Olympics
On September 05, 2008 in Uncategorized
I found some interesting results searching for “Olympics” on Nipponster:
http://web.nipponster.com/olympics/
Video clips relate to the olympics and Japan
Tired
On September 04, 2008 in DailyJ Mission, Suggestions Please
I am worn out today.
So this post might be less than inspired.
I have been thinking a lot about DailyJ and Nipponster and the other sites on the J-web.
I feel like I am losing focus. Or maybe the need that DailyJ was originally created to fill, is no longer important.
I don’t know.
When I created my first Japan-related website (now defunct) back in 2003 I wanted to create a website that would help people interested in studying at universities in Japan (foreign students).
It was supposed to be a site where current students could submit stories about their experiences. Then interested students could learn about student life in Japan from them.
It failed, the site I built after it failed, and the social networking site I built after that failed (but gave birth to Nipponster).
I learnt a lot from each of those failures, so maybe I am becoming more savvy.
On the other hand many I am not really adequately solving problems/ meeting needs.
hmmm…
A lazy J-blogger’s hack.
On September 03, 2008 in Blog Improvements, Helping Japan Bloggers
2008 is moving along. Soon we will be looking at 2009 and you will have to update the little copyright date on your blog.
Not if you’re a lazy blogger.
This little php code snippet does the hard work for you year after year.
<?php echo date (”Y”);?>
This code works on any php page (a file ending with .php). It displays the current year.
If you have a self-hosted wordpress blog go to:
wp-contents/themes/YOURTHEME/footer.php and look for the copyright year. Replace the copyright year with the code above.
your done,
now go be lazy
Linux rant - (blame Nick)
On September 02, 2008 in Nerd Rant, Resources, fun
Warning: Nerdy content to follow
I am editing some interviews with Japan-related webmasters for future posts. Those should be coming soon. I want to get back to what DailyJ is all about, but it is a battle with the clock.
In the meantime, inspired by Nick’s nerdy posts about php code, I’ve decided that it is OK to gratify my inner nerd. So today’s post is about Linux! (and bilingual computing)
<– respect the penguin
puppy linux to be exact.
Linux, for the uninitiated, is a FREE (as in beer) Operating System (like windows or mac os).
Puppy linux is a super light version of linux and it is relatively easy to use. On top of that it is one of the operating systems that is part of the new bilingual computing movement (operating systems that can toggle between languages).
Now, before I go further, let me warn that even the easy to use versions of linux are tricky for the newbie.
It is a trade between time and freedom.
It takes a bit of time to get use to linux, but the freedom linux gives can’t be beat.
For one, I have my entire OS and files on a CD and USB pen drive combo (you can fit it on just a USB drive too).
So I can just pop my cd and my USB drive into any computer and have everything I have at my home computer…
Including Japanese!
(info on getting puppy linux speaking Japanese)
For the nerdy who would like to ask questions/discuss I’ve created a forum thread about Linux on JapanLabs
Chinese anyone?
On September 01, 2008 in fun
One of my little side hobbies lately has been learning Chinese.
I imagine having Kanji skills should make it easier to learn than someone learning from zero.
I found a little article comparing the learning curves for Japanese and Chinese (the comments are full of thoughts from people experienced in Jpn/Chn. Smart group!)
Have any of you tried to learn Chinese before?
When your smiling… (a list of smileys for wordpress)
On August 31, 2008 in Uncategorized
Warning: Nerdy content to follow
uh oh.
This is like a toddler finding the secret stash of sweets!
Today I was file diving in wordpress (the software that powers this blog) looking for a way to fix something and I made a little discovery.
A list of smileys!
As anyone who follows this blog knows, I have a weakness for smileys. So, of course, I have to post them all now to get the excitement out of my system 
<– see what I mean?
Here they are (from the file wp-inludes/funtions.php):
                     |
| :mrgreen:’ => ‘icon_mrgreen’, ‘:neutral:’ => ‘icon_neutral’, ‘:twisted:’ => ‘icon_twisted’, ‘:arrow:’ => ‘icon_arrow’, ‘:shock:’ => ‘icon_eek’, ‘:smile:’ => ‘icon_smile’, ‘:???:’ => ‘icon_confused’, ‘:cool:’ => ‘icon_cool’, ‘:evil:’ => ‘icon_evil’, ‘:grin:’ => ‘icon_biggrin’, ‘:idea:’ => ‘icon_idea’, ‘:oops:’ => ‘icon_redface’, ‘:razz:’ => ‘icon_razz’, ‘:roll:’ => ‘icon_rolleyes’, ‘:wink:’ => ‘icon_wink’, ‘:cry:’ => ‘icon_cry’, ‘:eek:’ => ‘icon_surprised’, ‘:lol:’ => ‘icon_lol’, ‘:mad:’ => ‘icon_mad’, ‘:sad:’ => ‘icon_sad’, ‘8-)’ => ‘icon_cool’, ‘8-O’ => ‘icon_eek’, ‘:-(’ => ‘icon_sad’, ‘:-)’ => ‘icon_smile’, ‘:-?’ => ‘icon_confused’, ‘:-D’ => ‘icon_biggrin’, ‘:-P’ => ‘icon_razz’, ‘:-o’ => ‘icon_surprised’, ‘:-x’ => ‘icon_mad’, ‘:-|’ => ‘icon_neutral’, ‘;-)’ => ‘icon_wink’, ‘8)’ => ‘icon_cool’, ‘8O’ => ‘icon_eek’, ‘:(’ => ‘icon_sad’, ‘:)’ => ‘icon_smile’, ‘:?’ => ‘icon_confused’, ‘:D’ => ‘icon_biggrin’, ‘:P’ => ‘icon_razz’, ‘:o’ => ‘icon_surprised’, ‘:x’ => ‘icon_mad’, ‘:|’ => ‘icon_neutral’, ‘;)’ => ‘icon_wink’, ‘:!:’ => ‘icon_exclaim’, ‘:?:’ => ‘icon_question’, |
Working on a new face for Nipponster. Any ideas?
On August 30, 2008 in Suggestions Please
I am working on a new design for the Nipponster homepage and the old promotional page badges (they really need work!)
Here is the link to the current Nipponster promo badges (they are uggggggly).
Any ideas/advice on a new design?
I might post some samples of possible new badges in the future.
I am using inkscape and gimp (both free), on a pc running puppy linux, to do the new designs. Go Linux!
Is your J-blog on the twitter group?
On August 29, 2008 in Future of the J-web, Helping Japan Bloggers, On the J-web
Neil Duckett over at NeilDuckett.com is twittering and invites you to join in if you have a Japan-related blog.
He has created a Japan-blogger twitter group and you are welcome.
J-tweets…
What will we think up next?!
Fiery ipods
On August 28, 2008 in fun
ipod nano, now available in charcoal…
http://web.nipponster.com/ipod+nano+fire/
Have you heard of Lafcadio Hearn? Meet the foreigners who made modern Japan
On August 27, 2008 in JapanBlogMatsuri, On the J-web
Well, the Japan Blog Matsuri for August is up on Shane’s “The Tokyo Traveler.”
There are some really great posts!
Shane’s post was particularly interesting. It was about Lafcadio Hearn’s impressions of Tokyo (<–click to read her post). Hearn lived in Japan in the late 1800s but his thoughts on Japan still ring true today.
Hearn was one of the Oyatoi Gaikokujin, foreigners hired by the Meiji government to modernise Japan. He is largely to thank for the preservation of countless “mukashibanashi” (folk tales of Japan).
http://nipponstercom-swicki.eurekster.com/Lafcadio+Hearn/
http://nipponstercom-swicki.eurekster.com/O-yatoi+gaikokujin/
