me talking out loud

Yahoo! News - Judge Blocks U.S. From Secret Searches

Hurray for the judge!

Yahoo! News - Pilot Completes 1st Stage of Space Flight

Way Cool! If I can realistically add a trip to outer space to my life’s TODO list - even at 90 years old - I would or should I say I will.

The family will be out this weekend - we’re going to Siapan (another island of the CNMI). Kayla is very excited since we will need our passports and our snorkeling gear. We will be staying at my companies hotel for a reduced price (they are “upgrading” us a suite in exchange for me attending a couple of meetings) and we are getting the military rate for a rental car. I honestly think the most expensive thing will be our food.

I will try to remember to take pictures so I can post them on the gallery.

Well finished my homework assignment for java class. 2 more problems from the book. Took me about 5 hours to get it done. Once I could figure out HOW I want to do it (logically)- it was easy. The switch from procedural thinking to OOP is just as hard as I thought.

We are getting our first project this week. Kind of looking forward to it. I prefer to write my own code rather then alter someone elses. But then most programmers do. I beleive we will be manipulating dates (days, hours, seconds from 1 date to another for example). I’ll let you know how it goes.

Well I thought I figured out what I did wrong. I didn't have a constructor in my version of IntSmarty. So I made one.

It works kind of. But again I am not saving the language table. Coogle save me from hell!

Well I decided to try the MyIntSmarty and in a way I got the IntSmarty working (had to really pay attention to paths though - originally couldn't find Smarty and then later IntSmarty, language folder and a couple of other things). So now I have the {l} around my text to be translated and the MyIntSmarty class made with my specifics. Only 1 problem - I'm not creating the language tables.

Created the file and changed the perms to 777 so the webserver can write to it and set the path in the $lang_path... easy right? Call up the page and it displays. Look in the language directory for the en-us.php or en.php file and nothing. Hmmm - check the compiled templates and there is a directory named 'en' follow it down to a compiled page. Hmmm. Maybe I need to clean out the compiled templates and the cache so the IntSmarty can make the files... Do that. Call the page again - same thing. Check the error logs - maybe something popped up there.... Nothing. Maybe the access logs (hey I was desperate).... POST 200 code. Dang nothing showing there... Maybe I need to create the blank files and put them in place? Do that. Nothing still! Grrr.

Tried to figure it out (tweek, alter, rewrite) and couldn't... spent most of the day on it. Hate doing this but time to ask a dumb question. Write an email to John Coggeshall (the author of IntSmarty) explaining what I did and sent some of the code (the MyIntSmarty, the php page and the template). Hopefully I'm not asking a totally stupid question or missing a really basic component. Nothing like a novice to screw up something easy .

So here I sit. Hopefully the email will be noticed some time this month since I'm sure the author gets tons of email. Maybe the IntSmarty in the Subject line will help - maybe it will get it dumped. We'll see and I'll let ya know

Well I started reminding myself how to use Smarty and PEAR's DB today. Took awhile since I forgot that the server was changed since the last time I used it (path names were changed). Pulled out the old file I played with originally to get a small grasp of Smarty and DB (a login screen). Thank goodness I commented it well so I could easily remember what was going on. Took apart the template and redid it so it looks the way I want, and fine tuned the code and tada I have a working login screen for my project. See R&D time for a programmer is needed even when you can't see a time in the near future.

Now I have to throw in the IntSmarty. First thing I did is install the class file in the same directory as the Smarty class file and include it. Am thinking about trying out John Coogeshall's way with a MyIntSmarty class but I'm not very strong in OOP. I still haven't decided, but that is for tomarrow.

Yahoo! News - Jeanne Wreaks More Havoc in Battered Fla.

So much for good/bad things only coming in threes. Can anyone else hear the mass exedus from Florida?

Posted the pictures of our kayak trip up the Talofofo River (last weekend and this weekend). You can see them here. We were originally supposed to kayak Pago Bay this weekend but we flubbed and showed up too late. So we ended up going up the other fork of the Talofofo River instead. Then when we were getting ready to go home, clean up and head out to the Talofofo village Fiesta, Jason was called into work. Yeah - Kayla and I could have gone to the fiesta without him but... it just wouldn't of been any fun any more. We went last year alone since Jason was underway (Navy speak for at sea) so it isn't as if we have never been there. So what do you think?

(Psst - Don't tell anyone but I got sunburned again. Go figure)

'Sims 2' makes emotional debut | CNET News.com

Way Cool. My husband has been waiting for this for months. And yes I'll admit it will be cool to play with.

Well so far on my latest project the system engineer has thus far decided on me programming my part using PEAR DB and IntSmarty (still in planning stage though). IntSmarty was chosen for the easy internationization and the seperation of presentation and logic. That was my idea since we will be using it for the PHPCommunity website (hopfully everyone won't occasionally mind answering my questions). I've only played with Smarty a little bit just to get a feel for it so I should be able to do this. The PEAR DB was chosen so the program can be used on multiple DB manufacturers easily. Again I have only played with this but I don't forsee any problems. The system engineer is still trying to decide whether he wishes to use MySQL or PostgreSQL.

For a person who never really learned OOP (and is slightly uncomfortable with it) this should be fun and a good strech of unused muscles. I look forward to it as much as I worry about screwing up. I think thats a good thing.?!? Thank goodness I have at least played with them. So it isn't completely new.

I will also try to keep the blog up to date on problems I have as well as the solutions I use so anyone else who tries after me will have better luck. I'm sure there will be more then a few interesting situations.

Oh and if anyone wants to pass on any tips, tricks, or pitfalls I should know about - I would apprieciate it.

Well obviously my installation of the second harddrive worked since I am here. No one mentioned that to add the hard drive I would have to move, reorganize and reconfigure the old hard drive, the CD drive, and the zip drive. So now the old hard drive is the master to the new hard drive and the CD is the master to the zip drive. Originally the zip drive was off of the hard drive and I hadn't a clue what a master and slave was never mind how to do it (turns out it was easy once my husband explained). Oh and one more thing - who ever came up with those tiny little screws obviously is nuts (and has tiny hands). My hands and fingers kept getting in the way!

Now if only I can get the video to save there. The cameras came with some software (streams to the web - too bad the app to read it doesn't work). Only the studio works (allows multi camera viewing) and that only occasionally. Anyone know a decent program to save video on the screen to the harddrive?

Who needs a gmail account. I have six invites. Granted my family and friends will have first chance so there is no guarantee but you never know.

Cross your fingers for me. I'm going to add my first slave harddrive to my work computer so I can record video. I've never done this before (Usually my husband does) so there is a very real possibility that I will screw it up .

One good thing to say though - I get the new harddrive (a 250 Gigabyte Western Digital) for $150! I don't know about anywhere else but out here that is dirt cheap. Almost bought one for myself but I already have a 200 gig just sitting around collecting dust.

Went kayaking this weekend up the Talofofo River. It was Jason's first time since we have been on island (He works a lot unfortunately) and we all had a blast. We were originally going to go with a group but no one else wanted to go. So we rented the kayaks and went ourselves. We followed the left branch and went as far as we could without having to get out of the kayaks to get around obstacles. We went probably close to a mile up stream. We luckily found a couple of places were we could easily get in/out and swim so we stayed prety cool.

I think we had the better deal then the tour cruise (saw them and waved Hi). Granted we don't get the speech or watch someone climb a cocnut tree and get us one but we could go where we wanted at whatever pace we wanted. Some time soon we want to do the same thing up the right fork of the river, but for now we are planning to do a little kayaking next weekend in Pago Bay. We wanted to try the Ylig River but the trip is on a Wednesday. Oh well - another time.

And yes - we actually managed to remember to get a camera. The pictures are developed I just have to scan them in, balance the colors and load them up. Hopefully I will have them loaded by the end of the week. The pictures will be located here when ever I get to it.

Went to an airshow this last weekend (Sept 11th) at Anderson Air Force base. They had the Thunderbirds giving a demonstration. For those that don't know the Thunderbirds are the Air Force's Trick Flying group (like the Navy Blue Angels). We got there about 1:30 and only had too wait ~ 15 minutes to get on base. Since we have military ID's we could get in through the back gate and bypass all of the added security for the civilians (The civilians had an average of a 2 hour wait to get on the base). While waiting for the Thunderbirds to start their routine we saw the military working dogs demonstration and checked out the multiple planes and helicopters that were open for everyone to examine and explore. I don't know planes very well but I saw a B2 bomber (I do know that 1), a flying gas station (don't know the name of it), a huge cargo plane (like a 747 huge) and a helicopter that didn't have cup holders in the cockpit (the search and rescue type). We unfortunately didn't have time to check out the many fighter planes that were out though.

The Thunderbirds show was slow to start but once it got going was AWESOME. They are crazy but incredably talented and I want to thank them for everything (the show, the time they spend in practice, and the willingness to stop it all and fight if called). The near collisions, tight formations, and the surprise fly by were thrilling. Even my daughter had to admit that it was worth the wait and the heat to see it. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures (we forgot the camara in the car - Duhh), so feel free to yell at us. We however have already done our penance - we also forgot our sunscreen so some of us were fried.

Finished the java homework in ~ 3 hours. It was easier/harder then I thought. Odd.

Finally got the newer pictures of Kai up. They were taken around his 3 month birthday (yeah - we know we're pitiful). Got some nice ones of Khan and Kai together. You can see the pictures here

Well I now have my first java project (well homework anyway). It has 2 parts. 1 is to follow the directions and type what it says - easy "A". the second one I have to modify an account calculator that is already given. You know - if the order is over $500 give them this discount, between 500 and 250 they get that discount and on. The cool part is though that the program to modify uses swing (I have been wanting to learn that) so it is pretty cool.

I hope that this class will help me think in OOP. It should since it is java but I've been programming procedurally for so long it is hard to make the shift.

x marks the spot - where hurricanes Charlie and Frances crossed over Florida with in 2 weeks. Ouch! One of my sisters was 50 miles from where Charlie came on land (Fort Myers area) and the other sister and my mom are about 100+ miles (Miami) from where Frances came on land. Poor Orlando got hit by both. I still haven't spoken to anyone since Frances came on land - but I'm sure they are fine. I will be calling tonight to make sure.

And can you beleive it there is another hurricane possibly coming. Ivan is the name. Charlie came from the west, Frances came from the east, and now Ivan may come from the south. It is not a good year in Florida. Wish I was back.