Thursday, January 15, 2004|
I got my PowerBook fixed, for now. Last weekend I took the thing apart and re-seated the TrackPad connector. I have a feeling it's lived a pretty full life and might be ready to be put to pasture soon. I've had it for two years now, and it still runs Panther at a useable, if not fast, speed. But the screen flickers every now and then, accompanied once by a loud buzzing sounds. And the beaten metal case flexes and creaks when I pick it up, sometimes to the point where the optical drive thinks a disk has been inserted and buzzes insistently. This thing has been abused, lugged around in a backpack, tossed aside. It's been used to compile over and over during 20 hour work days, pegging the processor to 100% nearly all the time, bubbling the paint off of the casing. And yet it still chugs along; I'm using it to post this entry using GPRS right now.
If it does finally kick the bucket beyond the point where it's practical to repair, I guess I'll get a 12" PowerBook. Or perhaps go without a laptop. I wanted to limit how often I bring the thing to work, but the train ride sure goes by faster when I can read the news and use iChat. So the interim rule for the laptop is that it doesn't get used for work purposes. Maybe checking my email or writing white papers. When I get to work the thing will get thrown (or, rather, gently set) in a locked drawer. Little or no compiling will be done on this thing from now on; try and keep the thermal abuse due to constant CPU usage to a minimum. Compiling is painful on this anyway, now that I've been spoiled by my mirror-door PowerMac G4s at work and home.
In lieu of doing C-centric work and lugging my creaking PowerBook to work daily I've been spending some quality iPod time. BT's "Emotional Technology" has been a great into to the basic concepts of music and rhythm. His music has a very mathematical quality, adhering staunchly to 4/4 time. In fact, it seems that every verse and transition happens after a power of four beats. Since I've been playing around with Soundtrack trying to put together something that sounds good, and hope to continue my efforts using GarageBand, it's been great to have such a clear example of basic music theory and timing.
The best counterexample I can think of is Olive. Or Fleetwood Mac, specifically Buckingham. They operate on a six-beat measure. In the case of "Red Rover," Lindsay oscillates between a four-beat measure and a six-beat measure. Interesting. Radiohead uses six-beat measures a lot too, when they choose to make something resembling music.
Does all of this mean I can compose anything decent? Only time will tell :-) |
Last update: 2/1/04; 6:46:03 PM .
