The problem was, YouTube videos are now being embedded via an iframe and I wasn’t sure how to go about getting the embed code to use the wmode setting.
I found an answer on YouTube itself from 360creations. All good. Just add &wmode=transparent to the end of the YouTube URL, that’s easy, except our administrators add the YouTube embed code (pulled from YouTube without the wmode code added) via an admin section and I needed a way to automate adding this using PHP.

Quick solution:

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$youtube_embed_code = '<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hTCAeGIBaxw" frameborder="0" width="560" height="345"></iframe>';
$patterns[] = '/youtube.com\/embed\/([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+)/';
$replacements[] = 'youtube.com/embed/$1?wmode=transparent"';
echo preg_replace($patterns, $replacements, $youtube_embed_code));

My first jQuery plugin. Your welcome to use it (including commerical), re-code it and provide suggestions, please just keep reference to myself and to Uzbekjon.

It uses the http://bit.ly API so you’ll need your own account and API key. The code format is based on Mike Alsup’s Plugin Development Pattern.

Download jquery.shorten_url.js

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/*
* jQuery Bit.Ly Shorten Url Plugin
* 2010 Justin Swan
* License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Australia Licence
* Original Author: Uzbekjon (http://jquery-howto.blogspot.com/2009/04/shorten-long-urls-with-jquery-bitly.html)
* Version: 1.0.0
*
* Grateful for any feedback on improvements.
*
* Call: $(input field).shorten_url(long url)
* Returns: shortened url as value for input field.
*
*/
 
//
// start closure
//
(function($){
$.fn.shorten_url = function(url,options){
// Extend our default options with those provided.
var opts = $.extend($.fn.shorten_url.defaults, options);
 
return this.each(function(){
$this = $(this);
 
// format url to request
var daurl = "http://api.bit.ly/shorten?"
+"version="+opts.version
+"&longUrl="+url
+"&login="+opts.login
+"&apiKey="+opts.apiKey
+"&history="+opts.history
+"&format=json&callback=?";
 
// Utilize the bit.ly API
$.getJSON(daurl, function(data){
// Make a good use of short URL
$this.val(data.results[url].shortUrl);
});
});
};
 
$.fn.shorten_url.defaults = {
version: '2.0.1',
login: 'bitlyapidemo', // your bit.ly account login
apiKey: 'R_0da49e0a9118ff35f52f629d2d71bf07', // your api key here
history: '0',
};
//
// end of closure
//
})(jQuery);

Did you happen to change your email settings to display messages as simple HTML at some stage? If so, turn it back to Original HTML. Hey presto! Thunderbird’s RSS reader displays the full web page again and also, displays images in your email again.

For more information, see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Images_in_messages_do_not_appear

A quick Google later… here’s my solution

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jQuery.fn.deobfuscate = function()
{
return this.each(function()
{
var content = $(this).text();</code>
 
/* grab the part inside the braces, swap out placeholders, and trim
*/
var obfuscated = content.match(/\[(.*)\]/);
/*
for(var i=0;i<obfuscated.length();i++){
alert(obfuscated[i]);
}
*/
var address = obfuscated[1]
.replace(' AT ', '@')
.replace(new RegExp(' DOT ', 'g'), '.')
.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g, '');
 
/* get everything before the braces and trim
*/
var text = content.match(/.?[^[]+/);
 
text = (text[0] != content)
? text[0].replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g, '')
: address;      // if there's no text part, use the address
 
var title = $(this).attr('title') || '';
 
$(this).replaceWith($('<a href="mailto:' + address + '" title="' +
title + '">' + text + '</a>'));
});
 
};

note the second .replace now contains a new Regex() command which looks for all occurrances of ‘ DOT ‘. Works a treat.

It turns out the solution is quite simple, but perhaps time consuming. After reading http://jobemakar.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-crash-flash-cs4-with-single.html, I attempted the suggested fix of looking for corrupt fonts. Actually, I skipped the looking part and removed all the fonts from my fonts folder that Windows would allow me, then added the fonts from a work mates PC. All working happily now, the migration from CS3 to CS4 is complete.

Here is my current solution (in skins/default/main.tpl) where ****** is your Google Analytics account number and ** is your site number:

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<span style="color: #0000ff;"><script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
// ]]></script>
<script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
try{
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-******-**");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
// ]]></script></span>

Tesla Model S - an electric car for all families

I was reading a couple of weeks back that Tesla have a new electric car for the family, in the form of the Tesla Model S. Perhaps a little more under powered than the Tesla Roadster they certainly are tackling it the right way with a 45 minute recharge and range of up to 450+ kilometres. Initial design and development went into the Roadster and sold at a prestige price to help build their business and develop their technologies even further so that they may build and sell more electric cars to a larger audience at gradually more realistic prices.  The number of sales locations are definitely increasing and with electric cars that look as good as these, and peform as well, if not better than your traditional oil burner, who wouldn’t want one.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/25/world%E2%80%99s-largest-solar-power-plant-coming-to-arizona-in-2011/ @280 megawatts
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2009/interview_1000.cfm @1000 megawatts

Bring it on….

About 8 years ago, I delved into meditation and spirituality to overcome anxiety and depression. This was particularly fruitful and led to a state of ‘nirvana’ for a period of three/four days before my ego stepped back in and took over, crash landing back into what most people will call reality. This state of nirvana has not been reached since and has almost become the holy grail of my existence. Some say this is the honey moon period on the path of spirituality. Eight years on I have strayed from these beliefs (and not reached the holy grail), however, I’m finding now more than ever, that these beliefs are beneficial for me to remain positive, calm and relaxed.

Throughout my spiritual journey, there have been a few important self discoveries (despite my wise and wonderful wife already telling me many times before I finally clicked). I learned that my own spiritual journey is a journey within, not a journey in reaching out and not relying on other people to provide me with whatever I may be seeking. Other people cannot provide me peace, only I can do that with my own thoughts, beliefs and actions.

I was taught that whatever experiences are evolving into ‘now’ are a result of my thoughts, beliefs and actions. This includes events on a personal and global level. These beliefs lead to taking on full personal responsibility for everything that effects me.  The world is a reflection of my perception. The hardest part for me to believe and accept is that even the subconscious learned behaviours from my childhood can be a factor in what happens in my life and it’s very easy to slip into the ‘blame game’ for the bad things that happen. If I feel and believe the world is out to get me, then the world will pretty much work it’s magic and set the stage to play ‘out to get me’, at least until I turn my thoughts around to positive ones again.

All of this leads me to my thoughts on the Global Financial Crisis (or what I’m starting to call, Global Financial Change). All the news and alarm bells of doom and gloom is only solidifying the bad news that people are losing jobs and that the cost of living is increasing. What do you do in times like these? Being fearful does not benefit anyone and if what I have been taught holds true then it is only going to make the situation worse. So, for me to be at peace with the whole scenario, I need to look at this in a new light, and positively, so that I can make a difference for myself and to do my bit for humanity.

Unique times call for Unique thinking and Unique opportunities.
I see the current climate as change, people always fear change, but what if this so called crisis is all about clearing out the corruption that has been unchecked for years, then it’s got to be a good thing right? What if the whole situation is meant to make you question what it is you really want to do for a career or even life after feeling safe in your job for x number of years? In a lot of ways, the crisis is creating opportunity for humanity to refine and improve the way things are done, and bring life back to basics. With food shortages, there’s going to be increased focus on new ways to create more food, more efficiently which could quite likely solve the food crisis in third world countries once the financial markets stabilize. It may also, lessen the gap between rich and poor as the top 1% of the population have less freedom to pilfer money into their own bank accounts. Banks will need to be more accountable and have more focus on the customer who puts money into their accounts due to a lack of money to borrow in hedge funds or off the book records (or whatever it is they do). New energy solutions will be created in an effort to drive down the costs of driving cars and powering the grid.

I have no doubt it’s going to be challenging for humanity to resolve this, but when looked at in a positive light, this next year or so will most certainly be interesting.

Is the global financial crisis getting on top of you? Need some friendly counselling to help you through? Visit Life Guide For Me for free counseling.

Big thanks go to:Walt of MoonFruitLounge, for this post http://www.moonfruitlounge.com/post/2007/11/30/My-music-is-playing-back-too-fast-it-now-sounds-like-Chipmunks