Author: Bobby Rockers

Consistent Improvement of Oneself

I have a number of Firefox extensions that are essental to me now.  Yet, invariable, after a new computer install I always have to hunt them down and re-install them.  Well no more!  Here is MY list of important Firefox extensions:

  • Download Statusbar — Modifies the download window so it now displays as a bar on the bottom of your browser window.  No annoying download manager window, or having to switch to another window just to see how much time remains on a download.
  • FoxMarks — Synchronize your bookmarks between multiple computers.  The first run wizard helps you create an accout, and uploads your existing bookmarks to the syste.  The nice part is that you continue to use your bookmarks EXACTLY like you always have.  I started to write a plugin for Konqueror to do this a couple years ago, but never finished.  After using it for a couple days, I don’t know how I ever survived without it.
  • PicLens — Full screen 3D image viewer for websites like flickr and Google Images. It make image browsing insanely fast because of pre-loading. 
  • Snap Links — Open multiple links at the same time by right-click dragging a box around them. 
  • FlashGot — A batch-download tool for “grabbing” content.  You can specify the type of content (say just jpg images) as well.  If you are using Microsoft Windows you will also need to install a download manager like Free Download Manager.

There are more, but that will do for now. 

Shipping Up to Boston

Shawn came to town this weekend to see the Dropkick Murphys concert.  Dropkick Murphys are a Irish punk rock band out of Massachusetts; so think heavy metal drinking songs.  These smaller concerts are always more fun because you get to be directly involved with the band.  Half the people at the concerts seemed to get invited on stage at one point or another.  It was also the first concert I have been to in a couple years… although Heather and I have one next month.

Third times the charm

This post is comming to you from a Blackack II with Windows Mobile 6.0. I am not a fan of Windows, and the iPhone was easier to use (especially the web browser) but the full Outlook integration has simplified my workflow so dramatically that I already cannot imagine not having it. The AT&T had Windows Mobile, but without a full keyboard was almost unusable.

So until I find something better, the Blackjack II is my new phone.

And thus it Never Ends

The forceps of our minds are clumsy forceps, and crush the truth a little in taking hold of it.

–H. G. Wells

The problem with failing to archive all my bookmarks for the last year or so, is that all my posts seem to nothing but bookmark lists.  Unfortunately this may continue to be the case for a while.

  • 20 Things To Know — This is a short list of things that the author wished he had known when he was younger.  These kind of “if I could do it again” lists are pretty common but this one hit a couple bells with me.
  • Website to Know — A list of 9 websites you haven’t probably heard of but should check out.  Or that is what the title says anyway.
  • Building a Life on $25 — A really amazing story from ABC News about Adam Shepard who decided to test the American Dream.  After college he gave up everything (including his associations) and started living on the street to see if he could (within a year) have a steady job, a car, and $1000 in savings.  He stopped his experiment after 10 months; but had an apartment, a steady job, a truck, and close to $5000 in savings.
  • Object ARX manipulation in AutoCAD 2008 — A drop piece covering the new API interface for AutoCAD.  The new .Net interface is actually externally available and doesn’t require AutoCAD to be running.  This allow for more flexibility in customizing the system; especially during deployment.

I’ve Memorized my Beer List

A little learning is a dangerous thing;
drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.

–Alexander Pope

I have updated the wine list with a couple new entries and have finally added the Scotch list.  Scotch is one of those things I buy and lasts me weeks, so I often forget which Scotches I have had and which ones I like.  For any Scotch drinkers out there; let me know if you have a recommendation.

My Bosses Computer

Quick Link, will update this post later as I have a couple others to put up:

  • Diploma Guide Linux — The link is to free Linux training but the site looks interesting for itself. Provides links to useful course ware in a variety of disciplines.
  • Montana Kaimin’s Ron Paul Apology — A couple days late, but at least they did better than most of the media.
  • The Invisible Candidate — Another story about the overall media blackout of Ron Paul. I had a hard time finding return results for Ron Paul on Tuesday; even when he came in second or third they would often skip over him when discussing “the three Republican candidates” returns.
  • 10 Year Old Reporter — Check out the 10 year old girl working to get a question to Ron Paul after the Reagan Library debates. Go get’em kid!
  • Nintendo Online — How many of you used to own (or like me still own) a Nintendo Entertainment System. Well now you can play all your old NES games online. Not the same without controller but still pretty awesome.
  • WordPress Automatic Upgrade — WordPress is the content management system I use for Vault.  It is very powerful, really easy to setup (well… easy for me anyway,) and has a huge list of custom plug-ins that do everything from tracking reading lists to filtering spam comments.  The link is to a new plugin for WordPress that allows you to install the newest version automatically.   It even creates back-ups before doing so; just in case.

Three For Feburary

We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people.

–Arthur Schopenhauer

I had an insane couple days last week and never got around to posting these links.

  • 101 Desing Patterns — GREAT link. This website provides a list of common application development design patters and includes sudo code, flowcharts, and full process descriptions. A computer programmers best friend.
  • Linux Commands — A list of 77 Linux command line applications. A surprising number of them I didn’t know. Check out cmp and od.
  • Linux Home File Server — A Linux Journal article on building your own home file server on the cheep with Linux. You can configure NFS, Window File Shares, web management, FTP/HTTP access, and tons of useful file server stuff; all will old hardware you have lying around. I have two of these in my house (that I configured without this article) but this is a good tutorial for those who haven’t done it before.

Finally, I hope everyone who can, votes tomorrow. In spite of “Change we can believe in” there is really only one candidate that would bring about any meaningful change; and amazingly enough it’s a Republican.

False Advertising

Hey morons at Intellinet Network Solutions.  Guess what?  It’s NOT power over Ethernet ready if you have to put a disclaimer in your manual saying:

As the embedded PoE modules of NETWORK IP CAMERA 550710 and NETWORK VIDEO SERVER 550000 are slightly different from IEEE 802.3af standard, use recommended PoE injector only.

ESPECIALLY if the “recommended PoE injector” is the one YOU sell!  It’s pretty simple.  Meet IEEE 802.3af standard == PoE.  Don’t meet IEEE 802.3af == something the fuck else!

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system…. MORONS!

A Belated Holiday

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

More links to unload from my bookmarks folder. It is always nice to clean up my bookmarks and putting them on the blog makes them very easy to find in the future. Why is it that I always have more to read than time to read it?

  • Destruction in Black America -This editorial by Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe talks about the reality of violence in black America.
  • 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know -I know this is basically a publishing gimmick but it make for some interesting dictionary diving.
  • 75 Words Every Sci-Fi Fan Should Know -Now this is an interesting list of words. Something to appeal to the geek in all of us. Psychohistory is probably my favorite in the list, but I am a little bias towards Isaac Asimov.
  • How Software Companies Die -Software development is part art and part science. The “art” part of that equation takes special precedence when talking about cutting edge software engineering. Unfortunately those who do not understand IT (or even software development in particular) often fail to comprehend this fact. The tools of our past are often inadequate for the projects of our future. I run into this problem at my own company where those in charge are used to churning out a “product” and getting paid for that product
  • LISP, The Comic Book -I know the title doesn’t make sense but the link provides a very nice “high level” introduction into the most powerful (and unusual) programing language ever created.
  • Telephone Hacks -Nice list of features available to the telephone power user. The link is worth it just for the “tricking phone bots” tip.
  • A REAL Media Center Edition -Looking for a home media solution. Windows Media Center treats users like thieves, and Tivo is limited inflexible. Without exception LinuxMCE is the best home media management system in the world. If you don’t believe me check out the demo video. It will absolutely blow your mind. There is NOTHING like it anywhere else in the home entertainment world.

While Using Someone Elses Computer

I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

-Steve Jobs

Couple quick links:

  • 36 Startup Tips — List  of useful tips for entrepreneurs.  Topics include software engineering, infrastructure, PR, conferences, legal, and financial.
  • HyperPics — The definitive AutoCAD/AutoLisp customization site.
  • Introduction to AutoLISP — For those who have never developed for AutoCAD before.
  • Jeff Sanders AutoLISP — Another pretty basic AutoLISP tutorial site.  Was particularly useful in getting the syntactical highlighting working for AutoLISP.
  • CAD Digest, AutoLISP Archive — Old articles on using, developing, and working with AutoLISP.

Two points for anyone who can guess what I have been working on the last couple weeks.