Categories
Places

Oregon Weather

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Jonathon likes the weather he experienced in Portland Oregon. I lived in Portland for four years, and in Seattle for nine years — after a time the drizzle and overcast can get a bit wearying, especially if you live in the city.

Out of the city, though. That’s where the mist comes into its own.

Cannon Beach, Oregon — one of my favorite places. Grab a slicker and walk the beach during a rain. You’ll have the waterfront to yourself, and the mist combined with the surf is oddly peaceful, tranquil.

Or the San Juan Islands — the mists there are almost a veil, tossed carelessly across the waters and islands. In the winter you can find stretches of area where you’re alone on the water, you, your boat, and maybe, if you’re lucky, a Killer Whale or two.

We don’t have that much drizzle in the San Francisco area, but overcast and rain is pretty common in the Winter. The best, though, is the Summer fogs. Driving along the peninsula you can see the fogs roll in from the ocean, soft, thick, beautiful. I would deliberately wait for days when fog is in to walk along the beach by the Golden Gate Bridge.

The fog cuts off the city and obscures the bridge, and its you, the beach, and pelicans and sea lions hunting fish close to the shore. Out of the mists you can hear the Bridge fog horms, and you can almost feel the large container ships passing along the waterfront beside you.

Nice memories. Thanks for triggering them.

Categories
Weblogging

ISSN Number

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

For those of you who take your weblogging seriously, you might want to take a closer look at Allan Moult’s weblog. Underneath the name of the weblog is an actual genuine ISSN number — the same type of number used for all other periodicals including magazines such as the New Yorker, Wired, and Time.

Allan found the how-tos on getting an ISSN for your weblog from Fawny.org.

An ISSN lists your weblog within an international database of publications, accessible by request from your local librarian. It also puts your weblog right smack into the middle with all the big boys. Just think: The National Geographic. Time. New Yorker. Burningbird.

In most cases, filing is free.

Categories
Weblogging

Googlewhacker Book

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

From my Google search referrals, I’m getting people looking for a “googlewhacker book”.

Well, okay, here you go:

Steps:

1. First, buy a computer

2. Setup the computer

3. Turn on the computer

4. If computer doesn’t come on, call someone. Do not call me.

5. Connect to the Internet. If you need help with this, check with AOL. If you don’t know what the Internet is, check with your local hospital. You’re ill.

6. Once connected, open up a browser. It will be a small ‘e’ on your desktop. If you don’t see it, you’re using Linux or the Mac. If you’re using the Mac, contact Mac help. If you’re using Linux — stop now. You’ll hurt yourself.

7. Type http://www.google.com into the browser Address window. It’s the white space. No, not that white space, the smaller one.

8. You’ll get a simple page back with Google on it. Now you have the playing board

9. Type two words into the search edit box on the form. That’s two. T-W-O. Yes, 2. No, don’t type them into the Address box again — into the form on the page itself. Very good.

10. Click the button. The button that says “Google Search”.

11. You’ll get a page back with results. If you get a result set of only one link, in that big white space below, you found a googlewhack!

12. No, a result like this “Your search – fdsfd jmkljkl – did not match any documents.” doesn’t count. You have to get a result with a link.

13. Are you sure there’s only one link. Count it out for me – 1. Very good. You just found a Googlewhack!

14. No, you don’t get a prize for this.

15. No, I didn’t make up the rules. I don’t have any prizes to give you.

16. No, you can’t sue me. Sue Microsoft instead. They have lots of money, and they created the browser you’re using — it’s their fault.

There you have it — your Googlewhacker Book!