoln, NE, on a Thursday. I also ruled out Grand Forks, ND, despite taking place on a Saturday. While a better day of the week than a Thursday, it would also take an 8 hour, 57 minute, journey in the car to get there:
To sum all of this post up in a single statement is difficult but I'll try. Given Metallica's touring schedule in 2018, I am beyond happy that I paid the $ to see them in Newton, IA, last June.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
This Scared Me!
When I saw this headline - Linn-Mar High School nurse arrested for sexual exploitation Felony charge carries punishment of up to five years in prison - I was scared because I have a friend who is a nurse at Linn-Mar! Thankfully, my friend is not the subject of the article.
Radical
In the wake of how the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hedge[d] on how Facebook tracks you, I'm here with an amazing thought that no one seems to have figure out. If you don't want Facebook or other tech companies to track you, go offline.
Seriously.
Quit Facebook, Snapchat, Google, YouTube, Twitter... just ditch them all. You were not born with those accounts so yes, you can live without those accounts.
If you don't think you can?
Ask yourself how much time of your day is "screen time."
Me? I watch a lot of youtube videos - just look at any random post or page on this blog as evidence - but after getting into first an online argument on Facebook, which was then followed by a private Facebook Messenger argument about the same topic... with someone I consider a friend? Is it worth losing a friend I met at my church just so I can voice my opinion, which apparently is not the 'right' opinion to have, per his opinion. Whose opinion is right - mine or his? I understood his argument and agreed with a lot of what he wrote. When I pointed out where the source of our disagreement began, he first accused me of twisting his words when he wrote this to me, verbatim, sorry for the vulgarity:
When I sent him a screenshot from the online argument on Facebook, in which he said his opinion, he made excuses, arguing that it was "symantics [sic]" and then followed that with how "I guess I have to cross every t and dot ever i in the future" and saying he was "sorry for not spelling out exactly precisely absolutely word choice perfect what I implied."
Someday, I may end up seeing him again and when I do, how do I act? What do I say?
Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to tell him, "Thank you for arguing your point with me. That whole issue has made me quit posting my opinion on Facebook because when I lost you as my friend, it made me realize I value my friendships with people much more than I value expressing my opinion, which only generated bad feelings between us."
After all, is that what he wants to have happened if he encounters someone who disagrees with him - for that person to be silent?
This post took an unexpected turn, no?
Seriously.
Quit Facebook, Snapchat, Google, YouTube, Twitter... just ditch them all. You were not born with those accounts so yes, you can live without those accounts.
If you don't think you can?
Ask yourself how much time of your day is "screen time."
Me? I watch a lot of youtube videos - just look at any random post or page on this blog as evidence - but after getting into first an online argument on Facebook, which was then followed by a private Facebook Messenger argument about the same topic... with someone I consider a friend? Is it worth losing a friend I met at my church just so I can voice my opinion, which apparently is not the 'right' opinion to have, per his opinion. Whose opinion is right - mine or his? I understood his argument and agreed with a lot of what he wrote. When I pointed out where the source of our disagreement began, he first accused me of twisting his words when he wrote this to me, verbatim, sorry for the vulgarity:
I never fucking said that, recheck this thread or any thread I've typed.
When I sent him a screenshot from the online argument on Facebook, in which he said his opinion, he made excuses, arguing that it was "symantics [sic]" and then followed that with how "I guess I have to cross every t and dot ever i in the future" and saying he was "sorry for not spelling out exactly precisely absolutely word choice perfect what I implied."
Someday, I may end up seeing him again and when I do, how do I act? What do I say?
Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to tell him, "Thank you for arguing your point with me. That whole issue has made me quit posting my opinion on Facebook because when I lost you as my friend, it made me realize I value my friendships with people much more than I value expressing my opinion, which only generated bad feelings between us."
After all, is that what he wants to have happened if he encounters someone who disagrees with him - for that person to be silent?
This post took an unexpected turn, no?
Some College Athletics News
- Iowa QB Stanley has gone from pupil to teacher - 'He's got a great chance of mastering what we want him to do,' Hawkeye quarterbacks coach Ken O'Keefe says of Nate Stanley
- Hawk Central: Tyler Cook declines interview; Cordell Pemsl uncertain about Hawkeye future
- Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball allegations damning, despicable and disgusting
The 32 Movies Coming Out in Summer 2018
Want to read about each of the 32 movies? Click the link: That means we're coming up on the multiplexes being filled with Hollywood's big blockbusters. In the coming months that includes titles like "Deadpool 2," "Solo: A Star Wars Story," and "Incredibles 2." And we can't leave out the movie a decade in the making: "Avengers: Infinity War."
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Makes Me Wonder
My Ludwig Vistalite set has an additional floor tom and many cymbals which would have to balance out the cracks I have in the floor toms by the internal muffler. Still, it makes me wonder what I could ask as a price for someone to purchase my drums. If this person is asking $850, could I get $1000? $1200? $2000? Despite the lack of an Ideal Band into which I can devote my time at this specific moment, I have no plan to sell my drums.
Actually, I'm serious when I tell people how I plan to take my Ludwig Vistalite drums with me to the nursing home. I don't care if they are stacked in the corner. In my idealistic view of the world, my luck would be that my neighbor at the nursing home would end up being a guitarist so I might need my drums with me. After it is known by this fictional guitarist neighbor at the nursing home that I play drums, maybe I FINALLY assemble my Ideal Band as I await death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)