Reading

I finally finished a book that has taken me more than three weeks to read, mainly due to the amount of time that I have in being able to read.

Sadly as I write this I don't remember the authors name! And it's only been a day!

The book I think was called 1000 years of annoying the French, I must say that the author has done a very good job and it shows in the depth of detail in the contents of this book.

What was an eye opener for me was the way history is taught and remembered has a lot to do with where your are and the culture that you find yourself in.

I learnt a lot about history that I thought I already knew, this book turns some of what I was taught at school on it's head, it also taught me that having an open mind is alway worth having and also to question what you think is fact.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Dirk Maggs Productions Website

The problem with getting the hosting mysql server to accept the upload of my backed up database that is the Dirk Maggs website still has not yet been solved, is appears that one way I can change the settings I need on the server is to have shell access to the server using something called ssh, I have to ask the hosting company for this to be enabled, so that will be the next step.

http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Reading now

I have started to read yet another book that has been in the reading pile only a short time.

It's called Danger UXB and it's by James Owen and it's the story of what the guy did in bomb disposal in WW2 what is a surprise to me is that there has not been very much written about them in the past few years.

From what I have so far read over 700 bomb disposal men died doing their duty and that unlike the other parts of the services there is no national memorial to them, which I find to be a very surprising omission, why that should be I just don't know, one thought that I did have was perhaps because they had to keep secrets on how they did what they did they may have been too good at keeping a lid on what they did and how they did what they did.

I have not read very far into the book so far, but I have already learnt much that either I knew something about or it's completely new to me.

I still have trouble getting my mind around the fact that these guys had to walk up to a 2000 pound bomb not knowing if the timer on the bomb was just about to rundown and set the bomb off or the clock had just jammed and that the slightest nock would set it going again, I don't know how they did it.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Podcasts

Did I tell you that I listen to the odd podcast?

Well one of the podcasts that I like to listen to each week is Above & Beyond TATW podcast. Each podcast is 2 hours long, and I find it a great way to leave all my troubles stress etc behind for a while, and surly that's what listening to music is all about?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Blood Donation

Today I shall give my 119th blood donation I think I should be proud of that fact that I have given so much, it's taken years, but I am glad that I have managed it for so long.

I am told that each donation that I give can help unto 3 other people, so if my maths is working correctly that means I could have helped unto 357 people, that's not a bad effort if I do say so myself.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Hoilday

Next week I am holiday, which is always nice, I may be lucky and this time have a lie or two, if I am really luck till 7 in the morning!


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Dirk Maggs website

So I have a working local copy of the Dirk Maggs website, which is good as I thought I had lost it, so do I know try and get the same thing with the one on the hosting server?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Cold

So I know that autumn is on it's way as even I noticed how cold it was this morning.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

DMPW

Good news at last, on the Dirk Maggs website front. I have managed to get on my local server the database and all the support files that make up the backup copy of the main Dirk Maggs website working.

I had a lot of trouble getting the SQL database dump reinstalled into the mysql server and the new database that I had setup, mainly due to two reasons the first being I don't know mqsql very well.

The second the error message that came up was of no use to me as I did not understand what it was telling me. I have to say even using google it took a while to find an answer that I understood and even more time and searching to understand what and how to do the correction to clear the fault.

I then had another hour or so trying to get concrete5 to see my database.

Restating the machine was a good idea as it also helped get things going and it's sad to say that restarting was indeed one of the suggestions.

So I have a working copy of the website, which is good the only thing that does not work is the site themes which is not working, for some reason or other.

The other thing that does not work is in the dashboard some of the functions do not work, the good news is that all the content appears to be there, which is a great thing.

I don't yet know what to do next.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Website and databases

The saga of trying to get my main Dirk Maggs productions website back up and running on the new host continues.

The support software that makes up Concrete 5 and the other stuff that is not the database turns out to comprise of not 30 000 but 37 000 files and takes some 3.2 gigs of space, I really did not know just how large the website was, but that does explain I suppose just why it took so long to upload on to the host.

The data base is not that big as it's stored as a compressed files and is less than 8 megs in size, at least I think that is what it is as I am wetting this blog else where and I can't check, anyway it's not that big is the main thing.

Now the error I was getting 1153 does have a solution but for the life of me I have not yet worked out how I change a variable in the mysql server, as I have said I am not a programmer so at this time I am just scratching my head on what or how to correct it.

Its looking like I may have to recreate my Dirk Maggs site from scratch, which in one way is bad but in another is good as I might make a better site this time.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Databases and errors

Well last night I tried to get my main Dirk Maggs productions website working again.

You should be able to work out that it was not a success.

I have got all the support files on the server, which is good as there are 30 000 of them!

I have found my zipped data base backup which appears to be complete and appears to work.

I managed after a while to work out how to create a new database on the hosting server and to work out what my server name is, username. Database name and it's password.

I even worked out how to import the backup of the database to the hosting server.

So at this stage all is good....

But during the import process after the file has uploaded okay and the SQL file is running the import stops with the following error, error code 1153 with the description Got a packet bigger than max_allowed_packet bytes now so far I have not found a site on the web that will explain to me in words that I understand what has gone wrong.

So today when I get time I will do a bigger search on the net to find answers, as without it the website will not work.

I did do some other preparation work and have set up the configuration file of concrete 5 to use the database if I ever get that bit working.

I went to bed last night not very happy...


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Time

Some how as the nights draw in I am finding that I just don't have time to carry out all the dings that I want to do. For instance I really want to get my main Dirk Maggs website back up and running, so far it's been more than a month and I have yet to get to the stage where I can say that it's all working, as I have said before I have got the support files all 30000 of them on the server, but I have yet to get the database uploaded and then reconfigure it all so that it works on the new server and in the layout on that server as it is not the same as the old server, one reason being that the old server was in the USA and the new one is in the UK.

So why do I keep running out of time?

I just don't know the answer to that one.

So I suppose instead of moaning about it I should just get on and sort it.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Why

Why do a website is a question I ask myself

As running a website costs me money, and I don't get anything from making and running a website other than the fact that there is something out there that some people find now and then of use.

I did once keep a record of just how much time I spent on maintaing one of my websites, but it soon became very apparent that the number of hours a week I was spending was getting just a bit stupid and so I gave up, but I can tell you for a hobby spending more than 40 hours on it, is not a hobby but an obsession!

I suspect that if I took my websites down and did not bother no one would pass any comment, so in one way why bother?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Dirk Maggs Works

Well as my proper Dirk Maggs website is not yet fully working, I am using this blog as a place to store some information on a new radio production that he directed and that his company produced.

The production was broadcast on sat 10 September and it was called Washington 9/11 and was a re-enactment of what happened ten years ago in New York and the attack on the twin towers.

I did get chance to hear this and production was good, but I felt a bit uneasy on some of the content, it felt to me as it had been sweetened and a bit proper gander ish if there is such a word.

It appears that others had the same thoughts as when I looked on twitter there where comments along the same lines, which is sad.

Saying that some of the comments on twitter where just plain nasty and where amines at some of the actors in the production, especially some of the accent which is funny in that one of the actors who is American and has an american accent was criticised for her American accent!

I don't think this production is a classic Dirk Maggs production, it's good but no where near the productions that he has done in the past.
http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Databases and websites

So I have uploaded all the background or files that make up the content of the Dirk Maggs website, all I now have to do is set up a mysql database and then restore it with the backed up file that I have.

The problem I don't have a clue yet how to carry this task out, as on my previous hosting company they did all of that for me, and also there was a programme which was of great help in making databases.

I am at this time stuck, in that I just don't know what to do next or even how to do what I need to do.

http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Missing

I have to say I am missing having my database driven Dike Maggs website, as it was easy to update and to add new content to.

Perhaps in the next few weeks I will succeed in getting it working again.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Green eyed monster

How is it that after more than 25 years of marriage you can still suffer from the green eyed monster?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

French Radio London

The above radio station which I have found on my DAB radio is quite a fun listen to, as they have a very wide range of very different music that they play.

They also do not appear to have a playlist which is great as do you really want to hear the same bit of music more than once in two hours or so?

As far as I have so far heard with my ears they don't have a a hourly daily or weekly playlist, which is great.

As I don't speak French the news is great in that I don't have a clue as what bad news they are telling me!

I think the other great thing is that there is a difference between English and French radio as to the style and type of music played, and so far I am enjoying that differance.




http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Dirk Maggs website

So I am trying to get the Dirk Maggs website the database one up and running again.

So part of the process is to upload the support files and then load up the database to drive it all. the programme that makes all this happen is called Concrete 5 it's a cms with a mysql database.

It turns out that the programmes files and the support files form most of the website, so yesterday I decided to upload it to the hosting site.

I started the upload at 7 in the morning and it finally finished at 2.345 in the afternoon!

There are 30000 files in total so I suppose it's not a surprise just how long it took to upload them.

The next task is to see if I can upload the data base, which if memory serves is much smaller, so it should not take that long to up load assuming I can get it to upload.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Wet

It's amazing just how dark it can be during the day when you have 100 percent cloud cover and it's raining...


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Dirk Maggs website

As you know my website is now with a new host and as a temporary measure I put up my old Dirk Maggs website, what surprises me is just who many hits the old site is getting is in the thousands....

Yeah I am surprised as well...

The thing is that I really want to have my database driven site back up and running, the problem is all though I downloaded everything more than once, that being the site files and the database as per instructions that I found on the Concreate 5 website, I am beginning to think that I just don't have the technical skill required to get it back up and tuning on my new host, which is a shame because I had done a lot of work and if I do say so myself the website was looking really good.

So I wonder where I can find some free help to get it all back up and working again?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Reading

I have if you have been looking at this blog not said much about the books that I am reading and the reason for that is that I have not wanted to read anything just lately for some reason or other.

I just don't feel like picking up a book and reading, not too sure why that is but I suppose that there must be a reason for it.

It's not because I have no books to read, far from it I have I suppose some five books that I have in my to be read pile but they have now sat there from some four or more months. They are books that I waited for to come out in paperback.

Perhaps in time the reading muse will come back.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Promises

What do you do when promises are broken?

Move on?

Kick up about it?

As these are business promises is it a breach of a contract term?

Can you in force a contract term that is or is not coved by a contract?

I don't know the answer to the above questions yet, perhaps I never will but I am going to seek advice as to what the best thing to do is.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Cold

A bit of surprise this morning in that there is a nip in the air, I suppose with the reduction in day length this is now going to happen and get colder as we move into winter.


Bum.....


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Light

Just how little daylight reduction does it take for it to trigger trees and such to start to turn their leaves brown?

I don't know the answer, and so far I have yet to find an answer on the Internet.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Sleep

I have missed my sleep, you know the kind of sleep that when you wake up from it you feel great.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Nought

Why is the word for nothing so large?

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Light

I think today was the first time this year that I have noticed that the light level and it's intensity has changed, why I should notice it now and not earlier is just one of lives mysteries.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Cooking

How come you cook a meal that you have done hundreds of times and for some reason or other you find that it just does not taste the same as the last time you cooked it, even though you used the same ingredients and used the same cooking method?


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk

Upset

It's never ever nice being upset.


http://www.dswilliams.co.uk