It turns out that while Megan and I were at 11 AM Mass yesterday, our furnace guy, Doug, came over. Apparently, turning the PVC pipe to let the water drain was incorrect. He cleaned a part and, ever since, the furnace has purred like a stroked cat.
Another observation I have is the 2014 edition of the Grammy's was on last night. Metallica played "One" with a Chinese pianist. I posted on Facebook:
Divided. Glad to hear metal on network TV, but not sold on playing "One" *again. So what if it is the 25th anniversary of playing it. I wonder how many people think that is their only good song? So many great songs they could have selected.
Judge for yourself.
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure.
In other news, the CD reconversion continues. I have finished Spindle #9 and will begin Spindle #10 tonight. School was cancelled today because of the cold temperature and so that means I should be able to watch WWE Raw tonight. Alex's basketball game at Cedar Rapids Washington was postponed because the Cedar Rapids Community School District does not have school either. That translates into digging into Spindle #10. I ran the DOS batch file this morning and my count is 15394 File(s). I copied a large number of data CDs to my external hard drive and finished the "secret project". I am now making a copy of the "secret project" files so that I can integrate an additional 2250 File(s) files into the music_shell folder. I had previously kept the files not integrated because I didn't want to not be able to quickly locate the "secret project" files. The secret project is being integrated into the "reconversion" sub-folder but it's kind of misleading. These are CDs that were never previously in my collection.
Showing posts with label 2014_01_Conversion Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014_01_Conversion Projects. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Project
What I want to do this weekend is convert the single WAV file from Uncle Rico rehearsal to 19 individual tracks. When I have time, I hope this video will help me:
Alex has a busy schedule:
Alex has a busy schedule:
- Basketball Games
- today (Friday)
- tomorrow (Saturday)
- Monday
- Thursday
- Early AM practice on Wednesday at 6 AM
- Tuesday, Megan and I are going to the men's Iowa v. MSU game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 6 PM.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Milestone
When I ran the DOS batch file yesterday @ 6:51ish AM, my count in the music_shell\reconversion folder was: 8678 File(s) 34,743,202,433 bytes
When I ran the DOS batch file just now @ 6:08ish AM, my count in the music_shell\reconversion folder is: 10702 File(s) 45,171,844,807 bytes.
In one day, I added 2024 files and finished converting Spindle #8. Another thing that happened is I began Spindle #9, which includes a lot of data CDs. I fully expect my numbers to continue to climb as I work my way through the data CDs. I can have as many as 12 albums of 12 songs each on a single CD. Eventually, I'm sure that spike will level off.
And, just for the record, the above numbers do not include the 1528 File(s) in my secret project folder. I am 4/5ths complete with that project and clearly on target for my self-imposed deadline.
When I ran the DOS batch file just now @ 6:08ish AM, my count in the music_shell\reconversion folder is: 10702 File(s) 45,171,844,807 bytes.
In one day, I added 2024 files and finished converting Spindle #8. Another thing that happened is I began Spindle #9, which includes a lot of data CDs. I fully expect my numbers to continue to climb as I work my way through the data CDs. I can have as many as 12 albums of 12 songs each on a single CD. Eventually, I'm sure that spike will level off.
And, just for the record, the above numbers do not include the 1528 File(s) in my secret project folder. I am 4/5ths complete with that project and clearly on target for my self-imposed deadline.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Moving Along with the Conversion
I am happy to report that I ripped a lot over the weekend. No, not flatulence - CDs. I am now sitting at 8146 File(s) in the music_reconversion folder and at 9303 File(s) for the music_shell folder. I am 30 CDs away from completing Spindle #7, which isn't scheduled to be complete until 1/19 so what I'm hoping for is to get ahead of my schedule to allow for nights when I will be unable to rip, such as tomorrow night, when Alex has a basketball game. Since tonight is a WWE Raw night and Alex has basketball practice until 9:35, it's entirely likely that I will finish Spindle #7 tonight and flop into Spindle #8, which isn't "due" until 1/26/14. If that happens to get done this week, I will really feel good about my progress. I think the reconversion is going quite well. I'm able to use the Toshiba laptop in the living room and just keep feeding it CDs to rip.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Progression is Good
I finished converting Spindle #6 last night which is no small feat.
As of this morning, I have the following:
When I run my DOS batch file over the music_shell folder, I have a count of 8381. I will until I merge the secret project files into the music_shell folder, which I have not done as of now because I need to keep the secret project files separate. And because I suck at math, I'm not diving below that top-level analysis.
Eventually, the secret project, which can easily be divided into 5 groups, will be merged with the music_shell folder. I am done with 2 parts of it and began the 3rd section last night. My target date for completing the secret project is either 1/16/2014 or 2/20/14, but it may be early next week before I know if I need to hit the 1/16/14 date or the other. I'm gunning for the 1/16 date.
As of this morning, I have the following:
- 504 files in my original conversion directory
- 441 files in my youtube directory
- 7353 files in my reconversion directory
- 1051 files in my "secret project" directory, which will eventually be included in my collection.
When I run my DOS batch file over the music_shell folder, I have a count of 8381. I will until I merge the secret project files into the music_shell folder, which I have not done as of now because I need to keep the secret project files separate. And because I suck at math, I'm not diving below that top-level analysis.
Eventually, the secret project, which can easily be divided into 5 groups, will be merged with the music_shell folder. I am done with 2 parts of it and began the 3rd section last night. My target date for completing the secret project is either 1/16/2014 or 2/20/14, but it may be early next week before I know if I need to hit the 1/16/14 date or the other. I'm gunning for the 1/16 date.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Cruising Through Life
Without taking this the wrong way, last night was an awesome night for me.
I sat on the couch, watching WWE Raw, which was a good show with interesting matches and a good flow and worked on the reconversion of my CDs. As a side note, between 4:13 PM and 10:25 PM, I modified 64 root folders under the music_shell folder - I call that progress. I have 30 left on Spindle #6.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family went about their business. Karen went to bed around 8:30 and Alex kept busy in the basement. Megan worked from 6 - 10 and then went to a friend's house for a sleepover since they don't have school tomorrow because of the arctic vortex that is sweeping the country.
Eventually, WWE Raw was over, I became satisfied with the progress I had made on the reconversion so I stopped reconverting and settled on the other couch to watch Two and 1/2 Men. I considered watching something on Netflix, which we signed up for on Sunday, but did not. I did DVR the episode "Squab Squab Squab Squab" because I think it's really funny. I will look later for a youtube clip to include here.
I sit here and think about work and life and feel awesome. What should have been a crazy busy week hasn't kicked into overdrive and won't until later today. Because Megan has a dentist appointment @ 4 & a doctor's appointment @ 5, the plan is for her to drive herself to the dentist. Meanwhile, as of this moment, Alex has a basketball game at 6 so he needs to be there, probably, around 5. I continue to drive Karen to work so on our way home tonight, I will be dropped off at the dentist and Karen will continue home. When Megan is done with the dentist, I will go with her to the doctor's appointment. After that, we are getting her flu shot at the pharmacy up the road. Then, when all of that is done, I will go to Alex's game.
If the game is cancelled, we talked about watching "Brian's Song" on Netflix and going to bed fairly early as Alex has practice tomorrow at 6 AM.
I sat on the couch, watching WWE Raw, which was a good show with interesting matches and a good flow and worked on the reconversion of my CDs. As a side note, between 4:13 PM and 10:25 PM, I modified 64 root folders under the music_shell folder - I call that progress. I have 30 left on Spindle #6.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family went about their business. Karen went to bed around 8:30 and Alex kept busy in the basement. Megan worked from 6 - 10 and then went to a friend's house for a sleepover since they don't have school tomorrow because of the arctic vortex that is sweeping the country.
Eventually, WWE Raw was over, I became satisfied with the progress I had made on the reconversion so I stopped reconverting and settled on the other couch to watch Two and 1/2 Men. I considered watching something on Netflix, which we signed up for on Sunday, but did not. I did DVR the episode "Squab Squab Squab Squab" because I think it's really funny. I will look later for a youtube clip to include here.
I sit here and think about work and life and feel awesome. What should have been a crazy busy week hasn't kicked into overdrive and won't until later today. Because Megan has a dentist appointment @ 4 & a doctor's appointment @ 5, the plan is for her to drive herself to the dentist. Meanwhile, as of this moment, Alex has a basketball game at 6 so he needs to be there, probably, around 5. I continue to drive Karen to work so on our way home tonight, I will be dropped off at the dentist and Karen will continue home. When Megan is done with the dentist, I will go with her to the doctor's appointment. After that, we are getting her flu shot at the pharmacy up the road. Then, when all of that is done, I will go to Alex's game.
If the game is cancelled, we talked about watching "Brian's Song" on Netflix and going to bed fairly early as Alex has practice tomorrow at 6 AM.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Top Secret!
I am working on a top secret project, outside of my employer, that I am trying to finish prior to mid-February. In addition to that project, the CD reconversion project continues. I am arguing with an Excel template that I *thought* would make managing this project easier, but it's not so.
I am currently juggling multiple CD drives in order to make more progress on the reconversion. I reset the family's Toshiba laptop to its default settings because it was easier to do that than to uninstall all the junk that had unintentionally been installed. I have one of the towers I bought in Elkader ripping CDs as well.
I also haven't probably mentioned that I now have a Western Digital My Cloud drive. I can access that drive from the Elkader PC & from the Toshiba laptop. It was kind of fun to be upstairs, in the living room, ripping CDs to MP3 and to have the MP3s stored on the My Cloud drive. It is a monster 4 TB and I'm hoping that when the CD reconversion is finished, all of my music will be accessible from there. In the meantime, it's really convenient to have a little more flexibility for completing the CD reconversion in that I can be in the living room with Karen and not holed up in the den not with Karen.
I am currently juggling multiple CD drives in order to make more progress on the reconversion. I reset the family's Toshiba laptop to its default settings because it was easier to do that than to uninstall all the junk that had unintentionally been installed. I have one of the towers I bought in Elkader ripping CDs as well.
I also haven't probably mentioned that I now have a Western Digital My Cloud drive. I can access that drive from the Elkader PC & from the Toshiba laptop. It was kind of fun to be upstairs, in the living room, ripping CDs to MP3 and to have the MP3s stored on the My Cloud drive. It is a monster 4 TB and I'm hoping that when the CD reconversion is finished, all of my music will be accessible from there. In the meantime, it's really convenient to have a little more flexibility for completing the CD reconversion in that I can be in the living room with Karen and not holed up in the den not with Karen.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Tasks
Happy New Year!
After going to 9 AM Mass with Megan at Saint Thomas More, I am now in the den, reconverting CDs. Before reconverting my first CD, I began the day with 5558 music files in my music folder. The last file I have that lists all my music files from before the hard drive crash is from November 14, 2013. On that date, I had 64603 files. Simple math says that I am 8.6% complete with the conversion. I no longer have a single "music" folder. Instead, I have a f:\music_shell folder and sub-directories under that:
After returning from Fareway and after picking up Karen from work at 3:20, Karen, Alex, and I went to 5:15 Mass last night at the Newman Center in downtown Iowa City because Megan was working until 7 at Fareway.
After the 3 of us went to Mass, we stopped to eat at Culver's in Coralville - I got my normal grilled cheese kids' meal and cheese curds instead of French Fries. Upon returning to home, the Iowa Hawkeyes men's game against Nebraska had started at 6 and happened to be on TV. I watched that. Megan's friend who is a boy came over. Eventually, Karen, Megan, the boy, Alex, and I watched "Despicable Me 2" and laughed.
I eventually fell asleep and was the sober fuddy dud that couldn't stay awake.
After going to 9 AM Mass with Megan at Saint Thomas More, I am now in the den, reconverting CDs. Before reconverting my first CD, I began the day with 5558 music files in my music folder. The last file I have that lists all my music files from before the hard drive crash is from November 14, 2013. On that date, I had 64603 files. Simple math says that I am 8.6% complete with the conversion. I no longer have a single "music" folder. Instead, I have a f:\music_shell folder and sub-directories under that:
- (_______Date - stores the .txt files that are created by running my DOS batch file
- Music_original_conversion - the files I was able to obtain either from the now failed 1 TB drive or from some other means
- Music_reconversion - all files I have converted since December 1, 2013
- music_youtube - when I use a youtube to MP3 software, those MP3 are stored in this folder.
After returning from Fareway and after picking up Karen from work at 3:20, Karen, Alex, and I went to 5:15 Mass last night at the Newman Center in downtown Iowa City because Megan was working until 7 at Fareway.
After the 3 of us went to Mass, we stopped to eat at Culver's in Coralville - I got my normal grilled cheese kids' meal and cheese curds instead of French Fries. Upon returning to home, the Iowa Hawkeyes men's game against Nebraska had started at 6 and happened to be on TV. I watched that. Megan's friend who is a boy came over. Eventually, Karen, Megan, the boy, Alex, and I watched "Despicable Me 2" and laughed.
I eventually fell asleep and was the sober fuddy dud that couldn't stay awake.
Vision
As I begin 2014, I have 2 visions for both this blog and the CD reconversion.
I also want to capture all the things going on in my life. This is a Big Deal to me because I am 44. Alex graduates in 2017. These next years are the ones I will never get back. On Monday night, we sat on the couch and I rented the GI Joe sequel. Alex was tired and after a bit, decided he was too tired to watch the movie so he went to bed. Once he went upstairs, I watched a documentary about the making of "Caddyshack" that I had recorded on the DVR. It was over at midnight, which is when I went to bed.
Vision 1
For this blog, I want to reach 2000 posts by 12/31/2014. In order to do that, I must commit to write 48 blog posts a month for January - December. And when I write about a goal as lofty as that, I add the stipulation that the majority of these blog posts must be worth reading. Nothing makes me more frustrated with myself than to reread random posts from 2008 - 2010. I get frustrated because I neither tagged my posts properly nor wrote content that makes me want to read what I wrote. The way I see it, I have a lot of ideas running wild in my brain and I have an outlet for those ideas - this blog. Thus, I want to make 2014 the year during which I dump ideas - good, bad, ugly, whatever. That means, in essence, I have to write 577 posts (144 more than 2013). Here's a graphic of what I hope to accomplish in 2014:
Why Complete Vision #1?
Do I really have to do this - write that much on this blog? Am I really self-centered enough that I think I can fill up the Internet with my words? I am motivated by the number of blogs I encounter that include the word "daily" in their title, but then read them and find out these "daily" blogs haven't been updated in years. I saw one the other day that hadn't been updated since 2010.I also want to capture all the things going on in my life. This is a Big Deal to me because I am 44. Alex graduates in 2017. These next years are the ones I will never get back. On Monday night, we sat on the couch and I rented the GI Joe sequel. Alex was tired and after a bit, decided he was too tired to watch the movie so he went to bed. Once he went upstairs, I watched a documentary about the making of "Caddyshack" that I had recorded on the DVR. It was over at midnight, which is when I went to bed.
Vision #2
The fact that I was watching TV until midnight is the root of the motivation I used when I decided my second vision for 2014 - complete the CD reconversion by 11/1/2014. To reach that goal will require me to use self-discipline and not fall into bad habits, such as sitting in front of the TV, watching reruns of Two and 1/2 Men and/or The Big Bang Theory. Do I have the self-discipline to turn off the TV (or turn on the PC) and rip CDs while watching TV. On Monday, I did not. I didn't turn on the PC. The documentary was 2 hours long and, right there, I had hours I could have used to reconvert at least 20 CDs, based upon 3 minutes / CD. Had I spent that 2 hours on Monday on the reconversion, I would have been 1/2 done with my weekly quota. Do that a second night and I'm 80% there. Do it for just one more hour and I hit my 100 CDs for the week. In the following graphic, a spindle is 100 CDs.
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