Category: Rant

Categories
MovableType Rant

6 Apart is Slipping

There is a new MovableType, 3.2. If you are running MT on Windows 2003, or plan to, stay away from the upgrade. In beta 3, 4, 5 continuing through the final release MT doesn’t work on Windows 2003. It was mentioned in the User to User support, on the support boards, I submitted it via email but it never made it onto the Known Issues and nothing mentioned in the final release. Nothing in the “spiffy” new doc system or knowledge base.
Now that it is a final release and since I’m a paying personal user there is some offical support. First fix breaks things in a different way and required admin access to IIS.
The definate feeling is that there was little to no testing on Windows 2003. No attention paid to the user feedback during beta. Very disapointing experience. There were plans to purchase commercial liscense for work, not so sure anymore.
Update:
A week after the release, and after several days with no action or communication, SixApart finally had a solution that worked.

Then edit each of the mt*.cgi files adding this to the top of each (well, below the first “#!…” line):
use File::Basename;
use File::Spec;
use lib File::Spec->catdir(dirname($0), “lib”);
After you add those lines, the CGIs should work properly.

Still no mention in the Known Issues. A very disapointing situation.
Now do I spend the time to run through the plugins that broke with the “no problem” release?

Categories
Personal Rant

Delta Sucks

I have heard of this truly wonderful thing called “Frequent Flyer Miles” and the associated benefits. But have come to hold the belief that Delta considers me to be some third world pigmy not worthy of such benefits.

It all starts back in 1997. That was the year I got to visit London England with the family. Given we lived in the Greater Cincinnati Area Delta was the only realist flying option. International flight equals lots of miles so I signed up for the Frequent Flyer/SkyMiles, they seemed to be in the middle of changing the name back them.

Few years later in the spring of 2000 I’m flying from Seattle to Cincinnati after riding cross country with Delmar. So I choose Delta, use my SkyMiles card to get more of those great miles.

Skip ahead to last summer. Work is flying me to Greece, lots of miles! Maybe combined with my London and cross country fights I might have something worth using. When I get to the airport with my SkyMiles card they tell me they can’t give me the miles for some unknown reason. Just keep my ticket stubs and deal with it after my trip.

When I returned to the States I tried through there website to check the account. There it says to call a different number than the normal one and only during normal business hours. After several attempts spend a hour on hold I give up.

Which brings me to now, today. In May there is an Alaskan cruise with the family. The flight is booked through the cruise company but for a nominal fee of $50 you can pick the airline. Time to get that SkyMiles account working.

Back to the website which has been totally revamped. Still can’t use the account but just call this number. After trying several different ways through the automated system, none of which mention anything about getting a new pin, I get someone in India. After 30 minutes of trying to find the complete address they have for me, one of the 6 I have had in the past 8 years, he tells me he can’t give me a pin and I can’t use any of my old ticket stubs. Apparently they are only good for 6 months, first time anyone from Delta mentioned that. If I want to waste my time I could mail my complaint and maybe they will accept my Greece miles.

Delta Airlines Incorporated
Sky Miles Department 654
P.O. Box 20532
Atlanta, GA 30320-2532

But the guy from India seems like he is almost laughing at the idea of that getting me anywhere. Then he transfers me back into the same phone queue I spent an hour waiting in!

This time I get a woman in the south. After we go through the same routine she gives me a fax number, 404-773-1945, to handle things out of procedure. Says the fax folks are way behind and she doesn’t know how long it will take but at least weeks. So I finally thinking of asking if they have any of my previous miles, nope. Seems that they expire miles after 3 years. Great, so all this effort and there is nothing there! Now I have never heard of this automatic expiration. She says it is on there website, but I couldn’t find it following the directions. Actually can’t really find anything useful on there website. /

Now should I even bother? I can maybe in weeks get my Greece miles, though both the Delta reps got as close to saying “not a chance in hell” as they could without saying it. I could just setup a new SkyMiles account for the Alaska miles, but if previous experience is any indication I will not be able to access them until after they expire them.

Kinda makes glad when I hear Delta bankruptcy news, though the government will bail them out.

Categories
Movies Rant Reviews

War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds
Someone owes me $7 and 2 hours of my life. Went to see the Spielberg rendition of War of the Worlds last evening. There are some stunning visuals, unfortunately one of those great death ray effects don’t cross the path of the main characters. Never, not once, in the entire movie did I care what would happen to them, other than there death which was not about to happen.
In the words of Comic Book Guy, “Worst Movie Ever!”

Categories
News Personal Politics Rant

Excuse me while I cry

Oh, my emotional state, sadness, depression, anger, disalusionment. My faith in the eternal goodness of man, that we are really great, is faltering. Seeing the popular vote leads me to one of two conclusions. The majority of voting Americans have either been dupped beyond there intelect or are comprised of some of the worst of humanity disguised in smiles. I am not sure which is worse. And I don’t know which I fear worst or what I can do to change either.
Excuse me while I cry…

Categories
News Personal Politics Rant

Excuse me while I cry

Oh, my emotional state, sadness, depression, anger, disalusionment. My faith in the eternal goodness of man, that we are really great, is faltering. Seeing the popular vote leads me to one of two conclusions. The majority of voting Americans have either been dupped beyond there intelect or are comprised of some of the worst of humanity disguised in smiles. I am not sure which is worse. And I don’t know which I fear worst or what I can do to change either.
Excuse me while I cry…

Categories
Games Rant

Doom 3

I didn’t do like many and rush out to pick up Doom 3 on tuesday but waited til last night 🙂 Inital reaction on the graphics, “OH MY FSCK’N GOD! How did they do those awesome graphics” Inital reaction to game play, “OH MY FSCK’N GOD! How unplayable.” Maybe it is my ever worsening eyesight combined with the kick ass realtime lighting and shading. Maybe it is my expectation for the rooms to have a function.
I’m hoping my experience changes the more I play the game but the expectations are kinda low. Though one good thing about the game play was to remind me how great the story and game play was in HalfLife. So how many more days til HalfLife2 comes out?
Dooom 3
Graphic Awesomeness 9/10
Game Play 6/10

Categories
Rant

Alton Brown on Supersize Me

If you are a FoodTV junkie like me you are probably familur with Alton Brown, star of Good Eats and color comentator for the Iron Chef American. Alton has some great stuff to say on Supersize Me,

We are fat and sick and dying because we have handed a basic, fundamental and intimate function of life over to corporations.

And me think that applies to so many other fundamental aspects of our lives that are not working well.

Categories
Development Politics Rant

Warez and Shareware Developers

Nick Bradbury, developer of TopStyle, HomeSite and FeedDemon, did a test to see how many were using warez’d versions of TopStyle or more acurately how many ran TopStyle once. Now the one big mosterously gigantic hole in his logic, how many first runers would have been actual purchasers? I’m sure that small developer software sales are lost, but I’m betting that the amount is actually much smaller than anyone would expect.
The same situation applies to movies and music online. Sure there is rampent downloading. But how many would have been a purchase absent of the downloading option? Again I’m betting much smaller than anyone would expect.
Eventually that situation will change. Sometime around when the current highschoolers are running things. Just like the American Factory Worker, digital content creators are going to lose those nice fat cushy margins. So you have a choice come up with a new buisness model for getting money into the hands of digital creators. Digital rights management and laws that don’t mirror the reality of the users wishes just don’t cut it.

Categories
Development Politics Rant

Warez and Shareware Developers

Nick Bradbury, developer of TopStyle, HomeSite and FeedDemon, did a test to see how many were using warez’d versions of TopStyle or more acurately how many ran TopStyle once. Now the one big mosterously gigantic hole in his logic, how many first runers would have been actual purchasers? I’m sure that small developer software sales are lost, but I’m betting that the amount is actually much smaller than anyone would expect.
The same situation applies to movies and music online. Sure there is rampent downloading. But how many would have been a purchase absent of the downloading option? Again I’m betting much smaller than anyone would expect.
Eventually that situation will change. Sometime around when the current highschoolers are running things. Just like the American Factory Worker, digital content creators are going to lose those nice fat cushy margins. So you have a choice come up with a new buisness model for getting money into the hands of digital creators. Digital rights management and laws that don’t mirror the reality of the users wishes just don’t cut it.

Categories
Mozilla Personal Rant Web

Font Switch

Switched my Phoenix/Firebird default fonts to the Bitstream Vera Fonts and damm what a joyous experience. Dare I say it almost feels Mac like, that certian something is subtelly different in a good way feeling.