Howdy, this is my personal online journal for whatever I feel like writing about.
MySql and PHP
I’ve been having trouble connecting PHP to MySQL on my new box, and it turns out that the reason is a change in password encoding schemes, luckily there is a solution available
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Pluck 1.0 Release Candidate
Pluck has released a release candidate for version 1.0 of their RSS reader and search tool. Check it out at their website.
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Creating Brushed Metal effect in Java
Finally, I’ve been looking for this. Using the property apple.awt.brushMetalLook allows you to specify that your main application window should use the brushed Metal appearance, similar to that used by Apple applications such as iTunes and Safari. This is set to false by default. It is available only on JDK 1.4.1.
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Smoked Brisket
This is my recipe for smoked brisket. I usually buy the “flat” or “center cut” brisket, a rectangular piece of meat about 3-4 lbs. from the center of the brisket. It’s the best part, and big enough for several meals for 2 people. Make sure you buy one with a big layer of fat on one side. This will help during cooking.
The night before, put your wood in a bucket of water to soak. I use Pecan, Mesquite is too smokey. This will slow down the burning process. Meanwhile, take your brisket and dry it off good with a paper towel. Then, cover the brisket, including the fat and the sides, with a generous layer of brisket rub, I use “Adams” brand. Put in the fridge overnight.
When ready to smoke, take out your brisket and leave it on the counter for about 15 – 30 minutes to help it lose some of its chill. Prepare the smoker buy placing a few chunks of wood on the fire or burner, then filling the water pan with water. Some people use beer, apple juice, or add onions and so forth, but I don’t see that they make much difference. Start the fire and give it 10-15 minutes to get going and heating up.
Put the brisket on either rack, top’s the easiest, FAT SIDE UP! The fat will help baste the meat as it cooks. Then, shut the lid and don’t touch it for 2 hours. After 2 hours, check your wood quickly, and add a piece if you need. It should take about 4 1/2 hours. I don’t bother checking the temperature, it’s pretty much always fine.
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Mexican Martini
This is a local Austin favorite served in many area restaurants. Everyone has a different recipe, but this one is the closest I’ve found. A top quality ($$$) tequila is critical to the recipe. I suggest Don Eduardo or Patron.
Ingredients
- 1 part GOOD Tequila
- 1/2 part Cointreau
- 2 parts sweet and sour mix
- Jalepeno stuffed olives (optional)
Directions
Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes and shake until well chilled. If desired, dirty the mixture with a bit of the olive juice. Pour into martini glasses, garnish with an olive and serve very cold.
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Smokey Bean Dip
If you’ve got a smoker, this makes a great side dish or appetizer. The smokey flavor gives this bean dip a unique taste.
Ingredients:
- 15 oz. can of refried beans
- 1/2 cup beer
- 4 slices, crisp fried bacon (crumbled)
- 1/2 cup grated pepper jack or monteray jack cheese
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of tomato based salsa
Directions
Stir beans, bacon, beer, and cheese together into a small foil pane or a smoke proof backing dish. Place in your smoker until heated through and lightly infused with smoke (about 30 minutes). Top the dip with a layer of salsa and serve with Fritos.
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Pluck 0.9.2 Released
I’m at a company called Pluck, where we’ve been developing new technology to help user’s find and share information on the Internet. We’ve just released a new version of our software add on for Internet Explorer, in Beta form. This version includes improvements to the RSS reader, as well as new features like shared bookmarks and the ability to search, sort and filter Ebay, Google, and Amazon. It’s a free tool, so check it out!
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CVS Support in IDEA 3.0
IDEA 3.0 has full support for a number of version control systems, including the venerable CVS. In this article I teach you how to turn on this support and leave command line CVS behind.
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IDEA 3.0 and JUnit
If you haven’t used the JUnit unit testing framework yet, then it’s time to get with the program in this article I explain how to use IDEA 3.0’s integrated unit testing features to stop bugs before they bite.
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Web Application Development with IDEA
If you are using IDEA to develop J2EE web applications, my article on enabling IDEA’s web integration features is worth a read. In it you’ll learn how IDEA’s integrated support for WAR files and JSPs will make you life easier.
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