Response to new forum launches

I announced yesterday that my forums had hit the one million mark which is a milestone I’ve been waiting for to reopen the complete former network. With all the old forums coming back I was sent this list of possible new websites. Many of my forums have the word “talk” in them, which makes this doubly funny.

List of New Forum Ideas

Yes! By all means, please re-open Argyle Sock Talk, Cabbage Recipe Talk, Quantum Mechanics Talk, Beefarino Talk, Linens-And-Things Talk, Perfume Talk, Barbie Doll Talk, Miniature Poodle Talk, Oh, My Aching Back Talk, Urinary Incontinence Talk, Halitosis Talk, Modern Toothpick Design Talk, Atheism Talk, Existentialist Pet Groomer Talk, Small insect Talk, Big Fat Insect Talk, and MisteRogers Talk!

Comments on Brigadoon 2007

I don’t normally post comments about shows I work on because it seems a bit haughty with me being part of the production team. But Brigadoon 2007 at McIntyre Hall really is a fine production. On the music end, the orchestra is really incredible. Not too far a stone’s toss from a 5th Avenue pit group.

This is one of my last shows in Skagit County before I go back on the road and I hope friends and local theater folk have a chance to see this production. This show does great honor to McIntyre Hall and to local theater folk who put their heart and soul into the arts.

And to the McIntyre family of Skagit – I don’t know you, but your generostiy in creating McIntyre Hall is helping to propel Mount Vernon, WA and surrounding areas into rich fertile soil for up and coming artists.

SOME COMMENTS:

Wonderful! Such a beautiful time we had!
Thoroughly enjoyable;hope you will do more in this great theatre
This was by far the best performance I’ve seen in the area.
This is the kind of show I dreamed McIntyre Hall was built for.
Enjoyed it completely!
Terrific! What a great production for the community!
Magical! I love the story, the dancing, singing, and message.
I really enjoyed combining professional and local talent. Fantastic idea! Keep up the good work!
Very professional–good scenery and acting
Awesome!

PhpMyAdmin Database Backup

How to backup large databases or all databases on your server using just PhpMyAdmin:

1. Click the Export tab

2. Under Export, choose “Select All”

3. Under Structure, only select “Add DROP TABLE”, “Add AUTO_INCREMENT value”, and “Enclose table and field names with backquotes”

4. Under Data, only select “Complete inserts” and “Use hexadecimal for binary fields”

5. Check “Save as file”, choose compression and click GO!

How To Import a MySql Database

 *NOTES*: You may have to replace quotation marks entry with fresh keystrokes. Also be sure the database you are importing matches the software version you are importing into. Many errors happen from people updating and trying to import older databases.

HOW TO IMPORT MYSQL PHPBB DATABASE
(Go to SSH command screen)
(Entre location of folder with DB)

cd /home/sites/domainname/www/
(this is home directory for site on server)

MANUALLY GO TO PHPMYADMIN AND DROP DB

NOW, RECREATE SAME DATABASE NAME

(Import the backup)
mysql -u root -ppassword “dbname” < dbname.sql > /dev/null

Forums Reach One Million Mark

I was just informed my forum network hit the one million mark for queries last month. Still a fraction of our former traffic – but a very good sign considering we’re only running a portion of them. I’ve been waiting to hit that mark before expanding, so now I’m going to open up ALL former forums. All those niche subjects that many of you had a passion for will be up and running within 10 days.

After that I’ll be reformatting the ecommerce networks. Ah….life is sweet.

40,000 Spam Milepost

Here just on my personal website I have reached the 40,000 spam milepost. Over forty thousand spam comments have been filtered and deleted. Thanks to the Akismet plugin it is all automated and I don’t have to do anything. That’s one of the main reasons I chose WordPress over other blog platforms.

Network wide the spam blocks run into the tens of millions. From what I’ve read most spam is generated by a handful of people. The people that generate the spam don’t make money directly, they make money selling the service to other webmasters who think it will increase their rankings.

The recent proliferation of spam is in part from amateur spammers now using automated programs like Xrumer. My original article on Xrumer, which is quoted as a source now on Wikipedia, can be found here: Xrumer Link Scam Article.

Everyone’s tempted to make money – but do this one thing before you think about investing in an automated link spam program. Take any of the spam links you have seen generated by the program in the past and do a search on their anchor text or keywords. You’ll find they don’t rank. They are quickly banned. The money is not in the links, the money is in SELLING the service – which doesn’t work for long term SEO.

Someday I’ll post the gruesome details of my own experience and over zealous, xenophobic SEO. It doesn’t work anymore. And I’m glad it doesn’t. The web is much more useful now that most pedestrian black hat SEO has been fielded out.

I can tell you it is MUCH more enjoyable now to work on genuine service, than just trying to manipulate SERPS. It is never satisfying enough, you always need a little more. But helping people out, like this post here, is enjoyable on a minute to minute basis.

In a person’s last minutes of life, they will not think of how much money they made….

The Brilliance of Steve Buscemi

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Steve Buscemi – You know his face from nearly 100 films. One of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. He hits the nail on the head with this excerpt from a recent interview. When working with artists, let them bring their own vision to the table first. Then tailor it as it fits the directors vision. If you don’t give them the chance to do their thing, you miss out on many golden gems.

Q: How does your background as an actor affect your directing?

BUSCEMI: Casting is everything. Getting the person that you imagined is this character and then seeing what they bring to it. That’s why you hire them, so why tell somebody first what it is you want? I’m more curious to see what they bring to it and then be inspired by it and say: “OK, what if you tried this?” or “What would happen if … ?” I guess it’s the stuff that you don’t get to say as an actor to another actor if you’re just acting in a scene. (Laughs) You cannot do that.

Network Vultures

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Recently we had some individuals open a site meant to be an adjunct of one of my own. Only problem is they didn’t ask me about it before they did it. Adjunct sites that spin off my network and are advertised on my network are considered spam; just as if they were a seperate site spamming links.

In fact, they ARE seperate spam sites if they are not approved. My networks have been running for over seven years now and it has been an arduous task to keep them running, many as free public services. It’s not taken kindly to glom off of my networks as jumpads for websites outside the network. Many people have done this in the past, and most claim the best of intentions. I still don’t understand how they can genuinely think it is helpful.

That’s my stance. If you had been through what I have been through the past seven years committing to these networks, I’m confident you would feel the same. For the record, the “Am” referred to in this graphic was reinstated. We have an understanding now.

One more thing. Many people that create the spinoff sites are friends, or at least were friends prior to the spinoffs. It causes hurt when they are blocked on my networks. I think it may be partly that they do not realize how large my networks really are. Everything I do has to be done in runs; it’s like herding sheep. When I make a change to one I make a change to all – so committing to changes is time intensive and something I think through at great length before doing.

In addition, many people do not realize security issues at risk with some of their requests. I do not post the details of those security issues, because (duh) it kind of defeats the purpose.

I have had the experience in my life of being on the very top, and also being on the very bottom. I have noticed that the more you move up, the more people glom off you and use you as a target. You are a target because you are noticeable. That’s just the way things are. As our networks continue to expand, things will get more complicated; not less. With increased traffic there is always increased problems.

Members banished from RD may start fresh at Life-Convicts.netÂ

Please play nice in the sandbox.

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Bye Bye Birdie – Musician Page

This is the official musician info page for META Performing Arts production of Bye Bye Birdie at McIntyre Hall, Mount Vernon, WA 2007.
NEWS
09/26/07 – Scores are in. Pick up at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 15th and Broadway. 9am-4pm Mon-Fri.
BYE BYE BIRDIE ORCHESTRATION

Violins – closed RH (keys)

Cello 1 – closed Joe Bichsel
Cello 2 – closed SS

Bass – closed PB

*NOTE* – We will split reed parts up dependent on what players can double on.*

Reed Ia: Alto Saxophone – closed KM
Reed Ib: Clarinet,
Reed Ic: Flute & Piccolo – closed LS
Reed II: Alto Saxophone – Thomas Harris
Reed II: Clarinet – open
Reed III: Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – closed MH
Reed IV: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet & Baritone Saxophone – closed RW

Horn – closed AM
Trumpets I – closed CL
Trumpet II – closed NV
Trumpet III – cut
Trombone I – RQ
Trombone II – cut

Piano – closed LL

Keyboard II – closed KK
Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Chimes (from percussion part)

Percussion I: – open – MEH? unconfirmed
* Timpani (2 drums), * Tambourine, * Timbales, * Gran Cassa, * Snare Drum Case, * Suspended Cymbal, * Castanets, * Gourd, * Cowbell

Percussion II: – closed DB
* Trap drum set-
o Bass Drum
o Snare Drum & Rack Tom
o Floor Tom
o various Cymbals
+ hi-hat
+ crash
+ ride
+ finger
o Wood Blocks (2)
o Bongos
o Large Military Snare Drum
o Gong
o Gunshot
* Kazoo (or Ratchet)

Both percussion players use Piatti, Triangle and Ratchet

1 Guitar-Banjo – closed LH
(Banjo for “Overture A”; Electric Bass for “Telephone Hour” and “One Hundred Ways – Ballet” only)

A special Keyboard Synthesizer part is available, when the complete orchestration is used, at an additional charge. It may be substituted for the 3 violin and 2 cello parts.

SHOWS
McIntyre Hall – Mount Vernon, WA

Nov 16 Friday 7:30
Nov 17 Saturday 7:30
Nov 18 Sunday 2pm
Nov 23 Friday 7:30
Nov 24 Saturday 2pm and 7:30
Nov 25 Sunday 2pm

REHEARSALS
Sat Oct 13 – 2pm-5pm – Orchestra – MVPres Church
Tue Oct 16 – 9-11pm – Rhythm section only (drum, guitar, keys) – MVPres Church
Sun Oct 21 – 1pm-5pm – Orchestra – MVPres Church
Sat Oct 27 – 1pm-5pm – Orchestra – MVPres Church
Thurs Nov 1 – 6-10pm – Music only w/cast – MVPres Church – Good Shepherd Hall
Sat Nov 3 – 1pm-5pm – MVPres Church
Thurs Nov 8 – 6-10pm – Run thru w/cast – MVPres Church – Good Shepherd Hall
Wed Nov 14 – 6-11pm – Tech with Orchestra – Load in starts 5pm. McIntyre Hall.
Thurs Nov 15 – 6-11pm – Dress Rehearsal McIntyre Hall.

SCORES
Scores in 9/26 – pick up at MV Pres Church. 15th and Broadway, Mount Vernon -9am-4pm.