Moving the Blog!

I've decided to move my future blog posts to a new home - Blogger. The new Alan's Place has a few things going for it that this one does not, mostly related to ease of use in regards to uploading pictures and the like. So, if you want to see my future rantings, make sure to check it out.

After the Deluge Report

There hasn't been much happening on the surfing front as of late, due to the deluge we've experienced here in SoCal over the last few weeks. To get an idea of just how much rain we have received, San Diego's average annual rainfall is in the neighborhood of 7 inches. This year (which starts in July, I believe), we are about 13 inches OVER that average.

One of the local lakes (Lake Hodges) was down to 20% of its maximum volume in October. Now, it is overflowing (as it is designed to do) for the first time since 1998!

Thus, with all of the runoff from the swollen rivers, the local beaches are a disaster area. The water looks like Willy Wonka's chocolate lake, and to top it off, it would be wise to step carefully if you decide to stroll along the beach for the next few days!

New Software Installed

Today I was finally spurred to upgrade my pyBlosxom installation (the blog software which is the engine behind my website) from version 0.7.something to 1.0. What spurred this upgrade? - People spamming my comments! A week or two ago I started noticing the same comments being posted to any and all of my stories, pimping casinos, prescription meds, etc.

So, today I figured it would be a good day to do something about these losers. After installing the new version, I then began looking for a human verification system for posted comments. I stumbled upon a solution similar to that used by Yahoo! and gMail, here. After getting the required libraries installed (including compiling the Python Imaging Library from source, and banging my head against the wall after several obscure problems popped up), everything seems to be working swimmingly.

So, please feel free to post (non-spam) comments till you feint. If you encounter any problems, I'd appreciate a heads up from the peanut gallery! Thanks much.

Cooking for Engineers

The Cooking for Engineers website provides recipes and cooking tips for the more technically minded cooks out there. The ingredient lists are laid out in a very interesting manner which is hard to describe - you'll just have to look at it yourself! Some of the recipes look particularly appetizing - I may have to give some of them a try in the very near future.

Revenge of Friday

Ah - what plans I had for early today, all dashed by the fickle workings (or lack thereof) of the common automobile. Today started out early, with me hopping out of bed around 5:15, hoping to catch some good surf before work. We had a nice swell arrive yesterday, and I was drooling over decent sized waves with glassy conditions. I squeezed into the wetsuit and made my way towards the beach.

Approximately 10 minutes away from home, on the 76, my 1985 Nissan 300ZX just died, with me in the fast lane. I pulled over as far as possible, noting the lack of a decent emergency lane at this point of the 76. I try restarting it, and it is just dead as a door nail. Great. Here I am, barefoot in my wetsuit, and I need to get the hell out of the fast lane before traffic really starts to pick up. When I notice a break in the traffic, I hop out, and push the Z accross the freeway and up a slight incline to make it to a turn-off, cutting my foot in the process. Luckilly, the turn-off is down hill, so I coast into a parking lot.

Quickly changing into my shorts and shoes, I call my wife at 5:45 (which I am just sure she loved :>) and asked her to please come on down here with the kids, because I know that there is nothing else she would rather do at this time of the day. They all show up in their pjs, and I jump the Z with no problem. Unfortunately, the Z dies again at the next stop light on the way back home. So I get to push it again. This time, I just left it in a hopefully safe location, and I'll try and do what I can after I get off of work this afternoon.

Replacing the battery should fix the immediate problem. However, I suspect that the alternator may be bad, causing the battery to drain. Once the engine is started, the engine should generate electricity to power the rest of the system, but it is my belief that this is not happening. I noticed last night that the headlights seemed a little dim, and my speedometer has been acting very wonky as of late. We'll see what happens...

Damn I’ve Been Busy

I just wanted to briefly say, “I’m sorry” for the lack of updates over the last week or two. I have been slammed here at work trying to figure out a few new technologies for potential deals, and it isn't something you just pick up in a few hours.

I have gone surfing a couple of days this last week, but due to inclement weather, it appears as if I might not make it back into the water until next week. We need the rain despeartely here in southern CA, so you won't hear me complaining... to loudly. :)

Attention: My Moles Have Left the Building

That's right! Yesterday, the last problematic moles was removed, so now I am waiting two weeks for it to heal, at which time the stitches will be removed. I am now going slightly bonkers, as I must be a lazy bum for the next two weeks. I can't run, surf, skateboard, jump around, etc. Fortunately, drinking a beer is still permitted. I think I'll make it...

He's Baaaaaack!

Yippee. I am now back at work from my holiday vacation to nowhere in particular. While we didn't do anything spectacular, it was very nice having time off with my family and seeing some of the sites around San Diego, including the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. We had planned on visiting Julian to see some snow and eat a few apple pies, however mother nature did not cooperate with our plans - no snow fell in Julian over the holidays!

As is customary, I also got sick about 4 days before returning to work. Whether this is a physical reaction to the thought of returning to work or not is left up to the reader. In all seriousness, it appears to be some sort of virus which mucks up with your sinus and respiratory functions, causing stuffy noses, sinus headaches, and a nasty cough. Our son caught it first, which then triggered a fairly severe asthma attack at around midnight. The usual breathing treatment at home didn't seem to help as much as usual, so off the the ER we went. After 4 hours, both of us managed to crawl back into bed at 4:30 AM for some much needed sleep.

So now that I'm back I'll attempt to keep the site up to date in regards to photos and surf reports. Keep checking back!

Search Engine Now Available

Yesterday, I spent a good amount of time adding web server functionality to the email serverm with an eye towards finally upgrading the webserver to Debian GNU/Linux stable, from it's nearly antiquted RedHat Linux 6.2. RedHat was the first linux distribution I used for a significant amount of time (starting with 5.0), but since that time I've come to greatly appreciate and admire Debian.

Anyhow, I migrated the company and personal web sites over to the Debian mail server, which allowed me to install a new search plugin for my blog. You should now see a search box in the top right hand column of my site. Give it a whirl and see how works. It is based on the Lucene java search engine, so see the web site for more info.

PyBlosxom 0.8.1 Installed

I had not updated Pyblosxom (the blog software which produces this HTML page you are currently reading) in quite some time, and noticed that there had been a few updates/bug fixes since my last installation. Thus, version 0.8.1 is now installed, and seems to be humming along nicely after I overcame a few bumps. If you encounter any problems, please let me know!

CSI for Kids

Do you remember being a kid and playing with fingerprint kits, pretending to investigate some foul crime perpetrated against humanity? Well, technology has advanced quit a bit since the days of my youth, and kids these days can now have their own DNA Exploration Kit, complete with centrifuge! I hope the Tooth Fiary, Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus don't leave any forensic evidence.

The Picture of Everything

Howard Hallis started this project with a simple drawing of Spiderman. After that, he added a few more Marvel super-heroes, then branched out exponentially from there. Warning! Do not visit this site unless you have 30 minutes or so to kill. You have been warned.

What the Segway SHOULD Have Been?

At least, that was my initial reaction when I saw the Bombardier EMBRIO Concept vehicle. Of course, it is just a concept vehicle right now, so who knows if it will ever make it into production, but it looks damn fun, doesn't it? Forbes has an article on it as well.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Things have been a bit quiet around here for the last week or so, for a variety of reasons. First of all, I started feeling very ill last Monday evening (the 8th), and didn't come into work the following day. It was the usual sinus cold/infection, and it is still bothering me now, though not nearly to the extent as those two days.

Then, I had a business trip to Minneapolis, MN last Thursday and Friday. As one may suspect, travelling on 9/11 with sinus problems was not too enjoyable. On the other hand, I did get to meet several people I've worked with over the phone and internet for the last four years, so it was well worth the trip.

So now I'm feeling a bit better, with no business trips in the near future. I'll try and get back to updating the site with the usual surf reports and doses of humor to get me through the week.

A Proper Cup of Tea

Douglas Adams is one of my favorite authors, due to his razor sharp wit and unique perspective on we humans. He passed away a few years ago, but not before leaving us with some wonderful fiction (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently series) and an internet project which continues to this day (h2g2.com).

Browsing through h2g2.com, I stumbled upon directions written by Mr. Adams on the correct method to produce a proper cup of tea. So if you are curious, or are looking for a substitue to replace your normal cup of joe in the AM, give it a read through and then spend some time looking through the site for other interesting nuggets.

San Diego Comic-Con 2003

It only took till the age of 33, but I finally went to the San Diego Comic-Con (with my son) on Sunday. The San Diego convention center was completely taken over by the con, and it was quite a site to see. A very kind gentleman gave me a free pass as we were waiting to purchase tickets, so the day started off with a nice surprise.

My son and I first went to sit in on a discussion about the new Lego Bionicle movie, which will be released direct to video on Sept. 16. The panel featured the story writer, animator, as well as reps from Lego and Miramax. A few trailers were shown, and it looks like it will be a decent movie.

After the panel, we walked around the convention center floor, picking up free comics, posters, cards, and whatever other swag interested us. After two and a half hours of walking about, we were ready to head back home. My overall impression of the Comic-Con was: "Glad I didn't pay for it." I'm not a died in the wool comic book guy, although I still have my X-Men comics from when I was in middle school...

Comment System Now Available

You may have noticed a new "Comments (x)" hyperlink at the bottom of each story. I have successfully installed pyblosxom's comment plugin (contributed by Ted Leung) so that users can comment on the articles. Dive on in and have a blast!

How do YOU Spell Unemployable?

Oh boy! Another neat way for people too bored with existence to mutilate themselves into their own impersonations of the aliens in V. I don't know which is worse: the fact that this is something the subject wanted to do, or that his parents gave him the $500 to do it. *choke*

Despair, Inc.

I am sure all of us have seen the inspirational photos with suitably inspirational slogans tacked on at the bottom. Well, Despair, Inc. has a slightly different take on the subject. I am particulary fond of the Demotivators.

As they say, "If you can't motivate employees with vision, why not try inspiring them with fear?"

About This Site...

This software used to generate the site you see before you is called pyblosxom. Pyblosxom is an implementation of blosxom, written in python instead of perl. Each story you see is a simple text file created by the author (that would be me), which is then picked up by pyblosxom and presented to you when you visit the site.

The server itself is a dual Pentium II 400Mhz machine running Linux and the Apache Web Server. The server is very stable and has had some fairly remarkable uptimes (the amount of time between reboots). It serves as my company's web site, which we host ourselves.

The conent of the site is purely personal in nature, and will focus on my interestes: family, friends, games, computers, surfing, and the odd joke/rant. I don't have any master plan as to where this will head, so it should be an interesting ride. Should you have any suggestions (other than "Bugger off!"), please feel free to drop me a line.