J.R. Merlan's blog

I haven't uploaded a doodle in a while. Here's a quick one composed using colored Sharpies.

I've heard it a hundred times at least, "I hate the new Facebook. It's like Myspace all over again." I have no idea why that comparison has ever been made considering they are absolutely nothing alike. Here is a short list of obvious differences that I hope will help others appreciate the differences between the two.

No custom HTML

You still can't use custom HTML and CSS. 'Nuff said!

"Facebook Timeline" is a Timeline

A "timeline" by definition is a list of events in chronological order. Facebook Timeline is just that. The most recent events at the top of the profile in descending order dating all the way to your birth (weird). It honestly is not so different from the wall, it is simply a different layout. One advantage the timeline has over the old "wall" is that you can now feature posts which display a post at full width and larger font size. Read more »

If you follow me on Twitter, you've no doubt heard my rants about GoDaddy's service. Let's face it, the only thing they're good at is marketing.

However, this post is not about GoDaddy's service, it's about a much needed workaround for their MYSQL Database limitation. They limit the file size of your database to be imported to 1,024 MiB. If I had a database that small, I would type it in manually. If you're working on transferring your existing CMS (e.g., Drupal, Wordpress, or Joomla) Godaddy recommends to upload the database via FTP and restore it as a backup. Although it has worked for me in the past, it failed yesterday. I received a "pending restore" message for hours and when I woke up this morning to check the status, it reported that the database was restored. I checked the tables in MyAdmin only to find the database completely empty.

The solution is BigDump: Staggered MySQL Dump Importer. I've used this in the past and it has never failed. Read more »

My brain vomited on my sketchpad last night. I guess we're doodling in 3D now.

Inspired by Greg Laswell's latest album, Take a Bow.

What do you think about headboard mounted LCD? It has got to be the most ergonomic way to work. Imagine laying flat on your back eliminating the urge to hunch over a monitor. It could bring staring at the ceiling to a whole new level. Better yet, think about what this would do for a paraplegic watching TV.

Mechanical design inspired by acoustic drum mounts: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Pearl-CH80-Pro-Cymbal-Holder-100318960-i1140...

My first Munny. I think this is the start of something beautiful. Can't wait to start painting.