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My FireFox Plugin Essentials
I just told Jeremy that someday I might list off my current FireFox plugins, and I guess today is just as good as any other. So here they are:
- Gmail Notifier - If you have Gmail and your own Windows account, it automatically checks how much Gmail you have. I have mine set so that when I click on the Gmail icon in my FireFox statusbar, it opens my Gmail (already logged in) in another tab.
- FoxyTunes - If you listen to music on your computer, like I do during every minute I'm on my computer, then you need FoxyTunes. It'll take the song information and give you player controls for your favorite music player right in your statusbar. I usually have my iTunes minimized to the Windows Taskbar, so the player controls are there, but it's great to have a display of what song is playing scrolling right above the controls while browsing.
- IE Tab - That's right, don't open that pesky Internet Explorer ever again. While browsing with this plugin, you can right-click on any link and it select to "Open in IE Tab" which is a FireFox tab running Internet Explorer. Also, at any time, click the FireFox logo to toggle the current page to IE vieweing. Great for seeing how your website will look in the competitor's browser.
- Web Developer Toolbar - If you work on websites at all (like I do), then you definitely need this one. It gives you a whole toolbar to debug websites with. You can easily disable JavaScript, disable CSS, and much, much more. Some of my favorites are the CSS it uses to display the class and ID names or the outlines of every block-level element. It's a lifesaver for figuring out the pesky CSS spacing problems (and much more).
- HTML Validator - If you make websites (again), you need this. It validates your page and shows you if it passed or not right on your statusbar. It also gives the validation errors right in the "View Source" window too. Great stuff.
- ColorZilla - Need a color palette but don't want to open PhotoShop? Want to get that color right off the page? No more need to take a screenshot, this little utility in the bottom left corner of your FireFox window is a full-featured color picker. Click on it and then anywhere on the webpage to pull the color. Double-click on it to get a full, PhotoShop-style picker.
- MeasureIt - This one may not be needed because the Web Developer Toolbar (mentioned above) has a ruler built in the latest version, but this one is more handy. That is, it sits in the bottom-left of your browser window and is activated with just one click. Select a square of web page real estate and find find out how many pixels it occupies.
So there you have it. Use these powers well and use them wisely. And if you have some extension you think I really need to check out, put it in the comments.
God and Open Source
Many would say that the worldwide Open Source movement creates a lot of community. And it's true. Hundreds of people working closely together (even over long distances) towards one goal has brought a lot of community. After every Open Source-oriented conference, everybody says it's great to meet all those working on common projects and building a tighter-knit community.
People have also been noticing that Open Source, despite the fact that nobody owns or recieves royalties from the code, can be good for business. This is for many reasons, not the least of which are these:
- Open Source gives you a large base of code to work off of. There's no need to reinvent the wheel.
- Although much has been made, there will always be companies who want to make something else custom to their business
- Even if something new is not needed, there are many people who do not know how to set it up and need people to set it up for them.
A group of friends of mine from Christian community People of Praise have noticed thaat Open Source systems work a lot like our Christian community does. In this community, we share our money and much more in a very similar way to how Open Source software is changed. So they started One:Ten Communications.
As is stated on their website, they hope to "unite all things in Christ" through three things: websites, experiments, and open source. Some of them are at the OSCON this weekend in Portland too. I'm excited to see the fruits of the open source research and the experiments, as well as the exciting websites this talented, young team will produce.
Stretched-Out, Four-Door
About a month ago we had a "fun day" at work and spent the morning doing anything but work in this amazing car. I just had to post a couple pictures of this thing (thanks to Joelle and Paul for the photos):
We were all trying to figure out why this was at our work.
Well, I guess this "Land Yacht" is for us...
Hangin' out inside with an Anberlin T-shirt on.
There's the front in all its glory.
MetroTransit and The Future of Fare Payment
So this evening I had a bit of a disappointment with MetroTransit and their test run of the GoTo Card. So here's the e-mail letter I sent to them.
Dear MetroTransit,
I was really excited when I saw the flyer last week saying that the GoTo Card was going to be test run and that I could join. After work at the 28th St. Station in Bloomington, I went up to the people enrolling us in the test. I've heard a lot about the GoTo Card and would love to try it out.
But when I showed the volunteers that I was currently using a Monthly Mobility Pass (the $21 version), they said, "That might be cheaper," and urged me to stick with that. I left shortly thereafter because the train was coming. For the record, I hope that is not the long-term solution, because we need the convenience of the GoTo Card too.
I suspect, though, that it was the fact that the volunteers did not know all the details. I know for a fact that I could get .50 per ride, at least on the light rail, because I've played around with the buttons on the GoTo Card Reader machine.
So could I enroll in the test? If so, is there a place to sign up? Please, if possible, get back to me soon so that I don't start a new monthly pass on the 26th.
Thanks,
Dan Ficker
I'll update this post if I recieve a reply or any new information.
UPDATE: I just talked to somebody at the Mall of America Transit Station that seemed to know a bunch more than the volunteers yesterday. He said that right now the GoTo Cards only support the functionality of the SuperSaver Stored Value cards. Right now, the GoTo Cards will not do a monthly pass thing. Since that's currently what I use, I opted to stick with the SuperSavers. He did say they'd be running a monthly pass test group in November or December.
He also made it sound like you'd have to get a separate card to do the monthly pass. I'd originally heard that you could have a monthly pass and some stored value on the same card, for example if you're paying for yourself and a friend. So who knows.
The Bedtime Story Movie
Last night we caught the late showing of Lady In The Water. Most people seemed to think it was the worst and/or funniest movie they've seen in a long time. By no means did I think it a perfect cinematic masterpiece, but I thought it was much more interesting and thought-provoking than they did.
The early previews said it was a "bedtime story". And it definitely is. Don't go in expecting to see something scary like The Sixth Sense or like those stupid previews. (Why do they always have to make M. Night Shymalan movies look like horror films in the previews?) It really is a modern day enactment of a bedtime story.
As usual in his movies, each character has to confront his/her past and be pushed beyond their self-proclaimed boundaries. And, as often happens, there is a brief exploration of faith for these characters. There is even one scene that seems almost like the laying on of hands. As always, every single character is unique and that made the film pretty hilarious. M. Night himself had the biggest role he's ever had in one of his films.
If you're willing to think like a child in the movie theater, you will find this adult bedtime story intriguing. Otherwise, you may find youself very bored.
Drupal and a Lazy Sunday
I had big plans for today. I was going to recreate a static site in Drupal. Then, my clients at White Rock Coffee wouldn't have to wait for me to change their site. It was going to be glorious.
But no. The worst days of Minnesota summer had to be yesterday and today. Yesterday it was humid and got up to 100. Today it was much more humid but it got to 93 and was more unbearable. Every moment I've spent at my computer was me sweating profusely. It was hard to concentrate on anything. It was no fun at all.
Hopefully the next couple days will allow me to finish up my little Drupal project, but we'll see. I'll give a report when the project is done.
To keep cool, I read through probably half of Relentless, the book I talked about earlier. I'm not sure what to say about a review, but it's a very enjoyable read.
Enough With Patience!
Finally!
After three or four weeks of agony, da-Man.com is back! Yes, I lost my domain name to some neglegence and shady hosting, but I have managed to buy it back. I have learned the hard way, though, to make sure that you have absolute control over your domain names. Using a missin-critical domain that you have not registered yourself is a bad idea, because if you don't have complete control, it can slip away.
Hopefully soon I'll fill you in on all the fun stuff recently. We'll see.
Please Be Patient
I don't know how you got here, but I've had a bit of a problem with my domain name. Right now "da-man.com" is not owned by me somehow through some slightly underhanded dealings from an old hosting company. I am working to get it back, but until then we'll just have to hang out here.
Thanks for your patience and prayers that I will get back up on my feet again. ;-)
Big, Huge, Momumental
That's how Pixar rolls it.
This weekend found the release of Pixar's latest film, Cars. Just as Pixar creative head John Lasseter loves toys and made great movies with toy characters, it's very apparent after watching this movie that he's a huge fans of automobiles and the culture that surrounds them. After the movie I was thinking, "What kind of car would I be if I were in Cars?"
First off, every single movie preview before the movie itself was for some crappy, 3-D animated movie from another studio. None of them looked any good. The execption, of course, was next year's Pixar film directed by The Incredibles' Brad Bird - check the preview of Ratatouille to see fun and original upcoming movie about a rat.
Of course, the short film before the show was fun. The short, entitled One-Man Band, involved two one-man bands dueling for the single coin of a tiny peasant girl. It was very funny and enjoyable musically, as usual.
As with every Pixar release, the animation in Cars is amazing. Although I wouldn't say any certain aspect of the rendering was amazing, everything looked almost perfect. It wasn't photo-real; it was still a bit more clean than that, but, of course, they are talking cars, so ultra-real would be a bit scary. It was amazing to see a NASCAR-style stadium full of 10,000 watching cars, the cheering trailers in the middle of the track, and equally the amazing western desert scenery of Route 66.
So what about the story? As a local review said, "There are no human characters in Cars, but few movies this year will have more humanity." The story finds star racecar Lightning McQeen getting stuck in Radiator Springs, a happening place in the '50s that got passed up by the freeway. Through it, the hot-shot realizes that there's more to life than just him, his fame, and fortune. Plus, there is more beauty and friendship off the beaten path than on the race track. Plus, if you like classic cars and the '50s neon light decor that brought those little towns to life, you can't miss it. It's priceless.
Pixar fans will love the credits for their funny jokes about past 
Pixar movies as well as other Pixar references. See if you can spot a blimp that looks like Buzz Lightyear as well as the cast of the For The Birds short. Sports fans will find car-styled versions of favorite sports announcers and a clip of "Jay Limo" cracking a couple jokes on late-night. It's a blast.
Just for your information: if you get me a copy of the cool poster with every character on it, I'll be your friend forever. It's just so cool, I need to have it!
Did You Ever See Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
Two years ago, I was visiting the new Infuze Magazine and checking out their new features. One of the features was Prodigy, a serialized novel by Robin Parrish. I loved it, mostly because Robin watches many of the same movies as I do and has much of the same tastes. The book played like a mystery, had elements of The Matrix and other futuristic sci-fi movies in it, and was action-packed at every turn. Every two weeks the website would have another chapter, and I'd spend the next couple days after reading it asking, "What's going to happen to Grant?", "Who is that barefoot girl anyways?", and "What the heck is going on?"
Although the online version had some answers, it was enough to keep me clamoring for more. Apparently I'm not the only one, because Bethany House Publishers decided that the budding novelist was worth investing in. Robin will have his first novel, Relentless, available in stores within the next couple weeks. I haven't read it yet, but apparently it's much like the online serial but better. You can read the first chapter on Robin's official website, so if it sounds like your type of book, give it a read.
Sometimes I buy stuff like these on Amazon.com, but because I'm really looking forward to this one and I get everything else online, I'm going to do my offline buying game. Basically, it goes like this: If Barnes & Noble or Borders has the book in the store and I can find it (I don't like talking to Customer Service people), then we win. I win because I get to purchase and start reading the book, and the store wins because they made a sale. Losing in this game is me breaking down and buying it on the internet.
I play this game somewhat often with music releases, and, sad to say, most of the time the mainstream music stores lose. So don't tell me I don't try to support the best artists in the industry and promote them in the mainstream.