Two questions: animals and computers

Factual Questions
1

Hey, I’ve got two problems to solve and since the best way to do research is go to the person who already knows, I’m asking you:

  1. I’m in the US, considering a long-term job in Scotland. How do my wife and I take the cats? Last I heard there’s a six-month quarrantine on domestic pets, which is out of the question.

  2. I’m also looking for a music-composition program that will:[ul]allow me to input from either the qwertyboard or a piano keyboard;
    allow me to write up to three tracks;
    play any combination of the tracks while I brilliantly think up the next track;
    allow me to cut-and-paste measures or phrases;
    transpose what it’s told to;
    print the finished music.[/ul]
    I don’t need something that will score a movie, or arrange for an entire orchestra. Just three lines will be fine.

So what should I buy?

2

Can’t help on #2, but Google knows all about #1. “UK pets quarantine”.

You’re currently in the U.S., right? The UK has something called the PETS pet travel scheme, which lightens the requirements for quarantine. Unfortunately, it doesn’t apply to the U.S.

So, here’s their page of quarantine procedures and instructions.

It’s not like you just get off the plane and hand Kitty over to some faceless airport worker. You have to make a ton of arrangements ahead of time, all by yourself, for an officially licensed person to meet you at the airport and take charge of Kitty, and transport her to a licensed quarantine facility (which are all privately-owned, for-profit), and you have to arrange for the quarantine facility ahead of time, like a hotel reservation.

None of this comes cheap.

Me, I’d leave the cat with friends in the U.S. How long are you going to be gone?

3

Thanks, DDG

I’m afraid that just leaving the Cattle with friends won’t work. I’m thinking that this job would pretty much last until forced retirement, 20 or so years hence. Nope, sending the Cattle to six months of durance vile would be a dealbreaker. Too bad, it’s a sweet job.

Thanks again.

4

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/MC/MC02.html

5

So Jim, have you used this? It really will let me noodle around with tunes at my desk, up to three tracks? Will it take input from the qwertyboard?

6

Piece of advice: You have two completely unrelated questions, so you should have started two separate threads. No, wait, don’t go re-start the threads now, not without a moderator’s permission, at least. But for future reference, you’ll get better responses next time that way.

7

Chronos, I’ve found the responses to be adequate and I appreciate all of them. I decided against making multiple threads due to the number that already exist. I still like that decision after I weighed the inconvenience to my friends versus the inefficiency of my method.

But hey, thanks.

8

No Raven, not personally. A friend of mine has it. I think it will exceed your needs, but can not say for certain.

Look around on their website a bit more.

The original link I gave you was for their “junior” product, about $40 (U.S.).

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/HS/HS02.html is their more robust version, about $140.

These are not the only two available, just the ones I personally know about.

Try a Google search on “home studio software” or something like that.

9

The kitty quarantine isn’t solitary confinement, you can still visit them. Conjugal visits are, however, frowned upon.

10

Ravendriver, I’ve had good experience recently with PrintMusic by coda - the folks that do Finale. It runs on Mac & PC and fits all your requirements.

11

Not to pound on you too much, ravendriver, but it’s not entirely just to help you get better answers to your questions. When you start a thread that contains multiple subjects, your subject line is necessarily vague. You end up getting people clicking on the thread who think it is “Two questions about animals & computers”, and this could use up as much effort on the board as two separate threads.

But at least you asked clear questions. And you’re getting good answers, I won’t add anything more.