Divine Lunacy

There are now about 100 media items on sickofschool, though the frontend is still not available. The whole backend is pretty cool!. The load time is excellent. I finally took upon myself the task of creating security taht I felt comfortable with for the backend. Using cookies is definitely the best way, but what does one send in the cookie? How does one prevent the cookie variable name, along with the data being used in a get request? The first question was easy! I knew that if the information was ever intercepted, like via ethereal or something, that it would be good if it could expire. I started out with a cookie named backend that held the day, the year, and the month. The cookie was named backend. The big problem with this cookie, is that the information therein could be used in a get request for a full day!!! It was like a free one day pass! Although, I ran everything through md5() before sending it, I knew this had to change. First, I renamed the cookie to AnimalCrackers and stored the time() in it. Then, I made another cookie, named cheese. In this I stored the remote address, so if it was intercepted, then the interceptor could not use it. Instead of just running this through md5(), I used a md5 encryption function and a 256-bit key I generated with openssl. Now, I know it is not the best security, but it will throw off all the script kitties, wannabe’s and n00bs.

I came to a state of total boredness today. What better thing to do when one is bored than to upgrade? I decided it was time to upgrade from php 4.3.? to 5 Well…then I needed the MySQL header files, so I updraded all of mySQL, and downloaded the devel rpm. hehe. Then I realized that all would not go well with advx. I hate how linux distros bring their own custom bullshit into things KISS DAMNIT!. So I did a default install of apache(whatever the latest it..2.5.something, I think). Haha, thought I. I am now ready to compile Php. Well, I was wrong. Certain files for mySQL could not be found!!! The php developers left out support for the newer versions of MySQL with default installations. The autoconf script was looking in the wrong place for the includes >:o. After Much looking around, and I mean MUCH, I found all I needed and linked to where they really were from where php wanted them to be. mauahuwwaa After several minutes, make install finished. What joy! I started up my fresh compile of apache, but to my dismay, when I tried to load a page, it spit out the php source!!! Dear Lord, I thought to myself—this cannot be! php told me that it updated the apache config files for me…WHAT A LIE!!! it added the load module part, and after a lot more looking around, I realized that it left out the mime type configuration. All of that may not sound like alot, but it was hell…

I just decied to try lynx for some reason. It really makes one respect text based browsing. I had no idea of it was soo fully functional. The navigation takes a little getting used to at first, but after I got used to it, I realized how much things are simplified. “Large” Pages seem much more simple.

I finally finished the backend admin tool for sickofschool It is complete this time. I added security to it, with an interesting time based pass code thing…saying more would be a security leak. :-\. It is really cool.
School is in like less than 2 weeks now :(. I haven’t finished my summer reading. I finished the larger of the 2 books in a few days, it was a good 600 pages. The other book, lord of the flies, seems to be a drab200 pages. From the 25 I have read, it does not seem to be worth my valuable time. I still have to write book reports on each, but that should be easy with gradesaver.com.

I said a while ago that I wanted to change this template. I will probably begin that this week, if a wonderful vision pops up in my head. I am really hate the use of tables on this template. I used CSS for a good part of it, but I would rather use PURE CSS, and fully comply with w3c reccomendations. I cannot validate this page because of some stupid semmingly-pointless script that hostultra throws on top of the DOCTYPE. Hmm….Perhaps I will completely change the colors and make the slot machine separate. And a guestbook finally!.

Well we all know that windows is extremely virus prone, but before I go into my experience, I’ll explain why *nix is better. Permissions, it is all about the permissions. In windows any program RUN BY ANY USER can update the registy. It would be fairly easy for me to write a registry crashing program and distribute it to some random idiots. In Linux, the permission structure is much more strict. There are certain files, that are by default, only editable by root, and also certain commands that only root can execute. In winblows, any user has the power to do anything. This is not a good thing. A virus will run either as the user logged on, or it can even add itself as a service, and be run as system. The permissions, is the biggest reason that windows is not immune against viruses, but I think it is right to also take some time discussing the registry. In winblows, there is a “central” configuration file called the registry. This file has all of your system setting and settings for a lot of programs, along with a lot more(stored aim passwords for one…). Having one configuration file for all of that is just asinine! In *nix, there are many different files.

Getting back to my problem…I have had a winblows problem lately. Winblows would randomly crash at times and cause the computer to reboot. I had Tyler come over to reinstall windows with me. When first I booted after the reinstall, all went fine. It was on the next reboot AFTER INSTALLING NETWORK DRIVERS that everything went back to insanity. We believe I was infected with some kind of work (sasser?). Some of the worms we looked at are spread by a server that finds computers and exploits a windows vulnerability. This makes sense because when I first began encountering this problem, I opened up ethereal and looked at all of my traffic. There was traffic with an IP address I could not identify. It occurred a few times, and I am positive that it is nothing that I was using. The totally perplexing thing in all of this is how I was re-infected right after installing windows again. Everything is fine now. I installed again and have not yet installed the network drivers. I have anti-virus running now, but I am afraid to install the drivers.

On the better side of things: I have the core backend for sickofschool finished!!! I was too lazy to make another template, So I stole the one from this blog. I had to get rid of certain nice features due to Client Side scripting incompatibilities. >:o. One of the bigger things I need to work on is a “staging server” I have been using my computer, but I do not have a MySQL user with the correct name. It is a pain in the ass to have to change certain values when uploading the script, so I need to perfectly mirror the environment on the server. Creating MySQL users is proving to be a challenge.

I am thinking about changing this template…I neve3r really liked it..there is just something about it that I hate. The problem is my extreme lack of artistic talent… I need to think about this…alot….I want something semi-original. I am also thinking about redoing my subprofile. It is time to change, though I will keep the php core the same. I want a new layout, which is hard because of the limited capabilities of AIM.

In other semi-interesting news. Addeville: I got my “paycheck” $150 at $9.3/hr…It was under the table, as I am not yet a real employee.(no taxes) I met someone interesting at addeville. He is older than I, IN college. He is working on making a website and we somehow got to talking about this. Cutting down to the point, I was recruited to work for him in developing the core php for the site. The url will be www.sickofschool.com. It is going to be like an ebaumsworld type of thing…just more diverse.

I replaced this post, as it was bland, stupid and ill-mannered….not like me. Sorry. really. I don’t know why I did that…I shouldn’t be talking.

While on vacation, I found a rare delicacy…Strike anywhere matches. They tend tok be ahrd to find. Good for making certain explosives…not that I intend to.

and for the good of linux Rabid Rabits 1023…no questions..it is for the good of linux.

Ah…to be continued when I get home fromt that stupid work thing I talked about in “PULL!”…comment or feel my wrath—Your choice, I don’t care.>>>> I am writing this tomorrow. I stayed at addeville after I my paid time ran out. I rode around in a cart with tay tay disarming, de-claying, and movinf chucks traps. Chuck is this guy from north carolina who travels around the country to help out, and lend his traps at big shooting events. According to tay tay, chuck has about 50 traps, it seemed like alot more. This was all very bad work to do without pants and boots. I got all scraped up by thorns…etc….etc. Tay Tay drives like a mad man. There were times when I thought I would fall out of the cart. I don’t feel like dragging this out any longer, so I now end and leave for vacation. (Today is the 15th ;))

Sorry, I haven’t blogged in a while…My life is just sooo boring. I recieved a call from steve Lafaille yesterday, while he was at work. Steve works at addeville, along with luke, tay tay and this matt kid that I apparently know. A big tournament began today, a trap-shooting tournament. They needed a guy to “pull a manual machine”. I accepted, without knowing the full horror that would come. I was up at 0530 this morning, and at addeville by 0630. I was soon turned over to this guy named geof. Apparently, pulling a manual machine means that when the wislte blows, I pull the thing, then load another clay pigeon. There were also 4 other buttons to press(they were electric pigeon things). It all seemed easy at first, even when I was told that there was a specific sequence, it still seemed easy. When the thing started at 0800, I leaned different. There were a ton of stations firing shotguns, so it was very hard to hear the wistle…Alot of the other stations also had a wiste, so it was very hard to pick out the correct one. I screwed up alot at first. Moving on to the worst part…I had to sit on this peice of wood..Not even a foot wide, and it was slanted at about 30 degrees, so all day, I was sitting with a peice of wood up my ass. This lead to signifigant back pain. As if that isn’t all bad enough, I have to go back and do the same thing tomorrow. The only upside of the whole thing is that I get payed $150 for the weekend at about $9/hr, with free lunch. Steve was nice enough to hand deliver my food, and beverages throughout the day. I vow never to be a trapper again..ever…It hurts too much, physically and mentally.

I went shopping today. Really booring, but I got 3 pair of shorts. I started another blog today, I intend to use it for notes on my summer reading. The real happenings today happened online just a few hours earlier. I finally got some shirts that I have been want ing from thinkgeek.com. I got one that says “There are only 10 kinds of people in the world, those who know binary and those who don’t.”(rough quote) Knowing how to handle a BaseX number system, I can truly appreciate that!…as can those of you who know binary. hehe. The other shirt I bought says “Bow before me, for I am root!” I guarentee that there are few people who understand that, but all of us *nix Nerds get it :):):)

Ok something weird just happend…I was synchronizing my clock with clock.redhat.com The date was set to june 10^th. It gave me the error message “could not sync due to difference in dates”…I changed the date to the 11^th then tried sync-ing again…it worked and it changed the date back to the 10^th—Go figure…

I went to see patriots training camp today. What fun…They didn’t even scrimage, Though there was some field goal practice, which was interesting.

For real now, the stats program is finished. I just need to create a sexy interface for it. Check it out here.

My Dad got a new cell phone today and within the hour that he bought it, he dropped it on the ground. It is still alive, but shows signs of abuse through a scratch. I hate cell phones…not to digress too much. I hate phones and cell phones are just another way for people to bother one. When/if I ever have one, I will keep it turned off.

I am at page 120 of one of my summer reading books. I think I can make it. I am ging to read alot more tomorrow, start a blog for each book and clean my room!

This morning, I woke up a new person! I went to bed as a nobody and now I am one of the elite. I woke up to find, awaiting me in my inbox, an invite for one of the coveted Gmail Accounts. This was a completely shocking event!!!. I had watched my post at gmailswap for about an hour. It had few hits and no replies. The one reply that was there this morning read “Check your Email”. It took me at least a half hour to think of a name. LinusT was available as was hippohunter and marioisgod. I finally ended up with topnotcher. I think it is easy to pass on by word of mouth and easy to remember. As I have nothing else to write in this post, I better stop writing so I don’t digress in to something completely different.