My host’s database server went out last night and caused all three of my most frequently updated blogs to go out.

I apologize for the issue as well as the strange message in the RSS feed if you folks saw that too.

When I woke up this morning they had responded to my message and I was then able to use the SQL options of my website control panel to “Fix” the database. This restored normal access to the websites.

Later all,
~Steph

Over the last few days this blog (indeed, all of my websites hosted at this service) has been intermittently unreachable. Each time that I file a support ticket with them they just respond saying to clear my browser cache.

Apparently they think that an error message saying that the server dropped the connection is somehow caused by my browser’s cache.

I would like to apologize to those affected. I have known about it and I have contacted my host about the issues. It’s not that I haven’t been trying to fix the problems, it’s that they haven’t been doing anything about it. I was lucky the other day to catch an SQL error to send them so that they couldn’t brush me off with the “browser cache” line again, but that has happened only once.

When I have the time (tomorrow?) I will begin looking into other hosts for this and my other domain names. I can’t do that now because I have to leave very, very soon for class.

Just FYI: I know about it, i’ve tried to do something about it, but it’s out of my hands.

Later folks,
~Steph

Just an FYI, I’m going to try another way to make a bit’o money off of the blog. Please keep in mind that I’m attending college and yes, money is much needed. Especially being in an Art class where I buy those fracking supplies.

Anyway, since I haven’t used PayPerPost in awhile I’m going to let that simmer on the back burner for a bit. I love PayPerPost and it’s a darn good way to make money, but I’m going to experiment with this new system for awhile to see how that does.

Later folks,
~Steph

After years of not owning one I finally ordered a camera tonight. The camera is a FinePix A340. I also tossed in an extra 1 GB Type-M xD Picture card and I’m hoping against hope that I bought the correct type of memory for it.

Well, I did check the compatibility chart a few times. *crosses fingers*

Anyway, so that’s money spent that I probably shouldn’t have. xD

I plan on taking some photos of the train track, and of course of the university. Perhaps I’ll make a little project out of it and create a picture slide show for a “walk around campus”.

I guestimate that it will arrive next Tuesday or Wednesday.

G’night world,
~Steph

Starting some time last night I began considering the purcase of a new domain name for a blog that’s completely focused on my study of karate “from start to finish”. The choice that I had to make was… do I add more content to this blog, or do I start a new one where I can focus entirely on the subject?

The decision was pretty obvious, all things considered. In a couple of days you should be able to load KaratekaBlog.com. Some of you will be able to visit the new journal right now, though of course I have nothing there to share just yet!

Karateka Blog will be my journal as I begin to study karate. From the embarrassing mistakes of a newbie to all of my accomplishments, it’ll all be there. It will not be focused on giving the history of karate because that information is readily available online.

That said, I do hope to do some fun things with it. I want to buy a camera in the next few weeks and I will begin taking pics, and I hope to get some fun photos to share. I’m also considering picking up a camcorder at some point to share videos. If I do, then the videos will range from informative to just out-and-out silly.

The camcorder thing is definitely not set in stone yet. Those things can be expensive!

Feel free to let me know if there’s anything that you’d like to see on the karateka journal.

Later folks!
~Steph

Taking a week off of my fitness effort was completely unintentional, but life has a way of making “one thing after another” happen. So here I am, having missed about week of jogging and not eating as good as I could have.

On the other hand it’s been relaxing, I suppose.

It hasn’t been due to anything serious. The first day or two was skipped because of being too darn sore (or developing a nasty headache on one particular day, which I think I mentioned?). The rest of the time was missed as a result of being distracted.

I know a bloke who received 1,000 (or so) spam messages last night. In one night! Someone was playing some serious silly buggers with his domain name.

I’ve set out to get a hair cut three or four times these past sevenish days and haven’t been able to get it done once. Sheesh.. :-/

…and that’s that. See? Random, meaningless.. it must be a blog post!

~Steph

Technorati Tags: blah blah blah, blahblahblah

The other day I posted about the storm that moved through my town. I also mentioned that we had a funnel cloud that passed through, and based on how everything suddenly calmed I knew that the twister was doing its best to become a full tornado.

It turns out that I read the storm correctly. Apparently our weather service has reported that it was indeed a funnel that passed through before officially setting down not far from town. Seems I was right when I suspected that we just barely escaped with our roofs intact.

Yeegads.

So, last night was a bit more interesting than usual. I was awake until about 2 AM before getting to bed, and I wasn’t falling asleep as easily as I would have liked.

Eventually the dog came to the back door and was whining as though someone was getting home. I ignored it and continued trying to sleep. Well, eventually I learned that someone was getting into the vehicles parked in the alley. Fantastic! So anyway, of course they take off running as soon as the back yard light is flipped on.

Not being content with assuming that they would stay away I decided to wear my shoes to bed, just in case. I had the back door (which is next to my bedroom) propped open with the flashlight, just enough for the dog to be able to push his way into the back yard.

Poor bastards would’ve messed themselves had they come back and been greeted with the dog. He’s no ankle biter, and he doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Of course, I had my shoes on and a nice long kitchen knife right next to my bed, just in case that happened.

I heard police sirens a little while after this incident took place, and this reminded me of how I had been hearing sirens nearly every night. It all made me realize that this town is really going to shit, if you’ll pardon the language.

It used to be a nice place. A good retirement town of sorts. Now? Not so much. A bunch of illegal aliens live here, crime is going up, sirens always going on at night… fug it. What the hell happened to my town?

~Steph

Technorati Tags: crime, thieves

Reading about it is one thing, but seeing photos of it… they speak for themselves, really. I don’t need to say much. I’m surprised that anyone lived through this.

http://www.kansas.com/static/slides/050507tornadoaerials/

http://www.kansas.com/static/slides/050507tornado/ - A second slide show.

This town… or what was a town… is about five hours to the West of me.

Technorati Tags: Greensburg, tornado, tornadoes, Kansas, KS

In May Be Offline For Awhile I explained a very stressful situation that I am experiencing with my living situation. I finally have an “official” word from the landlords.

Their explanation?

I didn’t mention it here (I don’t think that I did, anyway), but we began looking for another place to live long before this incident. The reason for that is that this house has become somewhat unstable. At first, cracks began to appear in the walls (some of them appeared with enough noise to cause someone to jump). Eventually an entire chunk fell off of the ceiling.

It didn’t produce a hole directly into the attic, but the boards were plainly visible and a large amount of black soot-like material rained down.

This was all reported to our landlords and they sent someone out to fix it. Their version of fixing the hole in the ceiling was to place a large white board over the opening, which was nailed directly to the ceiling. A band aid? If you wish to call it that..

So obviously this all prompted us to begin the process of looking for another place to live. It also ties into the explanation that was given to us by our landlords… the rotten bastards that they are.

Apparently, they are claiming that they can’t properly fix the house until it is empty. They need to fix the ceilings, the walls, and the black soot-like material has been impossible to get out of the carpet. So they want to address that, too.

Okay, fine. That’s all fine and dandy. So what the frick is up with slapping us with a 3 day eviction notice without any warning what so ever??? They couldn’t be bothered to give someone a warning, or to talk to them like people?

It’s bullshit, is what it is, and obviously they’re just coming up with excuses at this point. Mind you, they were never informed that we were already looking around for a place to move to.

So there you have it. Their explanation. They’re selfish, self-centered bastards who don’t give a rat’s ass about their current residents. “Let’s dump ‘em on the streets, woo, that’ll be fun!”

I’ll stop here before I start expressing how I really feel.

~Steph

Technorati Tags: rentals, renting, housing, homes, living, land lords