Rantings of a Nerd

Hey... this is not EternalEmperor.com

2007-04-08T14:33:00.000-04:00

Due to concerns with my provider, if you know me personally you know what they are, I have pointed the domains to my trusty old blog. I will be posting stories here as soon as I get things settled. Not sure how I will use this, but it will be better than having the URLs point out the ether.

New Blog - Eternal Emperor Blog

2006-10-08T18:25:00.000-04:00

This will be the blog for discussion of my publications. It may become the main blog I use, but for now it is aimed at just the publications. Not that I have had a lot of time to post here of late. Bringing up a new server and rebuilding a site from scratch is taking more time that I wanted.

www.EternalEmperor.com

2006-09-22T14:35:00.000-04:00

The server is down again. I will have it backup and running good as new some time in the near future. Thanks for you patience.

Django | The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

2006-09-12T11:35:00.000-04:00

Django | The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Guess what I am looking at this for?

I fought the HTML and the HTML won.

2006-09-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

If you have been following my web site nightmare, and I know you have, then you are seeing what it looks like when someone works without training wheels. I love the power and the possibilities of recreating the whole site using pretty much raw materials, but I am learning that I have ignored my basic HTML skills for too long.

The nifty little generators that toss in some java script or DHTML are handy, but they rarely do exactly what you want. If I use flash menus, then some people can't see them. Specifically some Linux geeks completely refuse to use flash. Let's face it, I am counting on some of those geeks to be my core audience. I can't alienate them by choice of a web tool.

The funny thing to me is that Plone had so much overhead, but it got out of the way for putting text up on the site. Now I have no overhead and no formatting problems, but I am finding the site navigation to be a pain.

The truth is that I know what to do, I just don't want to do it. I need to sit down and create a site map by hand and then create the pages and navigation links. Once I do that it will be easy to just crank out the code.

For now, please ignore the uncentered graphics and horrid layout. It will get back to something that is usable.

Parallels - VM for the Mac

2006-09-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

So there I was, in the Apple store...

Well it was on the shelf and I said, it is not cheap, but it was much cheaper than similar products. I am installing ubuntu on my mac and will see how that runs. I know, I know, you linux gurus will point out a dozen things that will let me do this at no charge, but this promises to allow me to run multiple OS's on one machine.

I can hope that this will work as advertised.

Website creation is neat...

2006-09-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have been spoiled by plone. I was using a portal tool for a website. Now I have brushed off my incredibly weak web design skills and started recreating the Eternal Emperor web site. So far I have just been playing with tools and trying out features. Do not expect it to stay the same and in fact, it may be completely rewritten several times.

I am pondering creating a version for mobile devices, and a version with frames and flash. Watch and see what happens when I try to catch up on a decades old technology.

www.eternalemperor.com is limping back to life

2006-09-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

I have given up on the plone portal, I am going to slowly rebuild the site from scratch. It will be much faster and have more features once I am done. For now, it is basically just an under construction page.

GameTrailers.com - User Movie: 1K Project II by sMull

2006-09-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

GameTrailers.com - User Movie: 1K Project II by sMull

This is just way cool.

SourceForge.net: FreeDOS 1.0

2006-09-05T07:43:00.000-04:00

SourceForge.net: FreeDOS 1.0
This seems interesting. I love old school tech. This could be great for some of those old Turbo Pascal Apps I have sitting around on floppy drives.

eternalemperor.com web server still down

2006-09-05T07:19:00.000-04:00

I have no ETA and I am considering just putting up a static page and doing a redirect.

This isn't eternal emperor.com or leeragans.com

2006-09-04T19:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry... my server is having issues right now all everything is offline until I can get the system back on-line. I may put up a static web page in the short term to get the stories back out there. If I do, I will redirect the URLs to that page.

Thanks for your patience.

Short Story Release - The Observers

2006-08-30T22:52:00.000-04:00

After some painful editing version 2.0 of The Observers is available to read on-line or download. Thanks to everyone for your suggestion, all were greatly appreciated. I am considering this story as the first story in the collection that will be released in paperback some time later this year. I think it is one of ths strongest, pure, science fiction stories.

www.shalomtv.com - Not coming soon to a Comcast near me.

2006-08-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

www.shalomtv.com
I want to subscribe to this. I will have to keep checking back to see it comcast will carry it ondemand here at least.

VoIP Watch: Gizmo and Adium-A Macaholic's Dream

2006-08-30T13:57:00.000-04:00

VoIP Watch: Gizmo and Adium-A Macaholic's Dream

Interserting. This post is for personal reference... though other mac commo geeks might find this interesting.

This is worth every second it takes to watch.

2006-08-07T10:53:00.000-04:00

Infantry Videos

New version of 'The Observers'

2006-08-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

For those with an interest... a new version of 'The Observers' has been posted. This is ver close to a final and once it is ready I will also release it as an ebook on lulu like the other short stories that have survived to reach version 2.0.

My Lulu Store

2006-08-02T23:15:00.000-04:00

For now, I have 2 short stories in eBook for available. I plan to add each short story as an ebook and then a compilation in printed and eBook form. As you see the body of work growing you will understand why I have had so few posts here of late.

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - COMPLY

2006-08-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - COMPLY

Math and humor... it is all nerd.

Medieval Times, What a way to spend an anniversary.

2006-07-24T07:27:00.000-04:00

The medieval times opened at Discover Mills this weekend and we could not resist. The show was some of the best 'fake' fighting I have seein in person, and the food was more than passable. I would warn you that getting there early could be very bad for your wallet if you become thirsty. A pepsi is over $10 and a refil $3 so arriving the 1.5 hours ahead of time with no where to sit was unfun.

The show was what it was, don't go expecting great theater, but it was interesting. We were in the White and Black Knights section. I will say this... he was robbed. Well... I don't want to spoil the whole story for you, but I do have to wonder if the story changes. If not, there is no reason to ever go back. At least change up some of the story if not the main parts.

The horsemanship displayed was incredible, only usually seen at a rodeo or other competiton. If you like horses you have to go see this show. If you like eating with your fingers... you have to go see this show. If you like fake fighting and easily understood plots... you have to go see this show. If you want your waiter to call himself your humble serf... you know it, you have to go see this show.

I highly recommend going at least once. I would love to talk to othe people who have been to see if it is exactly the same each time.

On a side note, my son said, "I see the perfect job for me. Picking up horse poop."

I replied, "Well at least that guy is in show business."

an un DRM'd mp3 on sale from a major on-line music store???

2006-07-21T08:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, but the bad news... it is a horrid song. The good news is that you can buy a personalized copy with your friends name in it and annoy the hell out of them with it.

Is this some manner of revolution? No, just a way to get some publicity for a career that is waning and a horrible song. It is pure engineered pop from an engineered human being. Editors note: I like all kinds of music. Even pop, but I hate when I know I am being played.

The Horseshoe Falls

2006-07-13T08:47:00.001-04:00

The Horseshoe Falls
Originally uploaded by Code Wizard.

What a view. I highly recommend the FallsView Marriot in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. This was the view from my hotel room.

New publications on Eternal Emperor web site

2006-07-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

The novel, Eternal Emperor Book 1 - All Good Things Must Begin has been released along with 2 new version 1 short stories.

Mac Prius

2006-06-23T07:06:00.000-04:00

Mac Prius

Well this certainly voids the warranty... But it is so cool.

Nice Machinima

2006-06-20T22:19:00.000-04:00