Christmas Bogus Bogus PHP PDO Bug

Wed, 10th January 2007 at 22:59

The following code works on Linux (3 rows returned) but not on Windows, which returns a SQL syntax error citing LIMIT "0", "3". See PHP bug 35801 closed as “bogus” by an idiot on Christmas Day 2005 for the bogus reason:

Limit statements cannot be part of prepared statements.

Anyone care to confirm?

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“Apocalypto”, 2007

Sun, 7th January 2007 at 10:58

I was in two minds as to whether I should watch “Apocalypto”, primarily because the director, Mel Gibson, appeared in the TV adverts for it, which is a real turn-off for me. In its favour, I thought it would look gorgeous, probably contain some innovative movie-making and we had free tickets!

Simply, it does look gorgeous. The scenery and costumery is top-notch. There are some innovative scenes, mostly related to making blood and gore more realistic. Unfortunately, prettiness does not make a movie good. Apocalypto has a muddled plot that depends too much on deus ex machina, some over-long sections and little to empathise with in the over-passive main characters.

On the other hand, it is thought-provoking. What is civilization? Had the Mayan civilization already destroyed itself from within before the Christian Conquistadors arrived? What makes modern society more civilized than the one portrayed in Gibson’s movie? Have we learned from our past or are we repeating it?

My recommendation: rent on DVD.

Bah’umbug, 2006

Tue, 26th December 2006 at 10:25

What better way to celebrate the annual atheist festival of Bah’umbug than with good friends, good food, good drink and no presents?

Cringe…

Sun, 26th November 2006 at 13:01

Listening to a call-in on C-SPAN on BBC Parliament, about Hilary Clinton running for U.S. President*. A caller…

I have no problem with her being a woman.
I have no problem with her, period.

“Ooooohhhhh….”, he cringed during the pause, knowing what was coming. “That’s full stop!”

Linux and Beryl on the Mac Mini - blow your socks off!

Sat, 18th November 2006 at 17:53

Finally, I found information on the web that some nice person left, which helped me get Linux booting on the Mac mini. It may be a physically small computer but it packs a lot of processing power, so I thought I would try something new - the Beryl 3d Desktop.

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Introducing Dive Buzz, the 21st Century Dive Log

Wed, 15th November 2006 at 23:59

On time and on budget, I am delighted to announce that beta-testing has started for the new product and technologies I have been working on for the last 18 months.

Please take a look at the Dive Buzz, especially if you are a diver! There’s nothing else quite like it out there on the internet. I know because I’ve looked.

Also on show for the first time is Brykxâ„¢, a new technology for bringing the web to the people. “Semantic mark-up blocks for in-line editing. The web² usability solution for accessible websites.”

Making Mac mini Useful

Wed, 8th November 2006 at 10:31

It’s been out of the box for a couple of days now. Liberta has had her wicked way with it, now it is my turn.

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Mac mini: Opening The Box

Thu, 2nd November 2006 at 13:15

Step 1: Open The Box

The first step when setting up a new computer is to open the box.

The Mac mini comes in a compact white cardboard package that has a carry-handle. Slipping open the package reveals the first words; “Designed by Apple in California”. Okay, so if this is a disappointment, I know whom and where to blame!

The words are printed in white on a grey cardboard box that sits in the polystyrene filler - it’s the first thing you see, so obviously the first thing to pick up and examine.

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Hello, Mac mini!

at 12:30

What’s this then? It’s an Apple Mac mini - a compact white box, weighing under a kilogram, purporting to be a computer. It has a CD-like slot at the front and a number of sockets at the back.

Why do I want one? Read the rest of this entry »

Enjoy The Silence

Wed, 1st November 2006 at 09:50

If you can see this post it means my normally steady stream of balderdash and nonsense has dried to a trickle. Don’t worry! I’m alive but working on other things, likely focused on generating income. This means I cannot pay much attention to my blog but doesn’t mean I’m ignoring my delightful readers.

Your patience may be rewarded. If you want to know more, ask!

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