...is a joy forever.

I have been known to bitch here about the incompetence of some so-called "web designers", i.e., folks who really don't know that they're doing and turn out all manner of crap websites while actually daring to charge people for it.

Well, today I want to reverse that.

We host and maintain a pro bono site on our server (I won't say what site for privacy reasons, but it's a cause near to my heart), and we're currently totally revamping it. It had previously been on a phpNuke setup because it's a community site with interactive features, and phpNuke had those features. However, phpNuke is a HUGE pain in the arse to customize, and it was a pain to upgrade (because there was so much custom code) and, well, the opportunity sort of arose that we could redo this client site (and they are clients, pro bono or not) with a different system and so we are. We're moving it to Mambo in case you're interested, because Mambo does everything they need, is quite robust, is really easy to customize, and, well, I just like it a lot, and it turns out you can actually import your phpNuke database into Mambo, so how cool is that?

ANYway... In the process of setting up the template for the new site, I went to this client's main site (the static website, which is on another server) and used that as the base. Someone else designed it, apparently also pro bono. Now, I've always thought the site was very attractive and well put-together, but in actually converting it for use in Mambo I have to say, whoever did the site design was good. Really good. Seriously good, as in, so good I've learned a few things from examining and adapting the code. That's not meant to sound like I'm some omnipotent goddess of web design, because I surely am not, but I do know quite a bit and it's always a really nice surprise to see excellently designed code and learn from it. Mmmmm.

So, while I'll probably never know who designed that site, I want to send them blessings and happy smiles, because their code is just so beautiful. It's a real pleasure to see competent, talented designers, let alone to take apart their code. Yay for you, whoever you are.

I just finished reading an Ann Rice novel. I'm not sure why I do this periodically. Well, yes, I do. I like some of her work. She's exquisitely good at painting a vivid picture of periods in history, and I'm quite captivated by that sometimes.

I liked Cry to Heaven, although I could have done without the graphic sex scenes which weren't, in my opinion, very sexy anyway, and the story sagged in the middle. I also liked Servant of the Bones very much, although there was a "loose end" that bothered me and which was never tied up and explained.

I might like the Mayfair Witches stories, because they're not about vampires. In fact, the book I just finished was about a Mayfair, but it wasn't "the Mayfairs". I didn't realize that it was actually pretty much a vampire story. I'm going to say it right now, I really don't much care for Ann's vampires (yeah, I know, a million Ann Rice fans are going to descend upon me in a fury, but we like what we like, what can I say?).

Partly, the very idea of being trapped on this earth in an immortal body, unable to leave... that's pretty horrible to me. The idea of immortality on earth is just... Well, let's just say that I cherish my mortality, and I'm glad to know that someday, eventually, I'll die. It's probably kind of weird, but that's how I feel about it. I'm not suicidal or anything, but the sure knowledge that eventually I will, absolutely, die, is comforting on a lot of levels.

Partly, the eroticism of drinking blood is... okay, I'm not sure if she intends it to be erotic, but I'm pretty sure she does, and if so, that's just weird. I can see it as a metaphor for loving someone "to death", but... I dunno. Vampires, even ones who only kill evildoers, that just seems pretty unappealing to me.

Anyway, the book I just read was Merrick, which, for the most part, I did enjoy. The voodoo elements were fascinating, and, as usual, the portrait the author paints of New Orleans is enticing, as are some of the descriptions she gives of other locations in the book. I can't say I was thrilled to listen to Louis being morose (as usual) or Lestat being... well, Lestat... but overall the book was all right. I kind of read them in spite of the many parts I really don't like that much, because the strength of the author's descriptions make it worth it for me.

So, well, if you're an Ann Rice fan who adores Lestat et al, I do apologize if I've offended your sensibilities. I don't hate Ann's books (I wouldn't have read more than two if that were the case), but I always come away from reading them with a sort of less-than-satisfied feeling, which is certainly subjective. I DO wish she'd write more stuff along the lines of Servant of the Bones or Memnoch the Devil (which I liked in spite of Lestat and in spite of the rather icky menstrual thing toward the end, ugh).

I think I really will have to investigate the books that deal specifically with Aaron and the Mayfair Witches. I suspect I'd like them more than the vampire ones...

In a discussion one day not so long ago, someone said to me, "Well, that's your opinion..."

To which I might say...

Why, yes, yes it is. I have an entire collection of them, and they're all mine. I don't necessarily think they're better than other people's opinions (although many of them are quite well-considered), and I've been known to change them when sufficient evidence persuades me to do so, but, basically, my opinions are mine, and I voice them as such.

From time to time, when I have an unformed opinion because I lack the scientific, technical, or other knowledge to form one, I will accept that the opinions of experts may be valid, and I may even repeat or cite those expert opinions, but I never claim those opinions as my own.

When I was younger and much more unsure of myself and much less able to form opinions (at least, unable to form opinions with much substance), I did, indeed, frequently take other people's opinions and claim they were my own, but now that I've lived a reasonably long time and had lots and lots of life experience both good and bad, I find that forming my own opinions is much more comfortable and satisfying, and is preferable to adopting the opinions of others (although, at times my opinions may agree in whole or in part with those of others, through coincidence, shared life experiences, or other means).

Yes, it is my opinion. And your point is?

You Belong in 1970

1970 If you scored... 1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! 1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too. 1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all! 1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. 1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

Perspiring Minds Want To Know!

I was particularly amused by Evil on a Budget: How to threaten the free world on fifty dollars a day

Okay, our server was compromised yesterday and after doing a lot of log analysis and other stuff, it seems they somehow managed to run a script on or through mt-comments.cgi, despite the fact that I've installed the plugin to prevent spam being sent through it, and despite the fact that no blog has it enabled (as far as I'm aware).

I've done a Google search on this and so far I can't find any references to any security issues, but it may be a new exploit.

Anyway, it might be a good idea to rename your mt-comments.cgi to something else, if you use MT. Even if comments aren't enabled and you've installed the plugin thingy patch, there may be a vulnerability there, and better safe than sorry.

Okay, our server was compromised yesterday and after doing a lot of log analysis and other stuff, it seems they somehow managed to run a script on or through mt-comments.cgi, despite the fact that I've installed the plugin to prevent spam being sent through it, and despite the fact that no blog has it enabled (as far as I'm aware).

I've done a Google search on this and so far I can't find any references to any security issues, but it may be a new exploit.

Anyway, it might be a good idea to rename your mt-comments.cgi to something else, if you use MT. Even if comments aren't enabled and you've installed the plugin thingy patch, there may be a vulnerability there, and better safe than sorry.

Okay, our server was compromised yesterday and after doing a lot of log analysis and other stuff, it seems they somehow managed to run a script on or through mt-comments.cgi, despite the fact that I've installed the plugin to prevent spam being sent through it, and despite the fact that no blog has it enabled (as far as I'm aware).

I've done a Google search on this and so far I can't find any references to any security issues, but it may be a new exploit.

Anyway, it might be a good idea to rename your mt-comments.cgi to something else, if you use MT. Even if comments aren't enabled and you've installed the plugin thingy patch, there may be a vulnerability there, and better safe than sorry.

Being overweight is nowhere near as big a killer as the government thought, ranking No. 7 instead of No. 2 among the nation's leading preventable causes of death, according to a startling new calculation from the CDC.

I really did put a curse on the script kiddy who managed to screw up our web partition. If some things on this domain are a little odd (such as the several missing albums in the photo gallery) and other of our domains are not available, this is why. We're cleaning up the considerable damage done by a malicious script kiddy, who will, I hope, rot in the eternal torment of a self-constructed hell.

I just uploaded a number of new pictures to my Picture Gallery. Details there as to what was added and where.

It's pretty rare that I actually find spam funny, but just now in my spam filter I saw this:

Makes you great in bed. Now all you have to do is get laid.

...both by Robert A. Heinlein: