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Brain Freeze: Summer 2010

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:48 GMT

Summer 2010 has been some crazy good times. After a 1 month period with the kids in Tahoe, they came back to the bay area in full force. We have in the last month (almost) been swimming almost every day, gone to Waterworld, eaten a ton of Sushi and been to some other minor events. Today, to cap the event stack, we are going to Californias Great America! The wife and kids have never been and the last time I went I was a midget myself.

Pictures will be posted after but it will definitely be a time to remember. I am trying to get all these pictures up before they end up getting archived so there may be a big picasa dump coming soon.

How To Be an Android Power User!

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:27:32 GMT

Everything you need to know to master Google's smartphone OS

http://digg.com/software/How_To_Be_an_Android_Power_User

I've started using http://NutshellMail.com to manage my Facebook and Twitter ...

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:59:58 GMT

I've started using http://NutshellMail.com to manage my Facebook and Twitter accounts through one simple email.

Google Adds Rich Text Signatures to Gmail

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:59:59 GMT

Gmail users will now be able to add logos to their email signature following improvements to Google’s web-based email service

http://digg.com/tech_news/Google_Adds_Rich_Text_Signatures_to_Gmail

Answer by Gabriel for Visit page without incrementing hit counter

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:28:01 GMT

In this case, the hit counter implementation is broken. Hits should only be counted by unique users usually. Otherwise any goon could set a reload bot and blow out the numbers on the counter. A real counting solution is going to be using something like the analytics API from google (or other analytics implementations) which will give you dashboard access to the real visibility of the site.

Answer by Gabriel for jQuery: set 'active' class in menu from secondary link

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:47:23 GMT

$('a[rel=panel]').click(function (e) {
  $('a[rel=panel]').parent('li').removeClass('current');
  // $(this).parent("li").addClass('current');
  $(".nav2 a[href='" + $(this).attr('href') + "']").parent('li').addClass('current');
});

this worked fine over at:

http://jsfiddle.net/s2vxe/

let me know if you need more in this one.

Playing with a new home page design. Ignore the navigation for the time being...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:15:30 GMT

Playing with a new home page design. Ignore the navigation for the time being but you can have some fun with the... http://fb.me/sYPfBHvQ

Super Mouse vs Mouse Trap

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:17:58 GMT

It's a bit cheesy but... worth watching

http://digg.com/pets_animals/Super_Mouse_vs_Mouse_Trap

Answer by Gabriel for assign events to cloned html block

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 06:22:06 GMT

http://api.jquery.com/clone/ from this documentation, just use (true) when you call the clone method.

Answer by Gabriel for Parse Raw HTTP in Python

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:14:08 GMT

http://docs.python.org/library/httplib.html I believe this is the library you are looking for. A little change in name for python 3 but otherwise good to go.

Answer by Gabriel for difference between SDK and IDE

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:49:49 GMT

SDK = Software Development Kit... the tools that do the tasks you mentioned above. IDE = Integrated Development Environment... A GUI for accessing the SDK tools and then some (features differ).

Answer by Gabriel for CSS layout with max heights not working that well...

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:24:57 GMT

http://jsfiddle.net/YGgTx/1/

this is a mock up of what you are trying to do I believe. As it indicated by the other posters you may want to use hide() to handle the menu effect. If there is anything wrong with this mockup let me know, I do not have IE6 installed but it works on 8.

(Image)

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:58:11 GMT

[Reposted from pdl2h via kejtowa]

Birthday Post

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:16:09 GMT

I am passing into my 31st year of human existence today and as is the general custom I like to take some stock on what has occurred in the past year and what I will work towards for the next year.

Personal:

My personal life this last year has obviously been dominated by my first year of Marriage. So far everything has been realy wonderful with a minimum of cuts and bruises. I am really glad I ended up waiting until I was 30 to get married, I feel like I am more prepared and more aware than I would have been in the past.

Along with the marriage has of course been the parenting role that has become an integral part of every part of my life. It seems oddly natural, but I suppose it does for most. The love of a child is truly indescribable. Both Acayda and Jaxon have been a wonder to watch as they grow and learn. My son Damon makes me so proud every time I hear from him or about him and I am really hoping we can get together over the next year.

This year I quit smoking, started eating healthier and working out. I don't know if there is a starter kit for over weight geeks but it would probably consist of the couple things I have started doing. I feel physically better then I have... well in the last 7 years or so at least.

My Dad and family on his side have been in the same area of California as me for the last year which has been really cool. I get to go visit them fairly often and have really enjoyed getting to know all my brothers and sisters more, they are all really cool people.

Educational:

Learning is kind of an all year event for me, but now with Melanie being in school full time I am really getting to see the process up close and pick up some of the tips and tools. As far as I know the current plan is for her to get her Bachelors, then I get mine, then we swap again. We will see how all of that goes but at least we have a plan.

Vocational:

This year has been marked by an almost constant stream of work. Starting with the work I was doing for Paul Kooiman this time last year up to the currrent set of websites I am finishing out. All told in the last 365 days I have put up over 200mb of content, code and creativity. Not all of it has been great, but all of it is at least good. Managing the web side work with my day job has been pretty easy... except.

The day job is a little crazy. I owe my employer a lot of respect for sticking with me through some tough times and I feel loyalty for the company in a pretty direct way. That being said working 2 graveyards a week and doubles on tuesdays for 7 months now has definitely been draining the loyalty pool. I have definitely been there to pick up the slack that the recession dropped on us, picking up support and tech duties while maintaining my development and webmaster responsibilities to make sure things don't fall apart.

The fact is... I need to make more money. I need my compensation to become a non issue for the life I live so I can really focus on providing the best code/services/skills that I can bring to the table. I don't think they are going to be able to meet that mark and so I have been keeping my eyes open for a good opportunity to shift to a more agreeable situation.

Ten food tips to help you look better naked

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:31:28 GMT

Any list of tips that includes "eat dessert" and "always snack at 3 p.m." sounds perfect for me!

http://digg.com/food_drink/Ten_food_tips_to_help_you_look_better_naked

How Geeky Dads Enjoy Birthday Party! [PIC]

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:26:06 GMT

http://digg.com/comedy/How_Geeky_Dads_Enjoy_Birthday_Party_PIC

When did they become philosophical?

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:24:43 GMT

http://digg.com/comedy/When_did_they_become_philosophical

I favorited a YouTube video -- far above the clouds/ por encima de las nubes ...

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:59:15 GMT

I favorited a YouTube video -- far above the clouds/ por encima de las nubes TUBULAR BELLS http://youtu.be/ssnm4xPcq2Y?a

Answer by Gabriel for xml child/parent help

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:18:06 GMT

I decided to bash on this code for the last 20 minutes. You need two instances of the list otherwise you are changing the index mid iteration. My advice is the top area:

if (file_exists('cats.xml')) {
    $xml = simplexml_load_file('cats.xml');
    $categories = simplexml_load_file('cats.xml');
} else {
    exit('Failed to open cats.xml.');
}
echo "<ul>";
foreach($categories as $category) {
    if (!(int)$category->ParentID > 0){
        // if the parentid is not set this is a root element and we want to print it and
        // it's children.
        categorylist($category, $xml);
    }
} 
echo "</ul>";
function categorylist($current, $list){
    // so echo the item list and link opener, but not the closer
    echo "<li><a href='index.php?Cat=$current->ID'>$current->Title</a>";
    // we need to count the number of children
    $count = 0;
    foreach($list as $item){
            // just iterate through the list for a match
        if ((int)$item->ParentID == (int)$current->ID){
            if($count == 0){
                            // if its the first match open the new child list tag
                echo "<ul>";
            }
                    // print the child link and item and iterate the counter
            echo "<li><a href=index.php?Cat=$item->ID>$item->Title</a></li>";
            $count = $count + 1;
        }
    }
    if($count > 0){
            // if their were children print the close of the list
        echo "</ul>";
    }
    // now close the list item.
    echo "</li>";
}

this gets the output you describe but no more, though it hints at the method you would use to create a recursive version. Of course cats.xml contains your xml content above.

a Technician and a Manager

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:29:38 GMT

I read a great joke on StackOverflow a while back and was reading again recently and thought I would share it here/store it here... whatever.

A man flying in a hot air balloon suddenly realizes he’s lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts to get directions, "Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"

The man below says: "Yes. You're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."

"You must work in Information Technology," says the balloonist.

"I do" replies the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but It's of no use to anyone."

The man below replies, "You must work in management."

"I do," replies the balloonist, "But how'd you know?"

"Well", says the man, "you don’t know where you are, or where you’re going, you expect me to be able to help. You’re in the same position you were before we met, but now it’s my fault."

RT @Wix: Wix.com is giving away Google Nexus One Phones! To enter #contest: R...

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:48:10 GMT

RT @Wix: Wix.com is giving away Google Nexus One Phones! To enter #contest: RT this message & add your guess of who'll win #World Cup!

Answer by Gabriel for Error 12 Declined returned in PayFlow

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:24:44 GMT

what amount are you using? Is it the test server and are the cards from the test documentation? Verify all cards are correct and try an amount under $25.00. If the issue is something else let me know.

Answer by Gabriel for clear input boxes on button click with javascript

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:20:13 GMT

if it is in a form, you can simply use the <input type="reset" value="clear"/> tag (HTML). Otherwise you will want:

var elems = document.getElementsByTagName("input");
var l = elems.length;
for (var i = 0; i < l; ++i){
  elems[i].value="";
}

Not good. @office abandons web standards, using Word to render HTML emails in...

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:10:18 GMT

Not good. @office abandons web standards, using Word to render HTML emails in Outlook 2010. Visit http://fixoutlook.org and RT

http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/10789/kx12?referrer=hbEdt1Ih_Nb5oXF...

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:47:54 GMT

http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/10789/kx12?referrer=hbEdt1Ih_Nb5oXFxRs30IQ2 Please add to this if you like this.

http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/10789/kx12?referrer=hbEdt1Ih_Nb5oXF...

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:47:27 GMT

http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/10789/kx12?referrer=hbEdt1Ih_Nb5oXFxRs30IQ2 Please add to this if you think this is important.

Answer by Gabriel for javascript cell selection

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:40:39 GMT

I set up a test for solving this using jQuery because honestly it just makes it easier. The method I used was to iterate over the possible items and check if they are inside the range.

function display() {
  if (document.getSelection) {
    var str = document.getSelection();
  } else if (document.selection && document.selection.createRange) {
    var range = document.selection.createRange();
    var str = range.text;
  } else {
    var str = "Sorry, this is not possible with your browser.";
  }
  $("td").each(function() {
    var range, sourceRange, compare;
    range = str.getRangeAt(0);
    sourceRange = document.createRange();
    sourceRange.selectNode(this);
    compare = range.compareBoundaryPoints(Range.START_TO_END, sourceRange) * range.compareBoundaryPoints(Range.END_TO_START, sourceRange);
    if (compare == -1){
            alert(this.id);
    }
    /*
    if you really just want to change the background color, uncomment this code:
    */
    /*
    if (compare == -1){
            $(this).css("background", "#f00");// or any other color here.
    }
    */
  });
}

if (window.Event)
  document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEUP);
document.onmouseup = display;

this likely isn't the best solution but it might get us moving in the right direction.

I liked a YouTube video -- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Our Friend Dirt http://youtu...

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:26:35 GMT

I liked a YouTube video -- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Our Friend Dirt http://youtu.be/LUM5w5zCArQ?a

The Universality Of War Propaganda

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:06 GMT

Endless wars and acts of aggression are always justified by the same cynical morality plays.

http://digg.com/political_opinion/The_Universality_Of_War_Propaganda

First Direct Photo of Alien Planet Finally Confirmed

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:35:26 GMT

A planet outside of our solar system, said to be the first ever directly photographed by telescopes on Earth, has been officially confirmed to be orbiting a sun-like star, according to follow-up observations.

http://digg.com/general_sciences/First_Direct_Photo_of_Alien_Planet_Finally_Confirmed

An Unexpected Visitor [pic]

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:02:42 GMT

At the peak on the Olympic mountains in Washington, an unexpected visitor arrives.

http://digg.com/travel_places/An_Unexpected_Visitor_pic

Answer by Gabriel for How to get alternate colors div with pure css and with IE 7 support?

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:42:09 GMT

This cannot be done.

Tooth Regeneration Gel Could Replace Painful Fillings

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:05:30 GMT

Dentists could soon hang up their drills. A new peptide, embedded in a soft gel or a thin, flexible film and placed next to a cavity, encourages cells inside teeth to regenerate in about a month, according to a new study in the journal ACS Nano. This technology is the first of its kind.

http://digg.com/health/Tooth_Regeneration_Gel_Could_Replace_Painful_Fillings

The Terrifying Beauty of the Cone Nebula [pics]

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:34:34 GMT

The Cone Nebula, part of a much larger star-forming complex, is at bottom with inverted Christmas Tree cluster NGC 2264 above the cone; the bright star just above the cone is the tree topper and the very bright star at the top of the image is the center of the tree trunk.

http://digg.com/space/The_Terrifying_Beauty_of_the_Cone_Nebula_pics

Classic Pop Icons Seen In A Different Light (PICS)

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:06:14 GMT

From Pulp Fiction, Super Mario Bros., Flash, Pac Man, Link, ALF, Robocop and many many more...see your favorite characters like you've never seen before.

http://digg.com/comics_animation/Classic_Pop_Icons_Seen_In_A_Different_Light_PICS

NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-131)

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:48:58 GMT

Photographer: Adam Nehr

http://digg.com/general_sciences/NASA_s_Space_Shuttle_Discovery_STS_131

Answer by Gabriel for How to over write and write in to a textfile by using Vbscript

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:26:15 GMT

you need to move your delete or not delete decision before your write decision.

If fso.FileExists(sname) Then
    'you delete if you find it'
    fso.DeleteFile sname, True
End If
'you always write it anyway.'
Set spoFile = fso.CreateTextFile(sname, True)
spoFile.WriteLine(strlist)
Set objFolderItem = Nothing
Set objFolder = Nothing
Set objApplication = Nothing
Set fso = Nothing
spoFile.Close

alternately to your question with Constant write values and making this a little (very little) bit faster, you might try the following:

If fso.FileExists(sname) Then
  Set spoFile = fso.OpenTextFile(sname, 2, True)
Else
  Set spoFile = fso.CreateTextFile(sname, True)
End If
' perform your write operations and close normally'

I liked a YouTube video -- Ron Paul: A 2012 Revolution http://youtu.be/L6D3uP...

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:10:10 GMT

I liked a YouTube video -- Ron Paul: A 2012 Revolution http://youtu.be/L6D3uPLlCu8?a

So one year on, we are happier then ever. The video is still up despite a cop...

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:57:55 GMT

So one year on, we are happier then ever. The video is still up despite a cop... (YouTube http://youtu.be/erAqhBrsXUk?a)

As a Developer How do I Make My Web Pages Look Good?

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:44:16 GMT

The key with appearance is just like programming UI. Encapsulate like elements using id and class tags within each html element. Once you have consistent content layout among the pages you can use simple css code to make things look good. It often helps to do a UI specification for your web pages.

For instance <p> tags will always contain Arial style fonts with size 10. All links will be #e33 if they are not being hovered(#3ee) or clicked(#fff). The background of the page will always be #eee. Colors, margins, fonts and borders all fall into such a specification but are not necessary. One trick you can use is find a Content Management Framework, like drupal or dotnetnuke, check out some themes for each of them and borrow and steal code from those to suit your needs.

Oh and of course at the top of each generated page put the style sheet attachment call:

  
    <link href="your_stylesheet.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

or place all style declarations in a generator to land inside a:

  
    <style>
      body{
        font-face: Arial;
      }
    </style>

if you are comfortable with a certain tools look and feel (I use Jira but you might use campfire) then look at how they do it and copy and paste the styles they are using. You will find it easier to use your own web documents when they match the other systems you use.