Month: November 2004

You know when you click on a PDF or MS Word, Excel file and it opens in the IE window? Yeah, I don’t like that. Seems so 1996 – “Let’s pretend like it is all part of the intarweb.”

Here’s how to disable that behavior.

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader; Choose Edit, Preferences 
2. Select the Internet tab, click off Display PDF in browser.
3. Close Acrobat Reader
4. For Office apps: Open up any explorer window like My Computer.
5. Go to Tools, Folder Options, click on File Types
6. Browse to .Doc, .XLS, and .PPT, for each one select Advanced and click off Browse in same window.

Those of us who self-host blogs and email for ourselves and others are obliged to take on the role of administrator and operations staff.

Since cable modems and home routers aren’t really designed with the same level of reliability as enterprise equipment, frequent outages are not uncommon. My regular old Linksys router has a habit of freezing and requiring an unfolded paperclip poke once every ten days or so. This was usually ok because I could get home during my lunch hour, hit the button and get back before any real damage occurred.

The real problem is when I was traveling overseas and couldn’t physically get back to troubleshoot the problem. I enlisted Hollie as backup administrator and she did an excellent job, but I didn’t like having to bother her for something so simple.

Joel on Software had mentioned remote reboot devices and after doing some research I figured out that some of them had auto-ping functionality. The iboot seemed to be (relatively) cheap on ebay and exactly what I needed. I set it to ping my router every 15 seconds and if it detects three no-responses in a row it will power cycle the router. I’ve been doing this for around 2.5 months now and haven’t had any outages.

How funny is Natalie Dee? So funny. I liked this one from a while back.

I’ve added my email address on the left navigation. Note, I used a little fancy javascript obscuficator obfuscator from here so the spam bots won’t find me (hopefully).

I was inspired by Scoble. He proudly posts his cell phone number on his blog!

A Grand Don’t Come For Free

It Was Supposed To Be So Easy: Where’s my phone have I got it, Oh this is a crock of shit · I lost the fucking thing, oh here it is in my pocket · But the batteries nearly flat, gotta call quick snap · Aww shit, the battery is flat

Could Well Be In: She had her phone stuck to the side of her face. · I sat for a minute while she chatted away · ’bout somethin with her mom and her birthday. · Tryin to look like i weren’t just waitin there · For her conversation to come to an end. · I look at my watch and realized right then · That, for three hours, been in conversation. · Before she put her phone down, she switched to silent, · And we carried on chattin for more than that again.

Not Addicted: The question I have to ask one · Is how I managed, not to manage the trot · Maybe I could phone in and slap it on · Put all my money on a mid-match one · Yes, I dont know the first thing about football

Blinded By The Light: People keep pushing me though, no reception on the phone. · And i’m thinkin’…
(Light are blinding my eyes) · I hate coming to the entrance, just to get bars on my phone, · You have no new messages, so why haven’t they phoned? · Menu, write message, so where are you and Simone? · Send message, Stan’s number, where’ve they gone? · Why’s the message pending? where the fuck are ya? · They could have texted me when they were near, but i’m fucked and i don’t care.

Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way: From the sofa giving them a ding · Tell em, I will go threes on that gram later on this evening

Get Out Of My House: I never phoned that bloke from the TV company

Fit But You Know It: (none)

Such A Twat: Just calling to ensure you got back in · (Can you hear me? Na sorry mate your fuzzy mate I can’t hear ya) · (I lost you for a minute yeah yeah I can hear you now) ·And when she got in a mood with me in that text about that thing · I just switched off the phone when she started shouting · (Hello? Ahh fucking phones man) · (Yeah I think we got cut off, yeah I got crap reception in my house. I have to stand in a certain spot in my kitchen or it cuts out)

What Is He Thinking: (none)

Dry Your Eyes: (none)

Empty Cans: Scott texted me to say he’d have a look at the TV for me · Phoned this company out the yellow pages;
[Lyrics come from here]

Friday night was my ten-year high school reunion.

Everybody is doing well. Of course, we only had about 25 of 70 show up: this was a self-selecting group. The folks who came were happy, healthy, thin and energetic. Those kids which time was no so kind to probably chose not to come.

One funny tee-hee was the couple who dated for most of high school who are now married to stunt-double quality lookalikes of their respective ex-partners.

As for me, I got a few “Boy, you look great.” Obviously the first couple times it was flattering, but after the tenth one in a too-surprised tone I suspected expectations were low going into the event. Hmm.

My former co-worker and friend Shin-Pei points to Mobissimo on her new blog Bird to the North.

You thought Orbitz was a step up from Travelocity? (Priceline is too ghetto to be in the running.) Let Mobissimo blow you away. It is the best travel search site yet. Simple and clean, it serves up results fast.

Good timing since I am trying to buy a ticket to India my longest-yet flight on my own dime. My search did yield some good prices and lots of choices quickly with a minimum of clutter.

 First off, this is good. I’ve been needing this for a while now.

This Saturday we took our visitors from Hong Kong to Atlantic City.

First stop was the new Borgata.

Let’s just say “Thank you Fleet Bank for a daily ATM limit of $400.” By the time midnight came around and I had another day’s worth of withdrawal limit everyone was pretty exhausted and I didn’t have the opportunity to win my money back.

At the blackjack table on the seat next to me I found this strategy card (click for full size). The dealer instructed me that I wasn’t allowed to have the card *on* the table. I don’t think he appreciated it given we were at the $50 minimum baller’s table, but hey.

We checked out the Taj Majal and Caesars just to make sure we weren’t missing anything, but the Borgata won best casino of the night.

Did you know you can lookup what the empire state building colors mean? Calendar located at this official site link.

Today’s was the UNICEF snowflake/brighten the world for children blue scheme.

Investigating further reveals two facts.

1) There are some real obscure ones. Two separate German reunification day schemes, colon cancer awareness, world cup archery championship, lunar new year, and don’t forget Qatar’s independence.

2) The procedure for getting a new special color day added seems simple. 

So naturally, I will now take it on as a quest to get a new day put on the calendar. Suggestions?