Sunday, March 18, 2007

Computers Are Fun!

I was typing in responses to some comments when the computer crashed and frankly I've lost the will to do much of anything on the computer right now. Well, that hasn't happened on these computers in quite a while so I think it lulled me into a false sense of security. I also really enjoyed losing the 3 GB or so worth of files that I had just downloaded. That was really fun.

Not to mention the notes I had made on which ones had been downloaded and which ones hadn't and the notes I had made about requests and inquiries people had made in various comments. That's always fun too.

Well, I had a few things that were already zipped, uploaded, etc., but I haven't gotten around to writing the posts to go along with them. I've been trying to catch up on downloading & other blog maintenance lately, so I've let the posts slide a bit, but when I get a little bit more caught up, I'll post something new (besides this filler you're reading right now!).

Frankly, I'm a bit discouraged whenever those crashes occur. Too much multi-tasking online, I fear. I thought I was being careful, but if you sneeze the wrong way, these library computers lock up or refuse to acknowledge the existence of the CD burner, or some such nonsense. And already today, Blogger.com, R-Share, and others have been acting pretty screwy as well. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes not at all. I feel like Goldilocks (if I were imaginary, a little girl, and liked to hang around forest mammals). And as I type, I'm re-loading various files onto this computer's hard drive from the CD-RW and it claims it will take 23 minutes to transfer a disc's worth of files. Just another fun quirk of this particular computer's CD-RW. It's like Russian Roulette. Each computer here has its own idiosyncrasies (some of which make me want to place-kick them into next week).

And imagine if every session you had at a computer, you had to reinstall all the software you wanted to use and re-set all the parameters, re-enter all the passwords, and adjust all the settings each time. And if you were to walk away for, say, longer than 10 minutes, the computer would re-boot and wipe everything out. And when the computer freezes up, you get the fun of doing all that re-setting at least twice in one session. That's even more fun! Well, you can probably see why I don't come in as often as I probably should.

It occasionally strikes me (especially when I haven't posted anything new in a while) that I was perhaps a little irresponsible to start a blog when I knew I couldn't maintain it properly, but the urge was too strong. It seems like it goes against the very definition of a blog (something that started out for people as a daily diary, of sorts, in the form of a web log) if you don't post something daily or every other day, but so be it. And when you have to start from scratch with the downloading, etc., it really discourages you even further, but what can I say? Kind of stupid, I know, to keep blogging, but I guess as long as people don't mind there not being anything new, I suppose I don't mind either.

Well, since I had posted a bunch of things in the last few weeks, I thought I'd concentrate on trying to catch up on my delinquent downloading, some random re-ups, and organizing the stuff I've already downloaded. In fact, I spent part of this week burning multiple DVD's worth of stuff I downloaded last weekend. I have to off-load almost everything I download onto DVD's because my hard drive at home usually runs out of space. Both partitioned drives of a 180 GB hard disk usually have less than 10 GB left at any one time (although a lot of time it hovers around 5 GB for each partition) which is dangerously low. I've already damaged my operating system, I suspect, from one of those times when it went down to 2 or 3 GB. I think it over-wrote some of the DOS files.

As a consequence, I'm not able to use things like MP3Gain to do normalization since it uses DOS to function. And I'm not usually able to keep a lot of things I download on the hard drive to listen to immediately. I don't have a portable mp3 player, so I only listen to these things while the computer is on. As it is, I must have about 20 or 30 GB worth of recent material just from this blog alone that I kept on my hard drive just so I could listen to it. I usually process the files I get (tag, double-check against track lists and timings, proofread, etc.) after I listen to them, so it gets off the hard drive at a lot slower rate than it comes on, needless to say. Well, I go through periods where I try to catch up on everything, but when you stop one, you've got about a thousand other things to catch up on. Right now, it's downloading. The next thing will probably be to work on writing up some of these posts, working on some compilations, or ripping some new material. It all takes time (and energy!). Again, you'll have to pardon me for not posting anything new in a while.

And you'll have to excuse another long post, but this time I think I was just avoiding having to reconstruct all the stuff I just lost. It's always fun re-doing stuff you've just done. Well, I guess I should climb back in that time machine and start the re-doing.............................

Enjoy (well, really you can enjoy the silence, I guess)!

P.S. More fun with Blogger.com. Now it's doing something it didn't do before. Since I've got to type in word verification for every post-editing (a boring story I've mentioned before on the blog), any time you don't publish immediately, it makes you re-type in the word verification. Now, this is okay, but now they have it give me this stupid error message and re-routes me to a different page when that happens. It used to just tell me to type it in again, but now I've got to keep re-loading the page before it'll work. If you wanted to use Blogger. com and the word 'sucks' in the same sentence, I wouldn't stop you.

P.P.S. Geez, it did it again after I typed in that last postscript!

Comments:
Hi nomwl1---
I really feel bad for you. It must be horrible doing this blog with what seems like one (possibly two?) hands tied behind your back AND a blindfold on! BUT please know that it's your spirit and hardwork that makes this blog what it is! Don't put so much pressure on yourself about wether you've posted anything recently---your occasional comments and greetings are worth it enough for the majority of us. If I've said it once I'll say it a million times you ARE the coolest host (this side of Hef and The Playboy Mansion circa 1973 of course). Only YOU can do that VOODOO like YOU DO(n'thave to visit this blog). Good luck with your computer problems---if you need help of any sort you know how to reach us.
Your friend,
Rocket
ps---okay---ok---you are cooler than Hef! I was just trying to be glib.
 
Thank you for everything you have done! You are a complete jewel! I never knew this sort of "world" existed. Just found it by accident! I'm going to do my best to upload files for all to enjoy as well!
Thanks again! :)
 
Hi Rocket!

Thanks so much for saying that! It is good to know that somebody out there feels that way! (Not to mention that I don't mind being compared to Hugh Hefner.....now if only I can build my own Grotto).

And if you were the only person reading this blog, it would still be all worth it!!

Your friend (in search of some Bunnies),

Nomwl1

============================

Hi Tony!

I am so glad you're here (and hoping many more happy accidents for both of us in the future!). And anything you have to offer will be most welcome, I'm sure! I hope you found some great stuff on here (I know I have!). :))
 
Sorry to hear about your difficulties. My hard drive crashed a few weeks ago (and took with it 140GB of music that I had ripped from LPs, cassettes, and 8-tracks). I hate when that happens. But, I can't even imagine having to go through all the work that you do to keep a blog. You really are amazing (and dedicated)!

I love reading your posts though - especially the ones like this that you call "filler." You are wonderful host.
 
Hey nomwl1

I am a little embarased to say that I don't visit this blog as often as I should, mainly because I'm in the Megalithic comments section (which I have bookmarked).

I am sorry to hear about your computer troubles, I have just recovered from an almost fatal computer "heart attack" but managed to recover most of my files.

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks again for starting the comments, it seems to have become sentient (if that's how you spell it) and seems to be evolving into a self contained community :)

All the best
Jason
 
Yeah I'm sorry to hear about your troubles also my friend, I just keep everything on externals 2 external drives. I store music on the main HD for about a week at a time, no longer, then transfer to the externals, bottom line is I just don't trust PC's, who'd have one eh...
Keep your chin up man.

Ennioman
 
I fok jou Chocoreve!!!!!!!!!!
I fok jou nomwl1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I fok jou Zinhof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jou all hake, deleten my links. I spread joy musiek, scum like jou cannot stand so destroy.
Life is too short. I quit blogging but I report jou RIAA, is wery gut, revenge! This day!

Jou keep blog alive, ja!! Fight da man!
They track you downloads. Is to laugh.



http://bugger-glaikit.blogspot.com/
 
Bummer!

Would a group hug help? Can't hurt, so here's one anyhow.

{{{Hug}}}

PS. I almost choked when I saw you had 10GB left. I haven't seen that much at one time since I first bought this computer 8 years ago.
 
So sorry to read all that. Hang in there. I see the make believe hans has found your site. What a kook! That is why I have gone annonymous here. Timbo
 
Hi nomwl1,

sorry to hear about all that dificulties. Just saw "300" yesterday (there's a good quality copy now around on the net), so keep the Spartan's spirit in all your further doings !

To save my files I only use external hard drives (so far three for the primary files and I boght 2 others some weeks ago to build up a save copy - now I can sleep secure).

I don't have a lot of programs on my PC, just the ones we all need: Windows XP, Nero, Megaupload, Flashget, AnyDVD, VLC Media Player and a few others. Also the avast virus protection (available free on the net !). So far I was lucky (more or less, 6 months ago my motherboard crashed).

Sometimes I have strange phenomenons (right word ?) when I'm surfing girly pages (these pages very often try to get in your system), but Avast is a very good protection.

Just remember the most important thing: "Never change a running system".

Of course, I hope you get everything running again very soon and keep on your fantastic work on this blog. I come here every day and download everything there is, my deepest thanks to all the great people here and their efforts (especially Isbum and Rocket from Mars).

Be aware that there will be better times again, if your at the lowest point it only can go upwards ! And if you are standing at the edge just go one step further ! :)

Your pal Omega
 
Hey your blog is fantastic! Thanks for all of the awesome music! I have been downloading great stuff from your blog and others and just started my own blog here in March to give back and show my appreciation. I've got some rad stuff that no one else has so go check it out and I'd appreciate it if you'd add me to your link list so others can find me. Keep up the wonderful job you're doing! Thanks and take care!

Jason from Nightchillers Rare Music
 
Hi Everybody!

I plan to respond more fully to all the nice things people said when I get the chance (I hope that's some time before the turn of the century). In the meantime, thanks to each and every one of you (well, except one, that is). :))
 
Been here once before by chance. Today, while visiting an other blog, I've clicked on a link to comments for Italian stuff. Ah my dear nomwl1, what a disastrous impulse!
For the past 5 or 6 hours I've only downloaded a single piece [Ben-Hur by Davis -- 'cause I like the man] but... stayed glued to the screen, reading and meditating on what I read. As for the music on offer, that's simply too much suiting my taste (can't see the forest, for the trees).
You're simply multi-talented my friend: Blessed with generosity, patience, knowledge, humour. OK, I pause at this point, or else I'll embarrass you.
I sympathise a lot with your misfortune(s). Pretty recently I've had your kind of "fun" myself, losing not only my hard drive and its mostly-paid-for contents, but also my PC -- too old a model, a hard to find main board replacement, thus obsolete memory modules, processor etc., etc. Between Christmas and New Year I've bought a new computer, and all I want is to safeguard what I rip & reprocess from my own LPs, plus the music that I started downloading again.
Can you please explain in short how you use a DVD disc to store material? Never done it yet, just DVD to DVD is all I know.

Any small advice will be great!

Thanks, and apologies if I wasted your time.
 
hUl23g Your blog is great. Articles is interesting!
 
NKahPW Nice Article.
 
MP6lmp actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
 
Thanks to author.
 
Magnific!
 
Wonderful blog.
 
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
 
Good job!
 
Wonderful blog.
 
Thanks to author.
 
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
 
sadtcO Hello all!
 
Magnific!
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?