CodyStaub dot com

I’ve always been a fan of the Linux distros, and am a die-hard Mac fan as well (Mac OSX is UNIX-based). I’ve used probably a dozen or so of the Linux distributions out there, but mainly I’ve stuck with Mandriva and openSUSE. It’s been a while since I’ve used either and after Dell announced they’d be using Ubuntu to ship with select Dell computers, I thought I’d give it a try. I have to hand it to the Ubuntu community, this is by far the easiest distro for Linux I have EVER seen. Upon installation and after doing the critical updates (which are automatic), everything on my computer is up and running smoothly. I haven’t had to hand code or even use a command line since installing it. Even my wireless card, which took up 3 days of troubleshooting on openSUSE, is working without a single hitch.

Anyone who is interested in using a Linux distro, especially if you’re new to the whole thing, give Ubuntu or Kubuntu (different desktop environment, closer to the “XP” feel). I’m using the Ubuntu 7.04 “Fiesty Fawn” Desktop version at this very moment. You can learn more/download it by Clicking Here. If you want to give Kubuntu a try, find out about it by Clicking Here.

There are a lot of “making money online” blogs and sites out there, but only a short list of them are ones worth the effort to read. One of the blogs I find myself reading fairly often is written by Kumiko Suzuki. In the past her blog was a blogger account with a signature “pretty pink” layout. She’s decided to take things a little more seriously and get her own domain (although she still uses Blogger).

Suzuki’s information isn’t always new and original, but it is very entertaining to say the least. She’s very opinionated and very motivated when it comes to making it in the online scene. While I haven’t found many tips from reading her site, I have found a great deal of motivation and new ways of thinking. Probably the best thing I can of her blog is that it is one of the truly “make money online” sites out there. A lot of sites, like John Chow, get pulled into a lot of different directions. Kumiko does an excellent job of staying on topic.

By the way, she’s having a contest to promote her new site here, so head on over and get your spot in the drawing for some cool prizes.

Two weeks after I was told by Yahoo! Publisher Network that my application was denied, I received another email this morning stating that I had been invited and gave me a signup link. I am thrilled about this. Due to unknown circumstances (I honestly don’t know, I know I never violated TOS), Google randomly deleted my AdSense account. Actually the last two days I’ve been scouring the internet looking for a good contextual advertising for my sites. I was looking mostly into MIVA, Clicksor, and FindItQuick.

I’ve also been playing around with SaltWaterTalk in the background a lot. I’m in the process of designing a MediaWiki skin to use on the site for a fish and corals profile system. This way people can research information about species they may want to keep and if they can’t find something they can add it. So far it’s a challenge, so if anyone knows the ins-and-outs of MediaWiki I’d MUCH appreciate the help. The other thing I’ve been working on is minor ad implementation into the site. Basically I just want a banner at the top and then a single post-level ad unit. I’m using the AdMan plugin right now, but I’m looking at using the OpenAds system along with the WP-Openads plugin (installing as we speak). We’ll see how that goes.

The last thing I’ve been working on is getting some backlinks. This is harder for Google than Yahoo and MSN. In Yahoo! I have something like 3000 links, but in Google I’m not even recognized. This is probably because most of my backlinks so far are through comments on other people’s blogs, which usually have a nofollow tag. So after building links for Yahoo! and MSN this week, I’ll tackle getting a little link authority with Google next week.

Speaking of nofollow tags, at the inspiration of John Chow, I’m going to use the DoFollow plugin on my comments. This means you get free backlinks (and yes, even Google will count them) just by commenting. Hopefully I’ll be able to spark a little activity on this site.

Ok I was gonna write a big long whine and bitch article about why my site was down, but it got too long and boring to write…so here’s my short and condensed version: MelbourneIT sucks, especially when you’re trying to transfer away from them. At least their tech support is (somewhat) helpful.

Ok, that is all. See how much time I just saved us?

One of the most important tasks when maintaining a website is knowing your visitors. Usually this is accomplished with some sort of tracking software, and who better to make website tracking software than Google? I use Google Analytics to track my sites, and today it looks like they’re testing out a new look. Take a peek:

Old Analytics

New Analytics

There’s a few things I do and don’t like about the new interface. I miss being able to see the little dots of where everyone is visiting my site from. In fact that was one of my favorite “eye candy” features of Analytics. I feel like the new continent shading scheme kind of generalizes and cheapens the whole thing. Speaking of generalizing, Google now lumps your referrers into categories rather than breaking them down individually. I haven’t delved into toying with the new interface too much yet as it was just released hours ago; hopefully there’s a way to customize what you see a little bit. However, I do like the new way that you see daily/monthly visitors and the new flash (I’m assuming that’s what they used) interface as it is smoother to operate.

This is all a brand-new beta, so I’ll play around some more. It shows promise.

How many of us have heard of running cars on vegetable oil? Converting fryer grease into usable fuel. It’s called biodiesel. I first heard about this on Spike TV’s “Trucks!”. Up to this point I’d heard vaguely about biodiesel and thought it was still experimental. Not so! On the episode the guys took a 2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins pickup and, without any prep work, filled up the tank with biodiesel made with a biodiesel processor they ordered online (they cost $2k-$3k, like this one Here), and put the truck through the rounds. The results? The host/test driver said that there were no noticeable performance differences, in fact he was smoking the tires off that pickup!

Well after seeing this I wanted to research it for myself. For the last month or two I’ve been looking up everything I can get my virtual hands (online) on. What did I find out? Biodiesel is EASY and CHEAP to make! Basically you take filtered waste vegetable oil (wvo) or virgin oil, mix it with lye to raise the pH, and then mix it with about 20-22% methanol. A reaction takes place and you end up with biodiesel and glycerin in the end. The biodiesel actually runs better in a diesel engine because of the natural cleaning and lubricating properties of vegetable oil. There’s even studies ongoing that suggest running a diesel engine on biodiesel will prolong the life of the engine. There’s no more black smoke either, in fact your tailpipe smells like french fries!

So what’s the cost of all this? Well, from my research (which I’m sure is limited), I figure a home-made unit can be built for less that $500 including everything you’d need to get started. To produce the biodiesel costs about $1/gallon (for my local prices), and biodiesels get as good or better fuel mileage than their fossil-fuel counterparts. With gas prices soaring above $3/gal right now, I wonder why more people aren’t doing this!

For a WHOLE lot more information, check out the Collaborative Biodiesel Tutorial Online.

Working in the healthcare profession (which I do, by the way), there are obviously some risks involved. At the hospital I have to be tested for things such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), VRE (Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus), HIV and Hepatitis. At my other job (a retirement community), I apparently have to worry about being bitten by angry old ladies. My advice from this experience: don’t wrestle old women because they fight dirty!

Well, since we’re on the subject, there’s an excellent teaching opportunity. I’m surprised by how many of my friends and relatives often don’t take all of their prescription medications (although this is usually okay with pain medications). Why is this a problem? Take a look at the above MRSA and VRE…what’s in their name? Resistant. There is a whole breed of diseases/infections that you can get by not finishing your medications, antibiotics in particular. Many people have heard of staff infection, but did you know that’s one of the least severe types of antibiotic-resistant pathogens? MRSA, VRE, and MRAB (multidrug-resistance) are many times worse than staff, although all are potentially life-threatening. Yes folks, life threatening. So do yourself a favor, go to your doctor when you have an infection. Don’t go to Mexico, buy them yourself, and take them whenever you feel a little sick (yes, I know people that do that). And take all the medication you are prescribed!

If you want more information on antibiotic resistance, Click Here.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor (yet…hehe), and no advice here should replace the advice of a licensed physician familiar with your own medical history and diagnosis. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I probably have more bookmarked sites than I really need, but then again who doesn’t? The real problem I have is organizing them and being able to use them on the go. I’ve tried using delicious but the whole tag system I just don’t like. Google homepage is awesome (especially for reading blogs), but doesn’t really allow you to add links, plus it clutters up too fast. This is where Xerpi steps in. I found this site reading John Chow’s blog. I’m in the process of setting it all up right now, which is a breeze. The only quirk I have is that it pauses and reloads the page for each link you add, kind of detracting from the whole AJAX feel.

Give it a try, and if you like it add me as a friend (nickname: cody): Xerpi 

Well…I wake up and guess what? It’s snowing! In May! That’s Idaho for you, 80 degrees one day and snowing the next. Anyway, on to a more worthy topic.

I thought I’d take a minute and write down what a day for me is like. Usually I wake up about 10 am (although I’d like to be waking up more like 8 or 9 am), take the dog outside, and then plop in front of the computer for a minute. Then I use my Yahoo! Notes Widget to organize my days.  That list pretty much governs my day from that point until either noon or 2 pm (depending on if I’m working at the ALF or the hospital that day). When I need to, I fix myself a small lunch, feed and kennel the dog, and then go to work. When I get off work, I take my dog for a run that ranges from 2 to 3 miles depending on how ambitious I am that night. After all that I grab something to eat and usually finish off my list before going to bed.

So what’s on my list today? I’ll tell ya, just because it’ll motivate me better to actually accomplish it:

• Change fish tank water
• eBay some items
• Vacuum/deep clean
• Consider putting ads on saltwatertalk.com forums

In case you haven’t figured out, I do have a few very small-time websites. They’re more for fun than for anything else, but on this last PageRank update SWT has gone from 0 to PR2 for the main site and PR4 for the forums, so I’ve thought about selling a little ad space. It’s just a consideration for now though.

So I’ve been really thinking all day about what I wanted to write in my first post, and as I was thinking about this the thought struck me… “Why do I care?”. After all, my headline does state very clearly “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing”. So in the spirit of all this I’ve decided that this blog is going to be styled in that fashion. I’m gonna write about whatever the hell I want to and let it be.

So you’re probably wondering who I am, unless you know me that is, then you’re probably wondering why on earth I made a website like this. Doesn’t really matter, but I’ll answer the questions anyway. I’m a 20-year-old trying to figure out what I want to do with my life and just having a good time. I made this site just as a way to write about things at the end of my day and also to share a few goals throughout and hopefully this will help me attain those goals. So that’s it in a nutshell. Now I think I feel like feeding the dog and myself before I hit the sack. Goodnight all!