RSS 2.0
I've added a dynamically generated RSS 2.0 feed. I've wanted to do this for quite some time and don't know why I didn't do it sooner. It only took a few minutes to throw together. I've kept it pretty simple and may modify it a little over the next few days.
If you're interested in adding the feed to your news reader, please let me know how it works and if there is another version of the feed I should ad. From what I can tell, RSS 2.0 seems to be the most popular.
As a quick side note, I saw Spiderman 2 last night and was blown away. I haven't been that entertained in a long time. I wanted to watch it again right away and probably will see it again this weekend.
Faraday 911
This article about radar that can "see through walls" scares the sh*t out of me for some reason.
"Camero, a small company based in Herzliya, Israel, has developed a radar system that uses ultra-wideband technology to produce three-dimensional pictures of the space behind a wall from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which reportedly resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution and are produced in real time."
I guess it's time to start thinking about that Faraday cage for my apartment.
Late to the game
I love RSS. I'm late to the game, I know, but let me have my moment. I feel like a kid in a candy store. There are so many great feeds available and I just can't get enough.
I think the reason that I resisted for such a long time is because I truly enjoy experiencing the design of the websites that I read every day. Over the past several months, my list of daily reads got so long that I was having a hard time keeping up. I had to give in. Now I can get my daily fix in half the time and I couldn't be happier.
On the first day I had a problem. I subscribed to a bunch of feeds, but how was I going to get them synchronized on all of my different computers? OPML to the rescue! Now I can stay up to date at work (shh!) and at home.
If interested, have a look at my current OPML file here.
What are your favorite RSS feeds? Am I missing anything that's a must read?
It's GD great!
I've been experimenting with Captcha this week as a way to better protect web forms from bots and spammers. Captchas are those crazy text images that contain a code that you have to enter sometimes when filling out forms.
I found some good tutorials, but so far none that work with the current version of PHP. I'm doing some testing and will create a tutorial of my own once I think that I have something new to offer.
While researching I found a really good introduction to the GD library. You can view it in the form of a web presentation here.
Office Space
After much stress and many conversations with people that I respect, I decided to quit my job of the last 3.5 years and move on to bigger and better things. I gave my notice this past Friday and it was one of the hardest things I've done.
It's hard to walk away from a group of people that I love working with. I have fun every day and love the company. However, it's time to move on and I was given an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I'm really excited about it and would like to go into specifics, but don't feel that the time is right to divulge everything.
Another reason to be excited today is for the release of the new They Might Be Giants album. You can download it along with their new EP at the TMBG download site for only $13.00. All of the mp3's are free of DRM and encoded at 256kbps using the LAME mp3 encoder.
Oh yeah, do yourself a favor and watch the new TMBG video.
This Desert Life
Tomorrow I'm heading to Arizona to visit my brother for a couple days. I'm excited to get away and take some time to unplug and relax.
I'm packing light, bringing only my camera and a small suitcase. He has a couple of fun day trips planned and I hope to get some decent photos while I'm there.
Speaking of which, I'm happy to announce that I'm finally done with an early version of my photoblog. Comments should be up and running in the next week or so and then I'll tweak the design, optimize the CSS and do all of the usually geeking out to try to make it the best that it can be.
I used a very simple design (if you can call it that) because I really want the photos to stand out. For now, most of the photos are at least a month old. That will not become a habit. The only way to take better pictures is to take more pictures. That's what I plan to do.
Back in Action
I made it back from Arizona last night. Over the weekend my brother and I got up at 6am each day so that we could get as much into each day as possible. I hope to continue this sleep schedule now that I'm home. It seemed easier to get up at that time than my usual time of 7:30.
Here's a short list what we did:
The food in Tucson was amazing. On Sunday night I had Arroz con Pollo at the El Charro Cafe. This was easily one of the top 5 meals I've had in my life. The strawberry margaritas at Chuy's each night were pretty great as well.
Oh yeah, it's nearing monsoon season in Arizona, so there was a little rain each night. The sunset on Sunday night over the mountains was an amazing orange with a mix of dark clouds and blue sky. It was truly amazing.
Thanks to my brother and his wife for an incredible weekend. I needed it.
36 Fiddy
For the last 3 years my employer has covered my cell phone bill every month. Sweet, I know. Now that I'm leaving I have to take over payment again and decided that I should get a new phone. So, I went to T-Mobile and got the Nokia 3650 and a Bluetooth adapter. I'm already blown away.
Bluetooth was pretty easy to set up. I used iSync on my Mac to move my address book to the phone and figured out how to move files to it. I installed AutoLock right away and now couldn't survive without it.
The camera on the 3650 is so much better than my last phone, so I hope to use that feature a bit more. I got email configured on the phone and have already confirmed that sending to Textamerica works.
Now the hunt is on for cool software. I already know that I need Salling Clicker, but what else is out there that I shouldn't be without?
Ghost World
I posted a new photo over at the photoblog today and mentioned that I met a couple of people while I was out taking some shots.
Note to self: Get business cards or carry a pen and paper with you at all times.
The first person that came up to me was a pretty cool guy who's also into photography. We talked a little bit about my camera and the camera mount he made for his car. I was a little apprehensive at first because I always think that I'm going to get beat up and robbed. I was robbed in a gas station a few years ago and have been very aware of my surroundings and leery of strangers since then.
Anyway, he seemed cool and I gave him my web address.
After that, a girl approached me. She was with another girl and a guy and had a camera. We shook hands and there was small talk about what I was doing. I found out that she was here visiting from California. After a minute or two I got a little nervous and clammed up. I don't know if it's because I forgot how to talk to girls or if I was afraid that they were a trio of scammers. She said goodbye and vanished into the distance.
In unrelated news, I've got a new desk picked out at IKEA and hope to be picking it up tomorrow. I can't wait. I'm currently set up on a mixture of card tables, filing cabinets and end tables. I'm hoping that a proper desk will help me focus better on working when I'm at my computer.
Oh yeah, check out why PHP 5 rocks.
I Heart IKEA
I love IKEA. I've been there three times this week. Once to shop and twice to buy. After a few hundred dollars, one stripped screw, a trip to the hardware store and many sore muscles, I have a new computer desk and coffee table.
Until this week I've used a mixture of file cabinets, card tables and end tables as a computer desk. I now have a new computer desk and regular desk set up in an L shape.
As for the coffee table, I ended up with this one. I really like having the second shelf. It's a huge improvement over my last coffee table and looks great in my place.
Thanks to Jeremy for hauling his trailer to the store and helping me get the furniture home.
Movie News
In movie news, Vincent Gallo will be at the Lagoon Cinema next Wednesday for a screening of his new film, Brown Bunny. After the film there will be a Q & A. I've already got my ticket and can't wait to see the film. I've been a Gallo fan since seeing Buffalo '66. I think it's a brilliant film and never get tired of watching it. Vincent Gallo is an amazing actor and director. You can learn more about him at his personal website.
Call (612) 338-0871 for information about the event.
Photoblog Comments are Live
I spent some time over the past couple of nights working on getting comments up on my photoblog site, photo.neongreen.com. I decided to keep it all inline, instead of relying on pop-up windows or having to maintain a second page. I want my photoblog to be simple to use and maintain. I think that this achieves that goal.
I really want to keep improving my photography and am interested in honest feedback, both positive and negative, about each photo.
Oh yeah, if you notice any rendering errors or problems with my comment system, please contact me.
