Tuesday, December 30, 2003
revenge of the nerds
Being the nerd that I am, I've applied another couple of modifications to the site. First, The comments are working correctly now. When you click on the comments link at the bottom of each entry, you'll actually be able to enter a comment and have the current page refresh. In the past, it left you on a page with a cryptic link. I encourage you to leave any comments you would like. It is always nice to know people are reading.
I've also added Karma points. Next to the comment link at the bottom of each entry that warrants it, you'll find [Karma: 0 (+/-)]. If you liked the entry, agree with it, found it enjoyable or positive in some fashion click the + . That will add one point. If you didn't like the style of the entry, disagree with it, or otherwise find it a waste of cyberspace, click the - . That will subtract a point. The numeric value will reflect the results of all the readers' votes. After your click, the page will refresh and the new points will be reflected.
I've added Karma points and comments to this message as examples. When you click on the comments link, you'll see the current comments as well as being able to add your own. If you have questions, feel free to leave them as a comment, and I'll do my best to answer them. (Or, as always, you can drop me an email.
Monday, December 29, 2003
text cutting time
Just a quick note to point out a couple of changes to the site. First, I've reduced the long text messages on the homepage using the extended entry feature. You'll now notice [read the rest] at the bottom of long entries. If you are interested in continuing my ramblings, click on that link. It will provide you with the complete entry. You may then move back and forth through the entries using links at the top of the page. Or, as always, you can return home to come back to the main page to find the next entry. Hopefully, this will keep the length of the main page manageable and still allow me to keep the last 7 sets of entries.
The other update is the addition of the search feature. You'll now find a search box in the upper right hand corner. This box searches the text of the blog entries. It does not search the picture descriptions. Maybe someday... Drop me an email if you have any questions.
Today's Pictures (Day 7, October 24, 2003)
Our flight left Moorea early the next morning headed to Bora Bora. The flight on the ATR-42 was smooth and quick. We were only in the air for about 45 minutes. It was great to get to pass by Huahine and then watch the approach to Bora Bora. Seeing these islands from the air provides some perspective on how remote these tiny specks are in relation to the vast Pacific Ocean. Before I go any further, here are some good sites to learn more about Bora Bora, another jewel in French Polynesia:
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Today's Pictures (Day 6, October 23, 2003)
Day 6 was our last full day on Moorea, and it turned out to be a great one. We had arranged for a 4x4 tour through the hotel's hospitality desk. We ate a quick breakfast and loaded onto the tour immediately thereafter. After our tour guide, Bubba, introduced himself, we headed out to pick up the additional tourists from other hotels. We were quite surprised by the name Bubba for a Polynesian man. He explained his mother was from Youngstown, Ohio; his father was watching Bubba Smith play football in the states when he was born -- thus the moniker.
After some initial confusion about whether the next couple would be able to get to the airport in time to leave for their next island, they loaded into the back of our open bed 4x4. The couple, Rose and Joseph, was from Los Angeles; they were here celebrating their honeymoon.
At the third hotel, we picked up another couple from Chicago and headed out to our first stop on top of Magic Mountain. We were joined by a second truck from the tour operator, Moorea Explorer. Bubba informed us the driver for the second vehicle was his cousin, Romeo. We never did get an explanation of that one. The drive up to the top of Magic mountain was a bit bumpy, but nothing too hazardous. All the way up, Bubba pointed out the local flora and fauna and provided commentary using his wireless headset transmitting to a speaker in the back of the truck. Bubba and Romeo both made the tour quite enjoyable. As were all the Polynesians we encountered, they were extremely friendly and possessed an outstanding sense of humor.
graduation day
Congratulations to my sister, Becky (or Rebecca as she prefers these days), for graduating from North Central Texas College with her Associates Degree on December 11th. She is already registered to start Texas Woman's College headed toward her Bachelors Degree. Becky has managed to finish her degree while working full-time. We could not be more proud of her. The effort and determination required to reach her goal is admirable. Way to go, Becky! Click here for a few shots from the commencement.
On an unrelated note, I have finished updating all of the descriptions on the photographs from our French Polynesia trip. Some of the shots needed to be moved around as well. When I initially put them up, I cataloged some of the pictures on the wrong days. With Becky's help, I believe they are now all correct. I did my best to identify as many locations as possible. I now know that next time I should take a notepad with me while taking vacation pictures!
I will continue to work on the travelogue text as well. I just can't make any promises on how long it will take. Important things like football keep coming up. Go Cowboys!
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