I finally upgraded Wumple.com from Fedora 6 to Fedora 10 several months ago. In case someone else runs into similar issues, here are the problems I encountered and solutions.
2009/06/25
Wumple’s Fedora 10 Upgrade from Fedora 6
2009/06/14
Homeowners’ Associations Filing More Foreclosures
Homeowners’ associations can range from reasonable or (too often) overzealous (especially for those who don’t conform to wasteful, environmentally poor landscaping).
From the Austin-American Statesman:
The foreclosure actions have renewed long-standing stereotypes that homeowner associations are often made up of power-drunk residents who enjoy lording it over their neighbors and zealously enforce the rules regarding such things as the height of the grass, the color of the house, the flying of flags and the way the porch is furnished.
“You have a number of them being run like little totalitarian regimes,” said Texas Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, who has unsuccessfully tried passing association reforms for years in the Legislature. “Their argument is that if you don’t like it, move.”
…
Read the full article at the Austin-American Statesman. And also read about Lisa’s and my conflict with our HOA, MUD, and management company over landscaping.
2009/06/09
Nash Prairie Field Trip – June 20th
- When: Saturday, June 20th (Sat.) at 9:30 am
- Where: West Columbia (Brazoria County, south of Houston)
Come visit Nash Prairie, over 300 acres of very special coastal tallgrass prairie! Owned by the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and the West Columbia Hospital District, this prairie is a rare remnant of the coastal prairie that once covered over six million acres of Texas and Louisiana.
Field trip leaders Rev. Peter Conaty, his wife Susan, botanist Dr. David Rosen (who has conducted studies of the prairie), and Lisa and Jason Spangler (NPAT president) will tell us about the history of the prairie, the church’s stewardship of this special piece of Texas, and the native plants that call it home. Read more about Nash Prairie by clicking here.
We will meet at Nash Prairie at 9:30 am. From West Columbia, go on east on State Highway 35. Turn left onto CR 25 and proceed north. Nash Prairie is approximately 6.5 miles past front gate of Columbia Lakes on the left. Park along CR 255 which is to the right of the prairie. Click here for directions from Google Maps.
RSVP appreciated but not required. Wear appropriate clothing, and bring water, sunscreen, and a snack. Field trips are open to everyone.
Contact Lisa Spangler, lisa_spangler@texasprairie.org or 512-736-5553 (cell), for more information.
Tallgrass prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North America, with less than 1% of Texas’ original 20 million acres estimated remaining. In addition to beautiful prairie flowers and lush native grasses, our prairies are habitat for grassland birds, the most declining group of birds in North America, butterflies and other pollinators, and other prairie wildlife. We must protect these special places to save Texas’ prairie heritage.
Tallgrass prairies also sequester large amounts of carbon, so tallgrass prairie restorations could be used to help fight global warming. In addition, native grasslands increase water quality and quantity, a vital issue for our growing state. Tallgrass prairie plantings on marginal cropland have been identified as the best source of low-input cellulosic biofuel that would not impact our food supply.
Join the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) to help advocate and protect Texas’ prairie heritage, native plants, and wildlife.
2009/06/08
LEGO Goodness from Gizmodo
Gizmodo posted some awesome LEGO stories in the past, which I thought I would share in case you had not seen them:
- LEGO Timeline of Space Sets! I actually own lots of these now (bought the ones I missed on eBay many years ago).
- The LEGO Vault contains unopened boxes of every product ever made! Plus LEGO workers joke about Star Wars Cantina video!!! – “Death by tray it shall be!”
2009/05/03
In Finland, happiness with the simple things in life
I ran across a good article in the Christian Science Monitor about Finland and happiness with a lack of consumerism that spoke to the fan of frugality in me:
What Finland can teach America about true luxury
Finns value time and solitude – along with a high quality of life for all citizens.
New York – What is true luxury? Just when I thought I’d settled on my answer – a flat-screen TV the size of Kansas and a leather-upholstered car that can travel at triple the speed limit – I made several visits to Finland. Shortly after my return the financial crisis hit. Finland has been on my mind ever since. In these hard times, we could learn a few things about luxury from the Finns.
2009/04/19
Oldie but Goodie: Lego Camelot!
An oldie but goodie! Can’t go wrong combining Monty Python, the Holy Grail, musical knights, and Lego! 🙂
2009/01/12
My Samsung TV Runs Linux!
It looks like my Samsung HL-T6189S LED DLP TV runs embedded Linux! Cool.
I was looking through the firmware downloaded from Samsung’s web site for the set (to make sure 1019 was the latest firmware for the HL-T6189S) and found the following files inside of the archive:
- run.sh : a shell script
- rc.local : a script ran during startup of many versions of Linux and Unix
- Many .so and .ko files which are shared object files (similar to DLLs) and kernel modules (similar to device drivers)
- Several .img files that appear to be compressed ROMFS file system images (compressed file system images)
Fascinating! Too bad Samsung has announced they are not developing any new DLP sets. I wonder if their LCD displays also use Linux?
2009/01/09
My Native Prairie/Plant Interview on local NPR station KUT!
Several people have told me that the interview I did with KUT (local NPR radio station) about native prairies and native plants in central Texas is airing today! Let me know if you hear it! To listen online, go to the 9:00 minute mark of this mp3 on KUT’s site.
We discussed how native tallgrass prairies and savannas are the native ecosystem for much of central Texas, how tallgrass prairies are the most endangered large ecosystem in North America, how using native plants in landscaping can increase water quality and quantity, the future potential for cellulosic ethanol and native grasslands to supply fuel for our society and restore native prairie, and other related topics. They also interviewed several other folks about grassland birds, water quality, and cellulosic ethanol.
The organizations I mentioned during the original interview:
2008/03/10
I’m back!
I’m back! Sorry for the month that I did not post: I transferred to a new position at work, and in addition I have been busy with NPAT work regarding grants and getting ready to hire an executive director!
2007/06/17
What I Want In My Next Car
My 11 year old Honda Civic gets good gas mileage (about 30-35 mpg), is reliable, and still looks nice. However, I know sometime in the next several years I will probably need to replace it. Or a company will sell a vehicle that makes the environmental and cost advantages of buying a new vehicle too irresistible.
I admit I have been sorely tempted by the third generation Toyota Prius, but I’m hoping by holding off a few years I can get something better.
And here is what I want:
– A plug-in hybrid vehicle that can drive 20-60 miles on electric power alone (I prefer an all-electric range of 45-60 miles). Uses a standard (120-volt) home electrical outlet to receive charge. (more…)