So I tried upgrading WordPress to 1.5 tonight. I don’t like it. I’ll give myself a couple of days on it, but I still don’t think I’ll like it…. I see my menu has completely changed, so I get to re-write that from scratch, since the old one doesn’t seem to work. And my cool calendar I had set up doesn’t work. Then I see if you view a full post (I think now in this version it says “Click here to read the rest of the story”) that you don’t have a menu bar at all…. Oh… that’s a third file I’ll have to edit. And when I “login” to make a new entry, I now have to login and then click on “Write” rather than going directly to it like before…. just because people wanted a “Dashboard” in their admin area. Maybe there’s a way to change that, but I don’t see it right now…. I liked my site the way I had it before. Maybe I’m just grouchy and need some sleep…. Sounds like a good plan!

Well, I think mail, wordpress, gallery, and IVTalk are all running successfully on my Shuttle box, so I went ahead and changed over the domain information. Hopefully everything proceeds as usual. Next up on the agenda: installing linux on the new server hard drive!

Sweet, I finally have 512MB of memory in my laptop again. It’s actually been about half a year since my computer decided it didn’t want a memory chip in the 2nd slot, limiting me to a slow 256MB running Windows XP pro… not too fun, but actually, the computer was running pretty well for the most part. The slowness finally got to me this spring when it started taking a minute to load word or any other useful application I need to use during the day. So I finally checked into the problem and found out I had a bad system board. A friend of mine (who works for AIT service) ordered me a new mainboard on my warranty, and just finished putting it in.

Wow, there is a lot of pieces that come integrated into a new mainboard. I have new fans, new ports on the back (nice because I was missing some screw mounts), and it seems like I have new latches for my expansion ports (tighter lever now). The best part is I think I had at least one blown speaker…. and the new board comes with new ones. I feel like I have a new machine. And with another 256 coming from Nick, it’ll be even speedier later this week.

Thus ends my computer rambling for the week.

Once-in-awhile I get an hour of spare time on campus. I usually like to come to the Durham lab and use the dual-screen media computer… just because I’m used to dual-screens and I like them. Today there was somebody already using it… curses!! Well… there is a mac with dual displays…. but… it’s a mac.

Yay for remote desktop. I have the two screens connected to my two computers back in my apartment. Voila… two windows computers “running” on a mac. (Forgive me, I don’t speak French well.)

Now to just get used to the annoying keyboard and single-button mouse.

So, I’m working on Amanda’s mom’s computer… getting stuff up and running. But I found I didn’t have quite all the drivers I needed, and downloading them over a modem would take forever. So… since Amanda was supposed to be getting her oil changed anyway, I figured I’d bring my laptop to the dyersville library to try and download the drivers on a faster connection. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t open until 9. So… on a whim, I opened up my laptop to see if MAYBE I could get a wireless connection outside the building. I did!!! It’s very tempermental, but it’s working pretty well anyway! Way to go Dyersville.

Actually, techie comment… I see two access points… one is “library” so it’s obvious where that one’s coming from. The other one, “linksys,” we’re suspecting may be coming from the police station next door. And that’s the one I’m getting a better signal from. Hmmm… well if they didn’t want other people to use it, they should secure it up a bit more 🙂 . I’m only downloading drivers anyway… not like I’m actually doing any damage.

I finally got the csg people to install SmartBoard software in the conference room where my team always meets. I seriiusly need pics to show how cool this is. You can draw anywhere on the screen in any program, save drawings you make, or even pull up an on-screen keyboard to write with. I kind of feel like I’m using one of those computers in The Matrix that my roommate said would be so inefficient… you’d have to be a conductor to use it. My arms are already tired from typing all this via the on-screen keyboard! Anyway, it’s a pretty fun toy that I’m glad works now!

This spring, my computer started getting bogged down by all the extra junk I was loading on it. I told myself I’d reformat the hard drive and re-install windows over the summer when I had lots of time. Here it is… end of September, and it’s still a mess. So, after a few programs started unexpectedly crashing on me… I finally decided it was time.

And within an evening, I have almost everything back up and running. Sure I couldn’t find the right Windows XP CD … at least I have a few of them laying around. I just had to use a different key. Anyway. Things are running quite smoothly, though I could continue installing software and tweaking the system, but then I wouldn’t get any sleep… which I desperately need to drive the bus in the mornin’. So I’m quitting right now…. after this post…. and a couple other things….

I was going through my 3 main hard drives, trying to free up some space in anticipation of a much needed reformat/reinstall of Windows. As I’m searching through folders, I came across some Red Green tv episodes I had taped back when I first got my AllInWonder video card. So I started watching one. Oops. They’re kindof addicting, and soon, I had watched an hour. Well now that I just saw the end of one, I think I’ll head to bed. Early bus driving tomorrow morning followed by choir, algorithms (zzz), and another long drive up to Wisconsin. Though I’ll be more happy to see my girlfriend after that drive than I will be to see my dispatchers after the morning one (no offense Tom, Gary, and Wanda….).

Hey, I got email working the way it’s supposed to on this server. This means two important things: webmail and comments.

First: Webmail. Rememer when I said I had a mail server working? Well now, check it out! You can have a digimuzik.com email address, check-able from any email program on your computer OR from a webmail interface! Anyone interested?! No? Oh… well that’s okay. Let me know if you change your mind.

I also receive an e-mail now whenever you comment on one of my posts. This is not too useful because NO ONE READS MY BLOG! But that’s okay… someday I’ll email my family about this and get 2 or 3 more viewers. But for anyone who does read… go ahead and click on the “Comments” link after any entry you want to comment on, even the really, really old ones.

Footnote… again for family members or anyone who doesn’t get it, the title of this entry is a paraphrasing from a classic internet annimation about a really old, poorly-translated video game. My Inglish izunt kwite that bad…