For the longest time I've wanted an LCD projector for my home entertainment setup. I have the perfect wall in my living room to project it on at almost any size upto 8 ft wide (though I doubt I would try to push it to that large) and it would certainly be much nicer than the 21" tube I have at present. I'm not concerned with daylight operation as I am not home from work until after 10 most weekdays and as such on my day off I have really good blackout shades and curtains to hide from the sun. I just started looking around at projectors again and see there are lots of new options available. Do any of you have any recommendations or warnings that you could share with me as to whats good and what isn't these days?

Every now and then you get a good breath of justice... Trey and Matt rule ;)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/28082006/344/saddam-s-cartoon-capers.html

Hi folks, today I am doing a 'Ask Slashdot' question of my own. It's been a while since I did any serious web development and things have changed a lot in just a few short years. I have a site that I would like to do some split run testing on the pages that I am serving. The web server is running php on it as well as perl and I could use a mysql database for this if I need to (though as easy as I would like to keep this that seems like a sledghammer on a pushpin...)

The site works like this; a landing page with a few options for the visitor. The selection they make takes them to an appropriate sales letter for the option they have selected and hopefully converts them to a qualified lead/enrollment at my school. I would like to be able to;

1. serve a rotation of sales letters with various headlines and content
2. see which letters are producing the best results
3. keep some very simple statistics of the conversions of the letters so I can tweak them for optimal results

Do any of you have a php or perl script that you would recommend that already does this? Am I using the right terms for this (in advertising/merketing this is called split testing but maybe its called something different on the web???) Any insights would help as I have limited time to work on this project.

Is it just me or have you folks noticed /. rendering a bit wierd lately? For example, the je form say things like the enable comments box and you submit the entry only to discover that the comments were never enabled. Plus, the html comes out all sorts of funky sometimes.

Well folks, 2004 is almost gone. Hard to belive it went by so fast, and yet, it seems like the events at the beginning of the year were long ago.

So, I am finally at a point where I can actually start reading and writing a little more. Especially here on /. where I haven't had time to follow up on journals, etc. I figure an update will suffice for now. Sorry I haven' kept up since memorial day but as you will see I have been very busy.

The divorce is done and over. My ex moved to California. Good bye, and thanks for all the fish.

She still keeps calling several times a week. She wants to borrow money as she has run out of the money I gave her. For her the term borrow is rather ambiguous. She really means give, as there would not be any way for her to pay it back. I don't answer anymore and even went as far as changing my cell number to a new number to stop the barrage of calls. She manages to catch me at the school a few times a week. Retrained the whole staff to screen her calls from me...

I suffered for it last year. Both personally and professionally. I lost a few friends, my dogs and a whole lot of money that I was very blessed to be able to put together to get her to leave. The business endured a 35% attrition during the divorce. Many people who were tired of the way things were going at the school used it as an excuse to depart. Some even asked for (and got) refunds.

Painful lessons, powerful motivators.

We had a bunch of hurricanes burn up a lot of time and money, not to mention effort. Put up shutters. Take down shutters. My house, Moms house, my girlfriends house and the business. Rinse, lather, repeat every two weeks. That was a challenge that I would rather not do again anytime soon.

Now, to many that may seem like a really bad thing and admittedly for a while there things looked grim on the professional front.

Then it happened. I said to myself "self, you are smart, professional, goal oriented, strategically minded and a very savvy business guy... things have been far worse before and you turned them around so why should you let this hold you back!?!?!" (yeah, I confess, I do indeed talk to myself in just that kind of positive manner:)

I spent the last six months completely restructuring the business, the systems that operate in the background and the way we interact with clients. I redefined my marketing to employ a Parthenon of Success, versus a diving board (a Jay Abraham concept/analogy..fyi) and redevloped the USP. I started offering a results driven guarantee and various other forms of risk reversal with fantastic results. Additionally, I raised the pricing structure, considerably(we were charging less than half the national average in our industry and are now on par with it), and am very pleased with the result of that as well!

Today, the school has not only recouped the 35% attrition it experienced throuout the divorce, it has doubled the size of the student base from before the big split.

Life is good doesn't do it any kind of justice.

Life is F@#$@#ing awesome!

I am very near completion of two book projects that I have been on and off again with for years. I have two other book projects that I belive will be something people will want and buy in book stores and specialty conferences/seminars. Several new friends who are fantastic entrepreneurs in their own right are now putting together a joint venture that passed the ELF test(easy lucrative and fun) and they want me to be a part of. Nice.

I think I mentioned in a previouse JE that I also have met an incredible woman. Beautiful, smart and ambitious... Totally enjoying what life can be like when its filled with love.

I'll write a little more on Monday morning. I am looking to read how you guys did in your yearend wrap ups.

Have a great weekend!

So... yeah it has been a while since I been around here on /. I figure an update is worth a few minutes of your time ;)

The divorce is officially over and done. I somehow managed to keep the school and the house by buying out the ex on both. It was a lot of money and I will be paying it off for a very long time as I refinanced the house to do it. All things considered it should be worth every penny. The end for both of us was really ugly... Way uglier than I ever imagined it would be. I'll write more about this at some point later.

I met a new gal back when I wrote the dry spell officially over entry. She and I have been spending plenty of time together and I have been living at her place. Hence why I have not been around here much. If I said she's beautiful I wouldn't be fibbing... gorgeous is more like it and what an awesome personality. Driven... goal oriented... only thing is she doesn't like cats (well until she met my cats and then decided they are not so bad afterall). No dealbreakers with this one.

I have been renovating the house(which is actually a condo on south beach) for the last couple of days. Fixed a bunch of goofs in the walls, painted, new door and locks, new lighting everywhere, new outlets, switches, dimmers, hotwater heater and also I removed the popcorn from the cieling. Whoever invented popcorn cielings should be taken out and flogged... That stuff has been the biggest pain in the ass to get off... 'nuff said. Anyways, the place is starting to look awesome and I can't wait until it is finished. I still have to build a new kitchen, new floors and redo the bathroom as it currently really sux too. A real long list of things to do with the place and enjoying every bit of it as it has completely transformed already from when I bought it (nevermind almost doubled in value in two years)

I'll be sur to post more in the coming weeks. Summer is slow at the studio so I'll have a little more time to write and participate in the journals and articles again.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend folks!

So... I have been missing on the /. front for the most part lately. The explanation merits a quick note in my journal here...

I met a fantastic woman the other day and have been absolutely spellbound by her. She is beautiful, athletic, intelligent, quick witted and very driven(inspiringly so). I know I probably don't deserve to have it this good but WOW! Life is good.

After what I have been through this is more of a reward than I could have dreamed of. I'll tell you more later when I have some time. I'm sure you will enjoy the more in-depth update when it happens. For now, I just may be missing in action as my life version 2.0 has begun to consume a fair amount of my time.

Life is good. Did I mention that?

You decide with the hacker/slasher killer quiz...

Submitted this earlier;

Space.com is running an article about Bush's Space Panel is seeking public input. From the article: '"We view public feedback as an important part of our deliberations," panel member and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said via e-mail today during a break in the panel's first meeting, a private affair. "Every submitted comment to our new commission web site will be read by one or more of us on the commission and supporting staff."' The President's Commission on
Moon, Mars and Beyond official site is up and running. Suggestions may be submitted here.

I don't know if it will make it but I think you folks will be interested and have good things to send to them. Enjoy!

So, I see Daoine and SolemnDragon have posted their thoughts on dealbreakers which got me thinking about what would I consider... Initially I was thinking that a pulse, same language and lack of sociopathy would be a great start. It was inevitable that the list would have to be more than that so I started to compile the following lists;

Section I. (You will not)

• Drink, smoke, toke or party excessively. Anything in moderation is ok but I want to avoid relationships that have addictions to deal with.
• Put flowers I buy for you in the fridge.
• Be a slob.
• Yell or scream when angry. There are much better ways to communicate than at the top of ones lungs.
• Get all feminist on me when I insist on opening doors for you.
• Lecture me on needing to go to a doctor when I break bones or injure myself during training. I know when professional help is required and when its a waste of money.
• Be out of shape or not care how you treat your body.
• Be alergic to cats. I have two and they are very good to me.
• Overtly materialistic.

Section II. (You will...)

• be a woman over 21...
• Understand that I have traveled the path of martial arts for my entire life and will continue to do so. For me this means that I travel all over to learn and teach, usually one weekend a month.
• Be able to make me laugh. I promise I will do that for you but I truly belive a day without laughter is a day wasted.
• Respect my need for private time to train, play the guitar or meditate.
• Enjoy being snuggly and holding hands, etc.
• A driven, goal oriented and action oriented person who does not give up easily on your life dreams.
• Enjoy a wide range of music ranging from any of the following genre's; Classical, Flamenco Guitar, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Raggae, Techno, Blues, Alternative...
• Be willing to give massages. I am a LMT (studying acupuncture in pursuit of a license for Acupuncture Physician) and you will get some great massages from me I assure you but I expect to be able to get them on occaision too.
• Enjoy sushi night :)
• Have a broad range of intellectual intrests preferably astronomy, philosophy and gerontology. Or at least be willing to explore.
• Speak at least two languages. English is a must, spanish is cool but you will get extra points for Hungarian or German. Any programming lanuages are cool to but not required;)
• Like to go for long walks in the evening.
• A good spirit who understands the messages that the universe speaks in.

Ok, so now that my list probably scares off many of the women out there I figure a few more items or intrests of mine are in order. I study a variety of martial arts; American Kenpo, Pekiti-Tirsia, Tai-Chi, Qigong, Systema, JuJitsu, Arnis, Shootfighting. I practice Hatha Yoga(Bikrams) several mornings during the week. I've played the guitar since I was 5 years old and enjoy going to clubs and halls for all kinds of shows. I am not afraid of getting out on the dance floor once in a while either. For the curious I am 5'10, 185lbs and in great shape.

Comment away folks. I will modify the list over time and many of the items may not exactly be dealbreakers per se as they are just preferences that are apt to change over time. I'm not posting this as a personal ad just trying to figure some of these things out. It has been a really long time since I had to think about the dating game. I met my exwife when we were both 18 so I missed that whole dating thing in my twenties. I'll be 34 this June. Your input is certainly appreciated... especially input from the ladies in the group.

OK folks I need your input here... I have two 110 cd jukeboxes (Technics SL-MC300's for the curious) that have started to make me a little frustrated. I would like to find a W2K app that will let me organize the cd's so I can print a nice list of what is where (as in which deck has what, which slot etc.). I am kind of at a loss here as to where I should look for an app like this. I could write an app that uses a db to do this for me but I think that reinventing the wheel is not to my benefit. Somewhere there has to be a tool that I could use to do this. Any Ideas?

The other day this article was posted to the science section of /. It got me thinking about how vast the universe really is. Since I am just a speculator and have no real understanding of these things other than an Astronomy class in college perhaps those of you in the know could point out the errors in this theory of mine. If this string of galaxies is 300 million light years away and dates back to a time when this type of construct shouldn't exist is it plausable that the 'big bang' was a localized event? Think about it for a moment.

What if the big bang was an event that happened in just our section of the universe and way way off in another part of the universe there already were galaxies and the like from a previous big bang in a different section that occurred at a different time prior to our big bang? If you think about how big infinite space and how long infinite time really are maybe that is what happened and our localized big bang could have been due to the nature of a big crunch of sorts unfolding our current section of the universe. Could the force exerted by the big bang be strong enough to push away light traveling to us from those distant sections of space (like the opposite effect of a black hole whose gravity well is so strong that light cannot escape it) and only now are we beginning to see these things as newer and better tools for this kind of observation become available?

Ok, so, the real scientists and astrophyicists in the crowd will now begin to point out how stupid I am and show me how wrong this theory based upon my ignorance of such grand things... don't worry, I can take it. I would love to hear why this couldn't be possible or how this can be proven as wrong. I just can't help but think that space is so huge and vast that this could explain what is going on. Thoughts and insights are welcome... don't be shy :P

Talk about shitty things happening. Imagine this; Buying the winning lotto ticket and losing it.

If she is telling the truth I really feel bad for her.

What a beautiful night it was here on New Year's. The weather was just perfect. No clouds in the sky and a slight breeze gently rolling in off the Atlantic. Everyone was out enjoying the evening and partying it up South Beach style. The traffic had steadily built up since early in the day as our little peninsula's population saturated from its 110,000 day to day up to the 250,000+ that we can usually expect on any given big night.

At midnight proper, the city sponsored fireworks show went off fantastic. Much better than last year. We walked out to the beach to see the show and enjoy the close up. In the age of terror the shows have been scaled down a bit and being at 'Orange' the barge that one would expect was not parked out on the water. A section of the beach had been closed off by a series of police lines and cars. Not too far off the pyrotechnicians worked their alchemical majic.

Lots of colors filled the sky along with the smoke and the distinctive 'fireworks' smell. Afterwards we went to a few clubs and ended up at the Clevelander. With Ocean Drive closed to traffic the clubs and cafes spilled thier tables out into the streets and thousands of people walked by the tables. Some danced. Some watched and others crawled due to just a bit too much fun.

My friend and I sat down at a table and ordered a few drinks and some food. I looked around, amazed at how so many people could be here and enjoy our little section of paradise. Our table was near the 'fence', that club equivalent of check point charlie where the kids get told to move along on thier way as the adults get to hang in club land.

I particularly like to people watch so it was an excellent spot. One of four tables in the corner that marked the northern end of the Ocean Drive club/cafe scene. This beautiful girl walked by and I pointed her out to my friend who was just about to say shweeeeet the way he always does when

!!!!FLASH!!!! ####!!!BANG!!!####

Some fucking idiot had just dropped a super blockbuster into a garbage box about 7 feet from us. The explosion sent garbage flying by as shrapnel. People screamed and a few were lightly injured by the stuff that goes in those boxes like beer bottles and cans. We weren't looking in that direction thanks to that beautiful girl. The guy sitting at the table next to us wasn't as lucky even though he was looking at her too. A piece of the debris cut the back of his head.

All of our ears were ringing. I scanned to see what had happened and assess if I had any injuries. I picked myself up off the floor.

I see some guy running to catch the fucking moron who blew up the box. He had been sitting at the table next to us and was coming back from the bathroom when he saw the guy light the explosive and toss it into the box. He caught him and started to dole out a little American street justice as 20 or so police came from every direction and jumped him and the perp.

The guy that got arrested for blowing up the box is in his mid twenties. One would figure in this day and age that doing these kind of things is a very bad idea. One would also figure that someone of that age would not be dumb enough to do that but aparently this idiot has no sense. The cops had plenty of fun with him and got out a lot of the energies they needed to get out. He was afterall resisting *wink* arrest *wink* *wink* and that was that. We went home after quick interviews by the cops on scene and a quick once over by the EMT's that arrived.

That was certainly more than we had asked for on our way to enjoy 2004.

So, how was your New Year's Eve?

So... I did it. You all know what I am talking about. The dreaded inevitable search for the next significant other in my life. I look around and am unimpressed with what there is on the web so far(at least what I have seen). I spend what seems like forever filling out the eharmony application to get handed this;

eHarmony is based upon a complex matching system developed through extensive testing of married individuals. One of the requirements for it to work successfully is for participants to fall into a rigorously defined "profile."

Unfortunately, part of this profile dictates that all users must be single when entering the system. Since you indicated that you were separated, as opposed to divorced, widowed or single, eHarmony's matching system is not suitable for you at this time.

Your information will be kept on file, and when you are ready, we urge you to contact us at usersupport@eHarmony.com. to have your account activated. We hope that you understand our regret in our inability to provide our matching service for you at this time.

We urge you to participate in our other services such as the >eHarmony Community, and take advantage of the opportunity to get to know yourself better with our free personality profile. Click here to access your free personality profile.

If you are receiving this message as a subscriber please contact userservices@eharmony.com for a refund of your subscription.

Thank you for visiting eHarmony.

So... should I have lied and said divorced? I mean we don't live together anymore... doesn't that count? And if any of you folks work at eharmony... you would do well to warn users of that little criteria before hand. I don't want to ever fill out that application again :(

I'm open for ideas. Perhaps it is time to go back to college and expand my horizons...