tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68277662011-04-21T18:41:31.437-07:00A Flimsy Pretextall about surfacesTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.comBlogger2871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-15892659723378984192007-03-01T18:17:00.000-08:002007-03-01T18:24:12.185-08:00surf reportSurfed today for the first time in a year (2 years?) -- a long time. And it showed. knee to waist-high windswell at 36th St. Occasional chest-high sets. A bit bumpy. And real cold. But good enough.It's not that I am in significantly worse shape than when I last surfed regularly. But there are just some muscles that only get worked out by surfing -- mainly in the upper back and back of theTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-29551508858815382932007-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:002007-02-21T09:28:25.454-08:00Grey's Economy: Mag CrewsAnother example of what gets hidden in GNP and other macroeconomic numbers:For Youths, a Grim Tour on Magazine Crews (nytimes.com)“The sales agents remain almost always in the red while the managers, car handlers and everyone else is in the black almost from the start,” Mr. Ward said between shifts at a restaurant in downtown Washington, where he now waits tables.Of the more than 400 sales agentsTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1161214445377057282006-10-18T16:30:00.000-07:002006-10-18T16:34:05.423-07:00santa ana windsSecond serious Santa Ana winds of the year. Last were early September. Perfect surfing weather. See below:Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1157822619469477432006-09-09T10:21:00.000-07:002006-09-09T10:23:39.490-07:00Evolution works and succeeds thanks to the principle of forward-bound complexity. Unfortunately, all we have in life is forward-bound uncertainty. And maybe a few children along the way.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1157214252009743942006-09-02T09:08:00.000-07:002006-09-02T09:24:12.480-07:00The Housing Neutron BombIn the ongoing bust or adjustment debate over the housing market, I sided with the busters. It was largely instinctive, based on what I sensed of the parallels between the NASDAQ bubble in the late 90s and the housing market more recently. Of course, there were and are plenty of economists and real estate agents out there promising a soft-landing. But then there were plenty of people willing Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1156835268798639022006-08-29T00:04:00.000-07:002006-08-29T00:30:24.980-07:00new masthead imageto be displayed frieze-style across the mastheadTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1156808414448190062006-08-28T16:38:00.000-07:002006-08-28T16:44:57.393-07:00the old templateTo go with the screenshot of this blog pre-transformation, the template:<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head><title><$BlogPageTitle$></title><$BlogMetaData$><style type="text/css">/*-----------------------------------------------Blank Blogger Template Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1156806711989302432006-08-28T16:04:00.000-07:002006-08-28T16:11:52.500-07:00the great reorganization beginsCould take an hour. Could take a week. It begins with a redesign using my Blogger Stack template as the foundation. Hopefully it won't take much more than an afternoon...For the record, here's a screenshot pre-transformation:Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1151427046406017342006-06-26T09:42:00.000-07:002006-06-27T09:54:39.263-07:00Monsoon and FleasFleas approaching infestation. Cats avoid the carpet as much as possible. They'll leap across the furniture to avoid touching it. It reminds me of that game hot lava we used to play as kids. I treated them with the flea killer you drop between the shoulder blades. And I'm vacuuming every other day and immediately changing the filter. But it looks like they'll just have to ride it out. The Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1150930242381974652006-06-21T15:48:00.000-07:002006-06-21T15:50:42.396-07:00Notes on the SolsticeI noticed this week the petals are starting to fall from the jacaranda trees. Seems later than usual but I really have no idea what usual is.Still phlegmatic and coughing -- weeks after my cold. Someone in the office drove himself to the ER today where they pronounced pnuemonia. I wonder if I have a really mild strain.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1150493793239617932006-06-16T14:35:00.000-07:002006-06-16T14:36:33.256-07:00Santa Ana Winds in June?That's what my dad just phoned to tell me. I can't confirm because I've been indoors all day, but it would be unseasonal.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1150132707829351062006-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:002006-06-12T10:18:27.866-07:00Book to ReadTHE PLACES IN BETWEENBy Rory Stewart.Illustrated. 299 pp. Harvest/Harcourt.Paper, $14.New York Times reviewTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1150130951716561062006-06-12T09:28:00.000-07:002006-06-12T09:49:12.243-07:00This is the saddest thing I've read in a long time:The Smugglers' DueI was introduced to Deng Chen through an attorney who had helped him with some legal matters. Her specialty is trafficking, and when I told her I was doing some research on human smuggling and its victims, she cautioned me to be careful about using the word "victim" and, more to the point, not to confuse trafficking, which Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1149182687818330902006-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:002006-06-01T10:24:47.833-07:00Recovered from ColdStill a bit phlegmatic, but as of last Saturday basically feeling back to normal. Never got too bad -- 1 or 2 uncomfortable nights at the beginning. Totally duration: 15 days. 15 days, really? Hmmm...Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1148690922940584092006-05-26T17:42:00.000-07:002006-05-26T17:48:42.956-07:00Young at Heart, Not in EarOne of those weeks:Sunday -- filing cracked and came out while chewing gumMonday -- birthdayWednesday -- car towedI know things could be worse, but my teeth and car are my greatest sources of anxiety. They're the things I always dream about breaking down on me at the worst time. And I always felt turning 34 was when I got old.Oh yeah, don't forget the cold. Day 15 -- still hacking and Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1148234280860676542006-05-21T10:54:00.000-07:002006-05-21T10:58:00.873-07:00Health NotesAftermath of cold still lingering. Took the afternoon off Monday. Have felt functional since then and increasingly better, but still a scratch in my throat and running sinuses.Filling fell out last night. Earlier in the week, I lost my nightguard in my sleep after dreaming that it was falling apart in my mouth and I was picking pieces out from between my teeth and pulling strands up out of my Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1147624839532079742006-05-14T09:24:00.000-07:002006-05-14T09:40:39.550-07:00First Cold of YearI was reflecting on Friday how I haven't missed a day of work since I left university over a year ago. The question was raised in my mind by the fact that I felt like I might have had that day a reasonable excuse for missing work, or would soon, as I was in the first day of a new cold.It started Thursday afternoon with the slightest itch in my throat. I noticed it around 3pm. I wonder now if Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1142795845040377572006-03-19T11:16:00.000-08:002006-03-19T11:17:25.050-08:00Gift Guide for KidsNeed to find a gift for a kid -- this is the site:Toys 'R Us Age Ranges [amazon.com]Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1141774093514852762006-03-07T15:24:00.000-08:002006-03-07T15:28:13.530-08:00To My DetractorsThe resumé is true:(My memory is fuzzy, but I assume the final exam was being able to print your name on the certificate.)Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1138040891412597672006-01-23T10:19:00.000-08:002006-01-23T10:28:11.426-08:00Laws of Online World DesignSorta interesting. Even more interesting is to read "people" for "players", "life" or "society" for "game", and make any other appropriate substitutions and see how well these translate. For instance:Hans Henrik Staerfeldt's Law of Player/Admin Relations The amount of whining players do is positively proportional to how much you pamper them. Many players whine if they see any kind of bonus in Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1136271285662341732006-01-02T22:48:00.000-08:002006-01-02T22:54:45.676-08:002006 New Year's ResolutionsFinally getting around to posting this. I don't think I posted one last year.Numbered as they come to me:1. Finish major project #1.2. Finish major project #2.3. Set up a Puppy Linux usb drive. (Did manage to get it running on my dad's computer yesterday.)4. Pay overdue patriot taxes.5. Get oil leak fixed. (I've tried!)6. Spend less time in front of computer (by Fall).7. Finish cat garden for Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1134586567734235382005-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:002006-01-02T23:16:32.480-08:00Letter to Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia's founder and Board of Trustees chairDear Mr. Wales,I've been reading a lot of attacks recently on the credibility and integrity of Wikipedia and its vetting process. As a recent grad student in English Lit and a past instructor of undergraduate composition classes, I have one idea that I think could both address this problem and help expand the Wikipedia's base of (potentially) well-informed and vigilant editors: start a program Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1131731645176814712005-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:002005-11-11T10:05:03.616-08:00Letter to NPRIn your story about the hostility Smithsonian staff scientist, Richard Sternberg, suffered for approving an article on intelligent design, Dr. Sternberg states, "Why publish it? Because evolutionary biologists are thinking about this. So I thought that by putting this on the table, there could be some reasoned discourse." This sounds like euphemism for "let's create a stir." He succeeded in that.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1130785017344638152005-10-31T09:24:00.000-08:002005-10-31T10:56:57.393-08:00HalloweenMan, Blacks is probably going to be great around noon.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1129335117250640082005-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:002005-10-14T17:11:57.256-07:00Another Incredible Day That's Not Coming BackI'm not sure the new Blogger photo feature help.On the philosophical side, I guess everyday ends up in the memory bin, however fantastic it may have been.D StreetTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1129271023047028982005-10-13T23:22:00.000-07:002005-10-13T23:23:43.053-07:00October WeatherMy god, the weather's been lovely this October. I even ate lunch in the park today, though I'd rather have been surfing Blacks.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1128960642879584902005-10-10T09:05:00.000-07:002005-10-10T09:10:42.886-07:00Today is a day I would much rather be surfing. (The first time I have said this in a long time.)WindanseaTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1128665587131945652005-10-06T23:06:00.000-07:002005-10-06T23:13:07.140-07:00Letter to Senator FeinsteinDear Senator Feinstein,I would feel forever vindicated for all the times I voted for you (even despite your voting record on digitial property rights issues) if, during the coming hearings on the President's Supreme Court nominee, you raised something like the following questions:1. Do you think the example of Portugal offers any lessons for lawmakers and law-interpreters addressing the issue of Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1128457153820677682005-10-04T13:17:00.000-07:002005-10-04T13:20:02.606-07:00Grey and Green GooI'm familiar with the name Ray Kurzweil thanks to some reading I've done on artificial intelligence. Provocative thread about him on slashdot yesterday. Found this buried in the comments:I'm a grey goo skeptic as well, but only because I think it is unlikely for practical reasons, not impossible for theoretical reasons. The comparison of Grey Goo with naturally evolved microbes ("Green Goo") Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1127636048386929022005-09-26T08:10:00.000-07:002005-09-25T01:14:08.393-07:00pre tag with word wrapTesting it out here:#profile-container {/* background:transparent url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders2/corners_prof_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; */ margin:0 0 15px; padding:0 0 10px;}#profile-container h2 {/* background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders2/corners_prof_top.gif") no-repeat left top; */ padding:10px 15px .2em; margin:0; border-width:0;}Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1127509583989601882005-09-23T14:03:00.000-07:002005-09-23T14:06:23.996-07:00mp3 in web pageA while ago I was looking for an answer to this question -- finally found it.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1127241297842872232005-09-20T11:32:00.000-07:002005-09-20T11:35:17.460-07:00Flash and BoomThunderstorms in Southern California last night like I haven't seen since I was in Florida. The last time I remember something like this happening out here was before the first day of classes of my junior or senior year of college. Which would have also made it September.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1126723227085433692005-09-14T11:39:00.000-07:002005-09-14T11:40:27.090-07:00John RobertsI like the way he answers questions -- I suspect he's the kind of pragmatic executive that stupid people thought they saw when they voted for Bush the first time. The consensus among NPR legal experts seems to be that his testimony thus far is a big disappointment for conservatives looking for an activist on their side of the bench. One reason to like him.Two question I wish a Democratic Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1126639082115147772005-09-13T12:15:00.000-07:002005-09-13T12:19:48.353-07:00Evolution of a Business CardStill like the first one best. (All the information on the last one is implicit in the first.)Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1125974536506392272005-09-05T19:39:00.000-07:002005-09-05T19:42:16.510-07:00DatabasesI'm a MySQL partisan, mostly because it's mostly free and easy to use with PHP. But this is a subject I'm thinking ever increasingly about. Some useful links I found browsing the slashdot comments:MySQL to PostGreSQL Migration GuideComparison of SQL ImplementationsTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1125153696042412712005-08-27T07:32:00.000-07:002005-08-27T07:51:27.373-07:00A Truly Centered Stylesheet?Could it really be? It appears so. It took me some time to get it horizontally centered, but it looks good in both IE6 and Firefox1.The code:<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"><html><head> <title>Vertically and Horizontally Centered CSS Page</title> <style type="text/css">/* test styling */div#content {border: 1px solid black;} /* just borders to see it */#body { background:#333Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1125122707887985842005-08-26T23:03:00.000-07:002005-08-26T23:07:25.983-07:00Javascript: Preload ImagesBased on Macromedia's js function, but rewritten for clarity. I would never actually use this, but since I took the time to clarify it:// JS: fx preload_images()function preload_images() { var doc = document; if ( doc.images ) { if ( !doc.IMGS ) { doc.IMGS = new Array(); var i; var IMGS_len = doc.IMGS.length; var IMGS_args = preload_images.arguments; for ( i=0; i < Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1124984704621744232005-08-25T08:44:00.000-07:002005-08-25T08:45:04.626-07:00Complete Penguin Classic LibraryI once had a dream of buying the complete Penguin Classic Library. That was back when I had time to read novels.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1124748217727194172005-08-22T15:02:00.000-07:002005-08-22T15:03:37.726-07:00Rare Personal NoteI had a soda pop with lunch today -- my first carbonated beverage (does Perrier count?) in probably near to two months. They were out of iced tea, I needed something sugary with caffeine, and it's too hot for coffee. Even iced coffee.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1124748114000996592005-08-22T14:56:00.000-07:002005-08-22T15:01:54.006-07:00RSS vs AtomExplained here by way of a Slashdot comment.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1124485222953228492005-08-19T13:59:00.000-07:002005-08-19T14:00:22.956-07:00Sample Atom FeedUseful to know when trying to automate syndication.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1124253596239301662005-08-16T21:28:00.000-07:002005-08-16T21:44:56.566-07:00FloatutorialSilly name, useful tutorial. An illustration:Left FloatRight FloatThis is an example of a three column block using left and right floats.The Code:<div id="containing_block" style="width:90%; margin:2em; padding:4px; background:white; border:1px solid gray;"><div style="float:left; width:33%; background:red;"><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="float:right; width:33%; background:blue;"><br /><br Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1123520961782614302005-08-09T10:08:00.000-07:002005-08-09T23:08:47.760-07:00Style Div: iPod screen.ipod { padding:1em; line-height:1.5em; background:#d2e2f2; color:#3c4782; font-family:Lucida Console,Monaco,monospace; font-weight:normal; font-size:11px; border:1px solid #3c4782;}SampleLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1123520280843691152005-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:002005-08-09T23:05:35.160-07:00Javascript: Display Toggle (Revised)A simpler version of this script. Revised and improved: <!-- JS: TOGGLE DISPLAY --> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- function toggle_display(element_id) { if ( document.getElementById(element_id).style.display == 'none' ) { document.getElementById(element_id).style.display = ''; } else { document.getElementById(element_id).style.display = 'none'; } return; } //--> </Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1122945051396476652005-08-01T18:09:00.000-07:002005-08-01T18:10:51.403-07:00SidenotesSimple, elegant, functional. Discovered by way of the ever simple, elegant, and functional Daring Fireball blog.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1122709452926620672005-07-30T00:43:00.000-07:002005-07-30T00:44:47.826-07:00Windows - Mac Font EquivalentsJust what I was looking for.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1121666834103455252005-07-17T23:01:00.000-07:002005-07-17T23:08:21.616-07:00NY Times : Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the DumpsterIn the face of a constant stream of pop-up ads, malfunctioning programs and performance slowed to a crawl or a crash - the hallmarks of spyware and adware - throwing out a computer "is a rational response," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a Washington-based research group that studies the Internet's social impact.Before anyone throws away computer, they Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1121583947708752132005-07-16T23:52:00.000-07:002005-07-17T00:06:39.536-07:00Free File HostingFound this site the other day, but was just checking it out just now and it was throwing PHP errors at me. Maybe it's just one of those midnight update things.Yahoo! offers free file-hosting with their briefcase page, but you have to be a premium member to be able to share any of the files with your friends.Hard to find a free file -- just a place to dump small files so others can download them.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1121583061215596702005-07-16T23:49:00.000-07:002005-07-16T23:51:01.220-07:00PHP Comparison TablesEvery once in a while, I'm trying to remember where I saw this. Linked on the PHP empty function page.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1121536991708626172005-07-16T10:56:00.000-07:002005-07-16T11:03:11.713-07:00On Being the Right SizeBy Haldane -- one of the forefathers of evolutionary psychology, if I remember correctly. [Wikipedia entry]Brilliant little essay:It is an elementary principle of aeronautics that the minimum speed needed to keep an aeroplane of a given shape in the air varies as the square root of its length. If its linear dimensions are increased four times, it must -fly twice as fast. Now the power needed forTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1120628516635360432005-07-05T22:31:00.000-07:002005-07-05T22:45:54.116-07:00Linux ShruggedJust completed my first Linux install. A third-grader could have done it (and probably quicker.) A live CD version of Beatrix. Encountered a few snags:1. Firefox downloading would keep canceling when my screen saver started. (Found this free utility to handle just this problem, but ended up just doing a FTP download here to be safe.)2. Needed to change bios boot order. Kept reacting to Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1120546124512478612005-07-04T12:42:00.000-07:002005-07-04T23:48:44.513-07:00Linux InstallMy dad's computer (Win XP on an aging -- 3+ yr-old? -- box) is approaching inoperability because of scumware that's soaked in under IE. I'm thinking about reformating the hard drive and reinstalling XP. I was also contemplating adding a Linux partition, until I read this.There must be an easier way.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1120545682342808082005-07-04T11:37:00.000-07:002005-07-04T23:42:19.676-07:004th of JulyTo celebrate the 4th of July, I planted peppers this morning.References:- garden terraces- Land MineTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1120151008575841842005-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:002005-06-30T10:03:28.580-07:00Zen GardenCool concept. A breath of fresh air and inspiration.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1119426760117443222005-06-22T00:49:00.000-07:002005-06-22T00:54:29.170-07:00Basic Blogger SkinI've been trying to strip down a blogger template to its essentials and arrange the internal style sheet so that it's as simple to edit as possible. Here's the latest incarnation of it:<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head><title><$BlogPageTitle$></titleTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118786642575419152005-06-14T15:02:00.000-07:002005-06-14T15:04:02.580-07:00MYSQL: select duplicate fields from tableSELECT `$col`, count(`$col`) as `num`FROM `$table` GROUP BY `$col`ORDER BY `num` descTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118733119947453392005-06-14T00:10:00.000-07:002005-06-14T00:11:59.953-07:00PHP: How do you submit an array in a form?My checkbox approach is not working for reasons not readily apparent. May need to create new constructor:add_checkbox_array();Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118725969161113662005-06-13T22:02:00.000-07:002005-06-13T22:12:49.166-07:00MIT SurveyRandomly (I think) selected to complete an MIT survey on my blog -- the Complete Works blog (wonder where they found it.) Inspired by the form design -- superb, simple styling.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118341850544762862005-06-09T11:27:00.000-07:002005-06-09T11:30:50.550-07:00It's a Fish-Eat-Fish WorldWorking on my big idea. (Yeah, I have a dream.) Just got this response from someone who, truth be told, was going out of his way even acknowledging me:tom,just to manage expectations, and not waste your time, i should jump inhere briefly to mention that an NDA is absolutely out of the question -but that we might require you to sign something saying we're free to useany and all ideas discussed Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118214554561438712005-06-08T00:07:00.000-07:002005-06-08T00:09:14.566-07:00My New MantraMaybe even my new religion.IngNi (I'm Not Gonna Need It)Inspired by the sacred rites of YagNi.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1118017564796628012005-06-05T17:23:00.000-07:002005-06-05T17:26:04.803-07:00MySQL: Negative ComparisonTo wit: finding all the records for a column in one table (the smaller) that are not in another table (the larger). See this page from MySQL site:Posted by Count Henry De Havilland-Fortesque-Smedley on January 13 2004 6:59am [Delete] [Edit]Sometimes you want to retrieve the records that DONT match a select statement.Consider this select:SELECT CarIndex FROM DealerCatalog, BigCatalog Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1117934333013292442005-06-04T18:18:00.000-07:002005-06-04T18:29:10.713-07:00New DesktopIn honor of the installation of WAMP on my home machine:Handy.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1117820983197136512005-06-03T10:48:00.000-07:002005-06-03T10:49:43.203-07:00PHP: ob_flush_out()Simple function to make buffer handling in PHP a little more user-friendly (just a little):/* Fx ob_flush_out()******************************/function ob_flush_out($catch_buffer=FALSE, $reopen_buffer=FALSE) { // buffer check $ob_active = ob_get_length() !== FALSE; if ( !$ob_active ) { return FALSE; } // catch buffer if ( $catch_buffer ) { $buffer = ''; while ( $buffer .= @ob_get_flush() );Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1117662256093429172005-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:002005-06-01T14:52:11.806-07:00Javascript: Display ToggleHad to really think this through to get it to work like I wanted. Fairly elegant in the end, thanks to the fact that variables within a JS function effectively act as static when the page is not reloaded. The code: <!-- JS: SHOW/HIDE FUNCTION --> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- toggle_count = 0; function toggle_button(element_id) { toggle_count++; show = toggle_count % 2; show_hide(Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1117071779017754282005-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:002005-05-25T18:46:01.943-07:00Corralling Robots and SpidersBasically:User-agent: *Disallow: /In a file named robots.txt within a particular directory. In the root directory, that keeps all robots out. Or, to specify particular directories:User-agent: *Disallow: /scripts/Disallow: /images/In the root directory, that would keep robots out of the "images" and "scripts" directories.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1116518891704465402005-05-19T08:57:00.000-07:002005-05-19T09:52:58.006-07:00Mountain GoatsSince I try to avoid buying CDs, even by deserving bands, a collection of links to Mountain Goats music:"Dance Music" and "Love, Love, Love" (NPR Weekend Edition)"Up the Wolves" (NPR)"Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod?" (NPR)"Letter from Belgium" (NPR All Songs Considered)"The Magpie" (NPR All Songs Considered)Discography (4ad.com)Miscellaneous Tracks (themountaingoats.net)Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1117302928517113422005-05-18T19:48:00.000-07:002005-05-28T10:55:28.523-07:00Bay to BreakersRan (well, walked) the race with my sister last Sunday. Some photos: » Laura's photos hereTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1116285076685590632005-05-14T23:07:00.001-07:002005-05-16T16:11:16.693-07:00Blogger Atom PHPA second test.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1116283894334937062005-05-14T23:07:00.000-07:002005-05-16T15:51:34.390-07:00PHP Atom TestUsing script found online.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1116007901720379402005-05-13T11:11:00.000-07:002005-05-13T11:11:41.723-07:00A test post using the Blogger API and my own very basic PHP interface.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1116000224291886102005-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:002005-05-13T09:03:44.336-07:00Cheat SheetsA couple very useful ones:PHP cheat sheetregex cheat sheetTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1115938930517574802005-05-12T16:02:00.000-07:002005-05-12T16:02:11.020-07:00Email Post Test<img src="cid:image001.jpg@01C5570B.EAC76500" v:src="cid:image001.jpg@01C5570B.EAC76500" v:shapes="_x0000_Mail" width=0 height=0 class=shape style='display:none;width:0;height:0'><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <v:background id="_x0000_s1025" o:bwmode="white" fillcolor="silver" o:targetscreensize="800,600"> <v:fill src="cid:image001.jpg@01C5570B.EAC76500" o:title="indtextb" type="frame" /> </v:Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1115798557095761842005-05-11T01:02:00.000-07:002005-05-11T01:04:31.350-07:00A Sonnet by a MonkeyThe GodThe God in a gross reality aerobic practicalUnhinged increasing kinky kinky abysmalFoul duplex profit Nazi the thief trees macroChemise goal ripped retardant seepage omniscientInsatiable rasp epic doleful twaddleArc nondescript molest begin abhorredIntuitive reports appeal soiled farcicalAnd nuts chain group rape buffoon the globe blight pissed GodDefective plenty nightmare monster Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1115700309116298282005-05-09T21:43:00.000-07:002005-05-09T21:45:09.133-07:00The Magic of RegexIf ever there were a magic spell, this is it:<\s*(?!a)(?!\/)(?!img)(?!br)[^>]*?>A wizard's playground:PCRE TesterTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1115256322816371102005-05-04T18:12:00.000-07:002005-05-04T18:25:22.956-07:00Computer Phonetic AlphabetLooking for a stable, standardized, universally used phonetic alphabet. Some sources:IPA Transcription in Unicode (University College, London)IPA in Unicode (wikipedia)IPA (wikipedia)English language (wikipedia)SAMPA (ASCII)IPA chartUnicode hex looks like the way to go.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1114540358732623922005-04-26T11:31:00.000-07:002005-04-26T11:32:38.733-07:00Google Century ShareInteresting concept, though I'm still waiting for my results... waiting... waiting...Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1114456184781413782005-04-25T12:08:00.000-07:002005-04-25T12:09:44.780-07:00Craigslist/Google Maps HousingThis is pretty brilliant, too.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1114456102027936092005-04-25T12:05:00.000-07:002005-04-25T12:08:22.026-07:00NPR OnlineWhat a lovely website. Perfect background noise -- or intelligent informative news broadcasting -- while working at my computer. And just discovered this:NPR Most Emailed StoriesVery sweet with Firefox. I just find the stories that interest me, open them in a new tab, and then listen to them in turn.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1114445306116347452005-04-25T09:05:00.000-07:002005-04-25T09:08:26.116-07:00MarkdownI've often wondered why something like this wasn't more readily available on the web. Guess I wasn't looking for it in the right place.Found it here on a very neatly designed site.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1114363289049192862005-04-24T10:20:00.000-07:002005-04-24T10:21:29.050-07:00Last Known Google ResultBeen helping out with this project lately. Not quite sure what it means, but it's been a worthwhile sort of proof of concept.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113464270254173992005-04-14T00:26:00.000-07:002005-04-14T00:37:50.256-07:00Feeling Slightly ParanoidWhich inspired to look into scripts that limit login attempts:Google SearchForum ThreadSee also this:OWASPTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113369264498981402005-04-12T22:11:00.000-07:002005-04-12T22:14:24.500-07:00Query to get a key value from one table that will serve as the search index in another table: $foreign_key_query = "select `$join_key_col` FROM $key_table WHERE `$search_col` = '$search_value'"; open_db($db); $foreign_key_result = mysql_query($foreign_key_query) or mysql_trigger_error('foreign_key_query error'); $foreign_key = mysql_result($foreign_key_result, 0, 0); mysql_free_result($Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113347611077218742005-04-12T14:48:00.000-07:002005-04-12T16:13:31.076-07:00Google APIIntrigued by what this can do. Some possibilities:google APIgoogleduel scriptthinkbling scriptTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113238460390969572005-04-11T09:51:00.000-07:002005-04-11T09:54:20.390-07:00The Postmodernism GeneratorAs a Lit Ph.D manqué, I find this really interesting. A subject near and queer to my heart:http://www.elsewhere.org/cgi-bin/postmodern/Interesting in that it's entirely automated using "recursivetransition network" code (that you can download here):http://dev.null.org/dadaengine/I think this was created before the internet really got going. Withthe web and the ability to grab web pages, I Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113155628105383632005-04-10T10:52:00.000-07:002005-04-10T10:56:48.266-07:00PHP Graveyard: fw_substage($stage_name, $skip_flag)Figured out a much more sensible way to implement optional stages in a form wizard./* fw_substageARGS: stage_name (name of optional stage) skip_flag (post value from previous stage that dictates whether to skip stageRETURN: global array SUB_MEMO to which fw_backend reactsadd this to main root wizard page before fw_constructor******************************/function fw_substage($stage_name, $Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113156872890324532005-04-09T11:05:00.000-07:002005-04-10T11:14:32.890-07:00A Word from My SponsorsFinally doing something with the footer cell on my template and promoting Firefox without which -- well, this blog would be possible, but not nearly as much fun:Looks much better in Firefox, too.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1113030463796855062005-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:002005-04-10T10:56:04.780-07:00The Junkyard of Abandoned Php CodeIf such a thing existed, this would end up there: // id next stage reset($STAGES); while ( current($STAGES) != $stage_name ) { if ( !next($STAGES) ) { trigger_error(__FUNCTION__."stage name '$stage_name' not matched", E_USER_ERROR); } } $next_stage = next($STAGES); // determine whether to skip this stage /* going forward */ if ( $skip === TRUE ) { /* skip flag set, SUB_MEMO to fw_backend: Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112903272132387272005-04-07T12:40:00.000-07:002005-04-07T12:47:52.133-07:00PHP: get_user_time_js()Finally put together a function that uses javascript to grab the time offset from a user's browser and feed that back to the php script. Still need to add some conditional handling for browsers with javascript turned off./* Fx get_user_time_js()author:tatwell AT gmail DOT com******************************/function get_user_time_js($add_clear_button=FALSE) { // handle reset button if ( isset($_Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112639980710958632005-04-04T11:29:00.000-07:002005-04-04T11:39:40.713-07:00Word to HTML/XMLSurprised there isn't some kind of web-based utility for converting Word documents to XML or HTML. When I have time, I really have to figure out how to do this. It looks eminently doable with open source stuff, but appears to involve rebuilding or recompiling the server, an operation further complicated by the fact that my servers are on Windows machines. Anyway, some key resources:"From WordTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112630784615039602005-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:002005-04-04T09:53:19.753-07:00The Gmail G-DriveGmail's first birthday, and the fact that the storage limit was doubling to 2GB, got a lot of coverage last week. The Gmail home page included a nifty little running tally timed to count up through the day from 1000MB to 2000MB.What is really interesting -- and what I haven't seen reported yet -- is that the counter didn't stop. It's still running -- though not as fast -- and is now at Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112398346920989942005-04-01T15:29:00.000-08:002005-04-01T15:32:26.923-08:00PHP IDEThis is getting out of hand with the PHP stuff -- should really create a dull-as-dishwater PHP blog and put all this there. But I'm a little too busy right now for that. And PHP, alas, is more or less my life at the moment.Anyway, I've been looking for a decent free PHP IDE for a while. PHP Coder looks pretty good. And it's free. I'll stick with HTML-Kit for the time being, but keep this Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112308514360623572005-03-31T14:34:00.000-08:002005-03-31T14:35:14.360-08:00Yahoo! Creative Commons SearchCame across this on Lawrence Lessig's blog. Intriguing idea.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112167484356458042005-03-29T23:20:00.000-08:002005-03-29T23:28:35.033-08:00PHP: fw_substage()A function that makes a stage in my form wizard optional. A bit convoluted. But after hours of mental anguish that pushed my mind to the very brink, I got it to operate:/* fw_substageARGS: stage_name (name of optional stage) skip_flag (post value from previous stage that dictates whether to skip stage)Call before fw_constructorRETURN: global array SUB_MEMO to which fw_backend reacts***********Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1112053554650618402005-03-28T15:43:00.000-08:002005-03-28T15:55:20.510-08:00PHP: mysql_select_arrayA function that accepts an array listing columns in a MySQL database table along with a reference and value and extractsEngineered specifically for use with a user table that will list only those properties of the user that I specify in the passed array.Passes array by reference (as opposed to value) so that the passed array (providing the category names for the various user properties) can be Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111978866426792352005-03-27T18:38:00.000-08:002005-03-27T19:01:06.426-08:00Office ThemeWatching The Office marathon this weekend. Much more funny and irreverent than the new American one. I think the credits say the theme song -- "Handbags and Gladrags" -- is performed by Fin. (Fin?) No mention of the fact on the complete history page. Sounds like Rod Stewart.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111936629108830452005-03-27T07:15:00.000-08:002005-03-27T07:17:09.110-08:00CygwinTo wit:Cygwin is a Linux-like environment for Windows. It consists of two parts: A DLL (cygwin1.dll) which acts as a Linux API emulation layer providing substantial Linux API functionality.A collection of tools, which provide Linux look and feel.Don't have time to play with this presently, but should give it a shot when I have a chance.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111888368401351472005-03-26T17:47:00.000-08:002005-03-26T17:52:48.403-08:00Friendster BlogThis is truly becoming a tangled web of deception. Finally succeeded in setting up a blog on Friendster. Now appears I have two? This one crashed during the set up process, but appears to still have been created, though I have no means to update or change it:Stillborn Friendster BlogThis is the one I can update:Active Friendster BlogDon't have any real plans to use it. The interface is prettyTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111769213040460932005-03-25T08:46:00.000-08:002005-03-25T08:46:53.040-08:00Firefox Webdev ToolbarJust discovered this. Pretty nifty.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111768144429318662005-03-25T08:28:00.000-08:002005-03-25T08:29:04.430-08:00Font Browser-ShareWhen it comes to font browser-share, courier is king.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6827766.post-1111699710599969612005-03-24T13:23:00.000-08:002005-03-27T07:33:43.783-08:00PHP cwd_to_url()A revision to the code earlier posted -- added strtolower filtering. As a function:/* fx cwd_to_urlconverts current directory to URL pathauthor: tatwell_AT_gmail_DOT_com******************************/ $slash = '/'; // standardize paths $self = $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; $self = strtolower(str_replace('\\', $slash, $self)); $phys_path = getcwd(); $phys_path = strtolower(str_replace('\\', $slash, $Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185219817401656426noreply@blogger.com0