Super Ginormous

Blog

  • Server Issues

    I’ve been having some odd server issues since yesterday. MySQL has stopped responding a couple of times. So if my site goes offline for some reason, or you see a database error when visiting the site, this is likely the cause of it. Hopefully I can get the issue diagnosed and resolved over the weekend, because it is affecting client sites as well.

  • WordPress 2.0.6 Released

    A new version of WordPress (2.0.6) has been released.

    We have a pretty important release available for everyone, it includes an important security fix and it’s recommended that everyone upgrade. This is the latest release in our stable 2.0 line, which we’ve committed to maintaining for several more years.

    Here’s what’s new:

    • The aforementioned security fixes.
    • HTML quicktags now work in Safari browsers.
    • Comments are filtered to prevent them from messing up your blog layout.
    • Compatibility with PHP/FastCGI setups.

    Read more…

    I have updated to 2.0.6 and so far it’s run without any issues.

    UPDATE: It looks like bbPress has just been updated as well.

  • Photoshop CS3 can be tested cross-platform

    I am so glad I started reading John Nack’s blog. Early this morning he confirmed that the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Beta can, in fact, be tested on both Macs and PCs by the same user.

    In response to very popular demand (to the tune of 150+ requests on the Labs CS3 forum), I’m happy to say that Adobe is now making it possible for Windows customers of Photoshop CS2 to get a Mac CS3 beta serial number, and vice versa. To request a number, you can send mail to photoshopcs3beta@adobe.com and include your CS2 serial number.

  • Mounted

    Multiple iPods Connected to iTunes

    I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, in the past to mount more than one iPod via iTunes and it’s never worked. For some reason, this morning I am able to.

    I’m running iTunes 7.0.2.16 on Windows XP SP2. All three iPods are connected via USB2. The 20Gb 4th Generation iPod and 80Gb 5.5 Generation iPod video both have disk use enabled and I manually manage music on both units.

    Is anyone else able to duplicate this?

    UPDATE: According to Apple, this shouldn’t be done.

  • Rush to Hang Hussein Was Questioned

    Saddam Hussein

    This is a really eye-opening article in the New York Times on the rush to execute Saddam Hussein.

    I’ve got mixed emotions on Saddam’s execution.

    On one hand, I feel like man should not take death into his own hand. Yes, Saddam committed atrocities against the people of Iraq. Yes, Saddam was an insane dictator. But the contempt that was shown him as he was hung was disheartening. It was like a pack of animals was sending him to his death. “Is this how real men behave?,” asked Saddam right before his death.

    On the other hand, I can’t help but remember, my dad served in the Gulf War. Saddam invaded Kuwait and claimed til the end of his reign that Kuwait was a state of Iraq. He killed his opponents. He slaughtered ethnic groups in his country. He was a bad person, and deserved to be punished.

    But death? In this fashion? I have a hard time with it. Saddam was broken, reserved, and dare I say fearful of his end. His executors were ugly, disrespectful, and mocking of his death. Saddam was being hung for his savageness, yet his executioners were the real savage on this day…

    If there is one good thing about this whole ordeal, it is that the United States was not directly involved in his execution.

    “The Iraqis seemed quite frustrated, saying, ‘Who is going to execute him, anyway, you or us?’ The Americans replied by saying that obviously, it was the Iraqis who would carry out the hanging. So the Iraqis said, ‘This is our problem and we will handle the consequences. If there is any damage done, it is we who will be damaged, not you.’”

    Regardless, Saddam is now dead, and perhaps the world is better off because of it. But I hope the way his death was conducted will help the Iraqis to re-examine some of their barbaric tendancies.

    Here’s more on the subject.

  • Back to Work

    Tomorrow I go back to work after ten straight days of being off. I haven’t had a “vacation” quite like this in some time. It was much needed though. I think I need to try and make it a point to schedule more time off throughout the year instead of waiting until the very end.

  • December Stats

    blogstatssm.png

    I’ve had a MeasureMap for nearly as long as they’ve been in beta. It’s a great statistical tool that’s not received a lot of attention, short of when it was first launched and when Google subsequently bought them.

    My site doesn’t get a lot of traffic, but December 2006 was the best month I have ever had on the site. Here’s a breakdown of the stats:

    • 1158 Visitors – That’s 456 more than an average 31 day period. Of those, 22% of visitors had been here before. That’s 252 visitors, 121 more than an average 31 day period.
    • 159 Links – That’s 74 more than an average 31 day period. In all, visitors used 198 links in and 159 links out
      That’s 113 more links in than an average 31 day period and 108 more links out than an average 31 day period.
    • 38 Comments – That’s 24 more than the average 31 day period.
    • 107 of 413 Posts were visited. That’s 76 more than the average 31 day period.
      Visitors Comments Post Title Date Posted
      122 1 Matthew Fox & Tenacious D on SNL 15 Nov 06 5:13 PM
      75 5 Screenshots of NEW Photoshop CS3 Beta 14 Dec 06 10:07 PM
      59 6 WordPress Dreamweaver Extension 20 Dec 06 7:19 PM
      39 4 Five things you (probably) don’t know about me 21 Dec 06 7:56 PM
      32 8 Areas of My Expertise 19 Dec 06 7:33 AM
    • Browser Usage:
      Browser %
      Firefox 47%
      Internet Explorer 35%
      Safari 12%
      Other 6%

    Some numbers since I started tracking…

    • Your blog has had 9427 visitors who have left 187 comments.
    • Other web sites have made 1145 links in to your blog, and you have created 692 links out from your blog.

    I know, these numbers aren’t breath-taking, or earth-shattering, but to me, it’s a sign of progress… December was a great month, and hopefully a sign of continued growth here on the site. I appreciate all of the visits an all of the comments and I look forward greater things in 2007.

  • Goodbye, 2006.

    Where have you gone? It seems like only yesterday I was making resolutions. Now, you’re drawing to a close, and I can’t imagine what happened to the time…Happy New Year, everyone. Well, Happy New Year’s Eve anyway. Before I start the obligatory list o’ resolutions for 2007, it would probably be a good idea to recap any progress I made towards my goals this year. And so I shall:

    1. Be a better father.If I did one thing right this year, it was this. I spent less time at work to spend more time with my son (and wife). The result? A spoiled one-year-old that cries everytime I leave the room. I can’t complain though. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.
    2. Be a better husband.I made moderate progress in this area. Work was always an area of contention between my wife and I, and cutting back a little on my hours has helped our marriage immensely. Now if only I could work more on #3….
    3. Lose weight.I actually did lose some weight this year, around 40 lbs to be exact but it didn’t stick. I know this will stay on my list of resolutions for 2007, only I need to get more serious this time. As I grow older it’s going to be harder and hard to shed the weight I have on me.
    4. Excercise more.I really need to get on the ball with this. And stop making excuses for myself. Being tired just doesn’t cut it. Not having enough time just doesn’t cut it. I need to get off of my lazy arse and get moving. Or I’ll have heart problems, heart attacks, etc. to look forward to.
    5. Grow closer to God.I was baptized in February of this year. Kim and I joined Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church in June. Tyler was baptized in July. I think I made progress in this area. But I need to dedicate myself to prayer more, and try to get more involved at church.
    6. Read through the entire Bible this year.Sadly, I didn’t complete this. I blame #8 on this list. I’m still notorious for procrastination and this is definitely a weakness of mine that needs to be addressed and taken care of. UPDATE: Luckily, the ESV website offers a number of RSS feeds to help with this goal.
    7. Finish books I’ve started and not finished.I actually did make it through a number of books this year. I’ve read more than I’ve ever read in quite some time. Honestly, the last time I read this much was because I had to (for school). It’s nice to read for enjoyment and education.
    8. Stop procrastinating. (Maybe tomorrow?)I so have to do something about this one. It’s my Achilles heel.
    9. Stop being so impulsive.I made some progress in this area this year, but still have some difficulty with it. Especially when it comes to food. I need to hunker down, stop feeling sorry for myself, my weight, etc. and do something about it. If it means not using a checkcard anymore, eating breakfast at home, packing my lunch, etc. I need to do it.

    I made some progress this year, but I could have made more. I won’t make excuses for myself. I was lazy, and that’s something that has seriously got to change.

    Now onto 2007…

    1. Take control of my weight and do something about it.
    2. Stop spending money on frivolous crap.
    3. Fulfill obligations in a timely manner.
    4. Pay off some of my/our debt.

    It’s a short list, but a lot of work. I’m looking forward to the coming year, but realize there may be some hardships ahead in trying to achieve the goals I have set forth for myself. Anything worth doing is never easy.

  • Threes

    Death comes in threes. First James Brown. Then Gerald Ford. Now, Saddam Hussein. That’s one hell of a group there. An entertainer, a President, and a ruthless dictator. It’s been one heck of a Christmas, hasn’t it?

  • RIP James Brown

    James Brown MemorialHe loved the holidays, and he loved Augusta. James Brown will be missed.