Pauls Rants and Revelations

Wordpress on the iPhone

Paul G — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:28:28 +0000

So asod from my categories disappearing, the reason I upgraded was so I can update from my iPhone (this being the first test).
So far, it works pretty well. Except that I may have a stroke from typing a whole entry on this tiny keyboard. But other than that it’s working pretty well.
If I can upload images that would be cool. It says that it’s possible but I’m not sure how yet. If I can figure it out before my rafting trip that would be nifty.
Ok, enough lolly gagging, back to work.

-Cheers

Wordpress upgrade = not nifty

Paul G — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:12:58 +0000

SO I finally updated my wordpress install from 2.1 to the latest 2.6.

At first I was like “Way Neato!”. Then I realized that all of my categories and link categories were gone. Like, really gone. The only identifying mark was the slug with was a lot of “-2″’s. So, if some posts seem to be misplaced, this is the reason. I renamed what I could (had to edit the datbase directly to do it) but its sorted now.

Well, at least its working.

I mean, I read the documentation changes for the most part but didnt see any part about your categories fucking getting axed from the update.

Anyways, should you be upgrading, take a snapshot of the data in your wp_categories. This will be invaluable as you can map the IDs so you can rename the items in wp_terms (the new table) so that your categories are correct.

OK. Back to the digital salt mines.

-Cheers

ASP Tag Cloud Niftiness

Paul G — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:30:59 +0000

Since I created the ASP Tag Cloud function, a get a few emails a month asking questions about it. Most of the time its folks starting out wondering how to implement it, or some other developers wondering why I used this method instead of others available, and so on.

I usually help out those who ask for help (hey, we are a community after all) and generally everything is rather nifty. However, one person, Scott, emailed me one day asking about limiting the results to only popular tags and as usual I replied with my ideas on how to do it.

He replied back thanking me and told me the sites he uses it on. I was rather taken aback when he told me that it was he podcasting sites for the US Geological Survey (http://usgs.gov/corecast and http://usgs.gov/corefacts) and that he was creating another image gallery site that also uses my tag cloud function.

And, to those who know me; yes, I patted myself on the back a bit at this news.

Now some people would say “Big deal, my shit’s seen by millions of people every day”. To those blokes, I say “Fecalphelia is a curable disease so seek help”.

For me, though, in my little corner of the internet, I’m quite please to know that someone else uses my code in a useful way on a popular site instead of just cataloging the various tags used on adult sites (yes, I get emailed about this and no, I will not post links to them). The sites its used on are pretty sweet since I visit them on a somewhat irregular basis (hey, I’m no geologist now) and it does make it far easier to find popular articles. Check them out when you get a sec.

Thanks to Scott for letting me know how he uses the function. If you use the function let me know. If you have questions about it it also let me know by comment or email.

-Cheers

P.S. - To all those that tell me that its wrong to steal the bubble sort function, I will email the person in the next cubicle and tell them to hold you head in the toilet until the bubbles stop. I gave credit to them. Please read the code instead of blindly copy/pasting. - Thanks, Paul

Long Time, No Write

Paul G — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:01:25 +0000

So its been like 6 weeks since I made an entry and I must say I am disappointed in myself. Partly because I cant seem to get a sec to jot something down, but mostly because twitter is so much easier and I can do it from anywhere.

OK, technically, since I got my iPhone, I could blog from anywhere as well, but Twitter is just easier all aroung (hence why I added my Twitter feed to the site).

Anyways, things are starting to calm down somewhat. Its mostly been work and dealing with summer and since schools out that means I have both the kiddies with me all day. Its hard coming up with new things to do. Theres only so many times we can go to the zoo, the park, the fountain, strip clubs, etc. I mean, it gets dull sometimes. If anyone has suggestion please leave a comment.

In other news, my wife and I are going down to Eugene to see the Olympic trials for track and field. Since she works and Nike she got premo tickets and accomodations. The funny thing is that there is a very long list of rules that are going to be enforced; such as specific size of allowed fluid container (no more than 1.5 liters) and bags only so large and clothing requirements and a whole lot more. Its weird but I guess theres a valid reason for it. What it is I have no idea, but there has to be a reason, right?

Anyways, I’m trying to post more so hopefully I can make money again from this thing. That, and provide an outlet for me to rant about whatever I want. Or post sizzling pictures of my favorite female celebs. Or videos of kittens. Whatever.

-Cheers

Who for President?

Paul G — Sat, 03 May 2008 04:45:02 +0000

I have been trying my best to spread word about Ron Paul. I really think that he can be a very good President for our troubled country.

However, lets face facts. barring a couple of well placed assassins bullets in the leading Republican runners, it is not going to happen. This is hard for me to admit, mind you, so please don’t go off on one of those rants anti-Paul folks tend to favor.

So who, then, should I put my vote to for the next President?

Hillary Clinton (Dem)? Nay, I say, as a bigger hypocrite I have seldom seen. She actually came to my little corner of the world and had I actually cared enough about it, I would have gone down to the rally just to start some shit. But that is past and I care little of her fate.

McCain or Huckabee (Rep)? Sadly, I hate both of them. Neither of them are, in my humble opinion, smart or display any definite leadership. Chowder-heads, the both of them.

Obama? Probably, as I cannot see any other logical choice. He is smart, charismatic, seems a natural leader, and is honest more than anything.

Yea, I’ll probably vote for Obama.

Sidenote: I just read my voters pamphlet, and I can feel a lot better voting for Obama now. In the descriptions of the candidates and their little blurbs about themselves, Clinton said that she has plans about fixing things. Not what she would do, but that she has plans (she said this not less than 6 times). Obama, on the other page (ha ha), laid out what he is going to do plain as day. He is going to do these things, in this way. Not once did the word ‘plan’ come into the description. So yea, Obama it is.

-Cheers

Too much of a good thing?

Paul G — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:09:35 +0000

With work and family I find that my time of late has been rather limited.

It was not so very long ago that I was trolling Craigs list looking for contract work to supplement my income. With my wife working back at Nike (and me going back to the at-home-dad role) I find that I am inundated with emails with requests for work. Stuff like “whats this error” to “I need a website”. I can do the work, but the questions becomes where I will find the time to do it?

My work projects are a little behind (some of which is my fault (ok, most of it probably)) so I have been telling folks that I simply can’t. And even though I know this is the best thing to do since I don’t need any more stress, I can’t help but feel like I am passing up opportunities that would help my situation in the long run.

So I guess the question really is this: who do I piss off?

Do I piss off my boss for the projects that will inevitably be late because of my taking on personal projects? Or do I piss off clients and potential clients by saying that their projects are not worth the time?

I guess really the question, like so many others, is an academic one as I have to get back to work. However, if anyone has any suggestions about my situation (and yes, even ones from you PersonalLumbergBaby are accepted) please leave a comment.

And if you need a website, please HESITATE to ask.

-Cheers

So this is where my socks are

Paul G — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:37:15 +0000

OK. Its been a while (a month to be precise) but I have been busy with work and family stuff. So tough.

Its also, in about 15 hours, my birthday (hooray!). Since we have limited time we have to split up the fun into two days. Today we did presents (my son was extremely excited to give me a Lego fire truck) and we are doing cake tonight. Tomorrow my wife and I are going out for dinner (on my actual b-day) so a swanky place (sweet).

Other than that I am trying to finish some projects before my yearly review. It doesn’t help to have a bunch of late items when going for more money/benefits/company jet, so hopefully I can finish them in short order.

Also, paulsrants.com is going to be up soon. And soon as in actually soon, not soon as in the Urban Dictionary definition.

-Cheers

Happy Birthday Lad!

Paul G — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:07:19 +0000

Today is my sons birthday. It seems only yesterday that he sloshed out of moms womb and now he is six years old. Where does the time go?

And since this is such a huge deal, I decided that it is time to get him a skateboard. I mean a real one; not the tiny play one like at Target. This is an official World Industries board with a nifty flame boy decal on it. He was totally excited about it and started riding around in the house. Now we just have to wait for a non-rainy day and off to the park we go.

We also got him a huge lego set that we spent the entire next day putting together (which his cousin destroyed the next day; bummer) and games galore. Board games, mind, not video games.

He was really stoked with everything including the black-light pirate themed mini-golf we did in Portland, which was a bit of a trip actually. We also had a pirate ship chocolate cake. It was just coincidence that it worked out that way since I ordered the cake and my wife set up the mini-golf.

Everything considered, it was a really good birthday and my little dude was quite happy with everything.

-Cheers

If I had a penny…

Paul G — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:55:02 +0000

If I had a penny from every sale of something when I heard someone say “I’ll just get a new one”, I would be a semi-rich man (it is only a penny after all).

Its sad that or society has gotten to the point where everything is replaceable. No very many people now will take the time to make something instead of just buying it. They get a new one if it breaks instead of fixing it.

It just seem so wasteful and stupid to spend money on something you don’t need and immediately get a new one if something happens.

Perhaps I just feel this way since I just dropped a load of cash on bills and birthday presents. Anyways, its still valid I think.

-Cheers

Food for thought

Paul G — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:01:02 +0000

Did you ever notice that if you swing your Macbook Pro around the room really hard, the hard drive sounds like a lightsaber?

Though you might find that interesting.

-Cheers