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Matching entries from Ye Olde Rad Blog II
Radified Moving to a Virtual Private Server (VPS)?
You might recall when we were booted off our server .. for using excessive resources (CPU/memory). Banished .. to the bad-boy "stabilization" server. Unfortunately, we're still there. (Lunarpages is my web host.)Since then, I've been working to lower our resource...
Six Apart Releases Movable Type Open Source! (v4.1) Woohoo!
Now that the forum-update (to YaBB 2.2) is complete (first things first), my attention turns to Ye Olde Rad Blog .. for which I've used Movable Type (since 2003), and been waiting patiently for the release of v4.1. (Cuz it...
Upgraded Rad Community Forums to YaBB v2.2 (Sorta)
Finished upgrading the forums last night. Did not go as smoothly as I'd hoped. Seems we lost about half our members (1100 to start) and ~25K posts (33K to start).This sux. Now you know why I dread upgrades. Yeah, I...
Photos of Newport Back Bay
Have a special treat for you today. Took my digital camera along for a walk at the Back Bay (Newport Beach) .. shortly before sunset.This is where I took the Bug for his birthday last week (where we threw rocks...
Preparing to Upgrade the Rad Community Forums to YaBB v2.2
I'm preparing to upgrade the Rad Community Forums to YaBB 2.2, which was released November 8th (allowing time for them to correct any glitches discovered since the new release).We currently use YaBB 2.1, which was released more than 2 years...
Movable Type v4.1 vs Expression Engine v1.6
I've been looking into installing the latest version of MovableType (blogging software) .. which happens to be v4.1 .. which is currently in beta3, which was released 2 days ago.The main reason I'm waiting for v4.1 is cuz (copy-n-paste from...
Obama Wins Iowa Caucus
Obama won the Iowa caucus .. by a surprising margin. Can't help but recall the dream I had.Kinda weird .. if you consider *when* I had that dream (more than a year ago) .. and what was going on, politically,...
Still Reading Andy Budd's CSS Mastery Book
I'm still reading CSS Mastery. (Finished another chapter today.) Easy to see why everybody raves about it, and why it still sells so well, despite being 2 years old (an eternity in the tech world).Andy Budd takes you straight to...
Text-to-Speech Programs Software + AT&T Natural Voices
Quiet Christmas here in Radland .. with the Bug gone for the holidays. I miss the little guy. Come to think of it, I've never yet seen him on Christmas. There's something I can look forward to. Maybe next...
Learning About Web Hex HTML Color Schemes on the Winter Solstice
Winter solstice yesterday. Shortest day of the year (for those of us living in the northern hemisphere). The word solstice comes from a latin term » solstitium, meaning sun stoppage. Extra cool with a full moon tonight.The exact time (when...
Restored First Norton Ghost 12 Hard Drive Back-up Image (Recovery Point)
16.December.2007 » Restored my first Ghost 12 image today. (It worked!) You might recall the problems I've been having with the DC input jack on my laptop.Went to dinner last night and caught a movie. When I returned, the...
Andy Budd's Book: CSS Mastery
Still reading CSS Mastery. Very rich. It's much smaller (thinner) than the Head First book on XHTML+CSS I read earlier this year (only 250 pages vs 650), yet reads more slowly, because it contains much food-for-thought (regarding styling techniques).On nearly...
Visitation with Young Children: Can't See Them vs Don't Want to
One of the most subtly-gnawing things I've had to deal with—as a part time dad—is the notion that the Bug (until recently) did not understand the difference between:I can't see him. I don't want to see him. I mean, if...
Andy Budd's CSS Mastery Book Really That Good? Initial Impressions + Web 2.0
Back in August, when I was researching the best book to learn CSS, I was suspicious of all the glowing comments at Amazon.com for CSS Mastery.I mean, they sounded too good to be true. I'm especially suspicious of reviewers who...
Matto's Mantra & Downloading Free Books from Wowio
Back when I was living in Pennsylvania, a friend there (Michael Matto) was fond of saying » "You'll be the same person 5 years from now except for: 1. the books you read, and 2. the people you meet." Along these lines, I stumbled upon a new site yesterday called » Wowio, which offers free books (for download, PDF format). I was skeptical at first, but it actually seems legit. You have to register (via valid email addy), and you can only download 3 books/day (enough for even the most voracious reader).
Continuing to Enhance Web Master Skill Set (XHTML, CSS, Dreamweaver)
Learning lots about (X)HTML, CSS. & Dreamweaver. For example, I finished reading the Head First book (cover-to-cover, all 650 pages). Currently half-way thru the Lynda.com Essential training video for Dreamweaver CS3 (Creative Suite 3). Also reading the Missing Manual on Dreaweaver (~1,000 pages), which goes into more detail than the video. All great stuff. Was surprised to read over at Coding Horror that the average programmer reads less than 1 (technical) book per year.
Laptop DC Input Power Jack Loose
The DC Iinput power jack on my laptop is loose. I've tripped over the cord once too often. I'm actually surprised it has lasted this long, considering how many times I've (accidentally) yanked it out. It hasn't become a major problem yet, as power is easily restored with a quick jiggle or slight adjustment. But a few more well-placed yanks could render it useless. (If I can't get power to the laptop, it becomes a hi-tech doorstop .. soon as the battery dies.)
Started Reading New Book » Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual
Started reading a new book .. on Dreamweaver (compliments of Poncho) titled » Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual (released June, 2007). Weighing in at 1,000 pages, this is the fattest book I've ever sat down with. So far, I'm very impressed. Even the first (introductory) chapters contain many insightful tips about real world usage (my favorite kind).
Southern California is Burning » Fires Rage out of Control
Southern California is burning. A dozen different fires rage out of control. Even here near the coast, the smell of smoke is strong, leaving both eyes and sinuses irritated, and making it hard to sleep. White flakes of ash litter the ground. A fine film of black dust/dirt covers surfaces near all cracked windows. The moon appeared orange last night, like a pumpkin.
Feeling Gratitude Amid Trying Circumstances
Feeling a profound sense of gratitude, which is surprising, considering the challenges befallen me recently .. such as the tweaked neck and what-not. I don't understand it myself. Perhaps I'm in denial. Or maybe I sense (intuitively) some good news about to arrive from the cosmos. (Wishful thinking?) The neck is still sore/stiff, but it's the least of my worries right now. And besides, there's nothing I can do to make it heal any faster, other than rest. (Tomorrow will be two weeks since I went sailing over then handlebars and landed on my head.)
5 Reasons Why You Should Back-up Your Hard Drive with a Cloning Program such as Norton Ghost
So how do you protect yourself against hard drive failure? There are various ways, with each method offering a degree of protection. But the *best* way to protect your data and your operating system is with an imaging/cloning program .. such as Norton Ghost (distributed by Symantec). An imaging/cloning program is like an insurance policy » hopefully you never have to use it. But if you do, you're glad you have it. One dead drive is all it takes to make a believer out of most people. Smart people learn from the mistakes of others.
What Drove McCandless "Into the Wild"? » A Film by Sean Penn, based on the book by Jon Krakauer
As with Krakauer (and countless others), the story of Chris McCandless struck a cord in me. I have the book here in my hand. The cover says: In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possesions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter...
First-ever Mountain Bike Ride during Heat Wave Impairs Cognitive Function
At the coffee shop yesterday, I let my rock-climbing buddy (Tom) talk me into a mountain bike ride (my first ever). Unfortunately, yesterday brought a record-breaking heat wave. It was sooo freakin' hot. Tom estimated 105 degrees on the trails where no breeze blew. We didn't get started until after noon, finishing 3 hours later » smack dab in the heat of the day. (We stopped to fix his broken chain, then later, my flat tire.) This was the most physically stressed I've ever been. I actually noticed myself suffering impaired cognitive functions. For example, while Tom was fixing my flat, he told me to drink more water. So I walked over to *his* bike and picked it up, thinking it was my own.
Best Book for Learning Cascading Style Sheets » CSS Mastery by Andy Budd
With my current book (on XHTML/CSS) coming to a close, I've been cresearching books that deal solely with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) ... .. to determine which one might represent the next step in upgrading my web meister skill set. Here's what I found. Let's begin with end. The best book (for me) would be » CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions .. by Andy Budd (from Brighton, England. His blog is » here.). Sample chapter posted » here (600-KB, 20-page PDF dealing with Layout).
Download Classic Books (for Free) from PlanetPDF + Military-style Mass-Innoculations
Link worth bookmarking » PlantetPDF. Contains 7 pages worth of links to books (all free) .. with authors such as Dickens, Homer & Dostoevsky, and titles like Dracula &
I've never seen those skulls before. Now I see them twice in the same day .. from two seemingly unrelated sources. What are the odds of that? Small, I assure you. Very small. What might it mean? I have no idea. Why would he put that picture on his web site? On the main page, no less?
These weird coincidences don't occur all the time. But when they do (like now), they tend to come clumped together in bunches. I seem notice them most when I'm in love, tho (unfortunately) I'm not in love right now. I have no answers .. only observations and questions. .. when in walks Jarrod (a regular there, who teaches Criminal Justice at one of the local universities).
On our table he laid a copy of today's Los Angeles Times, and points to an article titled (big letters) » War protest in O.C. ends in 6 arrests. (Front page of the California section - Part B. Yeah, he was one of the 6.) No romance in this flick. Not a single kiss. I applaud the filmmakers for not trying to make their film all things to all people.
My favorite shot .. comes early on .. camera slowly zooms in .. .. over reporter's left shoulder, who poses a question. Increasingly the scene becomes muted, dark, shadowy .. until they show only a guy's eye (his right eye), which consumes most of the screen. The man sitting across from the reporter then says, "Okay, turn off the recorder." [Cut to next scene]. Far from being coddled, Nuclear officers were taken to task and held responsible.
Do you recall the fiasco at Abu Ghraib prison? .. the one where the officers in charge claimed ignorance? before fingering the enlisted folk? That would've never happened under Rickover's watch. He would've had their officer nuts hanging in his office by sunset.
Nobody told Rickover, "Sir, I uh, didn't know that was going on ..." .. uh, not if they wanted to keep their jobs. In Rickover's Navy, not knowing about something (ignorance) is *worse* than condoning it. Played Rad-dad the last few days. This was the first time I changed *no* poopy diapers. Woohoo! All poopies went in the toilet. (A beautiful thing.) Let the celebration begin.
He seems to enjoy this new activity. "Dada, come look," I hear him call from the bathroom. Eyes gleaming with pride. High-fives ensue. Quickly tho, he dismisses me with a wave » "Dada go away." (Plea for privacy.) Sometimes he even slides shut the door behind me. While researching what books might help, two stood out:
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, by Eric & Liz Freeman, Dec 2005, 694 pgs
HTML, XHTML, and CSS, 6th Ed, by Liz Castro (Barcelona), Aug 2006, 456 pgs
The Head First book has an Amazon.com Sales Rank of 1154 (at time of this writing, rankings fluctuate constantly). The Castro book comes in slightly higher at 1110. Both are Amazon BestSellers. Tore apart the car » no diaper anywhere. Not good. So I say (after cleaning him up), "You gotta go pee here in the toilet." And he does an amazing job, if ya know what I mean. Better than I could ever have hoped for.
So we're high-fiving there in the bathroom. "You so totally rock, dude!" (I've begun patterning my style of praise, you might've noticed, off Crush, the 150-year-old turtle featured in Finding Nemo, who the bug digs). Been upgrading my web master skills recently, to include proficiency with HTML, XHTML, CSS & Dreamweaver. I'd also like to become familiar with JavaScript, PHP & SQL-based databases, such as MySQL.
Like most people, I learn best by doing .. by having a project to which I can apply my new skills.
I'm finding these newfangled XHTML/CSS pages significantly more complicated to work with than the old (simple) HTML ones I used with the original Rad Ghost guide. Father's day. Not so happy, tho. Was kinda hoping the bug's mom would offer me the day with him.
But when she came to get him Friday, it didn't happen. Things between us lately haven't been exactly a day at the beach (or a walk in the park). So, can't say I'm completely surprised, tho really thought she'd come through in the clutch. Installed Norton Ghost 12 last night, and (successfully!) created my first Windows-based back-up image (which Symantec terms a Recovery Point).
Six Apart (6A) has released version 4.0 (beta) of its Movable Type blogging software, with a final Open Source version scheduled for release this summer. Sweet!
There will also be a separate commercial version (with tech support) released along with the eagerly-awaited open source version.
The big question on everyone's mind seems to be > "Will an open source version allow Movable Type to make up ground it lost to WordPress (very popular open source blogging software) following 6A's decision to license v3.x?" Last week, I parked the Rad-mobile (aka Porsche-bago) under a tree that's flowering & dripping sap. So I decided to hose it off.
Unfortunately I sprayed too much water on the engine (which sits in the rear, on a 911, with vents for the A/C cooler). It wouldn't start. A big part of Indulging Your Technolust involves learning how to use cool software. Once you have your hardware dialed in, and your system backed up (crucial step), it's time to become proficient with your favorite programs.
After you install WAMP (running as localhost) you'll notice in phpMyAdmin (where you set up your MySQL databases) a warning that says you have no root password, saying this is not secure and should be corrected soon as possible. Test of the new Rad server. If you can read this, you're getting the *new* server. Could be my imagination, but this one feels a little zippier. No?
The new Rad server is a Dell PowerEdge 2650 (PDF), sporting dual-Xeons @ 2.8 GHz, with 6 gigs memory & SCSI RAID disk storage, running... The site move to a new, updated server (mentioned yesterday) involves a new name server (they say), which means the site might (not sure yet, I asked) be unavailable for a period of time following the move.
Okay, they said the new name server *will* need to propagate, which means the site will be unavailable for 24-72 hours, depending > this stuff. (The Rad server is physically located downtown Los Angeles.) Stayed up late ('til 1AM) and installed Drupal last night. (Eyes are burning.) The word installation is deceptive, cuz Drupal really installs itself.
Simply upload the files to your server, point your browser to the directory where you uploaded Drupal (in this case, to newly created subdomain > http://cms.radified.com), and a screen pops up, asking for 3 bits of information: Been learning more about Drupal, Joomla and Content Management Systems in general (CMS).
Also been updating the comparison I documented last week (as I continue to learn more) > Comparing Joomla vs Drupal Content Management Systems (CMS). This entry is continued from Part I > Comparing Joomla vs Drupal Content Management Systems - Part I
You can actually TEST various CMS'es at > OpenSourceCMS, log in (as administrator) and take them for a test drive. Every two hours, the site wipes your changes and starts everything over from scratch. Pretty cool. You can also demo Joomla! here. World's 2nd largest PC manufacturer, Dell computer, will be offering its PCs (both desktops & laptops) with the Linux operating system.
They've partnered with (London-based) Canonical (founded by South African Mark Shuttleworth) to offer the Ubuntu distro. Back when I first launched Radified (summer of 2000), I purchased a web-hosting account that provided 350-MB storage space .. for $32/month (less discount, if you paid a year in advance).
Today, I received a note from the girls at Lunarpages, saying they raised the amount of disk storage for clients enrolled in their Basic hosting plan .. to (an incredible) 350-GB (still $6.95/month). Test of Lightbox2 Image Overlay JavaScript (by Lokesh Dhakar, from Boston).
Click the thumbnail image (of the Newport Back Bay) to your right, and a larger version *should* pop-up .. in a cool-looking overlay, with the rest of the page assuming a smoked-glass appearance. Thinking of splitting-out site content pertaining to my experiences as a dad .. to a NEW site, such as raddad.com (oops, that domain name already taken) .. or rad-dad.com (uh, that one is also taken).
Anyway, I'll find some new domain that will work. (Cost ~$10/yr, and I already have tons of content I could transfer.) Regulars might recall a dream I had last year, in November (the 14th, to be precise) .. which said .. well, here are my exact words:
Had a dream last night that Barack Obama was on the verge of becoming the first black president (way ahead in the polls), but was assassinated right before the election (similar to what happened with RFK). The dream seemed real. Would be weird if it came true. Test of Google's AJAX Search API, which lets you insert Google elements into your web pages (using JavaScript code). Pretty cool.
You first have to sign up for a license key. (Google gives you a big, long key, ~100 characters.) Been dinking around with my new installation of Movable Type (v3.35), configuring both the display page (the part you see) and the admin interface (where I compose entries). First post with v3.35 of Movable Type blogging software (uh, I mean, publishing platform) .. which represents the latest release from Six Apart (on 12.april, see here).
My old blog (v2.63) is still > HERE (same place it's been last 4 years). I installed that version in May 2003, and never upgraded (didn't wanna do anything that might risk losing hundreds of posts) .. until now. Synchronicity, Coincidence & the Sedlec Ossuary
Jarrod Arrested for Protesting the Iraq War
Bourne Ultimatum | Rad Film Review
U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School | An Inside Look - Part II
Musings on Being a Part-time Dad & Milestones in Potty-Training
Best Books for Learning the Basics of Web Site Design (XHTML + CSS)
Potty Training Commences!
Upgrading Web Master Skills | New Technologies Presenting Challenges
Father's Day 2007 | Not So Happy, Could Be Worse
Installed Norton Ghost 12 & Created Back-up Image, called a Recovery Point
Six Apart Releases Version 4.0 (beta) of its Movable Type Blogging Software
Rad-mobile Won't Start Wet | Changing Spark Plugs on a Porsche 911 Carrera
Proficiency with Software & Setting Root Password for MySQL Database in phpMyAdmin under WAMP5
Site Move to New Upgraded Web Server Complete
Moving Site to New Upgraded Web Server
Installing Drupal 5.1 Content Management System (CMS)
Further Research of CMS Programs Suggests Drupal Better Option
Comparing Drupal vs Joomla Content Management Systems - Part II
Dell Computer Selects Ubuntu for its PCs Pre-installed with Linux
Lunarpages Web Hosting Increases Storage to 350-GB
Lightbox2 Image Overlay (JavaScript)
Comparing Joomla vs Drupal Content Management Systems - Part I/II
Disturbing Dream: Barack Obama Assassinated
Using Google's AJAX Search API
Dialing In Movable Type blogging software
First Post with Movable Type v3.35
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