Author: kiusau

Life is full of surprises. Still, you can quit at anytime, if you have grown weary of their outcome. For, after all, survival is but a first step; it is a primitive instinct that does not distinguish us, humans, from other animals. Accordingly, if it is all that you can achieve in life, do not be surprised that others treat you like an ordinary animal. Alas, if it is all there is left, and you have grown weary, it is good justification to depart. Before you go, however, look deep inside and determine if you are not the cause of your own demise. For, in the end, society owes you nothing, and even your parents are likely to forsake you, if you have not been grateful. Have you said thanks for all that you have received, and have you given in return for all that you have taken? John F. Kennedy once stated "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". Obviously, he was not thinking of taxes, but the help that he would require to become an effective president. Little that is great can be achieved alone. Then too, it takes great leaders to motivate society and move it forward in a manner that will pave the way to a better tomorrow. The world is in need of good leaders. Maybe you are one of them in disguise. Indeed, no one owes you a living, but if people see you struggling they are apt to lend a hand. Just do not be afraid to reach out. And, do not quit, if nothing is given in return. For, many people simply do not care, and you must not let them get you down. You have a right to your own life and the pursuit of your own happiness, so do not be afraid to claim what is yours. Just do not take what belongs to others, if it not without their permission or obtained in fair competition. And, cry out when you have been cheated, but only if there is something to be gained from your cries, for few people like a cry-baby. Be judicious, strategic, and select your battles wisely. Do not waste your time with trivial injustices, for we all make errors, and we are all, therefore, subject to the injustice of others. It is the very thought of exercising my freedom of last resort that keeps me alive, for it is the comfort that I can put an end to my suffering at any time that allows me to endure enormous pain. It is what gives me the courage to fight for what is right without fear of losing. It is a powerful freedom that you should never surrender! Just do not make pain your goal, or you will surely finish a loser. Then too, never place pleasure over goodness and know to distinguish between the two. In liberty, Roddy

Success!

I was beginning to think that it would never happen, but yesterday evening, just before leaving the office, there it was — my first automatically created podcast feed.

Although there were only seven variables in my test feed, adding the rest should be a piece of cake in comparison.

After three different PHP libraries I finally discovered one that not only services ATOM, RFD, and RSS2 feeds, but one that is rock solid in design, very flexible in application, and actually works.

Best wishes to Anis Uddin Ahmad and Michael Bremmer for making FeedWriter what it is!

Roddy

Automated RSS Feed

Selection of the appropriate software for the creation of an automated RSS feed for Grammar Captive’s podcast series and Seven Gates — Grammar Captive’s weekly newsletter — has proven problematic.

Although an important lesson has been learned and much accomplished in regard to the manipulation of Grammar Captive’s database, the first selected piece of software has been abandoned and replaced.

This delay, although most unfortunate, will lead to greater and more reliable flexibility than was previously expected.  Grammar Captive continues to move ahead.

Roddy

An Important Source of Political and Economic Freedom

The English language has become the world’s premier lingua franca. There are a variety of reasons for its dominance; foremost among these are political and economic.

During the course of World Wars I and II the British empire changed hands. Where before the British pound had reigned, today it is the US dollar. This was not the way intended by America’s founding fathers, and the world should be loathe to follow in America’s footsteps. For, as a nation the American people have abandoned the principles set forth by their founding fathers.

Look not to America for world leadership, look to its founding documents and the writings of those who founded America. For therein lies the notion of political and economic liberty and the essence of good government to the extent that any government cans be considered little more than the necessary evil understood by America’s founding fathers.

Happy July 4th!
Roddy

Installation of New Introductory Video Complete

The technical integration of Grammar Captive’s new introductory video has been realized and work on the automated generation of Grammar Captive’s RSS feed has begun.

In order to see the new video simply click on the “captive” on Grammar Captive’s landing page at www.grammarcaptive.com.  Many thanks to Richard Wu at Precarious Heights for his superb cinematic creation and promotional effort on behalf of Grammar Captive.

Roddy

Podcast Tables Are Readied

Once the structure of a table is created the code necessary to fill the table with the form data must be written and tested. This task has now been completed. With one click the data from three distinct form fieldsets is loaded into three separate MySQL tables.

Next up is the creation of a corresponding automated podcast feed. Before the code for this task is initiated, however, Grammar Captive (GC)’s new introductory video will be integrated into the GC landing page. The code to achieve this integration is already underway!

Roddy

Podcast Feed Data Entry Form

In order for Grammar Captive to succeed it must be easily accessible no matter one’s geographical location, technical preference, and interests. As RSS feeds are cross-platform XML data files that can satisfy many different hosts simultaneously, it is important that the data contained in each be accurate and consistent across episodes or editions.

As there are many popular sites, each with its own set of specifications, it is also important that each host receive data that is both accurate and timely. To these ends I have created an offline form that insures that the data received by Grammar Captive’s online database is both accurate and up-to-date. This form automatically tracks each episode by number, creates a security code (guid) for each podcast transmission, calculates the length of each podcast in milliseconds, and sets the date of each publication in the format required for an RSS feed. In addition, the form automatically captures the link of each newly created podcast and transforms it from a relative localized link to a public absolute link appropriate for RSS feed distribution. Further, data that does not change from podcast to podcast is automatically entered.  Also, empty boxes for special feed instructions are left open and easily filled. Finally, there is a built-in mechanism that prevents any data from being sent to the data base until all required data has been entered, and that informs the data entry person about what data is missing.

This was a major task including 45 separate XML data entries that should yield many future benefits.

Roddy

MySQL Database

After several weeks of research and experimentation with the ins and outs of data base management, file manipulation, and RSS feed creation I have completed structuring the first table of the Seven Gates weekly newsletter.
In addition, the channel and item elements for the weekly podcasts have been selected, formatted, and are ready for uploading to Grammar Captive’s MySQL database.

Eventually two separate RSS feeds will be created: one for the newsletter and one for the podcasts. Different feed formats including RSS 2.0, RDF, and ATOM will be created and modified according to their respective hosts.

Everything will be automated to the greatest degree possible.

The new scheduled launch date for both the newsletter and podcasts is September 11, 2017, or thereabouts.

Roddy