Month: June 2016

World Wide Web Wednesday – Volume 7

This week’s World Wide Web Wednesday link is…

www.audacityteam.org – Audacity

I return back to the world of technology this week and bring you yet another piece of open-source software I use on a regular basis.  I deal with audio files quite a bit in my job.  While Windows Media Player is adequate for listening to them, I’m often called upon to edit files or create them. When this is the case, Audacity gets the nod.

The software is pretty intuitive and the effects package is more than adequate for my needs. It also allows you to export to various common audio formats and sample rates.  It includes a spectrum analyzer that, while pretty basic, I’ve found to be particularly helpful in my work.   At home, it’s my ‘go to’ for creating custom ring tones, which I do because when my phone goes off, I want to know it’s my phone.

Installation is easy, but I’ve had to add some packages to get it to work on my Linux machine at home, but nothing too extreme. I did manage to get malware once when I downloaded it from a site I wasn’t familiar with, but if you practice ‘safe computing’, you should be fine.

Audacity – give it a whirl. Now go out and web.

World Wide Web Wednesday – Volume 6

After a few weeks off, it’s time for another installment of World Wide Web Wednesday.  Today’s link is…

http://thesunmagazine.org/ – The Sun Magazine

For once, this is not a technology link.  In fact, this magazine is one instance in my life where I go ‘full analog’ getting the magazine by the good old U.S. Mail.

Like many great ideas that have floated through my life in the last fifteen years, my relationship with The Sun came about when Ms. Boss ran across the magazine and signed me up for a free trial.  I enjoyed the writing that highlights, as the magazine says, people rising to meet life’s challenges and soon enough had a subscription.  I’ve been an ‘on and off’ subscriber ever since reading every issue cover to cover.

My favorite segment every month is ‘Readers Write’ – a section where readers write about the topic that has been chosen for month.  The short snippets cover some of the pivotal moments in the lives of others. For the record, I’ve been tempted to write, but have never pulled the trigger.

Fair warning – if you’re allergic to left-leaning politics and ideas, this magazine isn’t for you so you might want to retreat to the safety of Fox News.  While I don’t necessarily endorse the economic values represented within, it does appeal to my more like libertarian nature. Some of the writers seem to have liberated themselves from some of the more unseemly sides of modern society, something that makes me the tiniest bit jealous.

The Sun Magazine – go visit and, better yet, subscribe to support this non-profit venture. Now go forth and web!

Random Semicoherent Thoughts – Volume 12

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I was on vacation last week and largely took a break from electronics.  I actually let my phone die several times while I was gone and really didn’t care. That’s highly unusual for me.  I kind of enjoyed it.  To the loyal non-robot readers, my humblest apologies.

I love reading, I always have. I’ll read to distraction if you’ll let me.  In fifth grade, my science teacher made a habit of coming up and slamming a ruler on my desk when I had my nose in a book rather than paying attention in class.  I’m somewhat ‘reformed’ today.  I don’t read books that often anymore and when I do, they’re nonfiction and too interesting that I won’t be bothered when I put them down.  The one time I will read is on vacation.  I figure I’m entitled to the down time.

I read two books over vacation.  The first was The Zimzum of Love by Kristen and Rob Bell.  This was a recommendation by Ms. Boss.  It was the right book at the right time.  My takeaway from the book? The space between you and your spouse is sacred and must be protected in order for ‘zimzum’ to occur.  The second book was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.  I will say it was a tough read, but it’s one of those books that you keep coming back to in your mind once you’ve finished with it.  I’m still learning some of the lessons from the book, but the biggest takeaway is this – the attitude that you take when starting an endeavor will be reflected in the outcome once the project is completed.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawethorne absolutely rocked my world.  Up until that point – junior year in high school – I was so Pollyannaish it never crossed my mind that the minister could be a bad guy.

I’m going to be slightly vulnerable here, while I’ve stated that I like reading, I’ve not been the best at understanding what I read.  Now it’s not because I’m stupid, I’m literally a Mensa-candidate  (a score I’ve taken on a standardized test qualifies me for membership).  It just seems that I don’t always comprehend.  I hated – HATED – literature classes in high school and college because people would glean things from them that I just couldn’t see.  I rarely read all the assigned material in college because it seemed pointless.  I was a terminal ‘B’ student merely from the fact I showed up for every class. I didn’t become the lawyer I always was supposed to be growing up because I sucked at case review in undergrad.  It certainly has been frustrating.  I’m sure this means something to someone.