For our Wordpress 2.0 sites, we have been using the Akismet plugin to fight off the spam thrown at us through our comment pages. We've been impressed with the results with over 550 spam filled comments blocked since early 2006 and only two spam comments slipping by Akismet's filters. With these impressive results, we have been hoping to see an Akismet Drupal module also developed. Now both Drupal and phpBB users have access to an Akismet module for their CMS.
Karen and I posted some new pictures in our photo album. These pictures are from Easter 2006 and the rest of Spring 2006. During that time we celebrated our fifth anniversary and made a trip to Kansas City. The night of our anniversary was spent dining at the Plaza and staying at a nearby hotel. Logan spent the time being entertained by his Grandparents and this was really our first time away from Logan as a couple.
Over the past few weeks, I put together Logan's new swing set. The "two to four hour" project took one full day and several evenings. Logan didn't seem to mind though...
Let me first say, I love Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Secondly, let me also say that by the time we hit the month of April, I and most others in this city, are just too darn tired of cold weather. We are ready for the warmer months that come with spring and summer. We are ready for the flowers to bloom, the brown lawns to turn green, the children to play outside, and the nice bicycle rides on the finest bicycle trails this city has to offer.
So no matter how much you tell me that it's a chance of a lifetime...I am not heading to the North Pole so I can freeze my toes off a little longer. Crazy people...
About 50 runners are scheduled to compete in this year's North Pole Marathon, covering 26.195 miles in circles on a large piece of floating ice near the top of the world.
Here is a nice picture of our son while eating his spaghetti dinner. It's hard to believe that this boy once won a "cutest baby" contest, isn't it? In Logan's defense, this was taken on Friday evening just after our "movie night". Obviously, he had his eyes more on the TV and less at his plate. In fact he was so much into the movie (Monsters Inc) that he didn't realize he ate four dishes of spaghetti.
Fridays have become the one time we allow our family to eat dinner in front of the TV and not at the kitchen table. The change from routine allows some funtime for the end of the work week. Mom and Dad don't mind at all...
I finally had a chance to pull Thanksgiving photographs from the digital camera. I'll eventually get the pictures online and sent in email when time allows. My family, my sister's family, and my Uncle Ron were in Kansas City for Thanksgiving dinner at my folks. You never know how small a house is until you put 9 people together to share three bedrooms and 1 shower. With Logan and Preston sharing the same room, I'm not sure how much sleep any of us got. However, Preston and Logan seemed to enjoy each other's company and we all enjoyed seeing them together. I have no doubt when the two cousins get together in the coming years that there will be more games and adventure for them to discover.
I came across an interesting site that monitors the accuracy of forecasts from weather providers. The site is called ForecastAdvisor.com. The site compares the accuracy of weather forecasts from such groups as the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, Accuweather, etc.
Over the past several years, I have had a number of people ask me for advice on how to get their own Web site online. I've been very cautious in the advice I've given. I simply didn't have the resources available to really get them where they needed to go and stay there. You would think with more than 20 years of computer experience, helping the government manage their Web pages the past ten years, and having my own Website would be enough to start my own Internet business. However, someone who wants to put their business online needs much more than just a single computer geek can provide. They need 24-hour user support, they need various options in Internet services as their business grows, and most importantly they need to have online security. None of these customer needs could really be provided by me to prospective customers, so I've waited.
