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Music: Current count 27362 [27338] rated (+24), 379 [395] unrated (-16).
I expected my computer problems would be solved by now, but seems like they've multiplied. I basically work on three computers. I built my main one close to a decade ago, then upgraded most of it four or so years ago: new motherboard, 8-core AMD cpu, 32GB RAM, kept the old mirrored hard drives. I write on it, and maintain master copies of a half-dozen websites. It's great, but I fell off the update track some while back, so it's still running Ubuntu 12.04, which includes one very annoying flaw: Firefox doesn't handle JavaScript very well, so I avoid it (NoScript helps) but even so it crashes a couple times a week. Ubuntu is now up to 16.04, and at some point I need to break down and do the upgrade(s).
Meanwhile, I've had a second, less powerful Ubuntu computer -- I bought the components there on a pretty limited budget (probably something like $500, maybe five years ago), and I've kept it up to date. I hooked up some Klipsch speakers to it, and used it for streaming music, downloading, and Facebook (one of those JavaScript monsters that kills my main computer). However, a couple months ago I started noticing loud clicks in the audio, and occasional freezes when I would look at DVDs. I tried replacing the power supply, which got rid of the clicks. But then something happened: the video went blank (a deep screensaver option), but wouldn't wake up. I could still log into the machine remotely, and I've been tracking down similar issues and possible fixes, but none have worked. Knowing the computer was old and weak, I decided to buy new components -- AMD 8-core FX cpu, motherboard, 32GB RAM, 2TB hard drive, a fairly cheap ATI Radeon video card. I figured I'd use the recently purchased power supply (a 650W Corsair) and an old box (which previously hosted my wife's computer; when I rebuilt I got her a new mini-tower box).
The old box had a 550W Thermaltake power supply which looked quite viable, so I decided to try an experiment: I swapped power supplies, then stuck my new video card into the old computer. I rebooted, and it came up with proper graphics. I finally was able to listen to a record on Napster (Erroll Garner, below, and got about half-way through the new Miles Davis bootleg before I went to bed). Anyhow, that seemed to work well enough I ordered yet another video card. Then next morning I got up and the video was blanked, and nothing I did made could wake it up. The blackout is so bad not even the BIOS splash screen appears. The monitor, however, displays diagnostic info (analog, digital, no cable). I just remotely did a software update, then reboot. Still no screen. Very frustrating, very perplexing.
Meanwhile, I've built the new computer, except for the new video card I expect to arrive tomorrow. Then I'll plug it in, do a fresh Xubuntu desktop install, and try to patch up the various things I need (emacs, mysql, apache, php, etc.). Should take the better part of a day, if all goes well. Not that anything's gone well in the last month or so. At some point all this frustration threatens to turn into depression.
So, all but one of this week's records were reviewed from CDs, so all are jazz. (I don't think I've bought a single CD all year.) At least I've drained about half of the queue that built up in September and October. Main thing left is six Ivo Perelman discs, giving him ten on the year. All are titled The Art of the Improv Trio then a volume number. First one is pretty good, and most likely they're all like that, so I'll be struggling with marginal distinctions for a couple days -- at least that beats the Xmas CDs, which I figure I'll suffer through sometime closer to the holiday.
I did finally flesh out my first pass at EOY lists: one for Jazz, and the other for Non-Jazz. The former is much larger (61 A-list, 120 HM, 385 other, so 566 total, 8-6-11=25 for reissues/compilations, vs. non-jazz: 41 A-list, 36 HM, 105 other, so 182 total, 11-9-6=26 for reissues/compilations). At this time last year the Jazz A-list was well ahead of the Non-Jazz, but eventually they evened out. That seems less likely this year, but is still possible. Assuming I get Napster up and running again, the ratio of Jazz/Non-Jazz further down the grade scale should reduce somewhat, but hard to see that ever balancing out. Reissues and compilations remain especially hard to get hold of.
No Thanksgiving plans. My wife never wants me to cook on that day, and all the usual friends and family have their own plans, so most likely we'll be home alone. Maybe I'll get some listening done.
Still scanning through the notebooks for stray record reviews. Up to December 2006, where I noticed that I had in fact made Thanksgiving dinner that year. Went Japanese that year:
Also planned on sushi rice with grilled unagi (eel), but evidently didn't get that done until the next day. I hardly ever cook Japanese (except for the salmon, one of the easiest really good recipes I know), so this mostly seems unfamiliar (aside from the ringers: the eggplant is one of Barbara Tropp's Chinese fusion recipes, and the cake is my Mom's recipe, an old family standard -- in fact, one of the cakes I made for her funeral reception).
New records rated this week:
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries rated this week:
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week: