George’s Wonder Blog

Its no surprise that Apple’s iPhone is garnering so much media attention, but guess what? Big web sites are standing up and taking notice, too! It turns you can optimize your web site for display on the iPhone.

The big Apple themselves have posted a list of the Top-10 iPhone Optimized Websites, and guess what? If you have a WordPress blog (v2.2 or 2.3 as of this writing) optimizing your site for the iPhone is only a plugin away! Just get the iPhone Viewport Meta plugin.

Throughout the 1990’s Linux evolved into, been packaged into, a desktop Operating System, and into the new millennium its become more and more user-friendly. At some point it became an operating system no longer relegated to just us “computer geeks”, it became a viable alternative desktop operating system for the masses.

More recently Linux has gotten cool. How you ask? Big business has had an eye on Linux for years now, and more recently realized if it was ignored it could become a competitor in one way or another. In 2001 Unix-based Mac OS X (okay that’s not Linux, but its close enough) hit the market in new Macintosh computers. According to Wikipedia.org, Apple has also customized versions of its Unix-based OS X in Apple TV, iPhone and the iPod touch.

More recently computer maker HP introduced its first laptop with Linux, and since has also begun offering Linux Servers. HP has even done some custom deals with Linux Desktops, and may offer factory installed Linux Desktops down the road (well of course, right?).

What’s next, Microsoft and Linux? Yup. Just this year Microsoft partnered with Novell (makers of Suse Linux). Microsoft and Linux? Maybe the next version of Windows will be called Windows TUX, who knows?

So how cool is Linux? Well, including Unix-based OS X you’ve got installations in Macintosh Desktops, Apple TV, iPhone, iPod touch, plus computer maker HP and Microsoft also jumping on board the “Linux train”. Oh yes and lets not forget the server this blog runs on is a Linux server! Cool, eh?

UPDATE: 1/17/2008 - A Step Closer to Linux

I just found out today that Max OS X is, in part, based on Darwin/Rhapsody/OPENSTEP which are open source versions of Unix, some developed by Apple, Inc.

Today I was updating my Windows Live Mail and once again as has happened many times recently I got a popup error message from Windows:

Windows cannot find ‘<website address>’. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search a site for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

Which is always followed by Firefox opening and going to the page which Windows just said it could not find. It gets to be an aggravating situation when you put time and money into a computer, you want it to work right, and not complain when everything is working ok.

The answers were found on the MozillaZine Knowledgebase article Windows error opening Internet shortcut or local HTML file - Firefox. Basically, dump problematic Firefox extensions, update the ones you want to keep, and some work in Folder Options > File Types.

I was surprised to find some of my extensions listed on the Problematic Firefox Extensions page due to memory leakage and/or excessive CPU usage. I removed the ones I could do without and kept the ones I was willing to deal with. Now that I’ve cleaned out some of that “computer sludge” and taken the steps in the MozillaZine Knowledgebase article I no longer have those error windows popping up and my computer just feels more agile.

After installing Internet Explorer 7 a couple of days ago, I began losing FTP and passwords in my site definitions, so I went to Adobe’s knowledgebase and followed the instructions in the Dreamweaver 8 for Windows loses FTP login settings issue.

Then tonight I was doing a Find on a page and began repeatedly getting this error:

This search result cannot be displayed because this portion of the document has changed or been removed since the search was performed.

The first thing I did was change the text I was searching, then I went into a completely different site to do a Find, but always the same error. In a huge rush I went back to Adobe’s knowledgebase again and couldn’t find a resolution. Google was helpful with 1 result - yes that’s right only one! Luckily a fellow by the name of Jason Nussbaum has a blog addressing this issue more in detail than I will go into here.

For me the fix was to empty the text in the Find box, then uncheck the Match whole word checkbox. Voila! Read more on Jason’s blog here.

This guy is *so* funny, he’s just great. I caught Jeff Dunham Arguing With Myself on TV last night and it was great! He was so funny I thought I’d share.

CONTENT WARNING
• pervasive profanity
• adult themes

Jeff Dunham with Peanut

Jeff Dunham with Walter
[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kXOg23pGeA[/youtube]

Jeff Dunham with the Dead Terrorist

You’ve got to see his other characters, and he has a website with a pictures and videos page: www.jeffdunham.com

Sometimes you find really cool stuff surfing the Internet and tonight I ran across Michael Ebert’s DiamondLime blog and read his Destroy Your Site post which led me to NetDisaster.com. I must admit it was rather fun to play with.

Give it a shot yourself and Destroy the Web as NetDisaster says!

UPDATE 1/25/2008: My raft has drifted since posting this and “Coming Soon” may mean later this year…. oops.

I love cooking, though I don’t get to cook much. For some reason spices interest me. Coming soon I’ll write about pepper… Here’s an appetizer for you readers. Black Pepper has been used as:

• currency
• sacred offering to honor the gods
• pay taxes
• pay ransoms

More later!

DISCLAIMER

Just a friendly reminder that this information I collect is just that, information I collect. Seriously, don’t consider this post as containing any kind of advice. Before taking any actions based on interesting information here you should speak to a qualified specialist (doctor, dietician, etc..)

On to the fun part!

Comment from reader Eyebee on History of Cinnamon:

Interesting Article. I knew there were good reasons to use cinnamon, but not sure about all of them.

I couldn’t help but smile at the most common type of cinnamon in the US today being Chinese Cinnamon. Don’t most all items in common use in the United States today originate from China?

Well that was just the beginning of uses, because here comes more, much more!

USES OF CINNAMON

Throughout history cinnamon has seen many uses, and here are several of them from the mundane to the surprising! The dried inner bark, and oils distilled from the bark and leaves has been used for:

• embalming in Ancient Egypt
• during the Bubonic Plague in sick rooms soaked in sponges and cloves
• burned as an incense
• food spice (meats, game and pastries)
• beverage flavoring (esp hot drinks)
• preventing food spoilage
• reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides in type 2 diabetic patients who are not taking insulin
• hair rinse for dark hair
• toothpaste flavoring to freshen breath
• anti-fungal - prevent and treat fungal infections like athletes foot
• used in massage oils
• added to sachets to repel moths (better smelling than moth balls, eh?)
• uterine stimulant
• anti-microbial/anti-bacterial actions (against bacteria, and fungi - including Candida)
• anti-clotting agent
• simply smelling it can increase brain activity - has been observed to improve scores on tasks related to attention processes, certain types of memory and visual motor speed
• its calcium and fiber can improve colon health and help protect against heart disease
• can attract customers to places of business
• has been prescribed prescribed for treatment of flatulent dyspepsia, constipation, diarrhea, flu, chills, rheumatism, certain menstrual disorders, parasitic worms, dyspepsia with nausea, intestinal colic
• treat appetite loss and indigestion
• can relieve nausea and vomiting and infantile diarrhea
• promote a rosy complexion
• used at the onset of cold/flu, especially when mixed in tea with fresh ginger
• may provide sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome with relief from constipation or diarrhea
• may reduce the risk of colon cancer
• is a powerful antioxidant - more effectively prevented oxidation when compared to other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA, BHT , and propyl gallate), but not against mint

Well that’s it - amazing, eh?

REFERENCES & EXTENDED READING

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon
http://www.cinnamonpills.com/
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artcinnamon.html
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/food/cinnamon.htm
http://www.monumentalmassage.com/articles/benefits_of_cinnamon.html
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=6

HISTORY

Cinnamon has an interesting history and a variety of uses including uses as a spice, medicinal uses and even as an embalming agent in ancient Egypt. It emerges into history from the earliest Chinese texts on the subject of botanical medicine about 2700 BC, and more recently in the bible as early as about 1400 BC. Cinnamon, which comes from the bark of a small Southeast Asian evergreen tree, was treasured more than gold during some times in history. Cinnamon (also true cinnamon or Ceylon Cinnamon) comes from Brazil, the Caribbean, India, Madagascar, and Sri-Lanka; while more common Cassia (Chinese cinnamon) is found in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. The most common cinnamon in the US today is Cassia, or Chinese Cinnamon.

The ancient “cinnamon trade” ran from East Asia and India to the rest of West Asia and later Africa, and Europe. Its trade has made many people and even empires & republics rich - some have flourished while others met their demise. Eventually the Crusades exposed cinnamon to Europeans even more and demand increased.

COMING SOON

Cinnamon’s Uses Throughout History: Cinnamon has been used to prevent food spoilage, treat illnesses, flavor food, freshen breath and more.

REFERENCES & EXTENDED READING

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon
http://www.cinnamonpills.com/
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artcinnamon.html
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/food/cinnamon.htm
http://www.monumentalmassage.com/articles/benefits_of_cinnamon.html
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=6

It was getting late and I’d decided to shut down for the night when I realized I hadn’t checked my RSS articles lately. I started reading and ended up reading a friend’s humor website bingbongoo fun. Among the jokes I read (I won’t spoil them) was a “guy walking into a bar” joke, amd a “Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker” joke. Visit the site and read them yourself, you’ll be glad you did.

By the time I was done another hour or so had passed and I was running even later. Now I’m writing about, so I’ll be running even later, but that’s okay it was worth it.