Remarkably Curious

Hey all, this is just the obligatory post about how I love my current web host, Dreamhost, and wanted to tell you all that if you’re looking for a decent web host you could do much worse elsewhere. The Dreamhost guys are cool and helpful and I’ve had good reliability/uptime. The support folks know what they’re doing, too. Oh, did I mention they are friendly and cheerful?

Anyway, they have a system where I can create coupon codes for a discount on your first year of hosting. Just use the CURIOUS97 coupon code during the signup process and you’ll get $97 off your first year of hosting. Choose whichever plan you want. You’ll see your discount on the second page of the signup process. Make sure you’re getting the full discount.

Well, once again I find myself amazed at how ignorant I can be about new big science projects. Despite the fact that I found out about the neutrino telescope being built at the South Pole, I find that I seem to have overlooked the 10 meter microwave telescope also being built at the South Pole. I was watching a tv show on the construction of a new science station at the South Pole and noticed that they were also building a 10 meter telescope there. BTW, to see a preview of the show, go to the National Geographic Channel video page and search for Polar Station.

Anyway, this telescope is doing a scan of Cosmic Microwave Background radiation looking for galaxy clusters. Apparently, this will help scientists confirm the existence of Dark Energy and determine some its properties at various times in the history of the universe.

I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do about cosmology. I seem to have fallen way behind since watching Carl Sagan’s tv shows while I was growing up!

For the record, there were 105 weekend days in 2006.

There will be 104 weekend days in 2007.

This post marks the official start of my agonizing over whether to get a Wii, PS3 or XBOX 360. Here’s the rundown:
I want to get the Wii for the kids and for Zelda: Twilight Princess.

I’m thinking about getting a PS3 to have the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market.

And of course, my wife and I both want an XBOX 360 because we like the games on it the best:
Gears of War

and the upcoming Halo 3.

Help!

And yes, I know I could look to Wii advertising itself (well, maybe not real Wii advertising…) for inspiration on why I should get a Wii:

I just found out that scientists are building a new neutrino telescope at the South Pole. How could such an endeavor be undertaken without anyone telling me about it?!

Anyway, it consist of thousands of optical sensors deployed in 1,450 to 2,450 meter-deep holes melted into the Antarctic ice. That’s 1-1.5 miles down!

I just created a new phpBB and just wanted to jot down how to add Google Analytics code as well as Google AdSense ads to a phpBB forum.

To add Google Analytics tracking to your phpBB 2.x board, should manually edit your overall_footer.tpl file and insert the urchin tracking javascript right before the /body tag.

To add Google Adsense, it’s best to read the following illuminating articles:

Basic info on adsense and how-to place the ads

This is how to add a Google Adsense skyscraper down the left-hand side of your board.

I was born a remarkably curious fellow. There isn’t a single subject that bores me except maybe women’s fashion. Even then, I could be enticed into asking a few questions given a simple costume malfunction.

At the moment, I’ve become fascinated with the world of web authoring and its relationship to advertising. I find it interesting that web publishing is has gone in two diametrically opposed directions – unadulterated non-commercial blather and the web version of infomercials, the commercial blog.

Before you begin to disdain me for judging people guilty of vanity on the one hand and avarice on the other, let me say that I am self-admittedly guilty of both. I have only to read this post to know that I am vain and self-indulgent in thinking that anyone else could be interested in this. On the other hand, is it anything better than simple greed that led me to put up those Google AdSense ads over there to the right (or left or wherever they are)? [editors note: if you don't see them it's because I haven't figured out how to get them to work yet!]

Anyway, I’ll stop now. My intention was to get this first introspective post done with and then get on to the stuff that might actually be helpful to people – relating my adventures and insights into getting this site off the ground. Thanks for reading this far and I do hope you find some of what I’m about to write helpful or at least amusing!