Astroblahhh.Com

Astroblahhh Desktop v1.0

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:08:46 +0000

Astroblahhh Desktop v1.0
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
01:08:46 GMT
Site Update - Software Release

Finally, I have released Astroblahhh Desktop v1.0. Now, in addition to the Astroblahhh Links Organizer and Astroblahhh Idea Organizer, it contains the new Astroblahhh File Organizer.

So, now, I can much more easily find things, and add search tags, ratings, notes, and other info to those things' records in the database, so I can easily tell what everything is for without having to guess.

The Astroblahhh File Organizer also gives me a way to literally melt my hard drive. Yes, really. Having 255,000 file records in a single database and then adding/removing 20 indexes (each taking about 28-40 seconds to add or remove) is not a good idea.

Fortunately, my hard drive still works, but, it was pretty scary accidentally having it reach 69° Celsius, the highest temperature I've ever known it to reach (I didn't think it could get higher than 66°), and actually smelling the melted plastic. 69° Celsius = 156.2° Fahrenheit. :-O

Here's a picture of my hard drive. Unless I'm mistaken, the plastic on it is supposed to all be smooth, not rough in spots like it is now. (Click the picture for a larger version).

So, in light of my experience, it's probably best to use the Astroblahhh File Organizer for multiple small databases, instead of packing way too many file records into a single database. How many is too many? I don't know. :-)

So, please only use Astroblahhh Desktop at your own risk. The other organizers' databases could conceivably have the same problem if they had too many records in them, but, compared to file records, it's harder to add a ton of idea or link records, so it's less likely that your ideas or links DB will end up being dangerously huge. Nonetheless, be careful with them too.

I tried to both upload the zip file and post this post at 9:09 PM, simply so I could say I released Astroblahhh Desktop v1.0 on 9/9/09 at 9:09 PM. :-) (I was too tired to do it at 9:09 AM).

Here's an Astrolog 5.40 command line for any curious astrologers:

-qa Sept 9 2009 21:09 EDT 80:34W 41:09N
Location: Hubbard, OH.

(Edit, 9:13 PM. Drat! My computer's clock said 9:09 PM, but maybe it was a little fast, since my blog post is actually dated 01:08:46 GMT (9:08:46 EDT). Oh, well. Since I uploaded the file before I posted the blog post, that might mean I actually uploaded it at 9:08 PM, Sept. 9, 2009.

-qa Sept 9 2009 21:08 EDT 80:34W 41:09N

Oh, well, at least I was early instead of late. Then again, maybe I was on time. I have no idea which clock is more accurate, my computer's or my website's.)

Yes, Mercury is retrograde, and because of the technical and communications snafus many astrologers associate with Mercury retrograde, many astrologers would probably advise me not to release this now. I don't care, though. It's just too good to hold back for three weeks just because of astrology.

Besides, Mercury retrograde is actually rather appropriate for a program with such a major problem as the ability to overheat and melt your hard drive if you add/remove a lot of indexes of a huge 255,000-record database. :-)

The program is actually useable as-is, and I'm guessing it probably won't melt your hard drive unless you do what I described above, or something else which is incredibly taxing for it. (Nonetheless - again, please only use this program at your own risk).

But, there are still some more things that I'm going to have to complete before I'll feel like it's really done. (Or at least, as done as I can make it for the time being, until I become a better database programmer).

Since it took a long time for me to add 255,000 file records to my personal file DB, I don't want to just discard it. So, I'm going to have to write yet more scripts so I can split up my DB into smaller portions. I'd also like to make it easy to switch between multiple databases without having to edit source code.

I'm so tired of working on Astroblahhh Desktop, though, I don't know when I'm going to get around to that. So, I just thought I ought to release what I already have so far, since it might be months before I get the rest done.

Edit, 11:24 PM. Too bad I didn't even think of naming it Astroblahhh Desktop v0.99 until just now. Oh, well - too late now. :-) It would have been cute - Astroblahhh Desktop v0.99, released on 9/9/09 at 9:09 (or 9:08) PM. :-)

Edit, 12:04 AM, 9/11/2009: As usual, I had to reupload the zip file numerous times after the initial upload, since I kept noticing minor problems, typos, etc. that needed to be fixed. The last upload was at 11:58 PM EDT, 9/10/2009. If I change it again, I'll update this post again.

-qa Sept 10 2009 23:58 EDT 80:34W 41:09N

Avoiding Distractions on the Web - How to Block Websites Using Your Hosts File

Sun, 24 May 2009 03:12:36 +0000

Avoiding Distractions on the Web - How to Block Websites Using Your Hosts File
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
03:12:36 GMT
Self-Help - Productivity

If you're trying to get useful things done while you're on the internet, but find yourself habitually wandering over to distracting websites like forums, YouTube, or web-based email, you might like to use the following instructions (or an adaptation of them, if you're not a Windows user) to block any sites you want from appearing in your web browser even if you try to go to them.

In not only Windows but other platforms, there's something called a hosts file which allows you to block sites. The way it does this is by making it so any attempts to access anything at certain domain names are redirected to some other IP address.

The location of the hosts file can vary, but, if you're a Windows XP user like me, you might find it in this folder:

C:/WINDOWS/system32/drivers/etc

If the hosts file isn't at that location, you can look in the Wikipedia article Hosts file for some other possible folders/file paths where it might be. (Alternatively, you can search the web for a different source of info which is more trustworthy than Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone).

In Windows, you can navigate to the above file path simply and easily by opening Internet Explorer, copying and pasting the above file path into the address bar, and pressing Enter on the keyboard.

Make a duplicate of your hosts file, so you can put it back the way it was in case you mess anything up. (In Windows, this can be done by single-clicking the file, pressing Ctrl and C at the same time on your keyboard, then pressing Ctrl and V at the same time on your keyboard. A new file titled "Copy of hosts" should appear).

If your hosts file is set to be read-only, you'll have to change that before you can edit it. In Windows, right-click on your hosts file and choose Properties, and then make sure there's no checkmark in the box that says "Read only".

Next, open the hosts file with a plain text editor like Notepad. To block YouTube, add some lines like these.

127.0.0.1 youtube.com 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com

(You can put either spaces or tabs between the 127.0.0.1 and the domain name).

Save the file, and restart your web browser. Now, you won't be able to reach YouTube, because all your web browser's requests for anything at youtube.com or www.youtube.com will be redirected to 127.0.0.1, the localhost IP address - your own computer.

Unless you're running web server software on your computer for some reason (such as to run Astroblahhh Desktop or the Astrosorting Music Organization Database (AMODB)), you'll only reach a blank page.

If you want to stop blocking YouTube without deleting the above lines altogether, then, you can put some pound signs at the beginning of the above lines, like this:

#127.0.0.1 youtube.com #127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com

Then, if you ever want to block YouTube again, you can just delete those pound signs.

Another tip - don't make it too easy for yourself to access and edit your hosts file. If you're using a particularly nice plain text editor like my favorite, NoteTab Light, you might be able to bookmark the hosts file. But, it's better not to, because that would make it too easy to unblock the sites you want to avoid.

Tapestry Analogy

Wed, 20 May 2009 21:48:55 +0000

Tapestry Analogy
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
21:48:55 GMT
Self-Help - Link

At Donald Trump's blog, I found an encouraging analogy, comparing your life to a tapestry, in this blog post:

Why We Want You To Be Rich: Winners Take Control (5/15/2009)

I found it cheering, so, just thought I'd point it out.

Opalescent Skies of Amethera

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:36:54 +0000

Opalescent Skies of Amethera
Friday, May 15th, 2009
16:36:54 GMT
Wallpaper - Entropia Universe

Here are the most beautiful skies I've ever seen in Entropia Universe. I just discovered them two days ago, mostly thanks to a glitch which blocked my character from walking east - otherwise I wouldn't have ended up in the region where the skies look like this.

These are from somewhere south of Amethera 24497, 2562, 76, near the ocean. They were all taken May 13, 2009, around 6:14-6:16 PM EDT. The files below are all around 300-400 KB and in PNG format.

I can't decide which near-duplicates to arbitrarily exclude, so, I'll just include them all. Might as well, since some people might like some ocean in their wallpaper, while others might prefer just sky alone.

Four sort of different-looking ones:

Five which are largely the same, with varying amounts of ocean visible:

Four which are largely the same, with varying amounts of ocean visible:

Astroblahhh Desktop v0.55

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:14:14 +0000

Astroblahhh Desktop v0.55
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
11:14:14 GMT
Site Update - Software Release

You can now get Astroblahhh Desktop v0.55. It has not only the Astroblahhh Links Organizer, but the new Astroblahhh Idea Organizer.

I last uploaded its zip file at 6:39 AM EDT. As usual, here's a copy-and-pasteable Astrolog 5.40 command line for any curious astrologers.

-qa May 13 2009 6:39 EDT 80:34W 41:09N
Location: Hubbard, OH.

The time above this blog post is the time at which I announced Astroblahhh Desktop v0.55's release:

-qa May 13 2009 7:14 EDT 80:34W 41:09N

I might have released it days earlier if I hadn't gotten a cold.

The last thing I need to complete before Astroblahhh Desktop will be version 1.0 is the file organizer part of it. No idea how long that will take. I'm not even sure I'm going to focus primarily on that next.

In any case, I'd rather not talk about my future plans, because I don't want to feel obligated to carry them out, nor do I want to disappoint anyone by taking a wretchedly long time to get them done. I'd rather just surprise you all every so often.

Second Life shop moved

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:04:01 +0000

Second Life shop moved
Monday, April 27th, 2009
03:04:01 GMT
Site Update

I moved my tiny shop in Second Life today. The (free) MagnaMural, the Huge 32m x 24m Movie Screen (not free because it's more of a luxury than a useful tool), and the box people can pay to donate to me, can now be found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Highflyer/74/229/761.

I didn't really want to move my shop, but, once I found out my neighbor really needed the land for something, I didn't want to inconvenience my neighbor for no really good reason by refusing to sell my land, so, I sold it. At least I got to move to a sim with a nicer name than Oddjob. :-) That name had bothered me for a while, actually, but that wasn't a good enough reason by itself to bother to move my shop.

Moments after I sold my old land, I bought the new land at exactly 15:11:06, according to my Second Life L$ transaction history. (That's in Second Life time, better known as Pacific time). No, I didn't attempt any electional astrology.

Here's an Astrolog 5.40 command line for any curious astrologers:

-qa Apr 26 2009 18:11:06 EDT 80:34W 41:09N

I'm almost ready to release an update of Astroblahhh Desktop. The organizer for ideas/goals/to-do list items/other random text scraps is almost done. Hopefully I'll release that sometime in the next couple weeks.

Susan Boyle's "Cry Me A River"

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:11:39 +0000

Susan Boyle's "Cry Me A River"
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
20:11:39 GMT
Music

Probably everyone has heard of Susan Boyle by now. The video of her on Britain's Got Talent is everywhere.

What fewer people might have heard of, yet, is a song she sung for a CD done for charity, released in 1999. It's a slow-paced jazz/blues tune called "Cry Me a River". You can hear it (and read about it) at The Daily Record: Exclusive: Susan Boyle's first ever song release revealed - listen to it here.

It's also available on YouTube: Susan Boyle - Cry Me A River - 1999 Recording (From The Scottish Daily Record Newspaper)

Heartbreakingly beautiful. It's astounding that the world took this long to discover her.

Here's the Wikipedia article on the song Cry Me A River. Also, here's a page with some lyrics.

Giant Rabbits

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:30:27 +0000

Giant Rabbits
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
05:30:27 GMT
Pictures - Found Pictures

Here are some videos (and a picture) of giant rabbits. Yes, they exist. Happy Easter.

YouTube: Really BIG Bunny - A 19-pound rabbit named Rudi.
YouTube: GIGANTIC Rabbit - A 27-pound rabbit named Roberto, who is 3.2 feet long.
Photo: Herman the giant rabbit. From article: CBBC Newsround | Animals | Herman could be 'biggest bunny'. 7.7 kg = about 16.98 pounds.

Lemon Demon

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:10:11 +0000

Lemon Demon
Friday, April 10th, 2009
01:10:11 GMT
Music - Astrosorted Music List Update

Here's another Astrosorted Music List update. Below are links to 16 fabulous legally free songs. All but one are by the band Lemon Demon; the one that isn't is by Trapezoid, the former band of Lemon Demon's Neil Cicierega.

Lemon Demon has albums and songs for sale for very reasonable prices at CDFreedom.com. You can even pay for them via PayPal. Lemon Demon also has a Store page with other merchandise.

In no particular order:

Damn Skippy - Word Disassociation
Length: 4:06 File Size: 4.93 MB Vocals Grating
Lemon Demon
Warning: The noise from about 3:56 onward is annoying.
Dinosaurchestra - White Bread Boyfriend
Length: 3:45 File Size: 4.52 MB Vocals Grating
Lemon Demon
Damn Skippy - Mr. Porta-Potty Man
Length: 1:03 File Size: 1.02 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Hip to the Javabean - Telekinesis
Length: 4:14 File Size: 5.09 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Unreleased - Vanilla
Length: 0:29 File Size: 0.48 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Trapezoid - Shut Up Your Mouth
Length: 2:35 File Size: 2.49 MB Vocals Volume Grating
Trapezoid
Warning: The first 4 seconds are kind of loud and annoying.
Dinosaurchestra - It Can Get Lonely In My Mansion
Length: 2:29 File Size: 3.00 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Unreleased - Snakes on a Plane
Length:0:45 File Size: 0.73 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Dinosaurchestra - The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
Length: 3:33 File Size: 5.12 MB Vocals Profanity Grating
Lemon Demon
View-Monster - Super Hey Ya (Outkast remix)
Length: 4:05 File Size: 4.90 MB Vocals Grating
Lemon Demon
Hip to the Javabean - There's a Robot In My Head
Length: 1:00 File Size: 0.97 MB Vocals Grating
Lemon Demon
Live from the Haunted Candle Shop - Mold en Mono
Length: 5:21 File Size: 5.14 MB Vocals Volume Grating
Lemon Demon
Warning: A bit shrill and/or loud sometimes.
View-Monster - Ben Bernanke
Length: 4:27 File Size: 5.35 MB Vocals Profanity
Lemon Demon
Comment: The hilarious video this song is based on can be watched on YouTube: Ben Bernanke There's also a music video version, but you should download the MP3 for the best audio quality.
Damn Skippy - Kitten is Angry
Length: 2:06 File Size: 2.53 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
View-Monster - Marketland
Length: 4:37 File Size: 5.55 MB Vocals
Lemon Demon
Unreleased - The Song You Hear When You Die
Length: 0:55 File Size: 0.89 MB Vocals Grating
Lemon Demon

http://prosperity.astroblahhh.com/

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:46:56 +0000

http://prosperity.astroblahhh.com/
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
01:46:56 GMT
Site Update

At 2:55 PM on 4/7/2009, I finally put up a short, boring informational page at http://prosperity.astroblahhh.com/. (I didn't announce it until now because, due to technical difficulties, it wasn't working until today).

Originally I had that domain set up as a redirect to the former Donations & Microdonations for Individuals & Groups "pod" (the Gaia/Zaadz jargon for forum) on Gaia, since the pod itself contained pretty much all the news there even was that was related to the fate of the pod.

But, since the pod is under new management, is now known as the Microdonations pod, and will probably be undergoing significant changes in the future, it seemed like a good idea to finally put up a page of what little news there is that is related to the eventual, possible revival of the original group.