Alex Jones: Web Technologist, Barbecue Acolyte, Information Junkie, Austinite

Winamp to Web Playlist

I am currently revamping the middle-ware ‘tween Winamp and this Web site. The old way forces me to use Winamp 2 (as opposed to the much nicer Winamp 3) and even worse, it causes a slight system delay as the built-in ftp client sends the name of the latest song to the script on this server. I found a nice plugin for Winamp which let’s me hit a script directly, thus bypassing FTP altogether; but it only sends the name of the artist and the song, leaving out other detailed information like the album name. As I would like to continue to provide links to Amazon for those interested in the albums (and possibly add lyric look-ups) I need this additional info.

So I contacted the developer of the plug-in to see if there is a way to gather more data. We’ll see. If nothing else I may find a different plugin for Winamp.

Posted in Web Development

Oh, Gods!

“Religion didn’t begin to wither away during the twentieth century, as some academic experts had prophesied. Far from it. And the new century will probably see religion explode - in both intensity and variety. New religions are springing up everywhere. Old ones are mutating with Darwinian restlessness. And the big ‘problem religion’ of the twenty-first century may not be the one you think”

by Toby Lester

The Atlantic: Oh, Gods! - February 2002

This is a great article that has me rethinking my understanding of religion(s) and the evolution of belief.

Posted in General

Eleanor of Aquitaine

In an era which required women to remain in the background and acquiesce to the will of men, Eleanor of Aquitaine rose to become quite the powerful figure. Chivalry as we know it, portrayed in legendary stories of Kind Arthur and sung by troubadours was just starting to take shape; so few women of the time were placed on a romantic pedestal and few were allowed to hold any influence beyond the hosting of events within the court.

I just started reading, but in these first 40 pages, Alison Weir has fleshed out the world of 12th century France and Europe in great detail. My knowledge of Eleanor of Aquitaine until this time was built with snippets of stories and a movie by the name of
The Lion in Winter. Focusing on her life directly is sheding a lot of light and providing a deeper perspective of Europe in that era.

Posted in Reading

Kipp Flores

We published the redesigned Kipp Flores Web site today! This was a great project, and Leesa and I both enjoyed working with them; they are ideal clients! From all accounts, they are extremely happy with our work as well.

Working on an architect’s site was great as I got a chance to learn a little more about the industry and see some beautiful plans and houses.

Two hours from now we will be meeting up at B.B. Rover’s for a celebratory happy hour.

Posted in Web Development

Trackball Explorer

My last trackball recently decided to randomly double-click which makes it hard to work, especially in programs like Photoshop. So, I went looking for a new trackball and after spending some time on Amazon and walking through Best Buy and Fry’s I decided to get the “>Microsoft Trackball Explorer which had solid revues and a host of good features. I’ve also had good experiences with Microsoft hardware in the past so I decided it was worth a bit more money.

It was the right decision. This optical trackball is amazing! It is quite comfortable for me to use and has five buttons total, plus a scroll wheel. When I’m browsing the Web I use two of the buttons to scroll forward and back and I’ve set those same buttons to zoom in and out in Photoshop. The scroll wheel is mighty convenient as well.

This was a great purchase.

Posted in General

Canvas Stretchers

Sarah is sooooooo excited. Chris came over to show her how to build stretcher bars. Not only did Sarah get to learn how to build them (and do them right) these are much better quality and far cheaper than the ones in art supply or hobby stores.

Chris, as always came through. In addition to his knowledge, he brought over his portable table saw and pneumatic tools. It’s great to have such good friends. Of course Sarah and I have wanted pneumatic tools for a long time, so this just made the urge to buy some even stronger. When we are back on our feet, and I have a solid job, I think we’ll be hitting Home Depot.

I can’t wait to see what Sarah creates now.

Posted in General

Happy Puppies

Margo and Miles are now in a great new home. Last night I introduced them to their new mommy who was absolutely ecstatic and fell in love with both of them instantly. They family of five, (three of which are children) will adore them and provide tons of attention.

Sarah and I appreciate everyone’s help in finding them a great home.

Posted in General

Margo and Miles

A few days back I walked outside with our pup Maddy and encountered two adorable pups on our front lawn. We have taken the little ones in and named them Margo and Miles. Sarah and I have grown to love them both, but sadly we cannot keep them for a couple of reasons.

The first is the lack of money. We can’t make the commitment to them that they will require. The second is the fact that our pup plays way too rough. Though Maddy likes them both a lot, she is used to playing with dogs who are two to three times her own size (30 pounds), so she doesn’t realize that her nudges and body slams are dangerous to dogs that weigh less than 10 pounds.

I have posted a letter to the No-Kill Handbill mailing list and am trying to distribute the word to everyone I know. If you live in or around Austin and are interested in learning more about these great puppies please let me know!

Additional pictures: Margo, Miles, together 1, together 2 (large image).

Posted in General

The Meaning of it All

From the book:

“Once in Hawaii I was taken to see a Buddhist temple. In the temple a man said, “I am going to tell you something that you will never forget.” And then he said “To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates of hell.”

Posted in Reading

Cheers!

Posted in General