Year: 2004

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Tech Alert – Web Developers Beware

Fine-Tune Your Web Site for Windows XP Service Pack 2

The following questions/topics are addressed:

  • Does Your Web Site Use Microsoft ActiveX Controls?
  • Is the ActiveX control distributed in a cabinet (CAB) file?
  • Does your Web site have different behavior based on whether an ActiveX control was installed (for example, automatic redirect or special behavior on refresh)?
  • Does your Web site have images of the Authenticode dialog?
  • Does the ActiveX Install dialog prevent the control from being installed?
  • ActiveX Best Practices
  • Does Your Web Site Allow Users to Download Files?
  • Does your Web site launch automatic download prompts?
  • Does your Web site contain files with file extensions that do not match their Content-Type?
  • Does your Web site have images of the download dialog on your site, or images/text showing where to click to accept the control?
  • Does your Web site have downloads that should be digitally signed?
  • Does Your Web Site Use Pop-up Windows?
  • What does Internet Explorer consider a pop-up window?
  • How can I tell if Internet Explorer has blocked my pop-up window?
  • Does your site redirect or close a page based on a blocked pop-up?
  • Does your site launch a pop-up from a pop-up?
  • Do you launch the setHomePage() dialog automatically?
  • Does your Web site open a new window if information is requested asynchronously?
  • Does your Web site launch pop-up windows through ActiveX controls, or other objects on the page?
  • General Pop-up Recommendations
  • Does Your Web Site Depend on the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM)?
  • Does your Web site position windows so that the title bar or address bar is above the visible top of the display, or the status bar is below the visible bottom of the display?
  • Detecting Internet Explorer in SP2
  • Does your site use showModelessDialog() or showModalDialog() calls?
  • Does your site re-direct to another Web page when content is blocked?
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Orson Scott Card – Ender’s Game

Time to review Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I’ve been keeping this one on my desk to review it for some time. I want to pass it onto Noah (8 years old) as I found the same book in the children’s section of Books-a-Million except the print was larger. That is a compliment to the book not an insult. This book has influenced the lives of many adults and teens. There is certainly nothing in it to keep from introducing it earlier.

I found the book completely captivating. It is science fiction. Card writes such that you can’t help but be sucked into empathising with the main character during his trials and tribulations.

It’s been too long to give this a decent review other than to say “buy it! read it!” I’m working the 2nd in the series and hopefully can give a decent review on that one.

    

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A New Day! Let’s start the day off with a PayPa…

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

The puppy made it through the night without pooping in the house! (at least I haven’t found it yet).

Got Tommy up for school and Noah off to Zoo Camp. Returned home with hot doughnuts and a fire inside me to get some resumes off before lunch then spend the afternoon with some marketing and sales and the evening on development.

Took a few minutes to experiment with Blogger’s Post Pages (Settings->Archiving->Enable Post Pages). I had not done this yet as I was afraid that anyone with a link to the old style of permalinks would lose their link. Today I confirmed that Blogger used some good planning and the old style links do not break! Everyone should enable Post Pages!

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Good day overall

Overall we had very pleasant children today. My morning was exceptional and after I got my stress under control in the afternoon I maintained well. Hooks got hung in the bathroom, 3 clients received attention (2 maintenance, 1 project), irs said I’m not going to jail and it looks like the kids will settle down early tonight.

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Found – Chaos Begins

Wallet found in passenger floorboard of Jeep. Evening chaos begins with Tommy becoming surly, Noah starting to hold his own against Tommy, Noah and Amy in tub, dinner needing cooking, puppy defecating and urinating on everything, setting sun’s glare so bright on monitor that I can’t see to type. Wife frustrated and irritated. Amy screaming. Sarah sassing. Tommy grousing. Noah spacing. Me blogging.

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FREAKOUT!

Ok. I’m calm. But having a mildly hysterical moment inside. Often I removed things from my pockets when I’m not going anywhere. It’s bad to sit on your wallet all day. I always put them in the drawer by the bed. Everything is in my pockets. Except my wallet! Think Think Think….

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Irony and Anger

I lost my temper badly with Tommy because he came down right as Amy woke and I had not made the milestone I was hoping for. I was angry with myself and took it out on Tommy. I feel horrible.

Ironically, the temper revolved around a neighbor’s borrowed DVD “Anger Management.” I even broke the case in a show of anger. I feel like to total schmuck. This was a Murph moment.

I think I made ammends and saw the err of my way.

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My Uncle was in good spirits

So after helping my client I decided to drop in my Uncle. My Uncle explained that I had not filed taxes in 4 years and that on the first 3 of those it looks like I did not owe anything but the first 2 I would have been due refunds (no longer available). My Uncle was pleasant and assured me that I’m in no real trouble and told me how to get on with the paperwork.

Did you know that if it looks like you owe money and you don’t file a return that the IRS will prepare a return for you (with zero deductions) and send you a bill? That is what I’m working on avoiding with this past year.

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Amy’s nightmares

I’ve now given Amy something scary to dream about. Tommy and Sarah got excited about driving through a car wash. I thought fearless Amy that enjoyed the fireworks so much and loves the rain would get a hoot out of it. She became so terrified that I almost just drove out while the machine was running. I felt so helpless.

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Motorcades

President Bush is in town today which means traffic woes and votes will be bought.

We missed getting stopped by a road block by 30 seconds. Whether it was for the presidential motorcade or the assine 100 days of road blocks to raise money for the police department I’m not sure. I still think those should be illegal. By what right do they have to stop me if I’m not breaking any laws? Seems completely unjust! Of course, we are breaking a law by not having Noah in a proper child restraint device and that will cost us $300-500 but that’s another story.