Converting an LP to MP3 Files

The original title of this entry was, "Converting an LP (Long Play Vinyl Records) to MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) Files" but it was a little long.

At the end of dance practice last week, someone asked the Mac computer users in the group if they knew of a way to transfer LPs to CDs.

Thought I’d share on my blog what I do with my old 33-1/3 & 45 rpm records. I’ve also transferred reel-to-reel and cassette tapes to MP3s the same way.

One of the gals mentioned she has a Crosley LP to CD player. She said she is not happy with the quality of the recordings. We have a Crosley, too. We also have an old-fashion turntable. The Crosley LP to CD player will let you play your LP and assign tracks where the gaps in the songs appear. I haven't tried it myself but my husband has done it.

Instead of using the built-in CD burner on the Crosley, I attach a Sony Digital Voice Recorder ICD-UX70, using RCA connectors to mini headphone jack, in the “audio out” plugs in the back. Actually you could do this with any turntable connected to any receiver with an “audio out.”

It doesn't matter if you're Mac or PC user, the Sony IC voice recorder creates a MP3 file. It connects to your computer via USB. You do not need additional software.

No matter which approach you use, mentioned above, one must be nearby to either assign tracks on the Crosley or turn the Sony IC voice recorder on/off. Note, there are converters out there that will record an entire LP and assign individual tracks without having to stop after each track and start again.

I import the mp3 files into iTunes. If you’re a Mac user, you might want to use Garageband (free on most Macs) for sound editing. You can clean up the beginning and end of the songs. Chances are there will be a slight pop when you turn the recorder on and off.

One of my friends thought it was crazy to transfer LPs over to CD. It might be, if you didn’t take good care of your LPs and they snap, crackle, and pop. However, if you’ve taken good care of your LPs and have the time, transfer them to CD yourself.

Rosy the Riveter = Strong Women

Recently my friend started a group on FB for women helping women get fit. She posted a picture of Rosy the Riveter. I love what Rosy represents.

My Dad's companion and I would chuckle whenever my Dad would comment about "strong women." He'd use that phrase when talking about some of the women at his church or even women in our family. I'd have to pause and think, well, I think of myself as a strong woman, what is he saying? (In fact, his companion was a strong woman.) So, while it may be sexist when a 90-year-old man says it, I'm proud to be a “strong woman.”

Recently the phrase "strong women" came up in an article I'm reading in a magazine. I thought of my Dad. Then last night the phrase came up again on one of my television shows. Hmm, what message are they sending? The character was speaking up about her beliefs.

My mother had a book, Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin ©1963. I haven't read it yet. It's on my bookshelf for that day I want to delve into what my mother went through in the 60s.

Check out the book When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins ©2009, to see how far we’ve come.

I have strong feelings (ooh, that word “strong” again) about women who go to college, get a degree, join the work force, and then they quit their jobs to have babies and raise a family. I want women to stay in the workforce.

My husband’s son, currently living in Germany, sent an article a few days ago. It’s from the New York Times, The Female Factor: In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise.

I’ve been a casualty of the economic downturn. I’m not alone; however, I have a husband to help support me. Many of my single gal pals, in the same situation, don’t pity me. I know I’m blessed. I want to get back in the work force. The only thing holding me back is my attitude about long commutes that keep me away from my life at de la Osa street.

Simple Gifts

One of the joys of TiVo is one can record a television program and watch it later (in bits and pieces). I’ve been watching, Live from Lincoln Center New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve: Hampson, Gershwin, Copland & Broadway.

The show opened with Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Watching it in bits and pieces means I get the song in sections. I can’t get the song, also known as a Shaker song, Simple Gifts, out of my head.

I see myself as a giver. There are two kinds of people—givers and takers. As a giver, I have to be careful that I don’t have expectations of other people. I liken it to unconditional love. Both one has to work on it every day.

In 2009, I spent time reconnecting with old and making new friends. I was also reaching out and helping people. It feels good to help others, especially when they acknowledge it. That’s the giver in me.

Recently, my cousin started a blog posting one photo each day. I love seeing what’s going on in her life through the eye of a lens--365 days of the year.

I’ve been thinking. Perhaps I could devote myself to giving to someone else once a week. There’s only 52 weeks in a year. I have to consciously think about who that someone will be. Before, my giving was random and sometimes out of control.

Recently I have been stressed. I’m not just saying that, it has manifested itself in health issues. While I give to others, I will also work on taking care of myself. It’s amazing how great I feel when I stop and take a deep breath or two.

Photo of sandhill cranes flying in at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, taken on January 3, 2010.

Giving Blood--The Gift of Life.

At the end of 1999, just after the holidays, a few of my coworkers and I donated blood at a Red Cross blood drive in our building. I received a notice in the mail a few weeks later. I learned that the Red Cross “discarded the unit” I donated. A letter explaining the reason said that it had the “Antibodies to Hepatitis B virus (anti-HCV, EIA).”

I called my doctor with the news and got tested immediately. My tests came back and I did not have Hepatitis B. It was explained to me that at some time in my life I had been exposed to Hepatitis B; most likely it was passed along to me from my mother in the womb.

I started researching this topic online and I stumbled upon the Holt International website, which had a page dedicated to Koreans and Hepatitis B. Apparently exposure to the virus was not uncommon among Koreans. Holt was the agency my parents had used to adopt me from Il San, South Korea.

During my research, I also discovered that Holt had a Voluntary Adoption Registry (VAR). If both the adoptee and biological parents register they would be notified. I registered. To this day, nothing has ever come of my search.

Not knowing my biological history has never been an issue for me. But, I do wonder if I have siblings out there, perhaps here in America or in South Korea. When I hear stories of adopted siblings discovering each other, I wonder if I were to pursue my search further what would I find?

During my search for my biological parents, I discovered a newfound appreciation for what my parents went through to adopt me. With three boys between the ages of five and ten, they wanted a girl and not any girl. I didn't know it then but I was truly blessed.

A quote I learned early in my youth still resonates for me today, “Some kids are expected, some are selected.”