Schinckel.net

I got some Spam today, starting with:

To Whom It May Concern, We have learned from the Internet thay you may be interested in tents…

I deleted it before actually reading any more. Perhaps I needed to reply (from a dead address, so I don’t get more Spam), and just inform them that this is not a good thing to do. I think maybe these are not “Internet People”, and maybe they don’t understand what they have done is wrong, and well, … Or, just let it be deleted by the Spam Filter…

From this page, a list of free classical albums for download.

VNC is cool. It allows you to view your desktop on another machine, and control it from that machine. Various takes on this include osx2x, which allows an OS X machine to just control the other machine (no screen data is sent back to the controlling box, but requires two monitors to be able to see what is going on). The other method of controlling an OS X box is to telnet or ssh in, and type in commands via a CLI. This is often much faster than VNC because of the lower bandwidth requirements for just text rather than full-screen images. One thing I had noticed (and hated) about OS X Panther was that if I was not the ‘active’ user on the machine, I could still connect, but was unable to run WindowServer applications, or interact with them. This seems to be fixed with Tiger. Newer versions of OSXvnc (1.5+) can be run as a User Process, and then a connection initiated from another source, which will allow interaction with the GUI environment. This makes VNC under OS X very much like X11, in that a user can completely control a machine, even if another user has logged in in the meantime. The only drawback I can see is that it requires the user to log in initially. Finally, a reason for me to upgrade to Tiger.

Since it’s my current fascination, I thought I’d create a new post on Adium. I might have to create a category for it! Anyway, I worked on improving a script I had downloaded that allowed typing %_nowplaying into Adium, and getting a nicely formatted string, including a musical symbol, sent as a message. I made it so that it used the keyword /itunes, and had a link to a google search for the artist’s name. I’d also like to be able to set it up so that the track was a link to download the file from the computer the user is on (would require a webserver to be running, and have read access to the iTunes library folder). And, my version also puts the rating as stars after the track name. I thought of a couple of other scripts:

• A /google script that creates a list of the top 10/5/1 google hits for a search. (It would be too easy to just have it create a link to google - try about 10 seconds!)
• A script that defines a word, using dictionary.org or something similar. (Extract from wikipedia?)
• A script that sends the current playing track to the user. (No need to zip it like some fool did, unless it’s an AIFF file!)
• A script that displays an html element abbr or acronym.

Adium has great support for AppleScripts (or possibly other scripting languages), in that you define a string, and when this string is typed in as a message, the script is run, and the result is sent as the message instead. Thus, it’s possible to write scripts that allow you to type in: %_itunes And a nicely formatted string, with the current iTunes song is sent to the person you are chatting to. This string can even have hyperlinks embedded in it, so if you were serving your iTunes library up, the person could click on it and download/stream it. The same for %_safari/%_camino, this can be set up to send a hyperlink with the current page, including the title. What is not clear from the internet is how to create these. It’s really quite simple. The scripts must live inside a package: under MacOS X packages are just folders with particular extensions. For instance, Mail.app is a folder, and it appears to the system/user as an application, or a particular type of package. Double-clicking on it will not opent he folder, but (in this case) run the application. AdiumScripts packages (with the extension .AdiumScripts) will install into your Library when you double-click them. So, the format must be as follows:

PluginName.AdiumScripts/
    Contents/
        Info.plist
        Resources/
            Script1Name.scpt
            Script2Name.scpt

The ScriptxName.scpt files must be valid AppleScripts, of the format:

on substitute(arg) –do stuff here return value end substitute

Where value is the value you want printed. You should format it with starting and closing html tags, and any html markup you want. If you want the user to be able to send an argument (%command{argument}), then include it as shown. Inside the Info.plist file, you need to have some important information.

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    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
    <plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleDevelopmentRegion</key>
        <string>English</string>
        <key>CFBundleGetInfoString</key>
        <string>Matt's Adium Scripts</string>
        <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
        <string>net.schinckel.AppName.scripts</string>
        <key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key>
        <string>1.0</string>
        <key>CFBundleName</key>
        <string>bundleName</string>
        <key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
        <string>AdIM</string>
        <key>Scripts</key>
        <array>
            <dict>
                <key>File</key>
                <string>Script1Name</string>
                <key>Keyword</key>
                <string>/script1</string>
                <key>Title</key>
                <string>Menu Item 1</string>
            </dict>
            <dict>
                <key>File</key>
                <string>Script2Name</string>
                <key>Keyword</key>
                <string>%_script2</string>
                <key>Title</key>
                <string>Menu Item 2</string>
            </dict> </array>
        <key>Set</key>
        <string>Script Submenu</string>
    </dict>
    </plist>

There are some bits of data you’ll need to change: Matt's Adium Scripts should be a descriptive title for your Scripts. com.schinckel.AppName.scripts should be a unique identifier for your scripts. bundleName could be the name of your bundle. Realistically, these can be anything, although I suspect Adium will only allow one version of a script with a particular identifier, or bundle name. The next bits are the impart ones: Script1Name needs to be the name of a script, minus the .scpt extension. /script1 is the keyword that will trigger this script to be called. And Menu Item 1 is what will be written in the Scripts Sub Menu. It’s possible to have multiple calls to the same script, each one just requires a duplicate dictionary entry, with a different Keyword string. For instance, I use /camino and %_camino to mean the same function, without requiring seperate scripts to be called. Finally, the Script Submenu value needs to be replaced by which Script Sub Menu you want the item to be placed under. For instance, there is already one called System Statistics, and iTunes - Now Playing. Using a value that doesn’t appear already causes a new Sub Menu to be created. I’m not sure if there is a ‘rule’ against using /command, as most of the ones I’ve come across all use %_command. I find this too slow to type, and have adapted them accordingly. You will be able to do this also, now that you know how…

I’m a latecomer to Instant Messaging. I’ve only just discovered it, and part of that is because I don’t have many people to talk to over it. I have written one thing though, and that’s an improvement to megalogeek’s %_camino script. You can download it from Adium Xtras: Camino Current Page. Source follows after the jump!

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on substitute()     
    tell application "Camino"         
        URL of window 1         
        set myURL to the result         
        set myTitle to name of window 1     
    end tell     
    return "<HTML><A HREF=\"" & myURL & "\">" & myTitle & "</A></HTML>" 
end substitute

Well, I’ve been doing a whole lot of iTunes and iPod listening lately, and my playcounts are up!

6908 songs, 20:18:37:17 total time

And, I’ve rated 3551 of my 6171 tracks, or around 57%.

I found this on a site today. It reminded me of the round of ads that are happening on Adelaide TV at the moment.

I’m not big on religion, but what Jesus said really makes sense.

These are, unsurprisingly, advertisements put out by some Christian organisation or other - the point they seem to be getting across is that “you don’t need to believe in god to be a good person”. Well done Captain Obvious. I like to think I am a ‘Good Person’, and I’m fairly sure I’ve never believed in god. In fact, I think I could make a pretty good argument that it’s easier to be a good person and not believe in god. That whole thing about having to have a personal relationship with god to get into heaven always seemed to be a little bit of a cop-out. Do what you want, as long as you commune with jesus, you’ll make it into heaven. And there have been some pretty evil christians in the past. The crusaders, for instance (and I’m not talking about the NTL permit!). The bible says “Thou shalt not kill”, to which the crusaders interpreted “thou shalt not kill other christians”. Throughout history various groups have judged other groups ’less than human’, and the apparent respect for slavery amongst many christian sects shows they are not immune. The south of the US, for instance, probably the most fundamental christian area in the world, would probably still be happy to keep slaves, if the meddling north hadn’t interfered. And, the thing that Jaq brought up was that “What jesus said wasn’t new.” Surely other leaders of people, religious or otherwise, had preached tolerance prior to 2000-odd years ago. Come to think of it, much of what christians preach nowadays, or rather how they act, does not reflect what jesus said. And before I get any flaming comments - I have nothing personal against christians, moslems, buddhists or otherwise. I like to judge people by their actions, and their words. I know lots of people who I respect regardless of their faith or otherwise. Because, generally, they are Good People. And that is what I value.

Just today, I was promoted to the position of a Moderator within the Blogsome community. (Yay!) Now, I just need to make sure I use my power for good, not for evil…

I can’t even remember where I found this link: Be Rachael Ray for a Day.

So here is the deal - your Dine & Dish #4 blog post should cover a whole day’s worth of meals eaten outside of your home - breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks (if you have enough money), including drinks, for the total sum of $40.

Now, I’ve done the calculations, and US$40 is around about AUD$51, which is really quite a lot! So, here is my first part of my Rachael Ray Day - I’ll combine everything together on August 22nd. $40 a day in Adelaide.

Breakfast.

Hindley Street still has a bad reputation amongst a significant proportion of the South Australian population. Most of it is undeserved, but a quick walk down there at 8:15am will clue you in to why, especially if you remember that it’s much better now than it was 10 or 15 years ago. The section between Bank and Morphett Streets is the pits, and if you take the Railway Station underpass, you’ll emerge in the thick of it. Turning right into Hindley Street, you’ll pass pubs that are open that early in the morning, and strip clubs that closed not too many hours before. If you are lucky, you’ll see a feral or two enter a pub, stinking of beer, and eyes glazed over as they prepare to waste the local taxpayers money on poker machines. But push through, your destination awaits, and it’s worth it. After crossing Morphett Street, you enter the Education precinct, where the University of South Australia built a new City West campus to replace the aging, and closed suburban campuses of Salisbury and Underdale. (The northern and western suburbs are still whinging about the lack of education opportunities. Catch the bus, I say.) Because of the influx of students, several cafés and other shops have opened, and our goal is one of these: Phat Coffee. Josh will be behind the counter, he makes a great coffee, and he’s there all day, from 8:00 until 5:00. During Uni holidays they close at 4pm, but getting there is worth it. Phat Coffee does more than just coffee - they also serve a magnificent Ham Cheese and Tomato Croissant. Eat in or take away, it’s worth the $7.95 for the comfort food of a tasty croissant and a perfect coffee. Breakdown: Croissant: AUD5.25 ($4.12) Flat White: AUD2.70 ($2.12) Total: AUD7.95 ($6.24)

Lunch.

Still to write…Sushi train?

Tea.

Adelaide has a vibrant Touch Football community. It’s a relatively small town, so everyone who plays touch knows just about everyone else. Anyway, after playing a game with the Arab Steed Pornstars, at City Touch Club, we headed into their sponsor, the Arab Steed Hotel. Owned and managed by Shayne White, the Arab Steed Hotel has been trading since [YEAR]. Shayne bought the pub in [YEAR], and has turned it into a successful little business, with a great location near the south parklands, on the Corner of Hutt and Gilbert Streets. Parking out the front can be difficult, especially in the peak mealtimes, between 7 and 8:30. Don’t even think about parking on Gilbert Street, unless you go further west, as parking inspectors like to frequent the area, and unless you have a resident permit, expect the day to quickly become more expensive. There are plenty of parks further up Hutt Street, near and past the Adelaide City Council library, and beyond, as well as futher west. The ‘Steed used to make a great mushroom gravy, and it wasn’t unknown for the whole team to order Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce (and Just Chips, in some cases!). Nowadays, the mushroom gravy ain’t that good, but there are several other great meals to try. The Veal Shanks (or Calves’ calves - thanks Alyse!) go well, but my choice is generally the Cajun Chicken Burger. Today, however, on the Specials’ board was Pork Puff Pastry Parcel, so I had “A Pork Puff Pastry Parcel, Please”, and a jug of beer. Since I bought the first round, others paid for the following rounds, and that was all I ended up paying for. Breakdown: Pork Puff Pastry Parcel: AUD10.90 ($8.55) Jug of Coopers Pale Ale: AUD12.00 ($9.41) Total: AUD22.90 ($17.96)