Web site update

So i have been working on my web code a bit the past few days and with Franks help I have majorly rewrote my website. It still looks very much the same but it's inner workings is different. I have been trying to tackle with the problem of scaling. Not everyone uses the same resolution so web pages really need to be set up to accommodate this. The first way this is done is by scaling all the elements so that they are a % of the total site instead of fixed pixel sizes. A good example is EGS. Style sheets handle this well and the tag that frank told me about allows you to assign flexible regions in your page that will scale. Pictures are however a bigger problem as I don't know how to dynamically scale them. A picture such as my title or my menu buttons must have a fixed size. Right now my title picture is set so that you need to be running 1024x768 or larger to see it properly and I don't know how to fix this.

The second way web sites deal with this is design them for a fixed width and then add empty space to the edges for people using higher resolutions. These are quite often set up for 800x600. A good example of this type of web design is newgrounds while a bad example of this is the CBC. I am tempted to redesign my website like the way newgrounds is set up by putting my navbar at the top of the page and centering all my content in a 800 pixel box so that i don't have to worry about these issues anymore. Using a left side navbar is harder with a fixed width site or at least i don't think it looks as good.

Anyway send me your thoughts and comments on my current design so i can fix it up a bit. I also am using server side instructions to make my life easier. The navbar and title on the science links page are not actually contained in the HTML code, they are imported.

Also the new picture on my front page may interest some people.

Can you here me now!

Ok now im not one to usualy repoast slashdot articles as usualy everyone I know tends to read it anyway.

However every once and a while truly important news comes out.

FREE LONGDISTANCE CALLING FOR A YEAR

Skype is offering it's Skype out service free for the rest of the year to try and get peopel hooked. You still have to pay to receive calls but you can now phone anyone in Canada or the US with a phone for free from your computer.

Get the Software HERE.

Great Chilie Cookoff

Email jokes come and go but to this day the funniest thing i have ever read was an email about a chili cookoff in texas. After searching adn scouring the internet for upwards of 5 min i managed to find a copy of this email which i will now print in full for all your enjoyment. The best way to read this is to slowly scroll over the text without looking ahead. When i first read it i was convulsing on the floor in pain. Now well i have seen it many times so it has lost some of it's kick but i think you will agree it's good stuff.

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CHILI CONTEST

These are notes from an inexperienced chili taster named FRANK, who was visiting Texas from New Jersey...

"Recently I was lucky enough to be the 10,000th attendee at the State Fair in Texas and was asked to fill in to be a judge at a chili cook-off. Apparently the original Judge #3 called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there when the call came in and was assured by the other two Judges (Native Texans) that it would be a fun event and a true taste of Texas hospitality. They assured me that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted.

Here are the scorecards from the event.

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the heck is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out. Hope that's the worst one. These hicks are crazy.

CHILI # 2 - AUSTIN'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILI # 3 - FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A beanless chili, A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite.Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shitfaced from all of the beer.

CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Sally, the beermaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-LB woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating!

CHILI # 5 LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.

CHILI # 6 - VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.

CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili
peppers at the last moment. (I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably).

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like
it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, and pulled the chili pot over on himself. Poor guy isn't going to make it.

Judge # 3 - No Report

Farewell Frank

It’s been a while since my last entry. Lot’s of school work and other distraction I will talk about later. Now im free and it’s time to get blogging again.

This weekend I took Frank to Victoria to start his PhD and what better way to sent frank off then with a LAN party. I think at the highest count we had 8 people around gaming away. Luckily Warcraft 3 runs on Macs so we could have a tonne of people playing. 8 people on a tower defence map fighting off wave after wave of enemies. I think we made it to level 23, a personal best for that map, well the only time I played that map really. Here is a pic of our highlight planning session, with my new spiffy green laser pointer.



The trip to Victoria was nasty. We arrived at the ferry terminal an hour early and the boat was already booked full. Missed getting on the 1:00 by about 10 cars. So after playing Unreal Tournament in the ferry terminal for an hour and a half or so we where back in the truck and on our way to Victoria.

It’s a nice place but ill let frank write about it in his blog. For now ill just tell you about the scuba diving their. First off we dove Ogden Point Breakwater. It’s a giant wall that protects the cruise port. Because of the constant wave action it is full of life. Saw my first wolf eel and let me tell you they are huge. It’s head was almost as big as mine. Here is a picture, it’s a lot easier than describing it to you.



The second dive was at 10 mile point. It is a very nice wall full of life from the strong current that exists there. You can only dive it at slack tide and even then there was still quite a bit of current. Found an Octopus den and he was home. Unfortunately we could only see his eye but the picture is in my Album for that dive weekend.

More news to come soon. Have a nice day =:>