ipod transfers between libraries

several macs, several itunes libraries, some ipods. once in a while, it is simpler to copy a tune off of my ipod than to rsync from my main music repository. here is what i do.

• get at the ipod filesystem one way or another. eg:

  $ df
  ...
  /dev/disk1s1               2028600  2021400     7200   100%    /Volumes/MAXI
  

• copy content to someplace else:

  $ cp -rp /Volumes/MAXI/iPod_Control/Music ~/ipod
  

• fix content cleverly marked with the "invisible" attribute

  $ cd ~/ipod
  $ ls
  F00     F01     F02
  $ /Developer/Tools/GetFileInfo -a F00
  aVbstclinmedz
  # V for invisible on
  $ /Developer/Tools/SetFile
  Usage: SetFile [option...] file...
  -a attributes     # attributes (lowercase = 0, uppercase = 1)*
  -c creator        # file creator
  -d date           # creation date (mm/dd/[yy]yy [hh:mm[:ss] [AM | PM]])*
  -m date           # modification date (mm/dd/[yy]yy [hh:mm[:ss] [AM | PM]])*
  -P                # perform action on symlink instead of following it
  -t type           # file type
  
  Note: The following attributes may be used with the -a option:
       A   Alias file
       B   Bundle
       C   Custom icon*
       D   Desktop*
       E   Hidden extension*
       I   Inited*
       M   Shared (can run multiple times)
       N   No INIT resources
       L   Locked
       S   System (name locked)
       T   Stationery
       V   Invisible*
       Z   Busy*
       ...
  
  $ /Developer/Tools/SetFile -a v F00
  $ /Developer/Tools/GetFileInfo -a F00
  avbstclinmedz
  $ cd F00
  $ /Developer/Tools/SetFile -a v *
  ...
  

• incorporate now visible music into laptop itunes library.

[it may be simpler use a bit of python to read the mp3 tags, construct the artist/album/track.mp3 hierarchy and copy..]

library thing...

librarything: best thing that ever happened to my library...

intelligent design, science education and public reason

a disqueting white paper: intelligent design, science education and public reason by robert a crouch, richard b. miller and lisa h. sideris, poynter center for the study of ethics and american institutions, indiana university. [sep 06]

we believe that the recent attempts to discredit evolutionary theory and to insinuate intelligent design into public school science curricula is no less than an assault on the dictates of public reason and dispassionate inquiry and their valued and well-earned place, not only in educational institutions but in political culture and public policy more generally. While intelligent design may soon vanish from debates within state legislatures and local school boards across the country, the pernicious effects of the more general attack on the value of reason in public will, we believe, linger.

two haikus

autumn light
flickering with leaves -
train dreaming.

red traffic light -
a flock of sparrows
twirl and pass.

[oz/2006]

getting it down and done...

i have now been back in the IT space for nearly two months. with an enormous number of projects and issues on the go, i find that i really, really need a good tool that is a cross between an outliner, database, notebook/blog and a task list manager. several useful to good ones are mac-only, look really pretty and come with a sheepish "export" function [eg. devonthink, mori, omnioutliner, notetaker, lifebalance, et al]. alas, not good enough: i spend a large part of my time on linux and bsd desktops, and part of the time all i have on me is a palm.

wishful thinking: run everywhere, sync across, suck less.

[sure i know about the hipster pda. i do use moleskine notebooks on matters that have no immediate impact on my professional productivity...]

underbrained reader

sony's new portable reader system can (for now) only support (unsecured) BBeB Book, adobe® pdf, txt, and of course, as a survival necessity: rtf and microsoft® word.

no mention of odf.

sigh. books with chains or basic txt. i guess i can wait until someone less toady to drm gets this right.