Flickr

I have been frustrated with the flickr uploadr tool lately. It kept on saying that it was done, even if the upload failed. I ended up looking into other possible ways to upload pictures, and I created a script that I could use to do this.

#!/bin/sh

tags=$1
description=$2
emailAddress="myFlickrUploadAccount@flickr.com"

# For emailing all jpg's from current directory, using a case insensitive pattern match

for i in `find . -iname "*.jpg"`
do
echo "$description" | mail -s "tag:$tags" -a $i $emailAddress
echo "Emailing file: $i"
done

echo "Done all files."

The only problem with that: it worked where I developed the script, but where I wanted to run it from, it didn't. Mail on bluehost didn't have the attachment option. :-( Not only that, but apparently bluehost limits the number of emails per hour to prevent spammers, so using email to bulk upload files wasn't the best idea.

So I looked into ruby and python scripts. Not a lot of luck with either. I was starting to get really frustrated. The solution that seems to have be working (so far) is that I just installed the latest version of the uploadr.

I'm happy that it's working now, but it's frustrating that it could have been working a lot sooner. I guess it just comes back to me being pissed off when an app doesn't self-update.

Marriage isn't taking too well

Well, it's not the marriage, it's the ring. After I showered the other day with it on, it started to bother my finger, so much so that I have not really been able to wear it since. I'm pretty disappointed since I was looking forward to it being on my finger. *sigh*

I hope that I won't have to, but I might have to change the ring to something else. I wonder if I could get a whistle on the new one... :-P

Getting on the crackbook bandwagon

I did it. I joined facebook. Now I can try that "social networking" I've heard the kids talking about. So far, so good.

I'm looking forward to changing my relationship status from "engaged" to "married" and wait eagerly for Laura to approve the change. Ah, romance...

Lead by a piper

After going to Laura's graduation the other day I've decided that I want to be lead by a piper where ever I go. How cool would that be? You wouldn't be able to sneak up on anyone, but that would turn heads a lot more than a fancy sports car ever would. That and a fancy hat with a big feather in it. Not that anyone had that at Laura's graduation, but I think that would be awesome. I'd call the hat "macaroni". ;-)

Nerves

Most people wouldn't know it, but I can be a very nervous person. Like not being able to sleep before going to the cottage for the weekend. Now I am getting married in 15 days... oh boy. I think what's keeping me from totally freaking out is being so busy lately.

The dumb part about being nervous? I feel that it's going to go wonderful. I just get how to calm down and relax. Maybe the solution is just to go 100% up until just before the wedding so I'm tired all the time, and then have a couple of relaxing days before the "day". Ah well.

*deep breaths*

Happy Star Wars Day 2007!!

To anyone that celebrates, Happy Star Wars Day!! You know... "may the forth be with you!"

It's funny that Spider-man 3 is being released today... I guess it really is a "nerd day".

Best of Luck!!!

To everyone that is writing a test tomorrow, the best of luck!!!

Update managers

One thing that I see now as a requirement for desktop software is the ability for it to update itself. It should be harder to not update the software then to leave it running with an old version. This is not a new idea, however I only feel that it has really started to come to the forefront in the last couple of years.

Using the latest software is better for everyone: users are using the version with (hopefully) the most bug fixes; the software crashes less so the perception of quality is higher; developers have to worry about less versions to support; etc.

Operating systems can do the same kinds of updates, but commercial ones want you to buy a new version. This leads to a less linear update path which is harder since people upgrade like Win98 -> WinXP. Open source projects pretty much want everyone using the latest and greatest so you get update managers that will upgrade the whole system (link via octonary). I sure that microsoft could make it so that you could update your whole OS, but that's not in their best interest.

I hope that in 10 years the "oh, I've got to update my software" won't be heard. The systems will download, update, and configure themselves based on how you use the computer. We'll notice the tools a lot less because they will all *just work*.

Ubuntu live cd not so live for me

I tried out the ubuntu live cd to assess if it would work okay with my laptop before doing anything drastic like wiping out the computer. I'm assuming that because it's just running in memory, only 250 Mb at that, it's having too hard a time. To say that it wasn't too responsive is an understatement. I tried to open the "Network" app so that I could try and configure wireless. At not seeing the clock change for 10 minutes on my computer, I rebooted it.

I did a disk check, and that reported the cd I burned is okay. I did a memory check and let that run for 15 minutes, and that didn't find any problems my my ram. *sigh*

Either way I think that I am going to wipe my laptop. Either windows is going to be reinstalled or some flavour of linux. I just can't stand it any more. I'm planning to make sure that all my external drives are read / writable from linux before moving on, then make sure that I can use my scanner / camera with linux and upload the pics to flickr. If I have too much trouble, then it'll be XP going onto my laptop, not linux.

Oh, if a non-techy person asks what you mean by a "flavour of linux", tell them that you are trying to decide between "salty-sweet" and "chocolate". Those are the popular flavours.