how to split a tar (linux)
This is a computer nerdy thing, but every now and again you will have to archive some files. Most people use ZIP because that is baked into Windows and most Linux distributions. In Linux specifically, TAR a.k.a. "tarball" is better because it has way more options compared to ZIP...
...except the option to split into multiple files during archive creation. Not easily, anyway. However, with a very simple one-liner Terminal command, TAR can be used with split to do on-the-fly tarball files that split as the archive is being created.
Why split?
If you have ever had a very large file botch during a transfer to a USB stick or external hard drive, then you know why. But in case you haven't, I'll spell out the scenario for you.
Even with all the lovely colossal cheap storage available these days (have you seen the 12TB, 18TB and 20TB hard drives?), a legitimate problem is that if you've got this giant whopper of a file, it can get corrupted while sending it over the wire, over the air or direct-to-stick just because of how big it is.
Why does this happen? The simple answer is that the bigger the file, the more "opportunities" it has to botch during transfer in several places. It could be a RAM issue, local drive issue, external drive issue, network interference, whatever. Instead of trying to figure out where the problem is taking place, it's just easier to split the file to decrease the likelihood of a botched transfer.
Split a TAR as it's being created
tar -cvf - bigfile.ext | split -b 4092M - archive.tar.part
The above splits a TAR into 4GB pieces as it's being created, each ending with the .part extension followed by two letters, such as archive.tar.partaa, archive.tar.partab, archive.tar.partac, and so on.
If you have a bunch of files in one folder, use this instead:
tar -cvf - /path/to/folder/ | split -b 4092M - archive.tar.part
Split a TAR as it's being created with GZIP compression (slower to create)
tar -cvzf - bigfile.ext | split -b 4092M - archive.tar.gz.part
Split a TAR as it's being created with XZ compression (much better compression, but very slow to create)
tar -cvJf - bigfile.ext | split -b 4092M - archive.tar.xz.part
Yes, the J is case sensitive. A small j would result in bzip2 compression instead, which is nowhere near as good as XZ.
Split a TAR as it's being created with ZST compression (fast and good compression)
tar --zstd -cvf - bigfile.ext | split -b 4092M - archive.tar.zst.part
If you're going to use compression, I highly recommend using ZST just so you're not waiting around forever for the process to complete. ZST almost always outperforms GZIP for compression and is much, much faster than XZ.
Combine split pieces
To extract the split TAR, you have to combine the pieces first.
cat archive.tar.part* > archive.tar
If you used a different extension like .tar.gz or .tar.zst, use that instead for both archive.tar.part and archive.tar.
Extract afterward with:
tar -xvf archive.tar
or...
Combine split pieces and extract as a one-liner
cat archive.tar.part* | tar -xvf -
Yes, the hyphen at the end needs to be there. Don't forget that part.
And that's it.
easy remedies for tooth pain - going flavorless and technique
If you have tooth pain every time you brush or floss and there is not any immediate dental work you need, it's bad brushing technique and the wrong toothpaste and floss that's the problem. Probably.
I have had a lot of dental work done over the years. Crowns, root canals (yes, plural), fillings, and so on. But even with all that work done and not needing any more for the time being, I would still sometimes feel pain during brushing and flossing. This was annoying, so I had to figure out what to do about it.
The first thing I discovered is that I was brushing the wrong way. The proper way is called the Bass Brushing Technique or just Bass Method, named after Dr. Bass. I use a version of it called the Modified Bass Brushing Technique. There are plenty of videos online that show you how it's done, and are easily found from a quick search.
Brushing the right way helped a lot, but then I discovered a few more things that helped out even more.
Toothbrushes get dull quickly, so what I do is purposely buy multi-packs of toothbrushes and change over to a new one every first of the month. The only type of bristle firmness I will buy is soft and soft only. There is absolutely no need to buy a toothbrush with firm bristles. Consider it the same as if you were polishing a wooden table. You wouldn't polish a wooden table with steel wool, would you? Of course not. Similarly, brushing teeth with a firm bristle isn't doing you any favors. Soft is always the correct choice, provided the toothbrush isn't old.
While true my toothbrushes look stupid because of that multicolored crap, I don't care because they're always available and cheap, and I can use a new one every month.
Is it overkill to use a new toothbrush every month? Maybe. I could probably get at least 3 months out of a brush, but it's easier for me to remember, "On the first of the month, switch brush", so that's what I do.
Before I talk about toothpaste, I'll cover floss next.
Flossing used to make my teeth hurt. I wasn't getting bad pain, but rather an annoying type. I best describe the pain as dulling/chilling whenever I flossed.
It was the flavoring that was the problem. When I went 100% unflavored, the pain from flossing disappeared quickly.
At first, I used Oral B Glide Original. Do not be surprised if you cannot find this where you buy floss, because for whatever reason, it is tough to come by. You might have to order it online, and yes, it's worth it.
I purposely used this because it is the gentlest floss there is. Why? It's a wider tape type instead of the typical thinner stuff. Very smooth and easy to use. The best part is "Original" means "unflavored". No minty crap. Good. If that Oral B Glide floss does not say Original, it has mint. Look specifically for Original.
After some time using Glide Original, I said okay, let's go back to the thinner waxed. The Glide works great, but traditional waxed floss has more texture and cleans between the teeth better.
Reach Unflavored is definitely the best regular waxed floss IF YOU CAN FIND IT. Yes, it has the same availability issue the Glide Original does. But at least there is also generic unflavored waxed floss. Kroger has their version as you can see in the photo above. It doesn't say unflavored on the container, but it is unflavored. "Blue" = "Unflavored" and "Green" = "Mint". I avoid the green and use the blue. Is it as good as Reach? No, but at least it's available and gets the job done.
Now let's talk about toothpaste.
I don't use toothpaste. I use baking soda. But before you run out and get some, hang on, hang on... it's not for everybody.
Unflavored toothpaste exists at varying price points. Try one of those first.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, and since sodium is in the name, yes, it has a slightly salty flavor to it. Some hate that taste, but I don't because I'm used to it. Technically, this means it's not flavorless, but at the same time it's not artificially flavored.
I do not brush with baking soda every day since it is an abrasive, and if used too much it can damage enamel. I only use it twice a week at most. The rest of the time I brush with just water.
How does one use baking soda as a toothpaste? You put a spoonful of it in one hand, use your other hand to hold your toothbrush, wet the brush, dip bristles in baking soda, and start brushing. Brush (with proper technique) until you feel you're done and that's it. Rinse mouth with water afterward.
Do I use mouthwash? No, because what's available in the store is all artificially flavored. But I should note that unflavored mouthwash also exists.
If I have some food particles really stuck in my teeth that I need cleared out even after flossing, I will swish with hydrogen peroxide.
And before you go and do that, some info:
On some bottles of hydrogen peroxide, it may note that it can be used for "oral debridement". That's a polite way of saying it can dislodge food particles from your teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide obviously doesn't have any flavor, but three things will happen after swishing it and spitting it out.
First is "electric tongue" where your tongue feels tingly and probably not in a way you will like at all. This is temporary, and takes a minute before your tongue starts feeling normal again.
Second, some of your tongue and some of your gums will turn stark white. You will be freaked out when you see this. Again, it's temporary and the normal color will come back in a minute or so.
Third, a not-so good taste left behind. It's not absolutely awful, but not pleasant either.
It's generally a good idea that after you swish and spit out hydrogen peroxide, wait a minute and then rinse again with water.
I should also note that if you've never swished hydrogen peroxide before after brushing and flossing and want to give it a go, you may feel tenderness for the first few times. This is normal. If it's a tenderness you don't like, use an unflavored mouthwash instead or just rinse with water.
Improving technique and going flavorless worked for me
I had dulling/chilling pains when brushing and flossing, but improving technique and ditching all the flavored crap got rid of all the pain. Yes, 100%.
No, this will not magically fix existing dental issues. But what it will do is make your annual cleaning at the dentist a lot shorter. I'm in and out of the dentist's chair in usually 5 minutes whenever I go for a cleaning.
When you go unflavored and brush and floss correctly, you'll be able to tell a lot better if you're actually cleaning your teeth or not since there isn't any flavor distraction. "Minty" does not mean "clean" and never did.
It's too bad Crest doesn't have an unflavored version of their toothpaste. They should. Call it Crest Unflavored and give it a distinctive minimalist solid color (no gradients) navy blue box with white Crest logo to really make it stick out. Same for the tube itself, except in reverse. White tube with navy blue Crest logo and all other text in the same color. That minimalism would be a nice attention-getter.
I'm absolutely certain if Crest Unflavored existed, people would buy it to get away from the minty crap. Until it does exist, there are other options as I noted above.
retro done right - cool retro term
Retro where computer stuff is concerned is usually not something I'm into. If the whatever-it-is can't serve any useful purpose, be it software or hardware, I just don't see the point.
Every so often, I find something that has all the cool retro nostalgia and can actually be used for real computery things. This is one of them.
The above is this web site using the text-based w3m web browser within Cool Retro Term. This is software that emulates both the look and feel of old CRT monitors.
And oh, is this thing good at what it does. Amber or green screen or whatever color you want, curvature of the tube glass, reflection, ambient lighting, jitter, static from wonky signal, bloom, scanlines, and so on. It is nuts how much this thing can be customized.
Get the look of a DEC terminal? Yes. Apple //? Yes. Commodore 64? Yes. Old CGA? Yes. Old MS-DOS? Yes. It's all there.
The big thing is that, at least in Linux, it's just another Terminal, albeit one with huge art value to it. This means anything done in Terminal can be done in Cool Retro Term. Not only does it look the retro part, it's 100% functional.
The only thing better than this is the real deal article. Given that I have no desire to actually own a DEC terminal, IBM 5151 display, Apple // or the like, Cool Retro Term gets the job done in fine style.
Cool Retro Term is not something I'd use every day, but whenever I want that old style CRT monitor look and still have full terminal functionality, I have it - without the need to switch computers. Nice.
squier bass out, yamaha trbx174ew in
Well, that didn't last long. I returned the Squier Precision Bass PJ because it had an unfixable problem. However, I should be very clear that it was only unfixable to that very specific bass and certainly not for all of them.
What I'm about to describe is actually something that can happen to any new bass. There are a few fixes you can try, and I'll talk about that, but if the fixes don't work, you have to get another bass.
The replacement bass is the Yamaha TRBX174EW.
The TRBX174EW comes in a bunch of different colors. Mine is in a finish called Natural. I call it Coffee Table.
This is actually the third time I've owned this bass. The first two times it was called the RBX170. I had a blue one first, then an EW (which means "Exotic Wood") second. Why is it the TRBX174 now? No idea. It's still the same bass as it ever was, and that's not a bad thing.
The problem with the Squier PJ was...
Overtone on the low-E.
An overtone is when two notes are heard on one string at the same time. Sometimes it happens when fretting above the 12th fret, while other times it happens only on the open note. Either way, it sounds awful and is a VERY annoying problem.
How to fix?
Fix #1: Lower the pickups.
If the string is too close to the pickup, overtones will happen. If the pickup is already as low as it can go, you can usually still go lower. On most basses, you can take out the pickup height adjustment screws, pull out the pickup and remove the springs underneath. And if that still doesn't get the pickup low enough, you can shave down the foam under the pickup, although that is a bit extreme. It should be easy enough to squash the foam once you screw back down the pickup without springs.
Fix #2: Change the strings.
New bass strings sometimes just come out bad. There may be a problem with the string core, or maybe something happened when the string got bent over the string saddle.
Fix #3: "Crack" the neck (bolt-on only)
With the bass tuned to pitch, slowly loosen each screw holding in the neck 1/8th of a turn. If you've never done this before, you'll hear small cracking noises as the wood settles. This is normal. After loosening each screw, tighten them down again, but obviously don't over-tighten.
Fix #4: Examine every single thing that could rattle and account for it.
On the headstock, check for anything loose when the bass is tuned to pitch. And I mean anything. Tuners, string guides, nut, truss rod adjustment point (if at the headstock), all of it.
At the string saddles, check they are touching properly, check for loose height adjustment grub screws (wrapping them in Teflon tape fixes that). If you think the intonation springs may be rattling oddly, tape them up. Also, detune the bass, loosen the screws for the whole bridge and then screw it in again.
Check volume and tone controls for loose nuts.
Check all electronics wires - especially for the ones close to the pickups. Tape down anything you can so wires can't vibrate against anything.
Check any control plate for loose screws.
I did all that stuff. It didn't work.
Changing strings was the first thing I did. After that, I went through the entire bass and did everything above I just said. No luck...
Maybe if it were a super expensive highfalutin bass, I'd send it to a luthier to track down what was causing the overtone on the low-E. The Squier was not an expensive bass, so I returned it.
Why I went Yamaha once again
Any Yamaha bass with RBX in its model name is good because it gets the job done and is thoughtfully built.
I'll explain what I mean by thoughtful.
The truss rod adjustment location is at the heel of the neck and is very accessible because it's an open slot. Look at the curve right before the 24th fret. That's the slot. The rod can be adjusted even when the bass is tuned to pitch. Nice and easy. No cover to remove. It doesn't get any easier.
Top horn of the TRBX174EW has the strap button ending directly over the 12th fret, which is exactly correct. No neck dive. Ever.
While this is a full 34" scale bass, the headstock is short and the bass fits in any gig bag. Very nice.
The P pickup does have the traditional mounting style with the bass side first (Ibanez flips theirs on the GSR200 with the treble side first). My fingers do prefer the traditional orientation. You might look at the Yamaha and think the P pickup is mounted much too far forward. That's an illusion. The 24-fret neck and the slot for the truss rod trick you into thinking the P position is further along the body than it actually is. I can assure you yes, it's in the correct spot.
Every RBX I've owned - and this one is no exception - has just the right amount of tension to the control knobs. I don't know how Yamaha does this on a bass this cheap, but they're masters at it. They just feel better to turn compared to other basses at this price point.
This is a bass with modern tone to it. No vintage Fender tones here. I'm okay with this...
...especially considering the TRBX174EW handles B-E-A-D tuning very well instead of the standard E-A-D-G. Maybe this is due to its 10" fingerboard radius or maybe a combination of things. Fender style basses fart out when you tune low, but not the Yamaha.
I'm not kidding when I say it totally works on the TRBX174EW.
And yeah, it could do vintage Fender tones well, but the Yamaha gets that modern punch that I like. I didn't realize this until I got another RBX.
Maybe it was destiny that led me to another Yamaha. I don't know. But I'm glad I got another one. That Squier just didn't want to work for me.
Also, I'll say again that it was the particular Squier bass I had that exhibited the overtone problem. Maybe another Squier would have worked out, but the Yamaha was there and I went with that instead. No regrets.
i bought a squier precision pj bass
I needed a bass guitar, and this one fit the bill, so I bought it.
Does this mean I got rid of a guitar to get it?
Yes.
I traded out the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazzmaster. All I have now are Stratocaster guitars and the bass, and I'm okay with that. The Jazzmaster just wasn't working for me. For a while I was all about that guitar, but with this fifth (yes, fifth) Jazzmaster, the magic just wasn't happening, so I let it go.
The bass I bought is Squier Affinity Precision Bass PJ. This is in fact my first P-bass, but not my first PJ.
Being I just talked about Squier Jazz Bass, why didn't I get that? A few reasons specific to me.
I love the look of the Squier CV '70s Jazz. That thing looks perfect - but - the Jazz Bass shape doesn't agree with me for seated play. It's because of the shorter bottom horn and the bottom upper curve moved back due to the body shape. I just don't prefer it.
Why didn't I just go for a Squier CV '70s Precision Bass then? No J pickup and only a P. That is of course traditional to the P-bass, but I need that modern PJ set to get the bass sound I like best.
What is a PJ bass?
Regardless of shape, it's a bass that has a split-coil Precision Bass style pickup and a Jazz Bass style straight pickup. It's called PJ and not JP because the front of the body is the neck side and the rear of the body is the bridge side, hence P first, J second.
To note, a P pickup is not a humbucker. It's a split-coil. True, it cancels hum just like a humbucker does because of that split, but neither coil runs the full length of all 4 strings.
Does this mean the J pickup has single-coil hum? Yes.
A PJ is where you get the best of all worlds where Fender style bass tone is concerned. You can run the P-pickup only to get that old school fuller sound, the J-pickup only to get that high midrange "honk", or both for a modern "punchy" sound. No fancy electronics are required. All that's needed are 3 knobs. P pickup volume, J pickup volume and master tone. Nothing else is needed. You get everything required to blend exactly the style of Fender bass tone you want.
In all honesty, most people would have no use for the J pickup and would be perfectly happy with a cheap-as-chips Squier Sonic Precision Bass. One P split-coil pickup (which, again, is hum-canceling), one volume, one tone. It doesn't get any easier than that.
However, I like that J pickup in the rear and it's useful to me for bass tone shaping. And it just so happens to be that the bass I bought is one of the lowest cost ways to get a PJ.
Is it the cheapest? No, there's one cheaper, the Jackson Spectra Bass JS2. The only reason I didn't go with that one is because of the body with its short bottom horn. I'm 100% certain that would be a nonissue for everybody else, but I notice stuff like that. That Jackson would be ideal for most people. It even has active pickups in it (and yes, it has a push/pull knob that bypasses the battery, so it isn't required to run a battery if you don't want to use it).
General overview for people stuff actually care about
The Squier Affinity Precision Bass PJ is light in weight, is easy to set up, is easy to play, has all the tone shaping you'd ever want out of a bass, and most importantly...
...it's a bass when you can just pick up and start playing. The only thing you'll have to do is minor setup. And that means adjusting the saddles, maybe a light adjustment of the truss rod and that's all. There's really not much else to do, if anything.
I needed a bass in my life
A bass is one of those on-again/off-again things where I have one, then I don't, then I do, then I don't, and so on.
Right now is a time in my life where yes, I feel I needed one in my life, so I have one. I parted with the Jazzmaster to get it, and that's okay.
One last note:
If you record at home, yes it's easy to use a keyboard to play your bass parts. But if you use a looper (which I do), it might be easier to just unplug the guitar, plug in the bass, record the bass part into your loop, then go back to guitar. Or record the bass first, then guitar.
Sometimes having a bass is the easier way to get bass parts recorded.