Done yesterday (20111105 Sa)

[mdlbear]

Hmm. I think it was a pretty good day, but mostly I kept busy and didn't notice. Which I guess makes it a very good day, in some sense. I did some chord and singing practice, recorded The Owl and the Pussycat with two microphones (the ribbon may have a slight edge, but it's really hard for me to tell -- I'll have to get someone with younger ears to help), and did a lot of work toward revamping the Makefile that builds practice, concert and album web pages.

On the other hand, I wasn't feeling all that well in the afternoon, so I opted out of the local housefilk to stay home, make dinner for Colleen, and keep hacking. And it started raining just as I was leaving for a walk. Which I wasn't feeling up to in any case.

And on the gripping hand, I did manage to post Songs for Saturday, and made two icons (for trainwreck and Bank Transfer Day).

On the fourth hand, somewhat down on myself for not starting set-up early enough to actually transfer money on the day. Which is minor in itself, but triggers a long chain of associations with other things I didn't do in time.

So... mixed, I guess.

This Bank Transfer Day poster is particularly good, and as you can see I made an icon out of it.

1105 Sa
  * up 8am; W=193.6; drugs, nose, teeth, laundry, exercise, light
  @ X Forwarding (SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide) 
    Still not working; doesn't make entries in .Xauthority
  @ How Android swallowed the UK smartphone market in 18 months 
    (via esr » The Smartphone Wars: Signs and Portents)
  * chord /singing practice.  Much improved.
  * Just tried the MXL R144 ribbon mic.  Goodness!  Takes a lot of the
    high-end harshness out of my voice.  Like.  I mean, I don't normally like
    listening to my own voice, though I've gotten used to it.  But this
    sounded good.  Probably proximity effect, which is strong in ribbons. 
      Otoh my one-channel USB interface doesn't have quite enough gain, and
    audacity behaves weirdly with it.  So...  we'll see.
  @ Royer Labs - Ribbon Basics
  * recorded a test track for owl-puss.  Sounds good; the MicPort worked ok
    with output to "default".  Its headphone output is mixed with the mic
    even when not recording, which makes it good for monitoring but not much
    else.  Still; cool.
  * try  http://www.jokosher.org (audio workstation s/w) -> total failure to
    recognize the installed ALSA devices.
  * Hmm.  Other things being equal, I can't tell much difference between the
    MXL and my Rode NT1.  The ribbon may have a *slight* edge, but it's hard
    to tell.  Will need additional ears.
  @ What Android fans think of iPhone users - Computerworld 
      But the real reason some people choose an iPhone and others choose an
    Android device is personality. People are different. Some people rank
    elegance, ease of use and clarity of mind above power, customizability and
    choice -- and those people are more likely to choose an iPhone. 
  % feeling tired and low in energy, despite 2 mugs of coffee and a bowl each
    of tofu and cottage cheese.  Need carbs? -> eats bagel with jam and butter
    -> not clear that's an improvement.  :(  feels like a niacin flush
    -> need water?  Maybe.
  * My mouse (Logitech "anywhere") arrived.  Yay!
  ~ 4pm - housefilk at Carole Parker's -> feeling under the weather.
  * no walk:  didn't even get to end of block before rain started
    at least I didn't get all the way to the Rose Garden
  * See whether superglue helps on the doorknob.  Growf!
  * posted Songs for Saturday: Very Recent Protest Songs
  @ File:Bank Transfer Day poster..jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 
  * made "transfer-me" and "trainwreck" icons
  * Makefile in Private/Journals/Music to make s4s drafts.
  @ MOVE YOUR MONEY - YouTube
  @ Move Your Money Activists Prepare For Bank Transfer Day On Nov. 5 
      ... it costs a major bank between $350 and $450 to operate a checking
    account for a year because of high overhead costs, compared to about half
    that for a community bank. Big banks lose money on customers with low
    balances who only maintain checking accounts. 
      If he were a big bank CEO on Saturday, said Moebs, "I’d throw a party
    tomorrow. All of these people are gonna switch and it didn't cost me
    anything and I’m not getting blamed for it."  
  @ The Equation - a blog on independent science + practical solutions
  * bath ~midnight; bed ~1

Comments

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmm, ribbon mics! :-D

Back when I started working in radio, ribbon mics were "antiques", and not usually found in the average studio any more. But whenever I could get my hands on one, I'd use it, especially with my own voice - gotta love "proximity effect"! I'm really glad to see that someone is making a ribbon mic for the modern market. (But how much do they cost?)

Bank Transfer Day

[roaringmouse.livejournal.com]

My whole family has moved away from big Banks last year at this time. Our former credit union was bought out by one in Vallejo that started to charge for ATM fees etc. I now belong to the San Francisco Fireman's Credit Union. You just have to be a resident of San Francisco.. They will also pay back ATM fees from other Banks.. Way cool.