Mostly Harmless

Because of all the evil comment spam I was getting here I installed the “comment queue” hack. Then I modified that so I could delete all the pending comments with just one click, since I’d get dozens of spam comments at a time. Then I installed MT-Blacklist, which blocks the spam at the gates; in most cases. The blacklist circumvents the comment queue hack though so a few comment spams got through — but at least it was easy to “de-spam.”

bDragon had the same issue with MT-Blacklist & the comment queue and figured out the necessary tweaks to make them play nice together. I didn’t have the problem he had though, but I’m running an older version of MT. I also didn’t install the notifier so all I had to do was change two lines in MT-Blacklist to restore my comment queue functionality. (woo-freakin’-hoo) Now when some new spam makes it past the blacklist it still can’t get onto the site. I’m not sure how the de-spamming will work now, I’ll have to test that later.

Speaking of spam, I think I’ll install TMDA to fend off my e-mail spam. It might take some doing as I’m not currently running my own mail server(s).

I finally received the iSkin eVo2 for my iPod last week. The problem is that it’s not entirely compatible with the PocketDock. The eVo2 has a flap over the dock connector but the cutout is only big enough for the standard Apple dock cable, the PocketDock is considerably larger (meaning: a few millimeters).

Now, I could have taken an X-Acto knife to the silicone to create a couple of additional flaps on the sides to accommodate the PocketDock but I was concerned the flaps might be prone to tearing and, furthermore, they might be “untidy,” in general. Better to modify the plastic of the PocketDock. A simple beveling with ye old Dremel would do nicely.

A not so gentle prying apart of the PocketDock confirmed that nothing important resided in the corners of the plastic shell — so I introduced it to my Dremel’s cutting disc and lopped off the corners at a 45° angle, more or less. Some further beveling along the front and back sides with a small grinding disc made it fit like a glove. If I could find my teeny spy camera I’d take a picture… (I know the camera is in my backpack but that doesn’t make it easier to find.)

So, now that the PocketDock has been modded to fit the eVo2 I have, of course, spent the last 5 hours listening to the iPod with my ER-6 earphones in the headphone jack instead. (The ER-6i came out right after I bought mine… pity, I wouldn’t mind some extra bass. The ER-6s take some getting used to but now I can’t stand listening to my old earbuds — not that they were comfortable enough to wear for more than 30 minutes anyway. After listening to the ER-6s for a while the bass seems perfectly normal, BTW.)

If I had one of these I could use the ER-6s and the PocketDock at the same time. That’d be swell. But I’d need a utility belt to carry that headphone amp along with my iPod, cell phone, and pager.

Next week on Amish in the City: Skydiving.

That should go over about as well as the time they tried to drown Mose by taking him swimming in the ocean for the first time: “Let’s swim out to the buoy!” Yeah, that worked. Dog paddle + ocean = thrashing Amish guy lucky to be alive.

Something that does work is: cute Amish chick - stuffy Amish clothes + yellow bikini. Rumspringa indeed! What I especially like about Ruth is the gleam in her eye and mischievous grin as she explains how whatever she’s planning to do is “very forbidden” among the Amish, e.g. getting her belly button pierced. She’s a rebel!

They’re also taking everyone to a movie premiere next week. Looks like they saw “The Notebook” — not a special effects extravaganza by any means, just a standard talkie, in color.

What I’d love to see is a trip to “I, Robot.” Tell ‘em it’s a documentary and explain that “that’s why we had to get rid of all the robots.” ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Matrix’ would also be excellent “documentary” choices.

In the “house” (*cough*mansion*cough*) they have a handful of Amish kids and a handful+1 of City kids. Most of the City kids are insane — especially the vegan, Ariel. You can’t take that chick anyplace that has real food or animals. You’d expect her to go nuts at a butcher shop but the poor bastard at the aquarium is probably still reeling from the interrogation he received vis-a-vis the happiness of the sharks in the tank. Also she thinks cows must come from another planet. The Amish think that cows make good steaks and didn’t give a rats ass about the happiness of the sharks. Score a couple of points for the Amish.