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It's a Big Adventure...

One thing leads to another, and it now seems I've almost got everything properly planned, and I just have to do it!

This really is the best time to update my site and set everything up better, before I get to Beta.

The move to the new webhost is required, and I'll have to test that everything works the same at the new site. I've got scripts to send out the trial key, programs to deal with purchases, a database and mailing list of users, my blog, the user Forum, and all the webpages themselves.

The domain will become www.beholdgenealogy.com and the site will look more professional. The sample page I have there is undergoing a few changes, but I'm fairly happy with the way it looks.

I've decided to use the new Web Standards, that weren't around 10 years ago when I first put up my web pages. I've been studying and learning how to develop websites with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and ended up purchasing the program TopStyle Pro to help me build the pages.

I'll be switching to Wordpress for my blog, which means delving more into the PHP language and the MySQL database.

For the Forum, I originally thought I'd use Simple Machines, then in my previous post, I mentioned that Google Groups was a possibility. But now I think the one to use is Vanilla, a simple but extendible and powerful free forum package that's a bit different than the rest. I like when they announce a new version and say "Now available with fewer features". It is less than a 400 KB download! Amazing! And I'll be able to integrate it and Wordpress together so you'll have a single login.

Then I might even switch to PhpList to manage my mailing list and user database. My current mailing list program is ASP based and will start to bog down once I get to 5,000 mailings. PhpList should be good to 100,000. Again it uses MySQL and I might be able to integrate it with Wordpress and Vanilla.

So there's a fair bit on my plate. A move, a new design, learning to use 4 new software programs, a new database package and conversions of all my webpages, procedures and data. Sounds a bit overwhelming when I think about it. But now that the plan is in place, it's just a matter of doing it a step at a time.

I know this will delay my Beta release, but it will be very worthwhile in the long run. Hopefully this will all go smoothly and won't take too long. We'll see how it goes.




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Blog Building

I was having so much fun taking Wordpress and customizing it to match my new website, that my wife had to get up and convince me to come to bed at 3 a.m. last night. Wordpress is really well designed. You can customize just about everything, and I love the way its implemented. There is a great tutorial on How to Create a Wordpress Theme that I was using as a guide.

That progress made me feel much better after the frustration I had a few days ago. Add one more "solution found" to that list: I couldn't get Wordpress to work on my machine under IIS as a subdirectory - it would always give a 404 Page Not Found error. It only worked at the //localhost level. But I stumbled upon that answer after lots of searching. Such a trivial answer, and something that should have been documented in the installation guide, but wasn't. I loved it when I saw the answer ended with: "Easy when you know how :)"

The other great discovery today was a free software package called XP Pro IIS Admin. It gets around a restriction in IIS on Windows XP, and allows you to create multiple websites on the local machine and easily switch between them. I love this utility and it is saving me lots of time as I develop and test everything on my own machine instead of having to do it on my webhost.

Should have the blog finished in not too long, and then I'll start next to set up the Vanilla Forum.




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Newsletter Blues

Happy New Year everyone! I've worked hard and really customized Wordpress to look and work exactly as I'd like. It's ready to go as soon as I get the rest of the site up.

One of the next tasks was to replace the mailing software that I was using to send out my Behold News to people who had purchased or downloaded Behold. You might have noticed that you didn't receive a mailing for my last version in November. I didn't send one out because I had problems back in August with my mailings. My software kept shutting down every few hundred people and I'd have to restart it quite a few times. I wasn't sure if everyone had received it, and I'm sure some people received it twice. I didn't want that to happen again, so I didn't send one out in November.

I was thinking of switching to phpList to be my mailing program. But in the last couple of days, I found out the real problem and phpList wouldn't be any better than Spd E-Letter would.

There are three ways of sending Mass Mailings:

  1. From a program running on your website. This is what Spd E-Letter and phpList do. What I discovered the trouble here is that webhosts limit the number of mailings you are allowed to make in an hour. This is to prevent spamming. My number of mailings is now getting large enough that it would take quite a number of hours to send them all out at the limits they allow. If I had 10 times the list size, it would take days. So this is no longer a solution for me for the future.
     
  2. From a program running on your computer. Unfortunately this has the same problem. The limit instead is imposed by the ISP who you get Internet service from.
     
  3. From a company on the web that provides e-mailing services. This appears to be my only option. My research indicates the way to go is to stick to one of the top two: AWeber or GetResponse.
So at least for now, I don't have to worry about trying to implement phpList along with everything else I'm doing to get the new site up. But what I may do when I get my next version of Behold out, is try out both AWeber and GetResponse each with half my people and see which I like better.

But next it's off to Vanilla and finishing up the rest of my "new" site.




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Integration, Not Once, But Twice

Last night I managed to install Vanilla and using about a dozen different articles from the web, integrated it correctly with WordPress. I was very pleased.

Then this morning, I found that I had missed that fact that the Open Source groups using Wordpress have been working on their own light Vanilla-like Forum software called bbPress. Researching it, and looking at some implementations of bbPress, I saw no advantages anymore to stay with Vanilla. It's implementation was different than WordPress, and I'd have to learn and maintain 2 diffenent methods of adding themes, inserting plugins and setting up the pages. With bbPress, I'd be talking basically the same language as WordPress. Even though bbPress is only at Version 0.8.3.1 (even Behold is further!), right now it seems to have everything I want.

It only took me an hour to get rid of Vanilla and integrate bbPress instead. Next I'll customize it to my style and making it exactly what I want. This part's actually a lot of fun.




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Back to Forum Five

Yes, I had planned on going to Simple Forum. I'm still very impressed by it. But, I wanted to customize it to my site and change not only the appearance (which can easily be done through CSS), but also the content of what is included and where.

Unfortunately, although the PHP code is all available, it is very tightly written and is not easy to change. I'd have to be very much an expert at PHP to do it properly. And such custom modifications would make it very difficult to upgrade to future versions. I wouldn't want to get stuck at the current version.

So we hereby redeclare the winner to be bbPress. Works just like WordPress. It can also be easily extended by plugins, but more importantly almost all of it is easily customizable. I should be able to add some really useful features, such as showing you the topics you started and all the topics you participated in.

I commented last entry that bbPress was "primitive". Well, yes it is. But it is just starting to take off, and people are really getting excited about it and starting to turn it around. And as far as handling large forums goes, just check out the Wordpress Support Forum which has well over 600,000 posts already. It uses bbPress.

The one intangible I really like about it is that I can have it in its own directory called "forum", rather than under the blog directory as "blog/forum" or as a strange url such as "blog/?page_id=6" as Simple Forum requires since it is a plugin under WordPress. People on Unix boxes can use pretty permalinks and can change that, but on my Windows host, I can't.

I decided to completely reinstall WordPress and bbPress and start fresh. After all those databases I tried, I really gunged everything up and needed to clean it out and be sure it's all working. That only took a day and now I'm merrily customizing and integrating it into my new site design. Still not done, but its getting there.




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Last Post on this Blog -- Hopefully.

I've finally got through all the technical glitches so now WordPress and bbPress will work together very nicely. Now its just a matter of polishing up the various pages and putting them up.

I'm first going to concentrate on getting my new beholdgenealogy site up, and I'll convert the old site bit by bit. The first part will be this blog. What will happen is I will activate the new blog, deactivate the old one, and change all links to the blog to point to the new site. All my Behold pages should still continue to function during all this, except for the few seconds while I'm actually making the changes.

I'll also be copying all my old Blog posts into the new blog. The Behold User Forum had an area for Blog Comments. I'm going to attach those comments to their corresponding posts in the new blog. I'll have a new RSS feed for the new Blog, but I'll try to see if I can redirect the old one to it so that the old feed will continue to work.

I came up with a new registration system that I'm really happy with. When you register, you go to a page that simply asks for your e-mail address. You enter it and click the register button. It then sends you an e-mail with a link that you click on to verify you are the e-mail address holder. That link takes you to the registration page where you can select your UserID and password and enter any profile info you want. You then are registered. So what I've done is move the e-mail confirmation to the first step. That eliminates webbots from filling in registration forms and getting junk entered into the user database. That will get rid of a big maintenance headache that I currently have due to those webbots.

So the benefits of the blog change to you and me are:

  1. More interaction: You can add your comments directly onto my posts instead of into the Forum.
  2. More visibility: As a WordPress blog, it will be better indexed on Google and elsewhere.
  3. Plays better with others: Feed will be RSS 2.0 (now it's only 0.92) and it will accept Trackbacks and Pingbacks.
  4. Saves me hassle: I will no longer have to manually create my RSS feed or ping services to tell them about new posts.
  5. Brings me up to the state-of-the-art.

Hopefully my next post will be to the new Behold Blog.




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Quality In The Details: Benefits Of A Mobile Car Detailing Service

Finding a shop that offers car detailing can often be a tedious process. Especially for those who have recently moved and are unsure of their surroundings, knowing where to look can sometimes be frustrating. Customers may also be unsure of what is a reputable company. Luckily, car detailing services have now gone mobile. Rather than the customer physically going to a shop to have the service completed, the service is simply brought straight to the customer's doorstep. Here are a few benefits of choosing this forward-thinking service. 

Comes to You

One of the best perks of a mobile car detailing service is that the services comes directly to the customer. Without having to leave their doorstep, an appointment can easily be made by calling the shop and setting a date and timeframe. The mobile service will simply arrive at the agreed-upon time and complete the service. With such a convenient ability to come to the customer, the work can be completed while the customer goes about their day. Since most car detailing services last a few hours, the customer does not have to deal with waiting in an uncomfortable waiting room without access to a car and can simply relax at home while the service is completed.  

Find the Right Provider

Another perk to going with a mobile car detailing service is overall quality. Since many car detailing companies compete with each other, it is easy to pick out those who deliver quality service and results at reasonable prices. Checking online reviews of local mobile car detailing services beforehand can help eliminate companies that the customer is not interested in. What should stand out to the customer is what others have to say regarding their service. Excellent testimonials that speak of quality work, professional attitudes, punctuality and competitive prices will lead the customer to a mobile car detailing service that will be a perfect fit.

With these benefits to keep in mind, going with a mobile car detailing service is simply the most convenient and reliable method the customer can choose. Not only will the convenience of having the service come to the customer be a plus, but knowing that the work completed is done with customer satisfaction in mind will also be hard to beat. Even with the hustle and bustle of daily life, car detailing does not have to be a hassle. Through a mobile car detailing service, convenience and quality come together for a finished product that will be sure to turn heads. Look for a mobile car detailing service in your area. 




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Why an Express Car Wash Is the Convenient Choice for Busy Individuals

If you lead a busy life and find yourself constantly on the go, taking care of your car may often get put on the back burner. However, neglecting regular car maintenance can lead to a build-up of dirt, grime, and even damage to your vehicle's exterior. That's where an express car wash comes in. Offering quick and efficient service, an express car wash is the perfect solution for busy individuals who want to keep their cars looking their best without sacrificing precious time. 

Speedy Service

When time is of the essence, an express car wash offers a swift and efficient solution. Unlike traditional car washes, which can take a considerable amount of time, an express car wash boasts quick turnaround times. With automated systems and dedicated technicians, an express car wash ensures your car receives a thorough cleaning in a fraction of the time.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

One of the standout features of an express car wash is its convenient nature. With no appointment necessary, you can simply drive up and have your car washed in a matter of minutes. This eliminates the hassle of scheduling and waiting around for your turn. Additionally, many express car washes offer extended operating hours, allowing you to fit in a quick clean even during the busiest times of the day. 

High-Quality Cleaning

Despite its speedy service, an express car wash doesn't compromise on quality. Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and specially formulated cleaning solutions, these car washes are designed to deliver a thorough and effective clean. From removing stubborn dirt and grime to shining your car's exterior, an express car wash ensures your vehicle receives the attention it deserves. Moreover, many express car washes offer additional services such as tire cleaning, interior vacuuming, and even detailing options, allowing you to customize your car wash experience based on your needs.

For busy individuals, an express car wash is the ultimate convenience. With its speedy service, flexible operating hours, and commitment to quality, an express car wash offers the perfect solution for keeping your car in top condition without sacrificing precious time. By taking advantage of the convenience and benefits that an express car wash provides, you can ensure your vehicle is always shining, protecting your investment and making a positive impression wherever you go. Visit your nearest express car wash and give your car the care it deserves.

Learn more about an express car wash near you today.




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The Benefits of Auto Detailing

Auto detailing goes far beyond a simple car wash. It is a meticulous process that involves cleaning, restoring, and finishing both the interior and exterior of a vehicle to achieve a show-quality level of detail. This process offers numerous benefits that every car owner should consider.

Enhanced Appearance

One of the most noticeable benefits of auto detailing is the enhanced appearance of your vehicle. Professional detailing can remove surface imperfections, such as scratches, swirls, and oxidation, leaving your car looking brand new. This not only improves the aesthetic appeal but also helps maintain the vehicle's value over time.

Improved Resale Value

When it comes time to sell or trade-in your vehicle, a well-maintained car will always fetch a higher price. Auto detailing helps preserve the car's exterior paint and interior finishes, making it more appealing to potential buyers. A detailed car signals that the owner has taken good care of the vehicle, which can significantly boost its resale value.

Protection from the Elements

Regular auto detailing provides a protective layer against environmental hazards. The application of wax, sealants, and ceramic coatings creates a barrier that shields the car's paint from UV rays, acid rain, bird droppings, and road salt. This protection extends the life of the paintwork and reduces the likelihood of rust and corrosion.

Enhanced Comfort and Safety

A clean car is a comfortable car. Interior detailing involves thorough cleaning and conditioning of all surfaces, including seats, carpets, and dashboards. This process removes dust, dirt, and allergens, creating a healthier environment for the driver and passengers. Additionally, clean windows and mirrors improve visibility, enhancing overall driving safety.

Extended Lifespan of Vehicle Components

Auto detailing is not just about aesthetics; it also involves maintaining and preserving various components of the vehicle. Regular cleaning and conditioning of leather seats, for example, prevent cracking and fading. Likewise, keeping the engine bay clean can improve the vehicle's performance and extend its lifespan.

Cost-Effective Maintenance

Investing in regular auto detailing can save money in the long run. You can avoid costly repairs and replacements by maintaining the car's exterior and interior surfaces. For instance, removing contaminants from the paintwork prevents permanent damage that could require expensive repainting.

Enhanced Driving Experience

Driving a clean and well-maintained car enhances the overall driving experience. The feeling of stepping into a fresh, spotless vehicle can boost your mood and make every drive more enjoyable. The attention to detail in every corner of the car reflects the pride and care put into maintaining it.

Learn more from a company near you like Grizzly Clean.




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The Benefits of Vehicle Detailing

Vehicle detailing goes beyond a simple wash and wax. It is a meticulous process that addresses both the interior and exterior of your vehicle, providing a thorough cleaning and rejuvenation. The benefits of regular vehicle detailing extend beyond aesthetics, impacting the longevity, value, and overall experience of vehicle ownership.

Enhance Your Vehicle’s Appearance

Regular detailing can significantly enhance the appearance of your vehicle. The process involves polishing the exterior to remove scratches, swirl marks, and imperfections, restoring your car's paint to its original glory. A well-detailed car stands out, showcasing a glossy finish that makes it look like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Interior detailing ensures that every nook and cranny is cleaned, leaving the cabin fresh and inviting.

Protect Your Investment

One of the key benefits of vehicle detailing is protection. By applying wax or sealant, detailing creates a barrier that protects your vehicle’s paint from UV rays, road salt, oxidation, and other environmental contaminants. This layer of protection helps maintain the exterior's integrity, preventing fading and corrosion. Inside, cleaning and conditioning the upholstery, carpets, and dashboard prevent wear and tear, preserving the interior's value over time.

Improve Resale Value

Detailing your vehicle before selling or trading it can significantly boost its resale value. A meticulously maintained car attracts more buyers and fetches a higher price. Buyers frequently pay a premium for vehicles that are immaculate and well-maintained, both inside and out. Detailed work indicates to potential buyers that the car has been meticulously cared for, providing reassurance about its condition and history.

Enhance Safety and Functionality

Vehicle detailing contributes to safety by ensuring that headlights, taillights, and windows are clean and clear. Properly detailed lights improve visibility at night or in adverse weather conditions, while streak-free windows enhance overall driving safety. Additionally, detailing can improve the functionality of your vehicle by keeping components such as the engine bay clean, ensuring optimal performance.

Enjoy a Better Driving Experience

A clean, fresh-smelling interior enhances the driving experience, making your time behind the wheel more enjoyable. Detailing removes allergens, dust, and bacteria from your vehicle, promoting a healthier environment. The attention to detail in cleaning every surface contributes to a more pleasant and comfortable ride, whether you're commuting to work or embarking on a road trip.

In conclusion, vehicle detailing offers numerous benefits that go beyond simply having a clean car. By enhancing appearance, protecting your investment, improving resale value, ensuring safety, and elevating the driving experience, detailing proves to be a wise investment for any vehicle owner. Consider regular detailing as part of your vehicle maintenance routine to keep your car looking and performing its best.

For more info, contact a local company like Ted's Express Car Wash.




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Improving business writing skills

Introducing the new e-book by Ken Evoy "Make Your Content PREsell." It's the only book of its kind. It will make you more effective, every way, every day. Every communication that you write will be better. Not just your web pages, e-zines or personal e-mail. Everything you ever write will simply be more effective.




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Online data backups - a valuable addition to your total data protection solution

About five years ago online data backup services began to emerge as an alternative method of backing up your data. The best advantage of online data backups is that they, by definition, are remote, so if a fire burns down your home you'll still have a backup to roll your data back.




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Dedicated IP hosting - benefits of using a static over shared IP address

Is web hosting with dedicated (static) IP address better than having a shared IP address for your website? Due to the rapid increase of the number of registered domain names and the finite number of IP addresses, web hosting providers are forced to use shared IP's when possible. In fact, hundreds of websites often share the same address. Dedicated IP hosting is no longer the norm and usually costs more.




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Controlling Web crawlers (search engine spiders) with robots.txt and meta tags

How to instruct Web crawlers (search engine spiders) what to do when they visit your site. You can specify that some parts of your site should be private and non-searchable. You can control how Web crawlers index your site at different levels - the entire site, specific directories, and individual pages.




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Web Developer News

Latest news for Web developers from popular webmaster-oriented websites.




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New version of Secure HTML - a free Windows program that creates password protected Web pages

Version 1.6. The new command line parameter -s (Silent - no errors or warnings) has been added.




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User-friendly Web conferencing tool

A cost-effective and easy-to-use Web conferencing tool for any business.




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Mutation Mutation Dark Black Tour

Mutation hit the road for the first time and leave a trail of sonic destruction in their wake. Brutally impressive.




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Black Moth Black Moth UK Tour

Another strong live showing from one of our favourites here at Room Thirteen. Strong set-list compiling of largely new music!




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Biohazard From The Archives 2

Continuing to pull from the archives whilst parts of the site are under construction here we go back to 2014 for some Biohazard!




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Fall Out Boy From The Archives 2

Heading back to 2008 now (woah!) to a headline Fall Out Boy set at Wembley Arena. Early arena days how they've grown!




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Irreversible Mechanism - Immersion

Irreversible Mechanism




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Behemoth - I Loved You At Your Darkest

Behemoth




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Fever 333 - STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS

Fever 333




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Born Of Osiris - The Simulation

Born Of Osiris




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John Garcia & The Band Of Gold - John Garcia & The Band Of Gold

John Garcia




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Mark Deutrom - The Blue Bird

Mark Deutrom




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Room Thirteen Editorial - Album Section Update

1




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Room Thirteen Editorial - Album Section Update

New Content Coming Soon




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Normandie Announce Album & Tour

Band unveil plans for what is set to be a very busy 2024 for the trio.




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Aerosmith Begin Their Final Tour

All-time Rock legends kick off what will be their final ever tour.




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Ozzy Memorabilia Museum Incoming

Sharon Osbourne confirms she is working on a Birmingham based museum!




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Desertfest 2024 - First Bands Announced

Riffs? Riffs anyone? You'll find PLENTY here. First bands announced!




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Imminence Announce New Album

Swedish metalcore unit unveil details for their fifth studio release!




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Knocked Loose Announce New Album

Band announce all the details for their forthcoming third studio release!




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Bob Vylan Unveil New Track

With the new record just a month away Bob Vylan unveils brand new track!




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O2 Academy Brixton To Reopen

Venue announces it will be back open for business from mid April!




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Bleed From Within Unleash New Music

Scottish Metal unit mark the start of "a new chapter" with new music!




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Slam Dunk Finalise 2025 Bill

Organisers announce final run of bands joining the fray in 2025!




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Blackfield UK Tour 2017

No further details available.




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Mutation Dark Black Tour

No further details available.




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Black Moth UK Tour

No further details available.




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Turbowolf 2018 Tour

No further details available.




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Updated the page about Linux on an Sony Vaio.

Some time ago I updated Mandrake 10.1 Official on my Sony Vaio PCG-NV309 to Mandriva LE 2005. The vaio page has been updated to reflect the changes.




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Link to SiteBar.org added.

I updated my links page and added a link to SiteBar. While I was at it, I got rid of some old news and changed the format for the dates in this rss file.




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Added some information about dailystrips and Userfriendly.org.

I gathered some information about dailystrips and userfriendly and how to use them when Arcor is blocked by UF's ISP.




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TEI Toolbox, or "How a geeky librarian reads Horace"

By marking up documents in XML/TEI, you create sets of well-structured narrative data, and consequently, this enables you to "read" the documents in new and different ways.

  • Keywords: reading; XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language);
  • Source: This document was originally published as an Infomotions Musing.



  • reading
  • XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language)

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How to write in a book

There are two files attached to this blog posting, and together they outline and demonstrate how to write in a book.

  • Keywords: reading;
  • Source: This essay was originally posted to Infomotions Musings.




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The Works of Horace, Bound

This posting outlines how I bound the (almost) complete works of Horace.

  • Keywords: book binding; librarianship;
  • Source: This posting was originally published as a part of Infomotions's Musings.




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Alcuin Interviews for a Data Librarian Position

Alcuin, a librarian of the Carolingian Renaissance and advisor to Charlemenge, recently interviewed for a data librarian position, and below is a transcript of some of the interview with the search committee.

  • Keywords: librarianship; fiction;
  • Source: This is the initial publication of this item.