Blog

  • MT Blacklist Works with MoveableType 3.1x

    …for the most part. This necessary piece of anti-blogspam software is now updated to work with MoveableType 3.1x. I keep getting an error at the bottom of my screen, but the most important thing is happening:
    – I can blacklist spam which auto-deletes new spammed entries
    – new spam is no longer getting posted to my blog

    I believe the error above is related to why the emergency release didn’t work; my db path in my mt.cfg was relative. The last version screamed something about a badobject, while this one had some nice “suggestion” information on what to do. Since I had the error with a suggested fix, it was easy to solve the problem myself after some tinkering. Blocks are not showing up in the Activity Log like they used to, but whatever; out of site, out of mind. I had to manually delete older entries which is extremely slower than Blacklist’s method for some weird reason.

    Another weird thing is if the comment is already blacklisted, it doesn’t get deleted, thus I have to delete it manually. That seems dumb as the last version of Blacklist automatically did this. Secondly, there is no way to search older entries to delete comments that have blacklisted sites in it. I’m thinking those 2 missing functionalities are related. Regardless, there are some additional neat features. Jay’s definitely on a great dev path with this plugin; it’s definitely maturing into a full-fledged necessity piece of software.

    Regardless, if your an upgrade addict like me and shot yourself in the foot because Blacklist didn’t work with the new MT, here’s your chance to gain control of your blog’s comments again without punishing yourself and your users with weird extra form fields, delayed/approving comments, or required TypeKey registrations.

    MT Blacklist v2.01b

  • Pier 1 Dice Box

    I don’t like shopping… unless it’s for something I want, and even then, I’d much rather utilize a website. The only reason I don’t is for the excuse to mingle with the populace, even if I don’t make eye contact, and 2nd to offset shipping costs. I ecspecially dislike furniture shopping since I have a bed, desk for my computer, and a chair. What else do you need?

    Her majesty reminds me of all of those things and more… like having guests over, etc. that I just never really thought about, and keep forgetting on purpose.

    I was pleasantly surprised when I actually broke from the usual “husband waiting for his wife” routine men will sometimes do in stores when they are tired of following their wife in circles around the maze of wicker and glass that is your typical furniture store. One usually does this by finding a sample chair with too many pillows on it, and plopping oneself upon it. Your consolation prize is that the pillows in Pier 1 tend to have this neat texture, but even that only amuses me for 1.6 seconds.

    I found this box huddled in the middle of the wall. It had stone faces on its tiny drawers. For what this box’ function was, I still cannot say, but I immediately thought of Bush Garden’s Williamsburg up in Virgina, where they have this ride. It’s like… VR or something, and you sit in this moving room with other people, and go on this “ride” of a flying ship through the center of the earth. It’s very 80’s style CG, full of puppetry, and your typical Labrinth/The Dark Crystal look and feel. Atlantis at Paradise Island in the Bahammas, where I went on my honeymoon, before it was destroyed by this years hurricane seasons, had a similiar look and feel in their underground “The Dig”.

    I added it to the quickly sky-rocketing furnature bill. Why are we buying all of this again? :: she reitrerates for the 50th time :: Oh yeah. For $30 bucks, I now have my new official dice box. I’m so excited… and abashed that I actually care about furniture other than the necessities I mentioned above.

  • Non-Computer Job

    Mediasparkles reported on a USA Today article about the death of the American Programmer. I’d rather not exclude this to America, though, as I’ve heard other countries being affected in various ways. For the purpose of this blog post, the question I pose applies to everyone, regardless of your country.

    Her blog entry is neat because she asks the question of what your alternative career might be. Fun exercise!

    I’m all over the map (paramilitary performing clandestine/covert operations, US Senator, Art Director at a design studio (i own) in India, etc).

    If you couldn’t use a computer as your primary career choice, what would be your 2nd?

    Example: DJ instead of a ColdFusion programmer (not ColdFusion programmer instead of Flash programmer… that still uses computers, see?), or Social Psychologist instead of Information Architect.

  • Guide Layers Visibility Toggle Extension

    Sitting here tracing images with my stylus, and using guide layers for the outlines. However, the outlines are loud colors on purpose to help me outline the image. If I want to see my progress, I have to keep turning all 11 of them off manually, and then back on again when I want to continue working.

    Not anymore.

    I wrote these 2 scripts (packaged as 1 extension), to toggle all guide layers on the current timeline on or off.

    One additional thing this does to help is when your animating, and your using motion tweens. Typically, you don’t want to see the actual motion tween while your testing your animation inside the current symbol, so this will turn those on and off, too.

    Hope it helps!

    JXL Guide Layers Visibility Toggle – MXP | ZIP