I got to bed at a decent time last night; I was actually in bed before 7, and the difference showed, as I felt a whole lot better about getting up at 5 than I have been lately, even if I was still not exactly jumping out of bed by that time. Temperatures seem to have gotten colder since that short mild span, not that I've really been outside much. Though I just peeked out the window, and it looks like a light layering of snow fell at some point during the night. From what I can see in the darkness, there's a nice wintry wonderland look to the air, even if the snow is only light, and the roads slick instead of powdered.
I read an article on Cloverfield in Fangoria, and the more I read/hear about the movie, the more I get the impression it's something I gotta see. It's only been out 3 weeks, but I'm surprised it's still showing in the first-run theaters. That goes to show both how jaded I am by the theater business, and how well the movie seems to be doing. At any rate, I've got myself into the mood, now that I know what the movie's gonna be like, and that I have a good feeling it'll be worth the effort, so I'm thinking about catching it soon before that mood fades.
My Dreaded Lord Taskgiver has been dumping some really good manga series on me lately. He persuaded me to read Kurozuka, a 10 volume series about a couple of immortals and their adventures through time. It was really good. He also put me in connection with the Sailor Moon manga series, which I am excited about, since I'm a pretty big fan of the Sailor Moon anime series, considering that it was one of the first series that got me hooked. I've read the first two parts (up through Sailor Moon R), and it's been very good. Some interesting differences in the storyline than what I'm familiar with, but nothing too drastic, as far as I can remember. And then there's a series called Blame!, which I haven't looked at yet, but from the descriptions I'm getting, it sounds interesting.
So I'm running out of space on my hard drives. I finally went through with uninstalling Tomb Raider Anniversary on my C drive, a little while ago. That freed up a whole 4 gigs or more (man, it was a huge game). And my D drive is right about at its max. So I've actually been putting those manga series on my C drive temporarily, until I free up some space on D. To do that, I considered what would be the best way to make some space fast, and I realized I had a few entire anime series sitting on my drive, just waiting to be archived on DVD, after I get around to watching them. So of the three I have in full, I decided I'd watch Negima real quick, so I could move it off. I watched half of it today (13 episodes), and I'm really enjoying it. So many adorable characters. I counted 31 in the class, from the scenes in the opening animation. And it doesn't really feel like a repeat of Love Hina, which is something I was a little afraid of.
Interestingly, the episode of Millenium I watched today had a similar theme to M. Night Shyamalan's The Village - with a gated community of people who feel immune to the evils of society, only to find that the evil exists even within their ranks. Afterward, I happened to catch an episode of Modern Marvels on the History Channel, purely by chance. It was about 90's technology, and the roots of the high-tech digital world we live in today. There was lots of interesting information about the internet, including the launching of Google and Amazon, and stuff on the development of cell phones, digital cameras, and GPS devices. And - my favorite part - they talked about the advent of FPS PC games, and not only mentioned Doom, but the Doom modding community! It was so awesome to hear them talk about that, even if just briefly, on television!!
I had an idea about this RPM Challenge. I thought about, instead of doing the ambient thing, I could actually try to do another album I've been planning for a while - Amusement Fair. For that album, I have a bunch of pre-written poems selected, and what I have to do is just turn them into songs. It would restore the whole song-crafting business that was lacking from my other project idea, and it would be a good excuse to do something I've been meaning to do. But I looked at it today, and I have to say, I've become discouraged. I realize that I really don't have much interest in being a songwriter. I don't really care about writing songs, so much. I just want to play them. So I dunno what's gonna happen. Tomorrow's yet another Open Stage, and I suppose it'll be exactly like the last however many since I've been doing the 'madness' thing. Maybe it's just a passing mood, but I don't have much confidence in being able to reach my dreams right now...
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
08 February, 2008
15 January, 2008
A Deafening Silence
Last night I went to bed early, because I needed to make up some sleep. I was exhausted, and I was also getting a bit of a headache. I don't often get headaches, but it'll happen every once in awhile. This one was in the lower back of the head, to either side of the neckish area - not an unfamiliar location from my limited experiences. Anyhow, I'm not one to pop a pill, I just like to take it easy, and usually the best cure is sleep - although it's not always as easy as I'd like.
Well I managed to get to bed at a decent time, before 6 I think, but it wasn't one of those nice long sleeps I have where I fall asleep, and the next thing I know, I wake up 12 hours later feeling completely refreshed. I did manage to stay in bed for that whole time, though, instead of sleeping a bit then waking up completely without being able to fall asleep anymore, like I sometimes do when I go to sleep too early. So it wasn't ideal, but I think it mostly did its job. There was one annoying disturbance, though.
Sometime around 10:30 in the morning, an annoying repeating beep pattern started emitting from what I correctly guessed was my computer. I had no idea what it meant, as I don't think I've ever heard this computer do that before, but it sounded like some sort of alarm or warning. At first, I hoped it was just some virus warning or something from the daily scan - something that could be dealt with later - and that the beeping would just stop. Well, I couldn't take more than a minute of the beeping before I determined that letting it go on would be more detrimental to my perfect sleeping opportunity than getting up and stopping it.
So I walked over to my computer, and I first turned on the monitor. The test screen thingy popped up, like it does when the computer's off or when the monitor's not connected to the computer. Even so, the computer was still on - if the beeping wasn't enough of an indication. I tried hitting the power and reset buttons, but it didn't respond. So I held down the power button for a few seconds, and it shut down. The beeping stopped. I figured whatever had caused it to get wacky in the first place wasn't worth ruining my sleep over. So I went back to bed.
The first thing I noticed, climbing back into bed, was how incredibly quiet the room was. The loud hum of the computer (probably mostly from the built-in fan) had become such a piece of the background ambience of my room, that I had taken it for granted. Now, with it off, I was amazed by the sheer silence that filled the room. Laying in bed, with the door shut, I could actually hear things happening all throughout the house! It was amazing.
I got up later, at the regular time - still tired and wanting to sleep longer, despite getting a good rest - and the silence still amazed me. Particularly after leaving my room, then walking back in, where I would subconsciously expect to hear the sound of the computer, what greeted me instead was a deafening roar of silence. It was profound. It completely changed my whole sense of being. Everything seemed calmer and more basic. I was curious to find out what happened to the computer, but I wanted to extend this experience of silence as long as possible. I was also a little afraid that the computer had died, like my other one did just a couple weeks ago, and I was partly trying to postpone the verdict on that, because I wasn't ready to face that potentiality.
After dinner, the silence was still there. I felt so much more inclined to read books than I usually am. And I had a general sense of wanting to get things done - going through the stacks of, not just books, but DVD's and everything else that needed done. It was amazing, just the sense of not sitting at my computer, having hours of occupation at my very fingertips, keeping my finger on the pulse of the world - news updates, blog entries, media releases. It was like I was freed from this machine that fed off of the energy I plugged into it day after day. And I could just tend to myself and the things in my very own little corner of the world that needed taking care of.
Of course, the computer, and especially the internet, is such a huge part of my life, I couldn't go on for very long without it. I eventually switched my computer on, and it's working fine. I can't figure out what went wrong with it - I figure it just got tired and needed a break. But that experience of being disconnected from it really opened my eyes. It's something I'd like to make a point to experience every now and then. Maybe not every day, but as much as is convenient. It's an amazing, and therapeutic, experience.
Well I managed to get to bed at a decent time, before 6 I think, but it wasn't one of those nice long sleeps I have where I fall asleep, and the next thing I know, I wake up 12 hours later feeling completely refreshed. I did manage to stay in bed for that whole time, though, instead of sleeping a bit then waking up completely without being able to fall asleep anymore, like I sometimes do when I go to sleep too early. So it wasn't ideal, but I think it mostly did its job. There was one annoying disturbance, though.
Sometime around 10:30 in the morning, an annoying repeating beep pattern started emitting from what I correctly guessed was my computer. I had no idea what it meant, as I don't think I've ever heard this computer do that before, but it sounded like some sort of alarm or warning. At first, I hoped it was just some virus warning or something from the daily scan - something that could be dealt with later - and that the beeping would just stop. Well, I couldn't take more than a minute of the beeping before I determined that letting it go on would be more detrimental to my perfect sleeping opportunity than getting up and stopping it.
So I walked over to my computer, and I first turned on the monitor. The test screen thingy popped up, like it does when the computer's off or when the monitor's not connected to the computer. Even so, the computer was still on - if the beeping wasn't enough of an indication. I tried hitting the power and reset buttons, but it didn't respond. So I held down the power button for a few seconds, and it shut down. The beeping stopped. I figured whatever had caused it to get wacky in the first place wasn't worth ruining my sleep over. So I went back to bed.
The first thing I noticed, climbing back into bed, was how incredibly quiet the room was. The loud hum of the computer (probably mostly from the built-in fan) had become such a piece of the background ambience of my room, that I had taken it for granted. Now, with it off, I was amazed by the sheer silence that filled the room. Laying in bed, with the door shut, I could actually hear things happening all throughout the house! It was amazing.
I got up later, at the regular time - still tired and wanting to sleep longer, despite getting a good rest - and the silence still amazed me. Particularly after leaving my room, then walking back in, where I would subconsciously expect to hear the sound of the computer, what greeted me instead was a deafening roar of silence. It was profound. It completely changed my whole sense of being. Everything seemed calmer and more basic. I was curious to find out what happened to the computer, but I wanted to extend this experience of silence as long as possible. I was also a little afraid that the computer had died, like my other one did just a couple weeks ago, and I was partly trying to postpone the verdict on that, because I wasn't ready to face that potentiality.
After dinner, the silence was still there. I felt so much more inclined to read books than I usually am. And I had a general sense of wanting to get things done - going through the stacks of, not just books, but DVD's and everything else that needed done. It was amazing, just the sense of not sitting at my computer, having hours of occupation at my very fingertips, keeping my finger on the pulse of the world - news updates, blog entries, media releases. It was like I was freed from this machine that fed off of the energy I plugged into it day after day. And I could just tend to myself and the things in my very own little corner of the world that needed taking care of.
Of course, the computer, and especially the internet, is such a huge part of my life, I couldn't go on for very long without it. I eventually switched my computer on, and it's working fine. I can't figure out what went wrong with it - I figure it just got tired and needed a break. But that experience of being disconnected from it really opened my eyes. It's something I'd like to make a point to experience every now and then. Maybe not every day, but as much as is convenient. It's an amazing, and therapeutic, experience.
03 January, 2008
Journal 001
Although I prefer the topical entries by principle, I figure I'm gonna have to start writing some generic journal entries if I want to keep this blog active. I love discussing weighty issues, but I can't wax philosophical every single day. My brain needs a rest sometimes, too. Anyhow, here's what I did today.
I got up, showered, and had dinner as usual, which places me at about a quarter to 7. Unlike most days, I had a reason to go out, and I didn't feel like putting it off. A couple days ago, I had raced out to the Circuit City over by Century III Mall to pick up a hard drive enclosure before the stores closed down for New Years. I ended up buying an enclosure that was incompatible with the drives I have, so I was left with the need to return it. Going to a store and returning an item is something I've never done before. I have to say, it wasn't so bad. But first things first.
I had a couple other errands to run, while I was out. First of all, was filling up the van (with gas). There's one particular Exxon station I always use, just because it's the first one I used and it's the only one I'm really familiar with. So instead of risking an unfamiliar environment and potential unfamiliar customs, I like to drive out there whenever I get gas. Unfortunately, the weather was blistery cold today (lousy Smarch weather!), so standing there in the cold while the van filled its twenty-some gallons of about $70 worth of gasoline was not a pleasant experience. But you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
While I was filling up, I saw a cop car drive into the station area. Not an unfamiliar sight, but seeing a cop car always puts me on edge. It positioned itself at an angle in the corner, just to the side of the entrance back out onto the road, obviously in prime position for a quick getaway (or chase). I was optimistic, but I didn't rule out the possibility that he was waiting to run after me for some reason, so I nervously exited the gas station after filling up, and kept my eyes on it as I made the turnabout and headed back in the general direction of home. The cop car actually did move after I had left, but I checked, and it didn't look like it was headed in my direction. No sweat.
Next order of business was stopping at the ATM on the way over toward the South Hills to deposit a very generous Christmas check that I probably don't deserve, but couldn't come at a better time. That was pretty uneventful, except that the envelope adhesive didn't stick very well, likely due in some part to the cold.
Then I headed on over toward Century III, which was a bit longer of a drive. Maybe about 15 minutes. Having gone out there once a few days ago, again a few weeks ago while Christmas shopping, and a few other times in previous years, I'm starting to get used to the way, and getting better at catching those easy-to-miss turnoffs. Tonight, I had Fleetwood Mac's Vaudeville Years Box Set (Disc 1) playing on the CD player in the car during the trip.
I got to Circuit City, and the line at customer service had only a few people, but they each took a long long time to get their business done. There was only one guy at the counter, and a bunch of guys elsewhere in the store (particularly at the Verizon Wireless 'island') were doing nothing, so one of the guys in line (right behind me) started making a fit about it taking so long. Somebody came along and dealt with him. I myself was okay with waiting. Some of these people, you wonder if they've had to wait for anything ever in their life? Like, do they always get what they want right when they want it? I dunno, but patience has always been one of my virtues, I think. Plus, while I was standing in line, Derek and the Dominos' version of Little Wing came on over the store speakers. It was quiet, but it was still fantastically awesome to hear that great song in a store.
Finally my turn came, and the return was harmless, and quite quick. I collected my cash and moved along. I also wanted to pick up some blank DVD-R's, since I had run out while backing up data recently after my old computer died, and space was running out on my newer drive, so I needed more media. I probably should have just got some at Circuit City, but after standing in line for so long, when I finally got my return taken care of, I felt like it was time for me to move on. Besides, my original plan was to get the DVD's at Best Buy because I have some Best Buy gift cards I got for Christmas - but I ended up forgetting to bring the gift cards... I still ended up getting the DVD's at Best Buy, though, back over in the South Hills (although not terribly out of the way, on the path to going back home).
I didn't dawdle atBest Buy, it was a business trip, not pleasure. I got my stuff and moved on. Besides, I was anxious to get home and finish putting all my data onto one drive. I think I've finally managed to complete that process. Although now my 110-some GB drive that was only half full a few days ago is now close to capacity. Ah, technology is expensive, though. And I don't have a job.
The rest of my day I spent watching two movies that other people in my family got for Christmas. But they were sitting on the table as if up for anyone to watch, and one of them had at least been recommended to me. And the other one was a movie that I had wanted to see, so I figured I'd take my chance and watch 'em both while they were sittin' there.
The first one was American History X. It was a pretty intense racial drama. Really interesting, depicting a family getting involved in the whole white supremacy scene, and the consequences of that. Very good, for what it is, I'd say. The black guy in jail that helps turn the main character to the good side was a pretty swell guy. Man, the rape scene in the shower was disturbing. And of course, the scene where the main character kills the two black guys trying to steal his car in cold blood, is very powerful. Good story.
The second movie was American Psycho. Very good. Not really a horror movie, although there are definitely elements of that, but kind of more of a social commentary. The emptiness of the corporate world, and the sheer insanity of living such an empty life, and the things a person might be driven to. Very well done. I have to admit, though it was inspired by a comment recently made on another blog, I totally couldn't help relating the main character in this movie to my one friend from college. There's an absurdity to the way the character gruesomely murders these people, and has orgiastic sex, while maintaining this very calm and well-adjusted mindset, going on and on about certain details of a well-groomed high-profile lifestyle, and the merits of popular music. Very bizarre, and it leaves some important questions in your head at the end when it leaves you.
And that's about the most of it. I was gonna (once again) try to get to bed a little bit earlier this morning to try and make up some of the sleep I've been needing to regain lately, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. Oh well. I might head out of the house again tomorrow, as I still have those Best Buy gift cards, and one of the things I had wanted to pick up, I completely forgot about. (That would be a splitter cable so I can have *both* my speaker inputs as well as my FM transmitter all running simultaneously from one source).
I got up, showered, and had dinner as usual, which places me at about a quarter to 7. Unlike most days, I had a reason to go out, and I didn't feel like putting it off. A couple days ago, I had raced out to the Circuit City over by Century III Mall to pick up a hard drive enclosure before the stores closed down for New Years. I ended up buying an enclosure that was incompatible with the drives I have, so I was left with the need to return it. Going to a store and returning an item is something I've never done before. I have to say, it wasn't so bad. But first things first.
I had a couple other errands to run, while I was out. First of all, was filling up the van (with gas). There's one particular Exxon station I always use, just because it's the first one I used and it's the only one I'm really familiar with. So instead of risking an unfamiliar environment and potential unfamiliar customs, I like to drive out there whenever I get gas. Unfortunately, the weather was blistery cold today (lousy Smarch weather!), so standing there in the cold while the van filled its twenty-some gallons of about $70 worth of gasoline was not a pleasant experience. But you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
While I was filling up, I saw a cop car drive into the station area. Not an unfamiliar sight, but seeing a cop car always puts me on edge. It positioned itself at an angle in the corner, just to the side of the entrance back out onto the road, obviously in prime position for a quick getaway (or chase). I was optimistic, but I didn't rule out the possibility that he was waiting to run after me for some reason, so I nervously exited the gas station after filling up, and kept my eyes on it as I made the turnabout and headed back in the general direction of home. The cop car actually did move after I had left, but I checked, and it didn't look like it was headed in my direction. No sweat.
Next order of business was stopping at the ATM on the way over toward the South Hills to deposit a very generous Christmas check that I probably don't deserve, but couldn't come at a better time. That was pretty uneventful, except that the envelope adhesive didn't stick very well, likely due in some part to the cold.
Then I headed on over toward Century III, which was a bit longer of a drive. Maybe about 15 minutes. Having gone out there once a few days ago, again a few weeks ago while Christmas shopping, and a few other times in previous years, I'm starting to get used to the way, and getting better at catching those easy-to-miss turnoffs. Tonight, I had Fleetwood Mac's Vaudeville Years Box Set (Disc 1) playing on the CD player in the car during the trip.
I got to Circuit City, and the line at customer service had only a few people, but they each took a long long time to get their business done. There was only one guy at the counter, and a bunch of guys elsewhere in the store (particularly at the Verizon Wireless 'island') were doing nothing, so one of the guys in line (right behind me) started making a fit about it taking so long. Somebody came along and dealt with him. I myself was okay with waiting. Some of these people, you wonder if they've had to wait for anything ever in their life? Like, do they always get what they want right when they want it? I dunno, but patience has always been one of my virtues, I think. Plus, while I was standing in line, Derek and the Dominos' version of Little Wing came on over the store speakers. It was quiet, but it was still fantastically awesome to hear that great song in a store.
Finally my turn came, and the return was harmless, and quite quick. I collected my cash and moved along. I also wanted to pick up some blank DVD-R's, since I had run out while backing up data recently after my old computer died, and space was running out on my newer drive, so I needed more media. I probably should have just got some at Circuit City, but after standing in line for so long, when I finally got my return taken care of, I felt like it was time for me to move on. Besides, my original plan was to get the DVD's at Best Buy because I have some Best Buy gift cards I got for Christmas - but I ended up forgetting to bring the gift cards... I still ended up getting the DVD's at Best Buy, though, back over in the South Hills (although not terribly out of the way, on the path to going back home).
I didn't dawdle atBest Buy, it was a business trip, not pleasure. I got my stuff and moved on. Besides, I was anxious to get home and finish putting all my data onto one drive. I think I've finally managed to complete that process. Although now my 110-some GB drive that was only half full a few days ago is now close to capacity. Ah, technology is expensive, though. And I don't have a job.
The rest of my day I spent watching two movies that other people in my family got for Christmas. But they were sitting on the table as if up for anyone to watch, and one of them had at least been recommended to me. And the other one was a movie that I had wanted to see, so I figured I'd take my chance and watch 'em both while they were sittin' there.
The first one was American History X. It was a pretty intense racial drama. Really interesting, depicting a family getting involved in the whole white supremacy scene, and the consequences of that. Very good, for what it is, I'd say. The black guy in jail that helps turn the main character to the good side was a pretty swell guy. Man, the rape scene in the shower was disturbing. And of course, the scene where the main character kills the two black guys trying to steal his car in cold blood, is very powerful. Good story.
The second movie was American Psycho. Very good. Not really a horror movie, although there are definitely elements of that, but kind of more of a social commentary. The emptiness of the corporate world, and the sheer insanity of living such an empty life, and the things a person might be driven to. Very well done. I have to admit, though it was inspired by a comment recently made on another blog, I totally couldn't help relating the main character in this movie to my one friend from college. There's an absurdity to the way the character gruesomely murders these people, and has orgiastic sex, while maintaining this very calm and well-adjusted mindset, going on and on about certain details of a well-groomed high-profile lifestyle, and the merits of popular music. Very bizarre, and it leaves some important questions in your head at the end when it leaves you.
And that's about the most of it. I was gonna (once again) try to get to bed a little bit earlier this morning to try and make up some of the sleep I've been needing to regain lately, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. Oh well. I might head out of the house again tomorrow, as I still have those Best Buy gift cards, and one of the things I had wanted to pick up, I completely forgot about. (That would be a splitter cable so I can have *both* my speaker inputs as well as my FM transmitter all running simultaneously from one source).
30 December, 2007
Lament For My Computer
For the past nine months or so, I've had two personal computers, which I've used simultaneously. I had my old college computer, which is about a good 5 years old by now, and a slightly newer computer which my friend sold to me when he left the country (about nine months ago). Now, I was growing up right when computers were becoming huge, so I'm comfortable around the technology, but I in no way consider myself a technophile. My friend, the one who sold me his computer, is a natural when it comes to working with computers, and he's helped me through a lot of computer-related obstacles in the time I've known him (this latest one included).
As it were, I had most of my files on the old computer (hereby referred to as 'nanashi', since I never properly named it), while I worked mostly on the newer computer (hereby referred to as 'harmonia'). Harmonia also had the internet connection, of the two. But nanashi still served the purpose of being my jukebox, containing all my digital music files (mostly ripped from my CD collection), as well as being a storage bin of sorts. I even recently bought a tiny FM transmitter so I could tune into my winamp playlist on nanashi anywhere in the house. But just the other day, nanashi died.
I've never had a computer die on me before. The first personal computer I had all to myself, just sort of got slower and slower, and buggier and buggier, and eventually picked up the habit of shutting down without warning after five or so minutes of use (I got into the habit of saving very, very, very often while typing things in notepad), but it never reached a point where it completely failed to work, at all. Other computers I've had or known of have simply been replaced when they outlived their usefulness, before actually giving up the ghost. But nanashi just died. I woke up one morning, and it had turned off by itself. I couldn't get it to turn back on. I'd push the button, and nothing would happen. No sounds, no lights, nothing. It was plugged in and everything. But no life. Nanashi was done for.
Maybe it was because I kept it on for ridiculous stretches, without bothering to give it a break, or without even restarting it every few weeks or so. Maybe it was because I had it running a playlist practically 24/7 for a long time. Whatever the reason, the reality of the situation hit me hard - if I couldn't get the computer to even turn on anymore, how was I going to get the all-important data off of its hard drive?!
That's where my computer whiz friend came in. With his assistance, he actually had me taking both of my computers apart and removing and installing hard drives. And with his guidance, I seem to be doing alright, despite never having been exposed to the innards of a computer before. And the best part - that precious data on my hard drive has not been lost from my reach!
So, what I had to do was, since the enclosure for the external drive I had laying around refused to work properly, I had to take the hard drive from nanashi out, and switch it in for the larger of the two drives in harmonia, for the time being. It was a thrilling and harrowing experience, knowing my precious data was on the line, and that I might never see it again - if I screwed something up, or if I was just unlucky. But I had the area lit up with my bright lamp; I had tools scattered about; and there were computer parts strewn across the floor. Dust was kicking up absolutely everywhere. I totally went into Lain mode (I even stripped off my clothes, although, unlike Lain, I stripped them all off, and it wasn't necessarily for reasons relating to static electricity). I swapped the drives, like some kind of cybernetic magician, and voila! - gained access to my old hard drive and all the files in it!
The trouble is, I can't access my old hard drive and my newer bigger hard drive at the same time with the equipment I have, so I have to burn all my important files to DVD first, before I switch them over to their new home. It's a real pain, but on the other hand, it's a good opportunity to back up all my files, few of which I have ever really bothered to back up before. But what kind of files could be so important, that I couldn't stand to think of losing them?
First, of course, there's my hard-earned collection of porn, catered entirely to my own taste, and representing years of discriminating effort wading through quite a bit of garbage. (I actually backed it up about nine months ago, but I've acquired a nice cache of good stuff since then). Second, there's my entire collection of photography, including every photograph I've ever taken, many of which (the older ones) were scanned by hand (a process I never, ever, desire to repeat), and many (the newer ones) which don't exist anywhere else, least of all in the 'analog' realm. I would hate to lose these. Then of course, there's my entire digital music collection, which I've mentioned above. Although most of it exists in the form of my physical CD collection, I do not relish the idea of having to rip over 300 albums again. And then, perhaps as important as anything else, there are many random relics of the past, memories of times and people I've known, that would be painful to lose. The rest, I suppose, is ultimately expendable, though I am in no hurry to get rid of it.
I'd like to mention that there is one other thing I would have hated to lose, had I not already transferred it over to harmonia within the past few weeks. That is my personally recorded music, mostly in the form of large wav files - since these files can basically be considered my 'masters'. When I recently posted an incomplete version of the album I've been working on to my webpage at zharth.tenjou.net (Clear As Mud), I was moving some files around, and with all those huge wav files, the space on nanashi's drive was running out. And since I had plenty of free space on harmonia's large drive, I made the move to transfer all my recordings from the one to the other. So even if things had gone worse in the past couple days, I at least would still have had those. But, thank my lucky stars, it looks as though all of my data will be mercifully salvaged.
The process is not entirely finished yet, but I'm hoping for the best!
As it were, I had most of my files on the old computer (hereby referred to as 'nanashi', since I never properly named it), while I worked mostly on the newer computer (hereby referred to as 'harmonia'). Harmonia also had the internet connection, of the two. But nanashi still served the purpose of being my jukebox, containing all my digital music files (mostly ripped from my CD collection), as well as being a storage bin of sorts. I even recently bought a tiny FM transmitter so I could tune into my winamp playlist on nanashi anywhere in the house. But just the other day, nanashi died.
I've never had a computer die on me before. The first personal computer I had all to myself, just sort of got slower and slower, and buggier and buggier, and eventually picked up the habit of shutting down without warning after five or so minutes of use (I got into the habit of saving very, very, very often while typing things in notepad), but it never reached a point where it completely failed to work, at all. Other computers I've had or known of have simply been replaced when they outlived their usefulness, before actually giving up the ghost. But nanashi just died. I woke up one morning, and it had turned off by itself. I couldn't get it to turn back on. I'd push the button, and nothing would happen. No sounds, no lights, nothing. It was plugged in and everything. But no life. Nanashi was done for.
Maybe it was because I kept it on for ridiculous stretches, without bothering to give it a break, or without even restarting it every few weeks or so. Maybe it was because I had it running a playlist practically 24/7 for a long time. Whatever the reason, the reality of the situation hit me hard - if I couldn't get the computer to even turn on anymore, how was I going to get the all-important data off of its hard drive?!
That's where my computer whiz friend came in. With his assistance, he actually had me taking both of my computers apart and removing and installing hard drives. And with his guidance, I seem to be doing alright, despite never having been exposed to the innards of a computer before. And the best part - that precious data on my hard drive has not been lost from my reach!
So, what I had to do was, since the enclosure for the external drive I had laying around refused to work properly, I had to take the hard drive from nanashi out, and switch it in for the larger of the two drives in harmonia, for the time being. It was a thrilling and harrowing experience, knowing my precious data was on the line, and that I might never see it again - if I screwed something up, or if I was just unlucky. But I had the area lit up with my bright lamp; I had tools scattered about; and there were computer parts strewn across the floor. Dust was kicking up absolutely everywhere. I totally went into Lain mode (I even stripped off my clothes, although, unlike Lain, I stripped them all off, and it wasn't necessarily for reasons relating to static electricity). I swapped the drives, like some kind of cybernetic magician, and voila! - gained access to my old hard drive and all the files in it!
The trouble is, I can't access my old hard drive and my newer bigger hard drive at the same time with the equipment I have, so I have to burn all my important files to DVD first, before I switch them over to their new home. It's a real pain, but on the other hand, it's a good opportunity to back up all my files, few of which I have ever really bothered to back up before. But what kind of files could be so important, that I couldn't stand to think of losing them?
First, of course, there's my hard-earned collection of porn, catered entirely to my own taste, and representing years of discriminating effort wading through quite a bit of garbage. (I actually backed it up about nine months ago, but I've acquired a nice cache of good stuff since then). Second, there's my entire collection of photography, including every photograph I've ever taken, many of which (the older ones) were scanned by hand (a process I never, ever, desire to repeat), and many (the newer ones) which don't exist anywhere else, least of all in the 'analog' realm. I would hate to lose these. Then of course, there's my entire digital music collection, which I've mentioned above. Although most of it exists in the form of my physical CD collection, I do not relish the idea of having to rip over 300 albums again. And then, perhaps as important as anything else, there are many random relics of the past, memories of times and people I've known, that would be painful to lose. The rest, I suppose, is ultimately expendable, though I am in no hurry to get rid of it.
I'd like to mention that there is one other thing I would have hated to lose, had I not already transferred it over to harmonia within the past few weeks. That is my personally recorded music, mostly in the form of large wav files - since these files can basically be considered my 'masters'. When I recently posted an incomplete version of the album I've been working on to my webpage at zharth.tenjou.net (Clear As Mud), I was moving some files around, and with all those huge wav files, the space on nanashi's drive was running out. And since I had plenty of free space on harmonia's large drive, I made the move to transfer all my recordings from the one to the other. So even if things had gone worse in the past couple days, I at least would still have had those. But, thank my lucky stars, it looks as though all of my data will be mercifully salvaged.
The process is not entirely finished yet, but I'm hoping for the best!
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