05.08.99
Posted in General
at 12 pm
It took me a few days over all but it was certainly worth it.
I cleaned my keyboard.
Now this wasn’t your ‘run the vacuum cleaner (isn’t vacuum an odd word?) over the keys and ignore the gunk on the sides and that’s embedded into the texture of the keys’ cleaning. This was the full bore, unscrew the case and pop off every single key and individually wash them by hand.
And now the keys just sparkle. It’s so nice. 🙂 This is the first keyboard I’ve owned, having bought it with my Mac in 1993. And I can’t remember having ever cleaned the keyboard before. So 6 years of hair, dust, cat hair, gunk, sparkles, and more came tumbling out.
I haven’t put the thing all the way back together, but it’s close enough to touch type again. The feel is still pretty damn stiff. I’m a big believer (now) in light touch keyboards. It seems to me that it would be easier on the fingers and therefore the wrists, therefore reducing rsi. However when I first got my mac, I wanted two main things in the keyboard: a full 104 keys, plus a big delete and huge return key. The return key on this board covers half an acre. I love it.
On an as-needed basis I can hit that return key from across the room with a reasonably well placed koosh ball.
Speaking of keys, I’ve finally got real uses from the function keys. F1-F4 launch 4 different sets of web pages: Weekday, Macintosh, Journals, and Weekend. 1 touch and I can walk away from my machine while it logs on and downloads each of thosepages I’ve set up. It’s very cool. Same goes from F9-F12: Jesse’s Word of The Day (Random House), Scripting News, Slashdot.org, and my journal entry page. Finally F13-F15 are Eudora, Netscape, and Fetch.
Those last three (e-mail, web, ftp) I’ve started implementing on all the machines I use. At work, the first two launch Netscape since I use it for mail and web at work. But I’m to the point where I almost expect them to be there.
The hotkeys are setup using DragThing, and the web page sets are implemented with DragThing and JavaScript.
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05.04.99
Posted in General
at 10 am
A new web site management technique that I’ve developed recently is a trash can.
A problem I’ve struggled with in the past is what to do with old files that I’m no longer keeping updated and have fallen out of use. I want to keep my directories free of excess baggage just for my own ‘detail-oriented sake, but on the other hand, I want to prevent the dreaded link-rot situation, so frowned upon by some. http://www.useit.com
So what I’m doing is creating a trash directory that will hold these old files. The only way to get to the trash directory is through a link on the 404 error page (which I truely suggest that everyone develops) that lists this trash directory as an option for finding information that may have moved.
On my site at work, where a huge redevelopment is taking place I’ve put the actual trashed files in a further sub directory and in the main trash directory, set up a framed page. The top frame explains that the files shown are:
The files you are about to examine are left-overs: old files from previous revisions of this site. The information on these pages may not be accurate, links will probably not work, and things will not be well labeled.
This company is not responsible for any damage incurred by the user of the information contained in this directory. Use at your own risk.
Not the most stellar piece of writing, but it gets the message across.
Then in the larger, bottom frame, I have a link directly into the directory that has the discarded files. By renaming any files that are named ‘index.html’ (or similar), our web sever (as most do) provides a directory listing of the files in that directory. It’s then easy for visitors to look through the directory and find those files that would have been otherwise removed completely.
Using robots.txt, I keep search engines from finding a reindexing the trashed pages.
If you’d like to see an example of this, feel free to drop me a line.
This technique satisfies two problems: directories that are bloated and hard to manage from the developer’s side, and (to some, valuable) information still available to visitors to the web site.
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05.02.99
Posted in General
at 8 pm
It’s a relaxing late Sunday afternoon. I’ve just slipped Gus Gus’ new disc This is Normal into the stereo and have it cranked up to 4.5. (Trust me, the speakers wouldn’t handle much more, besides it still fills up a one bedroom apartment.)
Damn, That’s smooth.
I posted some hesitant remarks to the GG mailing list about the four track sampler sent to me by a friend in Brussles, but after hearing track one, Ladyshave at a good volume, I’m in love.
This disc is just georgeous.
If it’s true that Hafdis (The female lead vocalist) is out, I’m going to be completely let down, because Teenage Sensation melts my head.
I’ve had the chorus to Starlovers stuck in my head for 3 days straight. I don’t mind it. 🙂
Thanks gusguys.
In other news, Bad-seed.org now has updated news, I’ve only got 13 e-mails in my inbox, and I cleared out over 100 from my Goodson box. I cleaned off my desk, and put up my new, beautiful and seemingly rugged desk lamp that I think is just peach.
I picked up a new CD rack that holds ~260 CDs. This will consolidate the 9 different modes of storage we previously had.
Must be spring cleaning time… 🙂
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04.30.99
Posted in General
at 11 pm
Apr 30 Fri (03 PM)
I put on a ‘Lectric Lunch today at work. These are basically lunch-time lectures and discusions that I host to train the rest of the staff in the field of Interactivity and Web development.
Today’s topic was Web Marketing and Promotion. I had a little outline and hand out plus a list of URLs to look at. Overall the the lunches have been a really success.
With any luck this will help my standing in the company. My 90 day mark is on Monday and I’m trying to show that I add a lot of value to the staff. With any luck this should translate into good pay and a strong title. I’m crossing my fingers.
A List Apart 2 has finally gotten their mailing list back online. I’m considering writing up those articles I wanted to write up in the previous journal entry and sending them in there.
Saturday is going to be a good day for ‘getting things done.’ I’ve got a good 5 line list of things to do including filing, web design, and cleaning. I’ll really feel good if I get them done.
I’ve also been getting my in box of e-mail down! I’m down to 15, stretching back to October, but this weekend I should get back to mid February… 🙂
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04.28.99
Posted in General
at 8 pm
Apr 28 Wed (08 AM)
Wow, I can procrastinate on my own personal projects. This is an all time low.
Bad-Seed.org is going to get an award by a mac-phile web site on May 2nd. Unfortunately that’s one of the sites that’s been on the list to update since last December.
With any luck I can get it finished off in the next couple of days. All I really need to do is update the news section, but I want to get the automated system working rather than just replacing static pages with more static pages. Perhaps I’ll forgo that and just get it done the brut-force method.
I’ve been really cranky lately, and I’m not sure why. I’m been quite the grouch at work and getting close to be down right cynical.
Today I’m supposed to give a ‘Lectric Lunch talk on marketing a web site. I still need to find a couple of reference points, but this one should work well. This should also really improve my standing for next week when my 90 days is reached and it’s time to evaluate my position, salary and title.
My god, I’m giving them the experience I’ve had in developing web sites for the past 4 years, plus training the rest of the staff in this. That’s gotta be worth something, right?
As for titles, I know what I want, and there’s a reason for it. We can’t just sit back and not have a creative aspect to Interactive. We’ll be eaten for lunch.
Hrmpf.
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Posted in General
at 5 pm
Apr 28 Wed (02 PM)
Sitting, eating lunch and reading a magazine, I realized there’s a bunch of stuff that I’d like to document as web design and development techniques, but I havne’t found the right forum yet. This is what I want to write:
/trash/ directory for web sites
CSS: Images and tables
CSS: Table Structure, Type Specs
XSSI: Dynamic Menus
Now I’ve just got to find the right places to post these things. I suppose the dynamic menu should go into the XSSI library, but the other three are far more broad. Maybe I can give them to something like WebBabble and let them post it.
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04.25.99
Posted in Apple, Dreams, Tech
at 10 am
Apr 25 Sun (10 AM)
I’m in some big city, mid-afternoon. I meet a famous movie star who looks like Dustin Hoffman, but it’s not him. He’s registered under the name ‘Tom’ at a large hotel made of white marble. He invites me to the party their having that night. I asked him what time? ‘Whenever’, he replies.
So I’m walking out of the hotel lobby and down the street. I’m wondering ‘Would it be okay to bring Amy to the party too?’
…
I’m one of three childen in a Chinese family. I’m European and Asian. Suddenly I notice that I’m not so much walking as I’m gliding about a foot off the ground.
I think to myself, ‘Well this is interesting.’ I want to go higher and suddenly I’m at the same height as the street lights, the ones that are used over freeways, about 100 meters tall. I think to myself ‘I’ll go higher still’ and I start drifting down, towards the backyard of my Asian parent’s house. The more I think and try to will myself into the sky, the closer to the Earth I go.
I start realizing that I need to be Zen about this: I need to ‘want’ to be off the ground, as opposed to telling myself to fly is a particular direction.
I’m rising off the ground a bit again when a puggy asian friend of my asian parents comes into the backyard, which has a tall wooden fence around it. I don’t want him to see me like this, but there’s nowhere to hide, so I zoom up into the night sky and hover over him. I get a really good view of his bald spot.
I notice that it’s late and I’ve probably missed the party at the hotel.
———————
Those dream sequences were this morning. Yesterday I had a dream that I had this incredible Mac G3 setup, including an unreleased Apple 17″ flat-panel display.
Then I woke up. I was upset that that it was dream. I walked into the living room, and there it was. The entire setup, just like in my dream! The translucent plastics and all. It was mine! I really did have this whole package.
Then I really woke up. [Sigh.]
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04.24.99
Posted in General
at 12 pm
From Slashdot… I want! I want! This is what the Leatherman _could_ have been. http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderc/wrench.html
Last night’s Jesus Presley concert was pretty good. I figured after two and a half years (the last time I saw them) that they would have more new songs, but they only played 2, maybe 3, that I hadn’t heard before out of a set of 9 or 10.
There wasn’t as much energy as other shows, but I think that can be attributed to having their opening band start almost an hour late because Sinbad (in the concert hall next door) went longer than planned.
The opening band, Rusty Nails were okay, but their set should have been shortened further, not JP’s.
There was one other surprise at the show. The past friend that I mentioned in my previous entry was there with his girlfriend. It was an unpleasent surprise, animosity was in the air, and there wasn’t much I could or wanted to do about it.
It’s too bad because the guy is a really good person and I miss hanging out with him. The last I heard, he felt I needed to give his gf an appology, though I didn’t hear what it was for.
This whole situation is very strange for me. I’ve not been involoved with a set of negative interpersonal relationships that were so convoluted and ugly.
Perhaps this is where the lost energy went from the show. 🙁
Well, off to the DEQ and Goodwill to drop off some old stuff. Maybe we can get that new CD tower soon… It should hold all of our CD’s in one place rather than having… 9 different storage racks and towers and cases.
The Depeche Mode Soundtracks section of FPO got a boost last night as I found scans for the four covers I had been missing: Say Anything, Modern Girls, The Wedding Singer (Part 2), and Dangerously Close. The first three came from http://www.bongbishop.com and the last from The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com
Of those, I’d actually like to purchase the first two because the SA soundtrack has a good tracklist and the MG soundtrack has an exclusive mix. (Although the mix may be only in the film, over the closing credits. I can’t remember off-hand.)
Well for an entry I expected to be short, this one went on for a bit. I had said in the past, I’d like to give a wider set of entries, more than just to-do lists and events. I’m still working on that, but not working hard enough.
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04.23.99
Posted in General
at 10 am
Apr 23 Fri (10 AM)
Finished the Depeche Mode Digital Video discogrphy that’s been hanging around the top of my to-do list. I haven’t put in the links on the interior pages of the site yet, but the sections done and after letting it sit for a couple of days, I’ll announce it on Bong. http://www.ordersomewherechaos.com/rosso/mode/dv
Still cranking away at my to-do list, and I just put together a massive one at work as well. As long I don’t overwhelm myself I should be okay, but it does look a bit scary.
I feel like I’ve been working myself to death lately. I think I’ll drop in on the Jesus Presley show at the Roseland Grill tonight. The show starts at 11:00pm.
I haven’t seen them for a few years, since a past friend of mine and I discovered them one strange night. Their website is seriously under developed, but it’s at: http://www.jesuspresley.com They’re a great band, and they always seem to love to be doing what they do. And the Reverend is a great front man. I doubt I’ll be able to get Amy to go, but I certainly want to get there.
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04.21.99
Posted in General
at 12 pm
Apr 21 Wed (12 AM)
Yeah, it’s been almost a week since my last journal update, but there’s a reason, however thin. I’ve become obsessed with my to-do list.
I haven’t had one that’s been so comprehensive for quite a while. Years in fact. But the good thing is that as I’m getting things done, I move them into the ‘Done’ area, and that makes me feel good to see things getting in there.
I’ve got just one more laser disc cover to get composed and placed, then the new Depeche Mode digital video section will be 95% done. Just the scans of the two Useless singles (From Mute) and the Home/Useless (From Reprise) plus the thumbnails for the index to add. Oh, and I need to crop the DVD covers as well. Then that new section will be made available.
I’ve got a load of stuff to take to Goodwill, but that will happen this weekend.
The packages I’ve been procrastinating on have finally gotten boxed, wrapped and labeled. Tomorrow they go out, just like TJ’s went out this afternoon.
Then it’s off to the DEQ for the car’s emission test to get the new tags and then I can finish off the DM soundtracks section, and the new server’s set up for the ‘I Believe’ site.
Speaking of which, Bo (who’s helping me with that site now, had a great quote in a recent e-mail: Ah, procrastination. My favorite game. But, I usually lose. Thanks Bo. 🙂
Talk about nose to the grind stone. Sometimes I wonder what I’m missing that’s going on around me when I’m this focused on ‘Things To Do’…
The coolest thing today was giving yet another Internet chat (this time tailored to pre-press people) at work. This is the 3rd(?) company that I’ve done this for… in a row. But the best part was getting a hand-written kudo for the talk from the company owner on my paycheck. Something about it being on the check itself really made me feel like I had _really_ earned that check. It felt good.
Eeep, it’s almost 1am. Off to bed!
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