Blogged with Flock
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Flock the Social Web Browser
Today I installed a web browser called Flock. Version 0.9.1.2 is currently included in the PCLinuxOS repository. Flock is based on the Mozilla browser engine, but it's customized for social networking integration. I already added my del.icio.us account to the browser's configuration. Now I can quickly access my del.icio.us bookmarks via the Favorites menu. (I still prefer to add my del.icio.us page to my bookmarks toolbar, however. Of course, this is easily done in Flock as well.) I also added my favorite news sites to the RSS feed sidebar. Now I'm posting this blog entry using the browser's Blog Editor. It produces a new pop up window for ultra fast editing. Very nice! Maybe it'll entice me to write more blog entries.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Recover from bad superblocks by editing fstab in Linux
On Sunday I was attempting to free up a partition on one of my internal hard drives for data storage. I previously had three Linux OS partitions in addition to Win XP. Since I'm running out of storage and I have little spare time, I figure I could do with two Linux partitions instead of three. That way, I can stick with PCLinuxOS (PCLOS) as my primary distro (for now) and play with another distro on the other partition that's set aside for Linux.
I used the PCLinuxOS Control Center to try to reformat the extra partition as a vfat32 partition in order to easily share data with Windows. (Right now ntfs write support in Linux is not entirely stable; but, it's almost there.) However, when I exited and rebooted, PCLOS gave a "bad superblocks" error on the hard drive containing the partition.
I eventually circumvented the problem by reformatting the partition using Win XP, then rebooted into PCLOS. Then when I encountered the error, I entered the root password to get to the shell. I then edited the /etc/fstab file to remove the lines with the obsolete partitions that were causing the OS to error. After rebooting again, the errors were gone and I was back up and running. It seems that the PCLOS Control Center did not update my fstab properly for some reason.
Remember to back up data when playing with hard drive partitions.
I'd like to note, though, that this is the first time I've had such a problem with PCLOS. So far, it's been a solid OS and the Linux distribution that I've been using for the past nine months or so.
I used the PCLinuxOS Control Center to try to reformat the extra partition as a vfat32 partition in order to easily share data with Windows. (Right now ntfs write support in Linux is not entirely stable; but, it's almost there.) However, when I exited and rebooted, PCLOS gave a "bad superblocks" error on the hard drive containing the partition.
I eventually circumvented the problem by reformatting the partition using Win XP, then rebooted into PCLOS. Then when I encountered the error, I entered the root password to get to the shell. I then edited the /etc/fstab file to remove the lines with the obsolete partitions that were causing the OS to error. After rebooting again, the errors were gone and I was back up and running. It seems that the PCLOS Control Center did not update my fstab properly for some reason.
Remember to back up data when playing with hard drive partitions.
I'd like to note, though, that this is the first time I've had such a problem with PCLOS. So far, it's been a solid OS and the Linux distribution that I've been using for the past nine months or so.
Monday, October 8, 2007
A Family Day Out With Emma
My mom has been here in LA since Friday evening. It's great to have her with us! She's also been a big help with taking care of Emma. They're getting lots of quality bonding time. Yesterday, we had a full day out.
Regarding our mattress hunt, I found a company in Orange County called Custom Comfort Mattress that manufactures and sells their own mattresses. They focus on quality mattresses at low prices. On Sunday, we visited their showroom to try out their latex mattresses. We ended up purchasing a firm queen size latex natural/synthetic blend (70 percent natural) with box spring and metal frame. The surrounding fabric is made of bamboo fiber. I'm very happy with the deal. The bed will be delivered on Wednesday. We can't wait to replace our old mattress.
On Monday, Vernelle and Alan will be arriving from NYC. We look forward to seeing them!
Regarding our mattress hunt, I found a company in Orange County called Custom Comfort Mattress that manufactures and sells their own mattresses. They focus on quality mattresses at low prices. On Sunday, we visited their showroom to try out their latex mattresses. We ended up purchasing a firm queen size latex natural/synthetic blend (70 percent natural) with box spring and metal frame. The surrounding fabric is made of bamboo fiber. I'm very happy with the deal. The bed will be delivered on Wednesday. We can't wait to replace our old mattress.
On Monday, Vernelle and Alan will be arriving from NYC. We look forward to seeing them!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
We Live In A Toxic World
We're currently in the market for a new mattress. What I learned is that most conventional mattresses are made using a host of toxic chemicals. Some of these substances can be harmful to one's health. Knowing this, I can't find it in me to buy just any mattress for our bedroom. I won't go into detail about conventional mattresses here. Lots of information can be found on the web (including the article listed as one of the sources below).
After doing some research, I'm leaning toward purchasing a 100% natural latex mattress. They usually come with an organic cotton or wool cover. It's hard to find local retailers that carry latex mattresses, but I'd like to visit a couple showrooms when we can. For now, I ordered a natural latex pillow to try it (natural latex) out. One of my concerns is the possible smell of the material. Other advantages of latex mattresses are that it provides excellent support, it's durable (lasting 20 plus years), it's resistant to dust mites and mold, and it doesn't need to be turned or flipped.
There are benefits to buying other organic products as well. The fact is that we're surrounded by toxins. For instance, toxins are used in the production of conventional ("regular") clothing and furniture. Cotton as a crop is heavily treated with chemicals and then further treated as a fabric with things like formaldehyde to make them crease-resistant, for instance. Formaldehyde is also used in the production of things like plywood, particle board and carpet. Lots of furniture today is made of foam. Many types of foams outgas fumes that can be damaging to the body.
I think it's near impossible to avoid toxins altogether. But, I'm planning to be more conscious of my purchases and try to buy more "natural" goods. Sites like Debra's List or The Green Guide offer lots of resources on the subject.
My level of awareness of how many things are made with toxins has been gradual. However, several factors have recently accelerated my awareness, including becoming a father, hearing about recent recalls on children's toys and reading a few baby health books. Now I have a better understanding of why some people want to "go green."
Sources:
Is Your Mattress Making You Sick?
Toxin Free Home Guide
After doing some research, I'm leaning toward purchasing a 100% natural latex mattress. They usually come with an organic cotton or wool cover. It's hard to find local retailers that carry latex mattresses, but I'd like to visit a couple showrooms when we can. For now, I ordered a natural latex pillow to try it (natural latex) out. One of my concerns is the possible smell of the material. Other advantages of latex mattresses are that it provides excellent support, it's durable (lasting 20 plus years), it's resistant to dust mites and mold, and it doesn't need to be turned or flipped.
There are benefits to buying other organic products as well. The fact is that we're surrounded by toxins. For instance, toxins are used in the production of conventional ("regular") clothing and furniture. Cotton as a crop is heavily treated with chemicals and then further treated as a fabric with things like formaldehyde to make them crease-resistant, for instance. Formaldehyde is also used in the production of things like plywood, particle board and carpet. Lots of furniture today is made of foam. Many types of foams outgas fumes that can be damaging to the body.
I think it's near impossible to avoid toxins altogether. But, I'm planning to be more conscious of my purchases and try to buy more "natural" goods. Sites like Debra's List or The Green Guide offer lots of resources on the subject.
My level of awareness of how many things are made with toxins has been gradual. However, several factors have recently accelerated my awareness, including becoming a father, hearing about recent recalls on children's toys and reading a few baby health books. Now I have a better understanding of why some people want to "go green."
Sources:
Is Your Mattress Making You Sick?
Toxin Free Home Guide
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