Discovery has left the launch pad.
LATER: The Political Teen has video of the launch.
Thirty-six years ago today, Neil Armstrong uttered those famous words, as he became the first man to walk on the surface of the moon. To celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo XI lunar landing, here’s a QuickTime video of that historic moment. (An MPEG version is available, too.)
Rand Simberg has some thoughts on the past, present and future of space travel. He also mentions some other anniversaries that share this date.
February 21, 2005 – 4:40 pm
Last month, I added Mark Zeman’s Flash Photoblog World Map to my Photos section. When I originally put the map up, I used the admin tool which came with the map to add the map locations to a separate database. This required using two separate interfaces for each posting — not an ideal solution. So since then, I’ve been looking for a way to integrate the map with Movable Type.
One of the initial options I considered was to use an existing field for the extra information required by the map. This was the easiest option available. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really an option for me, since I was already using all of the fields for my posts. However, I’ve decided to explain how to do it, since it isn’t all that difficult. You can read the details about the more complex option I decided to use, but if the idea of adding columns to your database, or rummaging around in Perl code doesn’t appeal to you, then using an existing field is probably the solution for you.
The object of this post will be to help you implement this solution (using an existing field) for integrating the Flash Photoblog World Map into your MT installation. The main advantage to this approach, besides its simplicity, is that it requires no modification of your MT files or database. All that’s (possibly) required is an extra PHP file in the directory with your Flash Map and creating two templates. You’ll be using the PHP based version of the Flash Map, so you’ll need to have PHP on your server. If you don’t have PHP on your server you could try using Brad Choate’s Key Values plugin, which will let you store the data in one of your fields as key/value pairs and then extract that data into a MT template tag suitable for use in your MT templates.
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February 21, 2005 – 4:28 pm
Last month, I added Mark Zeman’s Flash Photoblog World Map to my Photos section. When I originally put the map up, I used the admin tool which came with the map to add the map locations to a separate database. This required using two separate interfaces for each posting — not an ideal solution. So since then, I’ve been looking for a way to integrate the map with Movable Type.
I initially considered two options:
- Using an existing field for the extra information required by the map. This was the easiest option available. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really an option for me, since I was already using all of the fields for my posts. Details on this method are available.
- Or, I could add the necessary data to the EXIF data of the image. But this was hardly ideal either. I would need to use another program to add the data to the EXIF fields, not much different from using the admin tool to add the data to a database — my original problem.
So, I went looking for another option. In the end, I decided to add some custom fields to the Movable Type entry interface. In the rest of this post, I will detail what modifications I made to my Movable Type installation. But first, most of the credit for this goes to Deane at Gadgetopia for the instructions on adding custom fields to the Movable Type entry interface and Mean Dean at Heal Your Church Web Site for the instructions on using the custom preferences of the entry form to show or hide the new fields.
One last thing before I get started. A warning: this not a simple hack — use it at your own risk. I am not responsible if you attempt to implement this and something goes wrong. I agree with both Deane and Mean Dean, this is not for the faint of heart. If the idea of adding columns to your database, or rummaging around in Perl code doesn’t appeal to you, you are probably better off if you don’t use this method. You might consider the simpler option of using an existing field.
So far these modifications have worked for me using version 3.15 of Movable Type and MySQL. Also, it goes without saying that doing this will probably create problems when performing any future upgrades to your Movable Type installation.
So with all that said, if you are still interested keep reading for all the gory details.
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January 5, 2005 – 10:27 am
When can I get one of these?
My first computer (actually it belonged to my father) was an IBM PC, which didn’t even have a hard drive. When my dad added a second floppy drive (5.25 inch, of course), I thought that was awesome, because it meant no more having to remove the OS disk to put in another disk with whatever I really wanted to do. Eventually, we added a hard drive — though I don’t remember its capacity, I’ll bet it was pretty small. When my dad replaced that computer, he bought one with a 256 MB hard drive, and I thought we’d never outgrow it, and of course, we did. Over that computer’s life, we upgraded various parts of it: adding a 3.5 inch floppy drive, adding memory, upgrading the processor (from a Intel 286 to a 386), etc. When I went off to college, that computer became my hand-me-down. Eventually, I outgrew it and replaced its motherboard, processor, memory, video card and hard drive. It was my computer version of Frankenstein. I still have that machine, though it has been upgraded a couple more times since. My wife and I use it as an MP3 jukebox connected to our stereo and TV in our living room.
Now I have 30 and 40 GB hard drives that I am in the process of filling up. Some day, I’ll probably replace my Frankenstein machine with a newer version.
December 16, 2004 – 6:20 pm
Yesterday, my wife called me to check out an email that was sent to her by a family member. The email alleged that telemarketers would start calling cell phone numbers on January 1 unless the number was registered on the Do Not Call list. Naturally, it turned out to be a hoax. CNET News.com also has a report on the hoax.
A hoax e-mail circulating the Internet has millions of Americans scurrying to add their cell phones to a national Do Not Call list to avoid telemarketers.
The e-mail warns recipients that telemarketers will have new rights to call cell phones beginning Jan. 1, if people don’t request anonymity by Wednesday. In the last week, 9.5 million people registered with the Do Not Call list, many as a result of the warning, according to its governing agency the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC typically fields up to 200,000 requests in a week, according to FTC spokeswoman Jen Schwartzman.
“People are panicked, and I think the only thing they got right in the e-mail is our Web site registration information,” Schwartzman said.
However, while looking up details on the hoax, I came across this interesting story (second item).
Shortly after music director Nathan Robinson arrived at the Guitar Center in Grossmont Center mall to buy new equipment, in walked a man in his 20s carrying the church’s Yamaha keyboard. Robinson recognized the fellow as someone who’d stopped by the church about three months earlier to inquire about its program.
…
While awaiting police, an employee tested the keyboard and detained the seller. As soon as the La Mesa police arrived, the man bolted out of the store and blended into a sea of holiday shoppers — but he conveniently left behind his driver’s license and thumb print.
…
When the choir arrived for rehearsal that evening, the equipment was back in its place and ready for service. The thief, no doubt, was wishing he’d gone to a different music store.
November 4, 2004 – 10:48 am
Could Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS be coming to a Treo near you?
I have an older Handspring Visor and I choose it because the PalmOS does the things that I want a PDA to do, and it does them with out getting in my way. Windows Mobile devices are more like a computer in your pocket, a bit overkill for me. Oh well, I still want one.
November 1, 2004 – 1:25 pm
Duke University is handing out iPods to its current Freshman class. The plan is to use them for educational purposes. I wonder how long that will last?
