Add DJ page, do some cleanup

journal/index.mdwn

@@ -1,17 +1,7 @@
-Title: Going Brown
+Title: Journal
+--------------------
 
-This is a journal--not a blog--initially about our effort to stop
-generating so much trash.
 
-In 2011 it's trendy to talk about "going green" for the benefit of the
+June 27: We've evacuated our house and are staying with my parents.
-earth, but anyone who's bothered to step outside has surely noticed that
+News we're getting doesn't make it sound promising for the town.  I'll
-earth is actually brown.  Hopefully, as we compost more and throw away
+keep this page updated for those who care.
-less, we'll be making more earth and less landfill.  We're going brown,
-then, so that is the name of this journal.
-
-This journal has no comments, although you are free to [email
-us](mailto:neale-aim-journal@woozle.org) or talk to us in person about
-anything you've read here.  Entries are in chronological order, just
-like a book or a diary.
-
-* [January 2011](2011-01.html)

mdwntohtml

@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ while IFS=: read field value; do
     esac
 done
 
-m4 | markdown | m4 -DTITLE="$title" $1 -
+markdown | m4 -DTITLE="$title" $1 -

papers/digimatrix.mdwn

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 Title: Debian on Digimatrix
 
-Caution: this is what I was running in 2004. Nowadays we just use
+Caution: this is what I was running in 2004. We've since given up
-MythTV. Some of this stuff (like the X configuration) still applies,
+altogether on broadcast television. Some of this stuff (like the X
-though, which is why I'm leaving the page up.
+configuration) still applies, though, which is why I'm leaving the
+page up.
 
 Introduction
 ------------

papers/dj.mdwn

@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+Title: Dirtbags DJ Setup
+
+I DJ sound for [Dirtbags Capture The Flag](http://dirtbags.net/ctf/),
+Roller Derby bouts for the [Los Alamos Derby
+Dames](http://www.laderbydames.com/), and occasional parties.  All of
+these have pretty similar requirements: music from a PC, maybe some DJ
+mixing, and at least one microphone for announcing.  Derby is slightly
+different because spaces can be larger and the announcer will want a
+wireless mic.
+
+
+My Recommendation
+-----------------
+
+This would cost about $650 in October 2011.
+
+If I had it to do all over, and was unable to find a deeply-discounted
+package deal again, here's what I'd buy:
+
+* 2× Harbinger APS15 -- 15" powered speakers
+* 2× speaker stands
+* 1× Alesis MultiMix 4 USB -- USB + 4-channel audio mixer
+* 1× Nady DKW-DUO -- wireless cardioid microphone pair
+* Cables:
+  * 2× 30' ¼ balanced -- mixer to speakers
+  * 1× 6' ¼" unbalanced -- mic base to mixer
+  * 1× 3' ⅛" stereo to ¼" unbalanced -- laptop/MP3 player to mixer
+
+This will give you a nice clean USB audio out from your laptop, with two mic inputs and
+a spare (analog) stereo in for an MP3 player like an iPod or Android
+device: you wouldn't even need anyone to stand by the rig if you're
+okay with a straight up playlist.  This mixer will also allow you to do some
+basic digital recording, if you want (I do).  It's rumored to have
+noise problems with the headphone out: my guess is ground loop
+problems in some people's setups.  Use a laptop with a two-pronged AC
+adapter and you should be fine.  In any case, if you use Mixxx, you're
+not going to want to use the mixer's headphone out anyway.
+
+You don't get any digital effects in the mixer with this setup.  I'm not
+convinced you really need them.
+
+If you want do to some live DJ control, you can use the laptop's
+built-in headphone jack and a USB mouse for about $40 (I think the
+Sennheiser HD202 headphones are an excellent value). You could add
+something like a Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2 if you'd rather have
+hardware than a mouse. The Hercules RMX looks nice, with more buttons,
+a metal body, and a mic in, but at about $250 I can't recommend it
+over $160 for both the MP3 e2 *and* the more-versatile 4-channel USB
+mixer.
+
+
+What I actually have
+--------------------
+
+This cost about $600 in July 2011.
+
+When I bought my setup, Musician's Friend had a package deal of
+speakers, stands, mics, mixer, and cables, at $40 less than the two
+speakers alone.  So I bought it.  
+
+* 2× Harbinger APS15 -- 15" powered speakers
+* 2× Speaker Stands
+* 1× Soundcraft Notepad 124FX -- 12-channel mixer with effects
+* 2× Audio-Technica M4000S -- Wired cardiod microphone
+* 1× Nady DKW-DUO -- Wireless cardiod microphone pair
+* 1× SYBA SD-CM-UAUD -- El Cheapo USB Audio adapter
+* 1× Sennheiser HD202 -- headphones
+* Cables etc.:
+  * 2× 30' XLR -- mics to mixer
+  * 1× 3' ¼" unbalanced -- wireless mic base to mixer
+  * 2× 6' ⅛" stereo to unbalanced ¼" -- laptop/MP3 player to mixer
+  * 2× 30' ¼" balanced -- mixer to speakers
+  * 1× Laptop backpack from college
+  * 1× Roll of gaffer tape
+
+
+APS15 Review
+------------
+
+The reviews I read on the APS15 speakers were mixed, with half saying
+"they're just fine" and the other half complaining about hum, uneven
+frequency response, etc.  I'm in the "just fine" camp, and will go on
+the record stating that for a beginning club DJ, which is what I do
+with Derby and CTF, the TH-15A is not twice as good as the APS15.
+
+The speakers do hum, but it doesn't get louder as I increase volume,
+and I can't hear it once I start playing music.  They're a little
+muddy, and the EQ doesn't do much.  They don't stack, even though they
+look like they were designed to.  Carrying them is difficult, with
+only one handle on the side.
+
+On the plus side, each speaker has two ¼" inputs (probably
+unbalanced), three XLR inputs, stereo RCA inputs (presumably to hook
+up an MP3 or CD player directly), and a moderately effective 5-channel
+graphic equalizer.  This versatility makes it easy to use these
+speakers without a mixer: something, it turns out, I want to do from
+time to time for practices, parades, etc.
+
+These speakers can't be beat for the DJ on a budget.
+
+
+Soundcraft Notepad 124FX Review
+-------------------------------
+
+I'm very happy with this mixer.
+
+This 12-channel (4 mono, 4 stereo) Mixer is nice and compact, smaller
+than the 8-channel Mackie ProFX8 I use at work.  It does *not* have
+USB audio, but it's very quiet and I can't see this making any
+difference for CTFs, clubs, or Derby's big echo-y gymnasiums.  It has
+more effects than the Mackie: I plan to use number 31 (delay) for the
+announcer's mic.
+
+I've used this mixer to bring in two DJs, two mics, my 2-channel
+wireless mic system, and an MP3 player, and I still had ports left to
+bring in another mic/guitar and another MP3 player *and* a recording
+device, as well as an unused recording output and monitor outs.
+
+Behringer is now making a "Xenyx 1202" which appears to be the exact
+same mixer as the Notepad series in every way but color.  I had read
+that Behringer's business model is based on copying the successful
+designs of other manufacturers, and this appears to be the case.
+Having never used a Behringer mixer and having owned many "clone PCs"
+in the 1980s and 1990s, I don't feel qualified to comment on the Xenyx
+series.
+
+
+Other equipment
+---------------
+
+For $60 more I bought a Nady 2-channel wireless mic system.  Then, $14
+for four 9v low self-discharge NiMH batteries for them.  They work just
+fine, but the plastic body will probably crack if anybody drops one.
+
+I'm driving the entire thing with [Mixxx](http://www.mixxx.com/) through
+a $10 USB Audio device, with a ⅛-inch stereo to two ¼-inch unbalanced
+cable.  This is definitely the most sneer-inducing piece of the entire
+setup, but after working with analog audio equipment in the 90s I feel
+confident that this device is generating much less noise than the mics.
+
+Aside from the speakers, all this gear fits into a medium-sized book
+backpack.
+
+
+Software
+--------
+
+I run Arch Linux on a Samsung NC10, my only computer.  My DJ software
+is Mixxx.  My system is very stripped down: aside from xdm (asleep),
+X, dwm, mixxx, udev, runit, a couple of gettys, and
+[xss](http://woozle.org/~neale/src/xss.html), (which sleeps until X
+tells it to engage), nothing is going on.  I do not run any of the
+things that come with a stock Ubuntu or Gnome2 setup, such as gvfsd,
+cups, dbus, or pulseaudio.
+
+I'm able to run Mixxx with a netbook (1024×600) theme and scrolling
+waveform display.  Audio is smooth.  I suspect, but don't care enough
+to verify, that a netbook with a full Gnome2 setup would struggle to
+keep up.  In particular, I would look first at gvfsd and pulseaudio as
+a source of latency.  Even though pulseaudio is a tremendous
+improvement over esd, it's still an additional layer between mixxx and
+the sound driver; and I have seen gvfs lose its mind and busy loop,
+chewing 100% CPU, many times.

papers/index.mdwn

@@ -4,16 +4,10 @@ These are papers I have written. Most of them were written to explain a
 concept to someone on woozle.  Hopefully other people will find them
 useful, too.
 
+* [Dirtbags DJ Setup](dj.html)
 * [How to make the game of Monopoly suck less](monopoly.html)
 * [Reply-To Munging Still Considered Harmful](reply-to-still-harmful.html)
 * [Converting .docx files to text using unzip and sed](docx.html)
 * [Introduction to TCP Sockets](sockets.html)
 * [3-Minute HTML Tutorial](html-tutorial.html)
 * [How DNS Works](DNS.html)
-
----
-
-The rest of these are old, and probably irrelevant, but I'm keeping them
-here on the off chance that someone still needs the information.
-
-* [Debian on the Digimatrix (2004)](digimatrix.html)

src/pysieved.mdwn

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 Title: pysieved: Python Managesieve Server
 
 pysieved is a GPL managesieve server.  It is now hosted on gitorious, at
-<http://www.gitorious.net/pysieved/pages/Home>
+<http://www.gitorious.net/pysieved/pages/Home>.

src/ubk/parts.sh

@@ -2,13 +2,15 @@
 
 GIT_DIR=$HOME/projects/ubk; export GIT_DIR
 
+echo "<ul>"
 git ls-tree HEAD | while read mode type sum fn; do 
     case $fn in
 	*.ps)
 	    base=${fn%.ps}
 	    desc=$(git cat-file blob $sum | sed -n 's/^%.*Description: //p')
-	    test -n "$desc" || desc=$base
+	    [ -z "$desc" ] && desc="$base"
-	    echo "* [${desc:$base}](${base}.pdf)"
+	    echo "<li><a href="$base.pdf">${desc:-$base}</a></li>"
 	    ;; 
     esac
-done
+done
+echo "</ul>"