Mostly about my amusement

Month: December 2006 (page 1 of 1)

WordPress Backup

I run this blog on a VPS from Tektonics. It’s usually more available to the Internet than the server in the basement.

The only concern is that it’s not my server and backups are important. I had been using Tamba2’s script for backing up on a cron job but forgot that the script only got tables that you told it to. Donncha’s script gets all the tables, but I like getting one file for the data. Also I want to be able to retrieve the file backup without using a password onto the system but make sure that the file can’t be used by other people. For me that means putting it on the web server but encrypting the backup so that only my private key can decrypt the data.

The idea is to

  • Backup all the tables in the WordPress database
  • E-mail the database backup to an e-mail address of my choosing
  • Create a file backup
  • Encrypt the file backup and put it somewhere it can be downloaded
  • Retrieve the backup and store it somewhere else

The GPG file encryption is over the top; I’m practicing for solving a problem at work where scripts and passwords are a huge no-no.

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MG F91 and wasted paint

Here is the fully assembled MG F91.

MG_F91_assembled

The model breaks up into pieces very nicely and should be straight forward to paint.

I definitely want to paint it but lately I am having problems with that. I had the HG Bawoo all primed up for a long time. I dusted it off and started with a light coat of Tamiya bright orange spray paint. The paint went on and pooled.

Lucky I have another Bawoo. The primer always goes on smoothly but I either am not shaking the can enough or it gets too humid and I get bubbles. I need to try using an airbrush and see if mixing the paint my self makes a difference.

Christmas decorations are up

It’s that time of year again!

2006_xmas_tree

The kids love the Christmas decorations. Just like last year, my parents put up the lights in the windows and on the outside. The decorations are up right now and the house looks really nice.

Tomorrow we are having my son’s birthday party. This is turning into a really good weekend.

Progress on the F91

Here is the latest picture of the MG Gundam F91:

Bawoo_MKII_F91

The F91 is on the right. I put it next to a 1/100 MG RX-178 Mk-II Gundam v2.0 and a 1/144 HG Bawoo for size purposes. The F91 is a little taller than the Bawoo.

The lack of polycaps makes it difficult to pose the model including the ankles and feet. It makes it a little difficult to place the feet flat on the table. Including a display stand for posing makes sense since once I add the back mounted weapons, this model will be a good candidate for an easy shelf dive.

Here is another shot of the F91 next to the Bawoo.

F91_Bawoo

XPS 700 BIOS update

Version 1.1.6 of the Flash BIOS is out and can be downloaded here. This version supports 64 bit operating systems.

The prior 1.1.3 release would not boot up an x64 Ubuntu live disk. Nice to have a 64 bit Core 2 Duo (what a lousy marketing name) and not be able to play with a 64 bit operating system. After I applied the update I loaded up my Ubuntu 6.06 x64 CD and booted into the live desktop. Cool, previously it would hang on just after unpacking the kernel.

This is probably done to support 64 bit Vista, but now I have the possibility of running a 64 bit Linux on my box just for fun.

First problem with the F91

F91_right_kneeSo I completed the arms and shoulder covers for the F91. I was working on the right leg when I made a mistake.

The scanned image from the instructions came from the Hobby Search website. See the part in the diagram labeled E22? When you assemble the frame for the right leg, you are supposed to slide the E22 cover over the joints.

I lined it up and slid the piece down and it got stuck before it reached final position. I did not want to scrap the leg (or the model) so I ended up soaping up the leg and pulling the part off careful with my hands pulling the part and a plier holding the joint piece.

Once that was off and I dried the leg and used a file to trim down the inside part the the cover slides down over. The cover still is a snug fit but does move up and down as needed.

I’ll do the left leg tomorrow. This model is well thought out but not having any polycaps has introduced some interesting changes to the normal design. The plastic pieces that form the joints are slightly softer that say the white plastic outer pieces. Theses joints work well for a model: you pose the model, admire it, and leave it alone. “Playing” with the model would just mean broken parts.