Herculean (stupid) efforts

[Martin]

I had an epiphany the other day: I want to get rid of all my CDs. I only play mp3s on my laptop these days, or vinyl on my turntables. As soon as I get a new CD (less frequent with each year), I convert it to mp3 and put it on the shelf, where it gathers dust and takes up valuable space in this already cramped apartment. So I decided to take all of them off the shelves, throw them in a box, and put them in the attic. (I know the second-hand value are slim to none, and the collector in me wants to keep them - for sentimental reasons, if nothing else.)

I also decided that I would convert all of the CDs to mp3s before tucking them away. I decided that I would even re-rip several of the ones I already have ripped, in a very organized manner, to ensure maximum quality.

It sounded like a great idea at the time. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm surrounded by stacks and stacks of records, the process of ripping and tagging is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated... but I can't quit now that I've started (thanks, OCD!). In anything, I'm starting to obsess about it.

Anyone else had a great idea lately, that turned out to be much more grueling than you predicted?

[emdasher]

Getting a job after graduating in May.

[yesno]

I ripped my thousands of CDs in 2003-2005.  I wish I had done it at a higher bitrate.  CDDB did a good job, though, of auto-tagging.  Plus tag-rearranging scripts.

Stupid efforts include organizing meetings and speakers for student groups that ultimately no one cares about.

Also law school. 

Life.

[cutout]

I ripped everything and sold the hard copies about two years ago. Have not regretted it one bit.

[John Junk 2.0]

I'm an American artist, so by nature almost everything I do is a quixotic, self-defeating, and impractical ordeal.

[Martin]

I ripped my thousands of CDs in 2003-2005.  I wish I had done it at a higher bitrate.  CDDB did a good job, though, of auto-tagging.  Plus tag-rearranging scripts.

Yeah, I rip with Foobar + lame + freedb scripts at ~256kb (which I think is good enough), so it's pretty automated.

(PS: yesno, I just realized where your avatar is from - love it!)

[jbissell]

Getting a job after graduating in May 2006.

[erika]

Mustering the willpower to lose 15 goddamn pounds. (Yes I know that's a whiny one... but I just can't seem to do it)

[yesno]

I file formal complaints with the FCC over unsolicited calls and with the FTC and state commissions over deceptive-looking junk mail.  It's useless and half the time I know the companies involved have some legal fig leaf.  But I want them to have to respond to my shit and eat up their resources.

[chrisfoll577]

Taking the commuter rail to work for a year and a half while I saved up to buy my first car cash and carry.  The savings on interest and satisfaction in not buying into the credit trap probably weren't worth the lost time or frustration.

[Spoony]

I stopped trying to find the right place to eat lunch in the area where I work. I was looking for some magical combination of frugality and nutrition, but when I'm spending a half hour on a concourse trying to find a vegetarian lunch for less then $10, I have to throw in the towel and eat at Subway again.

It's starting to get comments around the office.

[tenspeed]

(PS: yesno, I just realized where your avatar is from - love it!)

Where is it from?

I can only imagine it as Mr. Weatherbee's twin beatnik brother.  That no good hippie.

[yesno]

Where is it from?

America's foremost editorial cartoonist, Kelly.

[<<<<<]

I'm an American artist, so by nature almost everything I do is a quixotic, self-defeating, and impractical ordeal.

I can definitely relate to this.

[Spoony]

Where is it from?

America's foremost editorial cartoonist, Kelly.

The only cartoonist out there that knows that USA is #1.