What's on your mind?

[FatherAlabaster]

Sick new ab workout routine for 2024, it's called "relentless coughing". If I can keep it up for a few more weeks I should be fit as a fiddle. New year new me.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

10 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Sick new ab workout routine for 2024, it's called "relentless coughing". If I can keep it up for a few more weeks I should be fit as a fiddle. New year new me.

 

Everyone's been sick here, across the whole state it seems. School nurse called me around noon on Friday the 15th to come pick the kid up he had a 102.5° fever. She said the flu is going around, as well as RSV, and Covid, and strep throat. Could be any of them. He was sick with a fever again the following day, but then was pretty much back to normal by Sunday afternoon. Then I woke up with a low grade fever Monday morning, was absolutely dying with the flu or something flu-like on Tuesday, my fever broke Wednesday and by the end of the week I felt pretty good again. My sister had come by Tuesday the 19th when I was at my absolute sickest to take my cat to the vet, (we were supposed to meet down there but I was just too sick to go out) and then she came back to drop her off again later. She only stayed about 15 minutes to talk, standing several feet away from my chair the whole time, but I must have gotten her sick because by Thurs she was sick, and then by the weekend her whole family was sick. I was over there at her house the following Wed the 27th and they had all decided to test themselves that morning, and all 3 of them came up positive for Covid. So now this weekend I'm all stuffed up again, n, or who knows wtf is going on. I don't have any other symptoms though, basically just a stuffed up head, some occasional nose blowing, a little throat clearing but no real coughing to speak of, so if this is Covid, this really isn't too bad at all.

 

Since my computer is presumed dead at least for the time being, and I currently have no access to my music library or any of my lists, I have decided that the best way to reconstruct my 2023 sub-genre lists is to go through the What Are You Listening To thread page by page and see what albums I posted this year. I reckon almost all of my short list candidates will be represented there somewhere, and I'll remember which ones were my favorites when I see them all. Jan 1, 2023 was page 2269, and we're currently up to page 2564 on Jan 1, 2024, so that's only 295 pages I have to sort through. 25 posts per page, so that's 7,375 total WAYLT posts for 2023. I really only have to check my own posts though, and maybe some of Markos as he has most similar taste in music to me out of everyone here on the board by far.  We collectively post enough to fill about a page a day, and on average I probably post 3 to 5 times per page, typically two albums per post, so that's about 2,900 albums I've posted over the course of the last year. Many of my favorites were posted multiple times throughout the year, so it's probably only 2,000 - 2,200 different albums I'll have to look though, and only the 2023 one matter here. I've already figured out my top 20 or so black metal albums from my top 100 black metal albums post on May 2nd, fortunately I listed my 2023 bm favorites up to that point, and I remembered some more of my favorites from later in the year. I'm thinking if I put my mind to it I could probably have all of my 2023 lists 95% reconstructed in just a few hours. Then I can make my end of year lists before it gets to be February and no one cares anymore.

 

 

[Thatguy]

26 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Sick new ab workout routine for 2024, it's called "relentless coughing". If I can keep it up for a few more weeks I should be fit as a fiddle. New year new me.

 

26 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Everyone's been sick here

On a lighter note, Thatguy is fully recovered and GP just now authorised return to normal activities.

28 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Then I can make my end of year lists before it gets to be February and no one cares anymore.

Normal activities would normally include tormenting the GG but I feel your pain with loss of computer. I have not one, not two but three backups for my music and my work. I actually don't mean to sound smug but back everything up regularly everybody.

[AlSymerz]

39 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

 

Since my computer is presumed dead at least for the time being, and I currently have no access to my music library or any of my lists, I have decided that the best way to reconstruct my 2023 sub-genre lists is to go through the What Are You Listening To thread page by page and see what albums I posted this year. I reckon almost all of my short list candidates will be represented there somewhere, and I'll remember which ones were my favorites when I see them all. Jan 1, 2023 was page 2269, and we're currently up to page 2564 on Jan 1, 2024, so that's only 295 pages I have to sort through. 25 posts per page, so that's 7,375 total WAYLT posts for 2023. I really only have to check my own posts though, and maybe some of Markos as he has most similar taste in music to me out of everyone here on the board by far.  We collectively post enough to fill about a page a day, and on average I probably post 3 to 5 times per page, typically two albums per post, so that's about 2,900 albums I've posted over the course of the last year. Many of my favorites were posted multiple times throughout the year, so it's probably only 2,000 - 2,200 different albums I'll have to look though, and only the 2023 one matter here. I've already figured out my top 20 or so black metal albums from my top 100 black metal albums post on May 2nd, fortunately I listed my 2023 bm favorites up to that point, and I remembered some more of my favorites from later in the year. I'm thinking if I put my mind to it I could probably have all of my 2023 lists 95% reconstructed in just a few hours. Then I can make my end of year lists before it gets to be February and no one cares anymore.

And people said the music I listen to would never help anyone. Think of all those posts I made that you'll be able to skip right over. You're welcome!

 

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

28 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

 

I actually don't mean to sound smug

Yes you do. But don't you worry mate, I'll get what I need from that SSD one way or another, whether I can get the machine to work or not. I can't get it to display anything after it boots up. I get the Gigabyte BIOS screen, and I can get into the BIOS. I checked the boot order and it was correct. But when I just press the button to boot it normally instead of going to the sign-in screen, it just says "no signal" and goes dark. But that drive's not fried or anything, I'd bet money it still works. I think it's a dust issue. I'll get my brother in law to look at it once he's over his Covid. Stuff I've read online has led me to believe I might have to unplug some of the internal components and make sure all the connectors are clean and then replug them. I've already vacuumed out the dust and reseated the RAM sticks and that didn't help. But I'll wait to do the rest at his house, the CPU and the GPU and whatever else, so just in case I fuck something up I'll have an IT guy there to assist me and offer advice. I don't even really need the computer itself, it's 6 years old now so all outdated tech. I have a brand new one sitting here in the box I haven't set up yet. I really just need what I've put on the SSD since my last backup a few months ago. So worse comes to worst, I can probably put that SSD in another machine and transfer what I need onto my external SSD. 

[Thatguy]

Good luck!

And feeling a bit smug is the next best thing to the best feeling of all - saying 'I told you so.'

[RelentlessOblivion]

well it would seem that PC issues are doing the rounds here at MF. Currently, I’m unable to open any of my documents, bootup, word, or any other Microsoft programs, just getting a default, the program loaded incorrectly message. Bearing in mind, the computer is barely six months old, and I have a lifetime product, key. I know it isn’t the license for office suite expiring, that’s about all I know.

[AlSymerz]

I've got "T" key that wont fucking work properly

[RelentlessOblivion]

Update: I’m installing office again in the hope that resolves the issue, if not, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

 

Edit: all that did was blue screen my PC…

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Sorry to hear about your blue screen of death Blivvie. I'm no techie by any stretch but I know that can't be good.

Currently wishing I had worn a mask this afternoon. Decided it was about time to fix the broken tiles in the kitchen. So the other day last week we cut out all the broken ones along the grout lines with a grinder. And for the last few days I've been working on cleaning the old hardened thinset out of the holes. Wouldn't come out as easily as I'd hoped, so I bought one of them multi-tools with a scraper blade attachment. Scraper blade broke on me after just a couple of hours so I ordered a 10-pack on Amazon for $15 which came the next day. New blades were a little bit larger so they ripped through the mortar a bit better. But it still took several hours and fuck me did this project make a lot of dust, it's all in my head and up my nose. I vacuumed up the mess and took a shower so it's out of my hair, but I can still smell it every time I take a breath, and now I'm coughing and sneezing like a TB patient. And I do have masks here, my buddy wore one last week when we were cutting the tiles out and there are two more good ones left sitting on the island. Lesson for the day: protective gear might be a pain in the ass but wearing it for a few hours beats the hell out of sneezing out black shit and coughing up cement dust for the next week.

[AlSymerz]

Cement dust is terrible shit. My mate batched concrete for 20 years. He's had pneumonia twice and sill can't clear he shit from his lungs.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Good news, i’ve got my computer working again, a task which has literally taken the entire day.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

59 minutes ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

Good news, i’ve got my computer working again, a task which has literally taken the entire day.

That's good to hear Blivvie. Now come spend a day in lovely 20° (-7°C) New Jersey getting mine to work. 

[RelentlessOblivion]

I mean, tempting, but I’m gonna say no… And by no, I mean hell no… Find like 99% sure that being Australian my heart would literally stop if I ever experienced that kind of cold. Also my problem just required me doing a system restore to a couple of weeks ago to fix  while yours could be literally anything, my vague understanding of how to fix simple to moderate PC issues isn’t gonna help you, I’m afraid.

[AlSymerz]

AAhhh I love a midnight drive to the city. My parents are headed off on a cruise today so they stayed in the city last night. Dad rang me at 10pm telling me they'd left the suitcase keys at home and wanted to know if I could get them and bring them down today before they left. I tried to convince them to get a locksmith but they are old and set in their ways and they had everything planned before they rang. I decided I couldn't be bothered arguing and really didn't want to deal with peak hour city traffic so at 10:15pm I headed up the hill to their place and was on the road by 10:20pm. It was 12:55am when I arrived at the hotel, lucky the city was quiet so I was able to find somewhere to park not far from the hotel because Dad fell asleep waiting for me. I got home at 4:15am. Such a lovely quiet night on the road, not too cold, I even had the air con on a few times, dry and no wind. 500(ish)km and 6 hours just to drop off some keys, I call it time well wasted. 3 hours on and now it's breakfast time but at least I know Mum and Dad will go away happy.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

So what, you stayed up all night then? Or are you planning to grab a nap? Home at 4:15am but you're normally up for the days activities before that. I was up this morning myself from around 4:15 'til about 5:45 and then I actually got into my bed for a change and went back to sleep again 'til 11:15 it was glorious. 

I did a similar thing a few weeks ago, I needed an electrical panel box asap that I could only get at the Home Depot 90 minutes away by the Holland Tunnel. So I got up early Sunday morning and left about 5:45 when there was no traffic to speak of (although in New York there's always some traffic 24/7) so I could just shoot right in and grab it as soon as they opened at 7am. I made it back home just after 8:30 when most people were just waking up.

[AlSymerz]

I'll fade out sitting here soon. Probably wake up with my head on the keyboard and an imprint of the keys on my forehead.

I've been getting up a bit later these days, I usually get up around 5 and do some exercise. It used to be all walking but these days I've changed to some walking and a cardio work out.

Driving at night/early hours is a much more pleasurable experience than dealing with traffic. Out in the boonies here there is no traffic (only wildlife), but city traffic sucks. If I went down this morning I'd be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic cursing and yelling at people. Instead I had a breeze of a drive right into the middle of the city.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I too, was awake around 4 am this morning, but that’s just because insomnia fucking sucks, thank Cthulhu for coffee or I’d really be cranky.

 

In other news I’m going to inquire about other musicians when I’m in at the place, I do my guitar lessons later today, figure it’s about time I try and put a band together.

[navybsn]

I'm up between 4:15 and 5a every morning regardless of day. Too many years of having too have trained my internal clock in that schedule. And I'm never able to go back to sleep. Just never works, so I gave up years ago. So I'm usually at work 1.5 hours before I'm required. Helps with traffic even if my normal commute is 9 miles one-way and not quite the trip to the Holland Tunnel. On the weekends, I just find stuff to do. I kinda dig being up well before the rest of the world starts turning. Only sucks when there's a show that runs until midnight lack last night. I start to run out of steam around 10-10:30p. Not much of a coffee drinker, so I just power through the best I can.

[AlSymerz]

Pre-dawn walking while the rest of the world sleeps is the best alone time. I wouldn't do it if I lived in the city because there is not enough scenery to keep me interested. But wandering around the roads and tracks with the wildlife waking up around you is a great way to start the day, and every day is different.

[FatherAlabaster]

If I can get to sleep by 9:30 or 10PM, I can wake up at 6 and feel great. Nobody else in my family is on the same page, so I usually get super tired around 9:30 or 10, stay awake through it, finally get to sleep between 11 and 1AM, and wake up between 5 and 7 groggy and annoyed. But if I've gotten enough sleep, that predawn alone time is fantastic.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Wow, it's 10:30 I just finished dinner. For many years I had to get up at 4am but I never got used to it. When I'm left on my own for any period of time I tend to want to stay up all night and then be looking to sleep from like 7am til noon. But I can't really keep that schedule with little kid. Couple months ago I went through a stressful period where I didn't sleep at all for about 3 weeks. Nothing more than a 30 minute nap here and there. Then something happened, I managed to get a few hours of sleep one night and then my whole body clock changed, since then I generally fall asleep sometime between 11 and 2am like normal people do and then I'll wake up real early, could be anytime from like 4am til 6:30. I do sometimes catch a little 30 - 60 minute nap later in the morning though sometime between 9 and 11.

[AlSymerz]

What bugs me is that when I was working with the bands most days it was going to bed when the sun came up. Driving the truck on local runs it was awake all night go to bed around 10am. When I was doing the long haul it was sleep when the log book told me too. Since I gave up all that shit my body clock has chosen for me to wake up between 4am and 5am no matter what time I go to bed

[BloodHornVital]

How much does the album cover affect to the listening experience?

[MacabreEternal]

On 1/22/2024 at 9:35 PM, FatherAlabaster said:

If I can get to sleep by 9:30 or 10PM, I can wake up at 6 and feel great. Nobody else in my family is on the same page, so I usually get super tired around 9:30 or 10, stay awake through it, finally get to sleep between 11 and 1AM, and wake up between 5 and 7 groggy and annoyed. But if I've gotten enough sleep, that predawn alone time is fantastic.

My Apple watch is my saviour here.  I will sit up, tired as shit, knowing I should go to bed but just trying to play on Xbox for on more mission or listen to one more track on an album.  Setting up the alerts of when I need to be winding down has helped me to discipline myself, plus having the alarm on my wrist means I truly wake up when it goes off.  Wind down alerts start at 21:45 for me to be asleep by 22:30, alarm set for 6am to give me the best shot at 7 hours (even though now the 'experts' are saying 8 hours but, fuck that).  Then I can be out the door for 06:15 - 06:30 for a decent few miles walk before work starts.