hobbies &mdash; Dallineation https://dallincrump.com/tag:hobbies A personal weblog. Thu, 14 May 2026 15:27:46 +0000 https://i.snap.as/Xmr1St6g.ico hobbies &mdash; Dallineation https://dallincrump.com/tag:hobbies Taking Another Break from Twitch https://dallincrump.com/taking-another-break-from-twitch?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[My mental, emotional, and spiritual health have been pretty terrible since about mid-2025. But earlier in the year, when I decided to observe Lent for the first time leading up to Easter, it was the best I had felt in a long time. One of the things I gave up for Lent? Twitch. So I'm taking a break from it again to see what happens. !--more-- Abstaining from Twitch - both as a streamer and a viewer - was only one of many things I did for Lent last year, but Twitch has been an obvious source of mental and emotional turmoil for me in recent months, so I think it makes sense for me to step away for a bit and recalibrate. I will take this time to really contemplate a new approach to Twitch if and when I do decide to return. I want to take what I call the "Fred Rogers Approach" to streaming. Mister Rogers' approach to television ran completely contrary to the mainstream, and I want to to do the same. I actually attempted this briefly with my DJ stream when I rebranded it to "Positive Notes". But I abandoned that experiment because I realized I can't limit such a program to just a DJ stream. It really needs to be a variety stream centered around my interests and talents. And the Twitch DJ Program terms specify that DJ streams need to have pre-recorded music as their primary focus, and that you should have a second channel for other content. Not that I really care about following the DJ Program terms anymore, since it seems they are still not enforcing most of the rules, and the rules they do enforce are not enforced consistently or fairly. I've been playing full albums on my DJ stream for months, which is technically against the rules. Even had a member of the Twitch staff tune in occasionally and enjoy the program. But it's generally understood that DJ streams should be monetized to offset the DJ Program fees that Twitch has to pay to the record labels. And I've decided that if I return to Twitch, my new channel will never be monetized through Twitch's monetization program. If there is any funding at all, it will be through donations, and perhaps, eventually, sponsorships that are intentional and make sense for what I'm doing. I'll be going for a public television vibe. I'll probably take a month or two to really think through this and decide if it's worth the time and effort, or if I should move on and pursue something else entirely. #100DaysToOffload (No. 123) #Twitch #hobbies]]> My mental, emotional, and spiritual health have been pretty terrible since about mid-2025. But earlier in the year, when I decided to observe Lent for the first time leading up to Easter, it was the best I had felt in a long time. One of the things I gave up for Lent? Twitch. So I'm taking a break from it again to see what happens.

Abstaining from Twitch – both as a streamer and a viewer – was only one of many things I did for Lent last year, but Twitch has been an obvious source of mental and emotional turmoil for me in recent months, so I think it makes sense for me to step away for a bit and recalibrate.

I will take this time to really contemplate a new approach to Twitch if and when I do decide to return. I want to take what I call the “Fred Rogers Approach” to streaming.

Mister Rogers' approach to television ran completely contrary to the mainstream, and I want to to do the same. I actually attempted this briefly with my DJ stream when I rebranded it to “Positive Notes”. But I abandoned that experiment because I realized I can't limit such a program to just a DJ stream. It really needs to be a variety stream centered around my interests and talents. And the Twitch DJ Program terms specify that DJ streams need to have pre-recorded music as their primary focus, and that you should have a second channel for other content.

Not that I really care about following the DJ Program terms anymore, since it seems they are still not enforcing most of the rules, and the rules they do enforce are not enforced consistently or fairly. I've been playing full albums on my DJ stream for months, which is technically against the rules. Even had a member of the Twitch staff tune in occasionally and enjoy the program.

But it's generally understood that DJ streams should be monetized to offset the DJ Program fees that Twitch has to pay to the record labels. And I've decided that if I return to Twitch, my new channel will never be monetized through Twitch's monetization program. If there is any funding at all, it will be through donations, and perhaps, eventually, sponsorships that are intentional and make sense for what I'm doing. I'll be going for a public television vibe.

I'll probably take a month or two to really think through this and decide if it's worth the time and effort, or if I should move on and pursue something else entirely.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 123) #Twitch #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/taking-another-break-from-twitch Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:22:51 +0000 Found an Old HiFi System https://dallincrump.com/found-an-old-hifi-system?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Today I took a chance on buying a used early-1990s Pioneer HiFi system I saw listed in an online classified ad. CD player, dual cassette deck, and stereo receiver for in great cosmetic shape for $45. !--more-- The seller said the CD player and cassette deck powered on, but hadn't been tested, and the receiver didn't power on. I offered $40 and he accepted. I figured if either the CD player or tape deck worked, it'd be worth it. After bringing them home, I confirmed the receiver is dead. And neither of the players in the tape deck work. The CD player works great. It's a model PD-5700, a couple years older than my other Pioneer CD player PD-102. They look similar, but have different button layouts. I will use both players for my Twitch stream. Now I can alternate between them and even do some radio-style DJ sets with them if I want to, playing specific tracks from CDs in my collection. I was really hoping the tape deck would work, as the single cassette Sony player I'm using only sounds good playing tapes in the reverse direction. I have another deck in my closet that works and sounds ok, but it has a bit of interference noise that bugs me. It's also silver and doesn't fit with the style of the other equipment, which is black. I don't know enough about electronics to attempt repairs myself, so I found a local electronics repair place. Their website says they repair audio equipment and consumer electronics, so I'm going to contact them and see if they will even look at these old systems. If so, and I feel their rates are fair, I might take a chance and see if they can get the tape deck and receiver working again. It'd be a shame to scrap them. Mostly, I just hoped to have some redundancy in place if any part of my current HiFi stack failed. It's getting harder and harder to find good quality vintage HiFi components for cheap. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/found-an-old-hifi-system"Discuss.../a #100DaysToOffload (No. 109) #music #retro #nostalgia #hobbies #physicalMedia]]> Today I took a chance on buying a used early-1990s Pioneer HiFi system I saw listed in an online classified ad. CD player, dual cassette deck, and stereo receiver for in great cosmetic shape for $45.

The seller said the CD player and cassette deck powered on, but hadn't been tested, and the receiver didn't power on. I offered $40 and he accepted. I figured if either the CD player or tape deck worked, it'd be worth it.

After bringing them home, I confirmed the receiver is dead. And neither of the players in the tape deck work.

The CD player works great. It's a model PD-5700, a couple years older than my other Pioneer CD player PD-102. They look similar, but have different button layouts. I will use both players for my Twitch stream. Now I can alternate between them and even do some radio-style DJ sets with them if I want to, playing specific tracks from CDs in my collection.

I was really hoping the tape deck would work, as the single cassette Sony player I'm using only sounds good playing tapes in the reverse direction. I have another deck in my closet that works and sounds ok, but it has a bit of interference noise that bugs me. It's also silver and doesn't fit with the style of the other equipment, which is black.

I don't know enough about electronics to attempt repairs myself, so I found a local electronics repair place. Their website says they repair audio equipment and consumer electronics, so I'm going to contact them and see if they will even look at these old systems. If so, and I feel their rates are fair, I might take a chance and see if they can get the tape deck and receiver working again. It'd be a shame to scrap them.

Mostly, I just hoped to have some redundancy in place if any part of my current HiFi stack failed. It's getting harder and harder to find good quality vintage HiFi components for cheap.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 109) #music #retro #nostalgia #hobbies #physicalMedia

]]> https://dallincrump.com/found-an-old-hifi-system Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:50:32 +0000 I Don't Collect Vinyl Records Anymore https://dallincrump.com/i-dont-collect-vinyl-records-anymore?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[I had already been leaning towards simplifying my physical media collecting by ditching vinyl records, but a video with some startling information gave me the push I needed. !--more-- Vinyl is Toxic I knew vinyl should be kept out of landfills - that's one reason I justified collecting it. But after recently discovering a video by Ben Jordan from six years ago, I learned how toxic vinyl is to the air you breathe and how, with a few exceptions, the modern vinyl industry makes records pretty much the same way they have always been made. You can watch the video on PeerTube or YouTube. There is a lot of good info in the video, like what exactly vinyl is and why the vinyl in records is toxic. But the part of the video that really sealed the deal for me was when he got an industrial air quality monitor and stuck it next to a turntable. It showed that alarming levels of toxic particulates and gasses are released by vinyl records when they are played or even just handled. It may just be a coincidence, but my allergies have been getting worse over the last two years, and wouldn't you know it, I started collecting vinyl records two years ago. At the very least, it's not helping. But this is just one of a few reasons I made this decision. Vinyl is Expensive Out of vinyl, compact discs, and cassette tapes, vinyl is the most expensive format. Of course it depends on the title. I've seen some rare CDs that are going for hundreds of dollars. But I've seen rare vinyl going for thousands. New vinyl goes for $30-$50+ while new CDs go for around $15-$20. For the sake of my wallet, I'm focusing on CDs and tapes from now on. Vinyl is Big It takes up a lot of space and it's heavy. I can store 50-60 vinyl record albums in an IKEA Kallax shelf cube. But I can fit 120+ CD album jewel cases in the same space. By collecting CDs and tapes I can essentially double the amount of music I can store in my limited space. Vinyl is Great and I'll Miss It Despite all of this, it's difficult to give it up. I love each physical format for its unique quirks. Vinyl provides a delightful, intentional listening experience. Digging crates, and spinning and flipping records is something I will miss. But CDs have always been my favorite physical format for music and it just makes sense for me to focus on that again. And so I've been sending vinyl mailers to my vinyl streaming friends on Twitch. I've also been taking stacks of 20 records at a time to trade in for store credit at my favorite record store and taking home twice as many CDs. It'll take a while to get rid of them, but I think it's a move that makes sense for me. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/i-dont-collect-vinyl-records-anymore"Discuss.../a #100DaysToOffload (No. 104) #retro #physicalMedia #music #hobbies]]> I had already been leaning towards simplifying my physical media collecting by ditching vinyl records, but a video with some startling information gave me the push I needed.

Vinyl is Toxic

I knew vinyl should be kept out of landfills – that's one reason I justified collecting it. But after recently discovering a video by Ben Jordan from six years ago, I learned how toxic vinyl is to the air you breathe and how, with a few exceptions, the modern vinyl industry makes records pretty much the same way they have always been made.

You can watch the video on PeerTube or YouTube.

There is a lot of good info in the video, like what exactly vinyl is and why the vinyl in records is toxic. But the part of the video that really sealed the deal for me was when he got an industrial air quality monitor and stuck it next to a turntable. It showed that alarming levels of toxic particulates and gasses are released by vinyl records when they are played or even just handled.

It may just be a coincidence, but my allergies have been getting worse over the last two years, and wouldn't you know it, I started collecting vinyl records two years ago. At the very least, it's not helping. But this is just one of a few reasons I made this decision.

Vinyl is Expensive

Out of vinyl, compact discs, and cassette tapes, vinyl is the most expensive format. Of course it depends on the title. I've seen some rare CDs that are going for hundreds of dollars. But I've seen rare vinyl going for thousands.

New vinyl goes for $30-$50+ while new CDs go for around $15-$20. For the sake of my wallet, I'm focusing on CDs and tapes from now on.

Vinyl is Big

It takes up a lot of space and it's heavy. I can store 50-60 vinyl record albums in an IKEA Kallax shelf cube. But I can fit 120+ CD album jewel cases in the same space. By collecting CDs and tapes I can essentially double the amount of music I can store in my limited space.

Vinyl is Great and I'll Miss It

Despite all of this, it's difficult to give it up. I love each physical format for its unique quirks. Vinyl provides a delightful, intentional listening experience. Digging crates, and spinning and flipping records is something I will miss. But CDs have always been my favorite physical format for music and it just makes sense for me to focus on that again.

And so I've been sending vinyl mailers to my vinyl streaming friends on Twitch. I've also been taking stacks of 20 records at a time to trade in for store credit at my favorite record store and taking home twice as many CDs. It'll take a while to get rid of them, but I think it's a move that makes sense for me.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 104) #retro #physicalMedia #music #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/i-dont-collect-vinyl-records-anymore Sun, 16 Nov 2025 01:11:17 +0000 I'm Thankful for my Clarinet https://dallincrump.com/im-thankful-for-my-clarinet?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ It's a Thanksgiving miracle! I wasn't expecting my clarinet to be repaired for at least another week or so, but I got a text from the shop late in the afternoon today that it was ready to be picked up. !--more-- A loose key mount has been fixed, several key pads and corks have been replaced, and it's been oiled inside and out. When I got it home I played (fumbled my way through) some scales and an etude, and I felt that old but familiar joy that comes from playing a musical instrument. I'm hoping to be consistent in practicing every day and get my "chops" back so that I can audition for our community orchestra or band. The timing couldn't have been better. On the eve of Thanksgiving, I have been reminded how thankful I am for music and for musical talents. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/im-thankful-for-my-clarinet"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 58) #music #hobbies]]>

It's a Thanksgiving miracle! I wasn't expecting my clarinet to be repaired for at least another week or so, but I got a text from the shop late in the afternoon today that it was ready to be picked up.

A loose key mount has been fixed, several key pads and corks have been replaced, and it's been oiled inside and out. When I got it home I played (fumbled my way through) some scales and an etude, and I felt that old but familiar joy that comes from playing a musical instrument.

I'm hoping to be consistent in practicing every day and get my “chops” back so that I can audition for our community orchestra or band.

The timing couldn't have been better. On the eve of Thanksgiving, I have been reminded how thankful I am for music and for musical talents.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 58) #music #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/im-thankful-for-my-clarinet Thu, 24 Nov 2022 01:38:08 +0000 My Old Laptop is Great https://dallincrump.com/my-old-laptop-is-great?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[I've written several posts about how I acquired and got my current laptop working - a Dell Latitude E7470. It's several years old, but it's been running like a champ and has come into my possession at the perfect time, given my current hobby project. !--more-- I started a Mastodon instance this past weekend (ZCMI.social) and I've been on it pretty much non-stop since then when I'm not working. The past several days I've used my laptop for such tasks as: Register and configure the domain Set up and configure the admin email for the server Set up and configure Mastodon Start a Patreon Use GIMP to design a logo Use a shared Google Doc to collaborate with others on developing community standards Set up a companion website where the community standards and other info will be available Use Discord to collaborate with others on the project and mentor a few who are interested in joining the server in a "closed beta" Research all the questions I related to being a Mastodon admin Play some Minecraft to take a break Sure, I could have used my desktop, but then I'd have been stuck at the desk I sit at all day for work. It's been nice to sit at the dining room table or in the living room or on the futon in my home office while I'm doing all this Mastodon stuff. Also, Pop!_OS has been a dream to use. It looks and runs great on this hardware and I'm very pleased with it. Now with all the typing and writing I'm doing, I wish I had a phone with a physical keyboard... a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/my-old-laptop-is-great"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 57) #tech #hobbies]]> I've written several posts about how I acquired and got my current laptop working – a Dell Latitude E7470. It's several years old, but it's been running like a champ and has come into my possession at the perfect time, given my current hobby project.

I started a Mastodon instance this past weekend (ZCMI.social) and I've been on it pretty much non-stop since then when I'm not working.

The past several days I've used my laptop for such tasks as:

  • Register and configure the domain
  • Set up and configure the admin email for the server
  • Set up and configure Mastodon
  • Start a Patreon
  • Use GIMP to design a logo
  • Use a shared Google Doc to collaborate with others on developing community standards
  • Set up a companion website where the community standards and other info will be available
  • Use Discord to collaborate with others on the project and mentor a few who are interested in joining the server in a “closed beta”
  • Research all the questions I related to being a Mastodon admin
  • Play some Minecraft to take a break

Sure, I could have used my desktop, but then I'd have been stuck at the desk I sit at all day for work. It's been nice to sit at the dining room table or in the living room or on the futon in my home office while I'm doing all this Mastodon stuff.

Also, Pop!_OS has been a dream to use. It looks and runs great on this hardware and I'm very pleased with it.

Now with all the typing and writing I'm doing, I wish I had a phone with a physical keyboard...

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 57) #tech #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/my-old-laptop-is-great Wed, 23 Nov 2022 01:36:48 +0000 New Mastodon Instance Challenges https://dallincrump.com/new-mastodon-instance-challenges?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Getting a new shared Mastodon instance going is a lot of work! I've put in a lot of hours the past couple days on getting ZCMI.social off the ground. It's not just the technical side of things with domain, hosting, and administration - there is a lot more to it. !--more-- We've got to figure out what kind of community we want to create and then develop server rules, standards, etc. to help us get there. We've got to figure out how to fund the venture as a community, because as it grows more money will be necessary to keep the lights on. In addition to hosting a server, we've got to get a companion website going, as that's the easiest way to keep all of our info in one place and help people learn more about what we're doing. We also need to help and mentor people joining our server who are completely new to Mastodon and the Fediverse, let alone our instance! If they're familiar with other social networks, they will find some things familiar and other things completely foreign and not intuitive. With all of this, patience is key. I've felt a little overwhelmed at times, but most of the time I've just been eager and excited to learn new things and get all of this working. Whether this project ends in a month or continues for years, I'm glad I finally worked up the motivation to try. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/new-mastodon-instance-challenges"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 56) #tech #SocialMedia #hobbies]]> Getting a new shared Mastodon instance going is a lot of work! I've put in a lot of hours the past couple days on getting ZCMI.social off the ground. It's not just the technical side of things with domain, hosting, and administration – there is a lot more to it.

We've got to figure out what kind of community we want to create and then develop server rules, standards, etc. to help us get there. We've got to figure out how to fund the venture as a community, because as it grows more money will be necessary to keep the lights on.

In addition to hosting a server, we've got to get a companion website going, as that's the easiest way to keep all of our info in one place and help people learn more about what we're doing.

We also need to help and mentor people joining our server who are completely new to Mastodon and the Fediverse, let alone our instance! If they're familiar with other social networks, they will find some things familiar and other things completely foreign and not intuitive.

With all of this, patience is key. I've felt a little overwhelmed at times, but most of the time I've just been eager and excited to learn new things and get all of this working.

Whether this project ends in a month or continues for years, I'm glad I finally worked up the motivation to try.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 56) #tech #SocialMedia #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/new-mastodon-instance-challenges Tue, 22 Nov 2022 02:19:50 +0000 New Laptop Sticker: Andor https://dallincrump.com/new-laptop-sticker-andor?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ My new Andor sticker arrived and it looks great on my laptop! !--more-- It's been a long time since I have been really excited about new TV shows, and this year there have been three that I have thoroughly enjoyed: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Captain Pike may very well be my favorite Star Trek captain now) Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (a solid 8 out of 10 for this non-die-hard LOTR fan) Andor (my favorite of the three and my favorite Star Wars production ever) I'll write another post about Andor once the series is through, but suffice it to say, I have enjoyed every moment of it and couldn't resist getting the sticker when I saw it. There is still room for more stickers! I better get looking. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/new-laptop-sticker-andor"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 53) #tech #hobbies #TV]]>

My new Andor sticker arrived and it looks great on my laptop!

It's been a long time since I have been really excited about new TV shows, and this year there have been three that I have thoroughly enjoyed:

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Captain Pike may very well be my favorite Star Trek captain now)
  • Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (a solid 8 out of 10 for this non-die-hard LOTR fan)
  • Andor (my favorite of the three and my favorite Star Wars production ever)

I'll write another post about Andor once the series is through, but suffice it to say, I have enjoyed every moment of it and couldn't resist getting the sticker when I saw it.

There is still room for more stickers! I better get looking.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 53) #tech #hobbies #TV

]]> https://dallincrump.com/new-laptop-sticker-andor Sat, 19 Nov 2022 02:12:01 +0000 Nice to Have a Laptop Again https://dallincrump.com/nice-to-have-a-laptop-again?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ The battery cable I ordered arrived today. I installed the battery without too much hassle and now I have a 100% working Dell Latitude E7470 laptop for a total cost of ~$250!!--more-- I also received the Fosstodon sticker I ordered, which was just as exciting! I think it looks great alongside the Pop!OS and System76 stickers. More stickers are on the way, but I won't spoil the surprise. I plan to eventually cover that lid! I have a work-issued laptop and I use it for personal web browsing sometimes, but I don't have any apps installed on it besides those required to do my job. Now that I have my own laptop again, it will be nice to have access to all of the software I want to use on the go. I also plan to run Linux exclusively on my laptop. I'm enjoying Pop!OS at the moment. I may do some distro hopping - I always like to change things up. But unless there is a truly urgent need, I won't be installing Windows on this machine. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/nice-to-have-a-laptop-again"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 52) #tech #hobbies]]>

The battery cable I ordered arrived today. I installed the battery without too much hassle and now I have a 100% working Dell Latitude E7470 laptop for a total cost of ~$250!

I also received the Fosstodon sticker I ordered, which was just as exciting! I think it looks great alongside the Pop!_OS and System76 stickers. More stickers are on the way, but I won't spoil the surprise. I plan to eventually cover that lid!

I have a work-issued laptop and I use it for personal web browsing sometimes, but I don't have any apps installed on it besides those required to do my job. Now that I have my own laptop again, it will be nice to have access to all of the software I want to use on the go.

I also plan to run Linux exclusively on my laptop. I'm enjoying Pop!_OS at the moment. I may do some distro hopping – I always like to change things up. But unless there is a truly urgent need, I won't be installing Windows on this machine.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 52) #tech #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/nice-to-have-a-laptop-again Thu, 17 Nov 2022 20:53:51 +0000 Laptop, Then What? https://dallincrump.com/laptop-then-what?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[I've been thinking about what tech-related upgrade I'll focus on after I get my laptop fully working (still waiting on one more part). !--more-- With any luck, I should get several good years out of the laptop. Between the laptop running Linux (Pop!_OS) and my desktop running Windows 10 (currently being used mostly as a HTPC), I have all of my PC bases covered. I would love for my my next focus to be switching from an iPhone to Android, but every time I consider that I come to the conclusion that it would make my life more difficult, not easier. For example, my immediate family as well as my parents and siblings all use iPhones. Besides actual phone calls, iMessage and FaceTime are the easiest ways to keep in contact with them. Me suddenly not wanting to use these convenient, seamless services anymore is, frankly, not a good enough reason to force everyone else to switch to less-convenient (and inferior) alternatives for the privilege of communicating with me. I'm stuck with an iPhone for the foreseeable future. I've been thinking about getting some decent recording equipment. Since I'm trying to get back into playing the clarinet, I thought it might be nice to try to record some songs or maybe get really adventurous and dub multiple parts. I also want to find a small, but nice quality piano keyboard that I can put on my desk in front of my laptop so I can just play whatever and maybe also record some stuff. I'm leaning towards the piano keyboard at the moment. We do have a nice Yamaha downstairs, but my son plays that most of the time and I want something more convenient. a href="https://remark.as/p/dallincrump.com/laptop-then-what"Discuss.../a --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 48) #tech #hobbies]]> I've been thinking about what tech-related upgrade I'll focus on after I get my laptop fully working (still waiting on one more part).

With any luck, I should get several good years out of the laptop. Between the laptop running Linux (Pop!_OS) and my desktop running Windows 10 (currently being used mostly as a HTPC), I have all of my PC bases covered.

I would love for my my next focus to be switching from an iPhone to Android, but every time I consider that I come to the conclusion that it would make my life more difficult, not easier. For example, my immediate family as well as my parents and siblings all use iPhones. Besides actual phone calls, iMessage and FaceTime are the easiest ways to keep in contact with them. Me suddenly not wanting to use these convenient, seamless services anymore is, frankly, not a good enough reason to force everyone else to switch to less-convenient (and inferior) alternatives for the privilege of communicating with me. I'm stuck with an iPhone for the foreseeable future.

I've been thinking about getting some decent recording equipment. Since I'm trying to get back into playing the clarinet, I thought it might be nice to try to record some songs or maybe get really adventurous and dub multiple parts.

I also want to find a small, but nice quality piano keyboard that I can put on my desk in front of my laptop so I can just play whatever and maybe also record some stuff.

I'm leaning towards the piano keyboard at the moment. We do have a nice Yamaha downstairs, but my son plays that most of the time and I want something more convenient.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 48) #tech #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/laptop-then-what Mon, 14 Nov 2022 02:35:53 +0000 Laptop Project Status https://dallincrump.com/laptop-project-status?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[The battery I ordered for my Dell Latitude 7470 laptop arrived today. However, it didn't come with the cable needed to connect it to the motherboard. So I still can't use my laptop as an actual laptop until I get that cable. I ordered one and it should arrive next week. !--more-- In the meantime, I've put some Pop!_OS and System76 stickers on the lid and I ordered a few other stickers to put on it, and there are still a couple more I want to get. I'm probably going overboard with the stickers, but this is the first laptop I've ever put stickers on, so I'm going to make it count. I won't spoil it - I'll share a photo once all the stickers are on there. In the meantime I'm getting accustomed to using my desktop as a HTPC and it's working pretty well. I've got my music and video libraries on there, now I need to get some retro video game emulators installed. --- 100DaysToOffload (No. 47) #tech #hobbies]]> The battery I ordered for my Dell Latitude 7470 laptop arrived today. However, it didn't come with the cable needed to connect it to the motherboard. So I still can't use my laptop as an actual laptop until I get that cable. I ordered one and it should arrive next week.

In the meantime, I've put some Pop!_OS and System76 stickers on the lid and I ordered a few other stickers to put on it, and there are still a couple more I want to get. I'm probably going overboard with the stickers, but this is the first laptop I've ever put stickers on, so I'm going to make it count. I won't spoil it – I'll share a photo once all the stickers are on there.

In the meantime I'm getting accustomed to using my desktop as a HTPC and it's working pretty well. I've got my music and video libraries on there, now I need to get some retro video game emulators installed.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 47) #tech #hobbies

]]> https://dallincrump.com/laptop-project-status Sat, 12 Nov 2022 22:12:06 +0000