random tidbits.

Generate Random List of CSV Field Data

This clip will take a selection of data contained in a comma separated file (without quotes) and reorder those fields in a random fashion.

Continue reading Generate Random List of CSV Field Data…

HTML: Remove & and replace with &amp

It is often necessary to replace the & character with the entity & to get validated (x)html. This clip will replace all appropriate ampersands excluding those that are part of defined character entities.
Continue reading HTML: Remove & and replace with &amp…

Remove Lines with Numbers

This regex loop will remove all lines that contain only numbers on them. There is a quirk so that it won’t work correctly on one pass, so I loop it to get it to work correctly.

; by don at htmlfixit.com
; removes all numbers on a line
; for some reason the regex doesn't
; work right, so I repeat to
; get all instances -- odd but
; sometimes it goes that way
:Loop
^!Replace "^\d+\n" >> "" ATIWRS
^!IfError END
^!Jump 1
^!GoTo Loop

Sample input:

this
that
12
567
a324
-you
15
x374

Sample output:

this
that
a324
-you
x374

Keywords: regex, regular expression, remove, numbers, line, loop, repeat

Calculate Splits for a 5 Kilometer Race

I regularly have to create target splits for a five kilometer (5K or 5,000 Meter) race. This clip creates even mile splits based upon a target finish time. Continue reading Calculate Splits for a 5 Kilometer Race…

Find Sub-string in Longer String

These may display very funny for some people because of the use of the pre html tag. Continue reading Find Sub-string in Longer String…

Notetab Clips

I am a big fan of NoteTab, a text editor on steroids. I use the pro version of this software, but there is also a free, no nags or advertisements, light version available. One of my favorite features of Notetab is the clips (and I will save a bunch I wrote/write here) Continue reading Notetab Clips…

The ESP Game- fun time waster

The ESP Game claims to be labeling the web. It is a “game” where you see images and with a partner have to guess words in common. They disallow certain words for most images, including often the obvious words. The tricks seem to be to guess the word in the top left if it isn’t taboo, color if it isn’t taboo, shape if all else fails. Think of similiar words that aren’t taboo. Kinda fun I guess … but not productive … so I better finish this so I can get back to it.

Marqui Buys Blog Posts

This article from InternetNews.com points out an attempt by an advertiser to get regular references to their product/site from regular high traffic bloggers. Unless it is a clearly disclosed situation, I would be offended to find a post I am reading turns out to be a paid ad. The company says that the blogger can post a disclaimer if they like. Absent that, it has the elements of whoring your site. If you want sex for money at least yo u can say so! I hope the recipients do. They claim they will disclose who they are paying to post on the site FAQ.

The other interesting thing is that the advertiser says you don’t even have to say Continue reading Marqui Buys Blog Posts…

Paint Shop Pro 9

Having tried this new excellent program for a couple of weeks now I have found some super new additions and improvements. Number one for me was that you can now create easy vertical text and borders. The optimisation of images for use on the web is also improved.

It loads a lot faster than version 8 and whilst I’m still discovering more and more additions, I think this is the best version yet.

You can also get excellent add on plugins from http://www.digitalworkshop.com and their support if you join the photo club is second to none.

I still have Windows 98SE as my operating system and you don’t get told if you have any problems that you should really update to XP. This can be really annoying if they sell it to you saying it works in Windows 98/2000/XP etc.

Its going to take me a few more weeks to even get round just some of this program, but if you have version 8 you will have no problem with 9. Give it a try.

Hazel

Google buys Keyhole Interactive World Maps

For just $30 a year for a consumer, or $600 a year for commercial users, you can use Keyhole, an interactive mapping solution that gives you zoomable high definition images of the earth. I can see where a realtor for example, may benefit from being able to show a site to a prospective buyer. I can see an attorney using it to research the scene of an incident, etc. I think it may be a bit pricey for most, but it does have a free seven day trial. Many cities are in very high resolution, such as Boston in this example.

More Efforts to Shut Down File Sharing

The recording industry, encouraged by favorable treatment from the most liberal federal bench in the US Appeals system, has filed a petition with the US Supreme Court, seeking to hold file sharing software companies responsible for the sharing done by clients of the company.

Among Monday’s petitioners siding with the entertainment companies were the Association of American Publishers, Screen Actors Guild, Recording Artists Coalition, National Basketball Association and the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Marks said. Now those are some strange bedfellows. One wonders how else they may be entertwined.

Comments on Our Site

Tired of being blog spammed (or blammed as it is known), we have decided to work on a new method to stop the automatic submission of comments. While we are working on it I have disabled our comment feature. We are getting hammered one per ten seconds at the moment. At least this way I waste some of their bandwidth as well.

Google Calculator

Google has a calculator built into it’s search engine. I never knew that. If you type “meters in mile” for example, it will give you the answer. You can also type typical math problems such as (2*4)+9 and the answer will appear.

You can also ask it to return definitions. Type “define: google” for example, and you get the answer. It appears as though a “:” is mandatory to see the results in the “definition” format.

Because I use firefox browser I always have the google seach bar on my browser … so I doubt I will “reach” for start/programs/accessories/calculator much in the future … and I never did reach for the dictionary, just ask my teachers.

Mesh Network WiFi by Big Brother

A fascinating article on the use of WiFi networks to relay messages via remote control cameras in high crime neighborhoods. New Orleans reports significant drops in crime. Of course then the question is how much standard monitoring do we as a free society tolerate? Do we have an expectation of privacy when we look around and don’t see anyone near us? Does crime prevention override issues of freedom from scrutiny? It might be one thing to kick on the cameras when they get a call, but to keep them running continuously … it has some downsides it might seem.

Flu Vaccine – does your nose know?

A current study is underway to compare nasal flu vaccine to injections. Ironically, there is a big “scare” in the US this year because the flu shot is in very limited quantity because of a manufacturing problem. What people don’t know is that the mist for nasal inhaling is readily available. Of course, until this test is done, who knows if it is as effective … or could it be more effective.

For years I bypassed the flu shots and seldom got sick. Then I took a job that involved interaction with many many people, often with poor health, nutrition and hygene … and I got sick more than before. I started getting flu shots and again got sick very little. This year I cannot get the flu shot, so I may (like most of my family already has) go get the mist.