Yin Yang of RCPETERS

Using Python to add a phone number to LinkedIn PDF

2012-01-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

LinkedIn is the cat's meow and is a great resource for managing my professional network and resume. They even have an awesome looking PDF. However, it wasn't including my phone number, which was a little embarrassing. Even had a friend tease me about it.

So I contacted LinkedIn customer support thinking maybe, just maybe, I had missed some kind of check box/setting....well, no dice. They offer a "convenient" LinkedIn hyperlink which goes to my LinkedIn profile, and is also a nice viral opportunity for LinkedIn. However not having a phone number definitely hurts my chances of getting a phone call. Not cool.

Having exhausted official channels and not wanting to maintain a separate Word document it was time to take matters into my own hands. Time to fire up the Python.

hum....where is that number

Oh there it is!

Below is the code I used to composite a phone number and address over the first page. If there is overwhelming demand, maybe I'll create a web service to do this.


from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.units import inch
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter, A4
from pyPdf import PdfFileWriter, PdfFileReader
import cStringIO, sys

if (not len(sys.argv) == 5):
  print "Usage: [file name] [phone number] [Address 1] [Address 2]"
  sys.exit()
  
file_name = sys.argv[1]
phone = sys.argv[2]
addr1 = sys.argv[3]
addr2 = sys.argv[4]

x = 4
xSpc = 0.725
y = 11 - 2.28 # xy is in the bottom left corner
ySpc = .30


def create_addr_in_pdf():
  c = canvas.Canvas("addr.pdf", pagesize=letter)
  c.translate(inch,inch)
  # define a large font
  c.setFont("Helvetica", 12)
  c.drawString(x * inch, (y + ySpc * 2) * inch, "Phone:")
  c.drawString((x + xSpc) * inch, (y + ySpc * 2) * inch, phone)
  c.drawString(x * inch, (y + ySpc) * inch, "Address:")
  c.drawString((x + xSpc) * inch, (y + ySpc) * inch, addr1)
  c.drawString((x + xSpc) * inch, y * inch, addr2)
  addrIo = cStringIO.StringIO()
  addrIo.write(c.getpdfdata())   
  return PdfFileReader(addrIo) 

#  Plan of attack:
#  create an address pdf
#  merge the address and first page 
#  output to a new _mod.pdf file

addrPyPdf = create_addr_in_pdf()

outPDF = PdfFileWriter()
input1 = PdfFileReader(file(file_name, "rb"))

for i in range(0,input1.getNumPages()-1):
  page = input1.getPage(i)
  if i == 0:
 page.mergePage(addrPyPdf.getPage(0))
  outPDF.addPage(page)

outputStream = file(file_name[:-4]+'_mod'+file_name[-4:], "wb")
outPDF.write(outputStream)
outputStream.close()

Python command line script to get merge sets by author/authors

2011-04-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a little Python script I wrote to get SVN merge sets by author. I decided it would be a good idea to learn Python instead of using Bash and the script below is my first crack at the new language.

#! /usr/bin/env python
# Get all outstanding svn mergeinfo and print version sets with comments.
# Optionally you can also filter by authors. P.S. this is my first python 
# script any suggestions are welcome.
# info@rcpeters.com
import commands
import re
from xml.dom.minidom import parse, parseString
from optparse import OptionParser

parser = OptionParser()
parser.add_option("-a", "--author", dest="author", default='.*',
                  help="Source svn directory.")
parser.add_option("-s", "--source", dest='source', default='https://svn.enloop.com/repos/enloop/trunk/workspace',
                  help="Take .")
parser.add_option("-t", "--target", dest="target", default='/root/workspace',
                  help="Target svn directory.")
(options, args) = parser.parse_args()

re = re.compile(options.author.replace(',','$|')+'$')
src=options.source
trg=options.target

mergeinfo = commands.getoutput('svn mergeinfo --show-revs eligible '+src+' '+trg)

if len(mergeinfo)!=0:
    revs =[]
    for i in mergeinfo.split('\n'):
        revXmlStr = commands.getoutput('svn log --xml -'+i+' '+src);
        #print revXmlStr
        xmlDoc = parseString(revXmlStr)
        for logXml in xmlDoc.childNodes:
            authStr = logXml.getElementsByTagName('author')[0].childNodes[0].data
            if re.match(authStr) != None:
                if len(logXml.getElementsByTagName('msg')[0].childNodes) > 0:
                    msgStr = logXml.getElementsByTagName('msg')[0].childNodes[0].data
                rev = int(i.replace('r',''))
                revs.append(rev)
                print  '-r'+str(rev-1)+':'+str(rev)+' '+authStr
                for j in msgStr.split('\n'):
          if len(revs) > 0:
        revStr=''
        curSeqStart=int(revs[0])-1
        for i in range(len(revs)):
            if i !=0:
                if revs[i-1]+1!=revs[i]:
                    revStr += '-r'+str(curSeqStart)+':'+str(revs[i-1])+' '
                    curSeqStart=int(revs[i])-1
            if i == len(revs)-1:
                revStr +='-r'+str(curSeqStart)+':'+str(revs[i])+' '
        print 'svn merge '+revStr+'--dry-run '+src+' '+trg
else:
    print 'No merges available'
              print '\t'+j
                    print

iPhone Password Security Issue

2009-09-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

While playing with my iPhone I uncovered a security hole which allows unmasking any password which is persisted and can be edited.

This hack is verified to work on software version 3.0 and 3.0.1. The example below explains how to unmask an email password one character at a time.

1. Navigate to the password field in the email settings.
2. Delete the last masked character
3. Shake the phone for the undo function and select undo
4. Write down the unmasked character iPhone shows when the delete is undone
5. Delete the character again (password is 1 shorter then before)
6. Hit the home button
7. Goto step 1 and repeat until all characters are unmasked

After unmasking all of the password, place it back in so the owner is none the wiser.

Given the above, I would suggest always using the Passcode Lock feature to prevent a 3rd party from unmasking your passwords. Also it would be nice if Apple fixes this in the next software release. (note: they did fix the issue!)

Struts2 and Tomcat security on Ubuntu 9.04.

2009-06-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Errors using Struts2 and Tomcat Security on Ubuntu 9.04.

Here is a sample error:
java.security.AccessControlException: access denied (java.io.FilePermission /var/lib/tomcat6/webapps/struts2-mailreader-2.1.6/WEB-INF/database.xml.new write)
at java.security.AccessControlContext.checkPermission(AccessControlContext.java:323)

Easy Answer:
Turn off Tomcats security manger. Change TOMCAT6_SECURITY=yes to TOMCAT6_SECURITY=no in /etc/init.d/tomcat6

Long Answer:
http://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-6.0-doc/securityanager-howto.html

Installing Apache2 and Tomcat6 on Ubuntu 9.04

2009-05-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a few issues getting Apache to Tomcat to work together on Ubuntu. Finally I've figured out the little differences you need to know when using ubuntu apache and tomcat packages.
1) sudo apt-get install apache2 tomcat6 libapache2-mod-jk
2) sudo vim /etc/apache2/workers.properties
and type/past in:
# Define 1 real worker using ajp13
worker.list=worker1
# Set properties for worker1 (ajp13)
worker.worker1.type=ajp13
worker.worker1.host=localhost
worker.worker1.port=8009

3) sudo vim /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
and type/past in:
# Load mod_jk module
# Update this path to match your modules location
LoadModule jk_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_jk.so
# Declare the module for (remove this line on Apache 2.x)
#AddModule mod_jk.c
# Where to find workers.properties
# Update this path to match your conf directory location (put workers.properties next to httpd.conf)
JkWorkersFile /etc/apache2/workers.properties
# Where to put jk shared memory
# Update this path to match your local state directory or logs directory
JkShmFile /var/log/apache2/mod_jk.shm
# Where to put jk logs
# Update this path to match your logs directory location (put mod_jk.log next to access_log)
JkLogFile /var/log/apache2/mod_jk.log
# Set the jk log level [debug/error/info]
JkLogLevel info
# Select the timestamp log format
JkLogStampFormat "[%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y] "

6) sudo vim /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default
Delete "DocumentRoot /var/www"
And type in
JkMount / worker1
JkMount /* worker1
note, you can use JkUnMount to define directories you want apache to serve

7) Enable port 8009 on tomcat
sudo vim /etc/tomcat6/server.xml
remove the "" that is a line below
<Connector port="8009" protocol="AJP/1.3" redirectPort="8443" />

8) restart tomcat
sudo /etc/init.d/tomcat6 restart

9) restart apache
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

10) wget localhost
You should see the default tomcat page

back but mostly for me

2009-05-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to start posting again, however most is likely to be computer stuff for work/fun. I just want to document issues/solution I've had, so others can avoid spending to much time on them.

Sail, peddle and Kayaking.

2007-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Time for more crazy Rob ideas. I really want to purchase a Hobie sailing, peddle kayak. Guess I can't wait to get out on the water this summer and have some fun.
Here is a good review. I only need to solve a few problems:
1) affording the whole kit
2) transporting by miata or finding affordable storage

TO DIE GAME

2007-02-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

With my upcome trip to North Carolina I decided find a book about some of it's local history on Amazon. I couldn't be more delighted by digging up To Die Game: The Story of the Lowry Band, Indian Guerrillas of Reconstruction. What a cover, which by you would never guess it's professional work by a Cal Poly Pomona professor and published by Syracuse University Press. You can't roll your eyes at this one ladies, it's a product of serious academic research :-)

Tagged

2007-01-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

I thought this IM converstaion was quite cute:
(10:25:52 AM) e#######: tagged you to come up with five random things on your blog (10:25:56 AM) e#######: you have to do it (10:25:58 AM) e#######: :) (10:26:04 AM) R######: humm (10:26:21 AM) R######: 1. I blog sporadically
(10:26:56 AM) R######: 2. I'm a #######, who's primary ########### is a #####
(10:28:56 AM) R######: 3 Not only did I lived out of a ### ### ######, but I had a "####" ##### (10:30:12 AM) R######: 4 ####### ### ## #######, but currently make more ##### than any of my ####### #####, in their ###### (10:30:27 AM) R######: “#####” ###### (OJ Simpson) (10:30:55 AM) R######: 5 I own the address ##########@##########.### (10:31:00 AM) e#######: Ummmm....how about five things that don't make you sound like a whacko :) (10:31:09 AM) R######: humm.....now do you really want me to blog? (10:31:14 AM) e#######: booo (10:31:26 AM) R######: sorry (10:31:56 AM) e#######: here are five nice things you could say: (10:32:14 AM) e#######: 1. Worked on a ranch breaking race horses in my youth (10:32:28 AM) e#######: 2. Was once a full time rock-climber in the sierras (10:32:39 AM) e#######: 3. I have a birthmark on my chin (10:33:38 AM) e#######: 4. I enjoy medium format photography (10:33:51 AM) e#######: 5. I don't like to eat leftovers (10:33:59 AM) e#######: ta daaa!

It's quite nice have Emily remind me I'm not a complete wacko :-)

Rainbow Six Vegas

2006-12-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed the tactical first person video games in the past and the thought of taking down terrorist in Vegas was just to much to resist. Last night I broke down and bought a xbox 360 :-)

I suspect women everywhere might be happier if Tom Clancey wasn't so good at marketing war based books and video games.

Advent Pro

2006-11-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Picked up this 2450 cubic inch pack for some ultra lightweight backpacking that’s been on closeout at several places including mgear.com. Being an adventure race pack it’s designed to quick packing and lashing, which really means too many zippers, bungee and mesh pockets to be a true ultra lightweight backpack. Despite all the extras Gregory was able to keep the weight down to 2lb 8 oz using a super lightweight pack material. After loading up the pack with 2 sleeping bags and two gallons of water, a stove and a few extra clothes pieces of clothing I pretty sure I could make it work for up to a week. Lack of an easy to reach water bottle pocket is the only real annoyance I’ve had so far. So I’m forced to use a hydration system. The newer version of this pack does away with the sleeping bag zipper and is 1 oz heavier, so pick up the closeout model if you think you might want one for backpacking.

LEKI Ultralite Ti Ergometric

2006-11-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

AT 13.6 oz hiking poles are getting pretty light.

Evernew Titanium Teapot

2006-11-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

Decided It was time I owned a titanium pot for backpacking. Ended up getting a Teapot, that would double as a bowl. Now I have to figure our what kind of fleece would make a good cozy? Any suggestions?

Crabby Critic

2006-11-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

Last night Emily was kind enough to take me to The Barber of Seville. I enjoyed the set and the modernization of the characters. I got a kick out of this review which totally pans the show. Guess I have yet to achieve crabby critic status for Operas.

VX-7R

2006-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

So what was it that motivated me to get my Amateur Radio license? After dragging out my cheap shortwave radio and not able being able to tune even local FM stations well, I started looking at a few high end shortwave radios. Seeing how much they could run I decided that for a little more money I could get a radio that could also work as a Ham radio and if I threw in just a little more I could also have a hand held marine radio. Well if I'm going to spend all that money I might as will get a license to use it ;-)

For the supper teck geeks I'll post some of the selling points of my new radio:

The VX-7r features a rugged magnesium case with rubber bumpers and gaskets. It clearly sets the standard in ruggedness, versatility and water resistance. It is actually submersible (3 feet for 30 minutes).

Utilizing a reliable FET power amplifier circuit, the VX-7R provides a full 5 Watts of power output on the 50, 144, and 430 MHz Amateur bands, with bonus coverage of the 222 MHz band at 300 mW (USA version Only) of power output. And for 6-meter. AM enthusiasts, you also get 1 Watt of carrier power on the 50 MHz band! Four power levels may be selected, for optimum battery life.

The VX-7R is capable of four modes of Dual Receive, including simultaneous reception on (1) two VHF frequencies; (2) two UHF frequencies; (3) one VHF and one UHF frequency; or (4) one General Coverage frequency and one Ham frequency. And when a call is received on the Main band, you can set up the VX7R to reduce the audio level on the Sub band, if you like!

With continuous AM/FM reception coverage of 500 kHz to 999 MHz (cellular frequencies are blocked and non-restorable), the VX-7R is ideal for monitoring HF shortwave broadcasts, the AM and FM Broadcast bands, plus a wide variety of Marine, Public Safety, and Government bands. And special memory banks for the Weather, Marine, and Shortwave bands make station selection effortless!

-- Whew that was a lot tech speak!

KI6GFR

2006-11-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I decided to earn my amateur radio license. Last night Rich Greenwood was driving out of San Francisco and decided to see if I could actually put my license to work. Well after about a minute of fiddling with my little 5 watt radio and trying different repeaters I managed to make contact with his mobile rigg about 10 miles away. Thanks for helping Rich! Tomorrow I'll blog about my radio and also explain why I decided to geek out.

AlertSF

2006-10-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

AlertSF will send tsunami alerts, severe weather/flooding notifications and post-disaster information to your registered wireless devices and email accounts. AlertSF lets one register work email, home email and cell phones. Also allowing you to choose multiple zip codes for to receive alerts for places you work, live and commonly play hang out.

If you live in SF it would be silly not to sign up. For those outside of SF you should suggest your local municipals look to AlertSF and 72hours.org as models for community emergency preparedness.

Pump-Kin!

2006-10-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

I thought a few of the ladies might enjoy reading about 30 ways to eat a pumpkin. Note to the boys #30 is pumpkin beer :-)

Dreaming of dream homes

2006-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling sick today and rather be hanging out at home instead of working. However work pays the bills and might let me afford a place like this someday:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/optimal_green_m_2.php

Generation Adventure

2006-10-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Trent has reanimated his blog Generation Adventure:
http://generation-adventure.blogspot.com/. Take a chance and check it out.

Lost

2006-10-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

Many reviewers have been wondering if Lost would have the staying power for a third season. After seeing the third season opener I’m hooked, fish line and sinker.

Moots goes crazy for adventure specialist Mike Curiak

2006-10-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Trent was kind enough to send along this link. Half
way down the page is a bike with a integrated 1.5 liter fuel bottle top tube. Not a shabby idea for
500 mile solo Alaskan ride. For the rest of us, I wouldn’t mind seeing a top tube that held compressed air for refilling tires. Sure would make getting home on my epic 25 mile bike rides easier :-)

Is that a machete holster?

2006-10-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Emily has been kind enough to blog about my whole weekend. Take a read and add in buying some duct tape off of Amazon and a little climbing with Matty and Amber on Sunday.

Leatherman bits

2006-09-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

Just received my Leatherman Leatherman bits
in the mail. Apparently I left them at Bill’s place in Truckee. I pretty happey to have these little handy suckers back. Pitcher of PBR for Bill.

Fatwa for Steve Emerson

2006-09-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

This last Monday Emily and I decided to check out Steve Emerson California Common Wealth Club forum. Steve was full of gloom and doom for any relations between democratic nations and Islamic nations. Of course Steve has earned the privilege of death sentence fatwa. He had some relevant points such as picking a few fights around religious freedom, freedom of speech and how Islamic groups manage to silence the American media through PC correctness and even worse threats of violence. However he also supported many of the covert actions by the American government preventing those freedoms. Perhaps he’s too deep to give an impartial analysis, but even with his bent view there he has some very important insights into what is going on.

Be sure to check these wikipedia entries:
- Steve Emerson
- fatwa

Diesel Ranch Scooter

2006-09-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

I love this beyond dorky ranch motorcycle. It's like a pug dog, so ugly you just have to love it. Of course there isn't much ranch work to be done around my apartment, but I can dream right? Pitcher of PBR to ecorider.

Spinach Mayhem

2006-09-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven’t had enough spinach mayhem, you should check one of my favorite slate columns the explainer: Victual Ablutions

360 Plug

2006-09-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Someday I would like to build/refurbish a house and these would have to be the outlets I would want: http://www.360electrical.com/

Things to Do with Beer Bottles

2006-09-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

This book looks to be lame enough to be transcend to being cool:
Stolen Snapshots Presents: Things to Do with Beer Bottles

T.M.X. Elmo

2006-09-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've always liked tickle me Elmo and now the special 10 year version is even more fun:

cnn covers more

Penny Alcohol Backpacking Stove

2006-09-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to building this beer can stove tonight. While it was fun, I doubt I would actually use it for backpacking. A white gas stove is worth all the extra weight and Esbit is lighter. However it’s not often you get to justify playing with fire and suggest building one for the fun of it anyway.

-rob

Crazy Iceberg

2006-09-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Emily just sent me this link: http://www.crazyshark.com/product_info.php?products_id=11&cPath=2

Anyone with a pool big enough please step forward :-)

Three runs

2006-09-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

I ran in three of our teams winning runs. It was a pretty sweet. A pitcher of PBR for me :-)

Photographers Projecting Presumptions

2006-09-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Being a photographer I found this interesting article about a photographer callously misslabling labeling the action in the picture.

Good!

2006-09-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

A new upstart magazine called Good looks to be quite interesting. They currently have the following mission statement on listed on the GoodMagazine home page: "Our mission is to simulate a culture of good by creating dialog around thing that matter." I find the website quite entrapping. Good currently has an article about folks painting abandoned homes in bright orange, incidentally before they get demolished. A grand idea by the mysterious vandals. Almost everyone involved with the magazine has earned a pitcher of PBR.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer Can Diversion Safe

2006-09-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

If I had jewels and cash to hide - this would have to be the way:
PBR Safe

Hanns.b7G-HW-191D

2006-09-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Nineteen inch wide screen LCDs have started popping up for under $200. I picked up this one for $179.99. For the price I’m quite impressed, the LCD isn’t quite as good as my CRT, but the space savings improves the room and saves a little energy. I measured 62 watts vs. 31, not to shabby. I’d offer the engineers behind the hanns.g generic monitors a pitcher of PBR for bringing in a price performer.

Legos + rubber bands + bored young man = Chaingun

2006-09-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Mildly entertaining video at youtube, just don't put out an eye.

Old Crow Medicine Show

2006-09-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I got see Old Crow Medicine Show live at Slims-sf. It was a good show, I would buy them a round of PBR, given the chance. Matty and Amber also made the show fun with some beer induced humor. Emily is also sure to blog about Crepe shack across the street, be sure to check it out: EmilyStyle.com

Quake Alarm

2006-09-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

At first I thought this was quite silly, since it only gives you a few seconds warning. However what made sense was the alarms ability to tell alert you if an earthquake is actually going on. So instead of wondering is this a start of a earthquake or the couples up stairs are just being rowdy, you know to take cover or just turn up the radio before things get vocal. http://www.quakealarm.com/

Digg.com vs Slashdot.com

2006-01-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's supper geek tech time! Today Justin my coworker procliamed slashdot.org dead and declared Digg.com the top spot for geek news. Now I've never heard of Digg.com, guess I'm only 1/2 geek, which led to checking it out. Based on a one day comparison I have to agree with Justin. Digg was far more interesting today. At slashdot.org all stories submited go through an moderator. At Digg.com the everyone in the community votes on the news that gets featured on the home page. What's more interesting is you don't have to even log in to vote for a story. I really have to wonder if it might be possible for for slashdot.org to be displaced by a democratized tech website.

Bachelor Party Planning,

2006-01-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Beside getting into climbing shape, my other big project for the coming month is a planning bachelor party for Rich. It's quite a honor and I'll be dammed if I don't pull off weekend that is noteworthy (hopefully plenty of good silly stories). Anyhow here is the flier which was a fun time photo shopping. One notable benefit of planning a bachelor party is you get to look at stripper pictures without getting in trouble :-)

Country Boys

2006-01-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Frontline's new documentary Country Boys is impressive in it's scope. Three years is spent trailing two Appalachian teens through the transition from from boys to men. Many of the issues are typical to many boys in America. However there are glimpses on how that life for these boy's can be harder. Some notable scenes from the first episode include wrestling a pig out from your new trailer home while missing school, Heavy Metal Christian rock, teacher's harping making progress, a drunken dad that barely functions, girls, and bumming smokes off of your mom.

I'll definitely will be watching the next two parts. PBS has also been kind enough to post the documentary online for those who miss the show's TV premier.

What the hell happened to Robs blog!

2006-01-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

What the hell happened to Robs blog! Well it was the holiday season, plus I got to go on a Vegas/RedRock and Joshua tree trip. It was pretty fun, I didn't get climb as much as I wanted but did manage to take Trent up Prince of Darkness and got a few classic 5.9 trad leads in. Pretty good for old man Peters.

Free the Books!

2005-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I've been to dam busy right now. During the last few days I've done a couple of nights of rock climbing, going out with old TransUnion Friends, another common wealth club event. Etc. So here is a article from salon (will have to watch an add to see it), that presents what I think is a fresh view on copyright law. Copyright copyright laws are holding our society back as the cost of distribution approaches zero.

Richard Clarke

2005-11-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

It’s always interesting hearing people speak in person. Richard Clarke comes off far more personal than I though he would. Of course he managed to scare many in the audience with disaster and terrorist scenarios. I though a few of his arguments where a little overblown, but the core of his message was right. We definitely need to change the character of foreign relations to be more diplomatic and secure likely domestic terrorist threats. After hear him speak I promptly bought his new fiction book, "The Scorpions Gate". I also got the chance to have him sign it “To a fellow citizen”, which he seemed to enjoy as opposed to the usual requested personalization.

New Mapoooooo!

2005-11-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yahoo has just released a beta of a new mapping tool. Boy did they come out throwing dogs back at google maps. The new maps are flashed based and have a very kind interface. Looks like the map wars are far from over.

Toys for Boys!

2005-11-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Just recently I bought a GSP. I decided that the Garmin eTrex Legend C had enough features at a low enough price. It's already been a lot of fun and I haven't even had a reason to use it outside of plain silliness. The only real disappointment is having to go out and buy separate software for anything past the general map. I imagine in a few years GPSs with every map known to man preloaded will be the same price, but I just couldn't wait!

Illegal Soapbox Derby - 2005

2005-11-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Something special happens when a bunch of rednecks decide to build contraptions for rolling down hills. After viewing this slide show I decided, I'll have to try to see it in person next year.

Emily top ropes a 10a on-sight!

2005-10-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

This last Sunday Emily on-sighted a 10a top rope climb at the gym. I better start training harder before she starts showing me how it's done.

Beach Blanket Babylon

2005-10-31T17:34:00.000-08:00

Recipe for a live 30 years running show, add as many big hats, jokes, celebrity impersonations and a dash of current events. Last Friday night I got to go as part of Emily's birthday celebration. See it, it's fun.

Halloween in the Castro

2005-10-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, just a few blocks from my house hoards of people will ge going crazy. Lets hope Emily and I survive.

iPod that can be your buddy too

2005-10-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you missed the cool boat by not buying an iPod before your grandma, it's not to late. Here is a truly indie Pez MP3 player at http://www.pezmp3.com/. Take that Mr. Steve Jobs!

2000 fallen

2005-10-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

NPR has this segment that includes a mothers experience of losing a son to war. Whether or not one is of the opinion of the validity of the Iraq war, everyone can agree individual losses are are tragic.

CBO at the Veloswap & Sports Expo

2005-10-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

My favorite bike shop Cambria Bicycle Outfitter will be at the VeloSwap & SportsExpo from 9-5 this Saturday the 29. If you have some money burning a hole in your pocket the Veloswap sounds like the place to be.

J-E-L-L-O .....A-R-T!

2005-10-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Liz Hickok has gone off into the ether of creativity in her creation of Jello landscapes. I've never been so impressed and hungry at the same time.

GEO Dome

2005-10-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

This last weekend in Yosemite was great, in part due to my purchasing a REI 4 season GEO Dome tent. Being half the price of the name brand tents, I was a little worried. But as it turns out the tent was quite study, roomy and pleasant. It also happens that for car camping it fits a queen size inflatable bed.

P.S.If your in the market for an inflatable bed the Wenzel battery powered bed is the way to go.

Equity Stakes

2005-10-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

So last night I was pitched an equity stake in a new software startup. Actually, I normally wouldn’t have even opted to hear the pitch, but the person doing the pitch is someone I see getting a company going ground up. Everything I heard during the pitch was reasonable, but unfortunately the software product just didn’t light my fire. So even though I have confidence in the soon to be CEO, I just don't see my self being any were close to as excited as the products I currently am getting to develop. It's good sign I'm happy where I am, but I hate disappointing people.

Climb time }:->

2005-10-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yosemite climbing will be going down this weekend. You can track some of the old salty climbers from SLO at sites 134, 136, 145 and 148 in Upper Pines (just ask for Ken the shitbag). It’s been a while since I’ve climbed but with any luck, I’ll mange to top out on a few classics

Craigslist Treasure, mate!

2005-10-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Found 1968 Nixon Campaign Poster on Craigslist.org. Really one couldn’t go wrong this little cynical tidbit of history.

Broadband: pillaging America

2005-10-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Salon.com has this article on how America is falling behind due to anti completive broadband practices. I take banking, emailing, blogging, researching and even shopping on the Internet for granted, and can't believe we are pricing so many hard working Americans out of the same opportunities.

Keep sucking, until you succeed

2005-10-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight’s Spike Lee commonwealth club appearance was ok, not great. I actually like that Mr. Lee was a little short with lame questions. Emily wasn’t pleased with his disposition. Unfortunately most of the questions ask where wholly uninteresting. For example one of the open floor question contained the phrase “My grandmother always says, ‘Keep sucking, until you succeed’.” After which a desperate gentleman proceeded to beg Spike to take a look at his script, even after Mr. Lee explained that he only looks at materials through documented agents to avoid lawsuits. From the rather mediocre questions I was able to see that Spike was willing to question our society without questioning every single slight he or others might have experienced. Although I don’t feel like I got my $15 worth, I did discover a deeper respect for Mr. Spike Lee.

Pistol packing preacher

2005-10-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today I found blackmanwithagun.com today and couldn't resist exploring it. There are a few curiosities such as his own action figure (click cool stuff) or a CD he has produced , “Pistol packing preacher.” Although I might agree and disagree with different viewpoint presented at blackmanwithagun.com I do find the approach quite funny.

Science is great ;-)

2005-10-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Note: this post will receive no explanation

Young again

2005-10-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

M.H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park be will be free to the general public this re-opening weekend. Trent and Jean have already talked Emily and I into going.

I've been up the tower, which is an exceptional space with a view and look forward to see the rest of the shack ;-) For the local architecturally conservative nitwits I say boo!

Worm in your Apple :-(

2005-10-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

I for one am unimpressed with Apples new V-iPod. Who is going to watch movies on such a little screen. Slate happens to agree with this article. What if Apple instead did something truly revolutionary like allow people to buy and install OSX on any PC. But I imagine Apple just isn't willing to play on a level field with Windows XP and will never ship its operating system to work without it's own branded hardware:-P

World Kick Ball Association

2005-10-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturdays the Kickball prom was held to commemorate the closing of the season. Emily managed to create corsages and bow ties out of kickballs. In fact they worked so well most people at the prom had to be told they were kickball material. At which point they would flip out about how cool they are. For any who would even think of joining a the World Kick Ball Association I would suggest you do so this coming spring, it's a blast!!!

P.S. Emily might be looking to potential investors for fund her indie corsage design company.

Craigslist Treasure Mate!

2005-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Posted earlier this week is this dope Vintage Graco 1970's at craigslist.org. If I had all the storage room in the world this puppy would so be mine.

The bold and unrelenting Spike Lee

2005-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Spike Lee will be speaking for the commonweathclub this coming Monday. Seeing that Spike Lee is a somewhat a bold and unrelenting director, I'm expecting it to be interesting. Make if you can.

Redbull sponsers wings

2005-10-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

I often hate it when people blog about events that happened past tense. But in the case of the Red Bull Air Race you can catch it next year. Last weekend the race during Fleet Week was loads more fun than watching the idealized Blue angles. Instead of top guns doing precision drills you get a bunch of old crockety top guns letting all lose. Numerous loops, spins, flat spins and timed laps all packaged up into one event. Add in one Jumbo-Tron that gives close ups of the planes and cockpit views and you got one entertaining event. So be sure to check next years schedule when it gets posted.

It's never to late for another toy

2005-10-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

So as many of you know I've picked up another hobby, skateboarding! Skateboarding never made much sense. However after moving to San Francisco where the urban jungle presents much more skateboarding opportunity and that's before you account for the ability of skateboards to fit on public transit. Plus Trent had me skate laundry up and down the street. Notably superior than carrying your laundry.

Which predictably leads to me buying a huge board that is easy to ride in a strait line, but not so easy to turn. After spending a lovely Sunday in the park with Emily taking turns riding and riding together, yes Emily is learning how to ride too, and yes my board is big enough that both of us can squeeze on it. In fact when both of us are on it we start giving other people epileptic cases of “that's so cute”.

However the true test is if I could skateboard to work faster than riding the bus. And guess what I can! Just for documentation I've include a map of my momentous day ;-)

Doctor Atomic

2005-10-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago Emily, Jean and I spent a day at Opera in the Park (Golden Gate). Of course Emily couldn't leave without buying some tickets and as it happens we got tickets to Doctor Atomic. We bought the tickets on name alone but now that NPR has a segment about Doctor Atomic I'm sure we made a dandy choice. Also here is a link to the official site of Doctor Atomic.

CSS Hacking, because I can.

2005-10-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago I put my coding powers to work removing the blogger dashboard/toolbar. It was just to dominating. If you're willing to take the risk bitting the had that feeds you free blogging, just past the following into your template right before the </body> tag.

<script>
   var m1 = document.getElementById("b-navbar");
   m1.style.display="none";
   m1.style.visibility='hidden';
   m1 = document.getElementById("space-for-ie");
   m1.style.display="none";
   m1.style.visibility='hidden';
   m1 = document.getElementById("header");
   m1.style.margin="15px auto 0px";
</script>

SFL on iTunes

2005-10-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Scissors For Lefty has been featured as a staff pick on iTunes. Yet another sign that Bryan might be bedding laddies down on a national level. I also have it on good athority that the show at Bottom of the Hill coming the 12th will be a good one.

Happy Hard Core

2005-09-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

One of my coworkers is a high energy geek type. I pretty sure I've seen him drink 8 rock stars in a day. Anyhow to complement his possibly overactive brain he listens to “happy hard core” Which is basically hard core rave music. Even though I'm not partial to high energy of the music you should sample it any way. Besides it gives you acute insight into one of my coworkers.

Last Picture of San Luis Obispo

2005-09-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Right before I moved away from San Luis Obispo(SLO) I managed to find this dandy picture. Of course this picture examines how humans frame, change and affect the landscape we live in.

However looking back on the picture is has even greater personal meaning. In the same way the SLO landscape was drastically changing, my life was in for the big move to SF.

Disaster, ready steady go

2005-09-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I'm big on being prepared for disaster, invasion or even an invasion of little green bureaucrats. For those that live in SF, I suggest checking out 72hours.org. Also zombie movies are aways good training videos, since they are usually some kind of social commentary.

Here is a shot list of variations from 72hours.org list.

Things not in my kit:

toilet paper, really in the event of the big-one I've already shat my self, besides I sure you can find something to use
radio (maybe I should)

Things in my kit:

worlds biggest can of pepper spray I wouldn't expect everybody play nice
laptop, free WiFi has proved more robust than other communication technologies. If you have one grab it on your way out the door
bottles of booze you have at your house. They keep well and could be traded for other goods

Obligatory meaningless first post

2005-09-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks,

Usually most bloggers are articulate. My self I'm only articulate the half of the time, as my brain chooses to function. However if you can bear through the functioning and malfunctioning of the gray matter between my ears, You're bound to find a least a minutia of entertainment.

Cheers,
Rob