My surface thoughts and musings…
So, I got my NAD M52 Digital Music Vault (ordered from Germany – vintage 2014 tech) this week. It’s a glorified NAS (RAID 5) server that specifically supports the NAD M50 Digital Music Player (vintage 2014). I also happened across the NAD M51 (DAC and Digital Preamplifier also vintage 2014) to complete my NAD suite. We shall see how it compares with the Vault2i from both a convenience and a performance perspective.
-Rat
So apparently something that I use from a plug-in perspective (a connected program) tanks Jetpack (it’s a WordPress plug-in: it’s what I used to create this site). So, what do I know? I know that it’s not the version of php, MySQL level, Malcare (another plug-in) or the Theme (a template). That leaves Really Simple Security and NextGen Gallery.
So, what I think is that since I have SSL enabled with a cert from my hosting provider and a working version of Jetpack on my other site – is add NextGen Gallery and if that works, then I know that it’s Really Simple Security and it doesn’t play well with Jetpack.
<<Update>> It’s NextGen Gallery (another WordPress Plug-in) that won’t work with Jetpack – I never would have guessed it was a graphic plug-in. Conflicting security programs – nope. Flipping graphics.
-Rat
So, as it turns out – both my front and rear brakes needed to be done to the tune of $$$ – ouch! Also, as it turns out the fronts had 2mm left which is next to nothing since they start at approximately 15mm. Better to have them replaced before you need to turn the rotors. Turning the rotors is the process of machining them down (refacing to prevent uneven wear) so that there are no grooves or bumps (needed to be smooth). You can typically only have them turned once or maybe twice if not too bad, and then they need to be replaced. The backs were kind of bad but they are drum brakes, so they are a bit more forgiving. They also needed to be replaced (pads) but it was before I did damage to them (whew!). Better to be safe than sorry.
Still listening to the adventures of Skippy and Joe on Audible and still reading book one of the Legends of Dune series. On Saturday, we got different battery powered sconces (from Costco), so I returned the Amazon purchases (the ones with the morphydite bulbs).
Anne’s family came over on Sunday and Mo and I went for a walk to Catalina grove over by the bike path and back (approx. 3.5mi). I think this weekend I might take the covers off the patio furniture and put the pallets away – and bust out the fire table. I still need to pack up the amp and tweeters send them out for repair. I added my Jetpack subscription to my main website, and it seems to be coming along (and yeah, this was kind of a brain dump).
-Rat
What the hell am I doing these days?
I’m sitting at the dealer getting my breaks fixed. Hopefully it won’t be too financially painful 🙂
On the audible front, I’m listening to a Craig Alanson book called “Task Force Hammer”- read by R.C. Bray. It’s book 17 in the Expeditionary Force” series. It’s a fun read/listen (entertaining) about a wacky AI and a semi-dysfunctional human set out to save the galaxy. Its sci-fi/action/comedy series that’s wash-rinse-repeat. But every time the author ended or thought he ended the series – his fans wouldn’t let him rest unless he wrote another book (at least that’s what I think). Also, I would get sad knowing the series was ended. But now he just keeps on going :).
On the book front, I am reading “The Butlerian Jihad” which is “Book One of the Legends of Dune”. I am on the second read of this book. The first time I read it was sometime back in approximately 2008. The Dune series are really cool and forward thinking. I have no idea where he came up with this stuff. Herbert and Anderson were/are really great writers.
On the home front, we ordered battery powered sconces for the front room, which is different. No wiring, what a concept. I’ll install them this weekend. The only problem that I can see is that the bulb is an LED and a one-of-a-kind type (thanks China) and cannot be replaced on Amazon.
I am limping along in Duo Lingo in Russian. I want to go back and start brushing up in Swedish. I really haven’t done anything in Music which is a bummer.
Most of my spare time has been spent in burning CD’s and when it’s not that, I’m fixing one of my audio things (lately I’m listening to Tate McRae), or treadmilling it, or going the gym, or cleaning, or doing laundry, or fixing a meal or life in general.
-Rat
I may need to rethink my position. I currently have my own website/blog (you’re reading it) and it is hosted by iPowerWeb or maybe it’s just called iPower now. They have been hosting my site that I know of since 2007 – scratch that. I thought they were hosting it. As it turns out, hosting is a funny term. Is it where the DNS server is? Is it where the files are? Is it where the domain name resides? Is it something else? Sucuri was hosting it – which is a website firewall service that apparently was protecting my site. I may need to go back there – we shall see. I thought I terminated my service with them. Maybe I still have some residuals with them. I don’t know why they held on to it (my DNS records) without notifying me. They were a pretty good service and was good value, I had minimal hacks which I can’t say about where its currently at, but here I have other safeguards. We shall see. I want to try and figure out what the hell I need Jetpack for, and why did I buy it initially?
-Rat
So, I’m happily burning CDs on Friday, and I go downstairs to find a box and start packing up my tweeters to send for refurbishment, and I put on some music… I hear that one of my channels is out on the amp (TFM-25). Well, I see it occasionally trying, so I turn off that amp, and listen to one of the others. Figuring that I will look into it tomorrow (Saturday). Oh, and buy the way, I can’t get the powered Klipsch sub to work with the Klipsch speakers upstairs on the Pioneer SC-07 receiver. I don’t think it’s anything except that I can’t use a preamp sub RCA out connection with the speakers functioning off the regular amp. I guess it’s just me not understanding the limits of the receiver. I may have to ditch the Pioneer for an old-school 60W Yamaha receiver with way less options. I don’t really need all the “bells and whistles” with all that power anyway. However, now I have to send the TFM-25 in for service early. I was going to do it anyway, but now I have to do it sooner rather than later. I think I’m going to get the “Cadillac” refresh on this first one so I can see what all the mods are up to. It’s the one amp that I use the most – it powers the Ohms downstairs.
-Rat