iWeb, me.com and zoneedit

there's a lot of webconfusion out there about how to get one's own domain working with a me.com/iWeb site. happily, i sussed it out and got my own working.

i use dotster as my registrar, and am usually quite happy with them. after buying a new domain to use with iWeb, however, i unhappily discovered that dotster wanted to charge me an extra $10/year to simply have access to the DNS records. outrageous.

one can, however, and for free, specify domain names that point away from dotster servers. that's where zoneedit comes in: they'll let you use their DNS servers for free (with some limits), but give you free reign over the DNS configuration.

so, to get this all working:

1. ensure you have a working, live iWeb site


2. go to your registrar of choice and buy a new domain


3. make an account at zoneedit and set up a configuration for your new domain


4. zoneedit will give you a pair of DNS server names


5. at your registrar, use those DNS server names for your new domain


6. back at zoneedit, go to the Aliases(CNAME) tab


7. add a new entry, with Alias "www" and Actual Name "web.me.com" (without the quotes, of course)


8. press Add New Alias


9. log into me.com


10. go to Account


11. click on Personal Domain


12. enter your new domain and click Done

that's it. within a couple hours, you should be able to go to your domain and see your iWeb page.

note that zoneedit automatically configures your email so that an email sent to any address @yournewdomain will be forwarded to your address of record (in my case, that's my me.com email address).

deli art

I could write chapters on the deli in our building (yes, there would be additional chapters on the dreary, suburban office park where, as I say, "companies go to die"), whose sadness is punctuated by its ironic name Deli Delights.

But for now, I will simply attach a photo of their newest bit of art. it does challenge me: is it a mistake? is someone playing a joke? or is the owner an outside genius? i can't decide!

i want to apply physics when changing a tire

Dear Volkswagen,

Recently, I had to change my tire. In the cold.

The lugnut wrench you supplied me, happily, did fit the lugnuts. Sadly, it was at most 14" long, which barely gave me room to stand on it.

Why did I have to stand on it? Because it's so damn short and I was not able to use physics to assist me with the tight lugnuts.

You see, if I had a longer wrench, I would have been allowed to apply less force at that outer edge. Kind of like the ice skater who pulls her arms in to spin faster, and then goes to change a tire. With your shorter wrench, we must stand on and bounce up and down on it, applying not much physics at all. In the cold.

Though, in general, standing on things can be fun, I was keenly aware that my objective was to turn -- and thus render unsuitable as a stand -- the very thing on which I was standing.

In the future, should I purchase another Volkswagen or Audi, I would appreciate a lugnut wrench no less than two feet long. Or at the least, a giant VW-emblemed pillow to place next to the car onto which I can fall.

Thank you.

US automakers v. the world: pathetic

i really enjoyed reading this article about green motoring. I hadn't realized Mazda even made a "2" model, and at 65.7 mpg (imperial gallons), it's number 10 of 10 in the list.

compare that to this article about the 10 most "efficient" US models. shockingly, GM makes 9 out of 10 of them, and not-at-all shocking, the three best top out at a miserable 28 mpg.

i can't imagine the leadership at the american auto firms did not anticipate high prices and a the public's desire for efficiency, which can only mean they were selling their SUVs and trucks at such abandon for short-term gain. i wonder how much of that profit was diverted towards R&D for efficiency, and exactly how far behind they are now.

regarding the list from the first link above, i'm still all about the Mini Cooper D, but i'm oddly drawn to the ugliness (including that horrible sky blue color) of the Fiat Panda.

but check out the Fiat Panda Jolly!

12,837

Number of games played in the NFL before a game ended with a score of 11-10, as the Steelers beat the Chargers this afternoon.

At one point, the Steelers were down "seven to two in the bottom of the second," as described by the color announcer.

OOPS!

As i wrote this, the Steelers kick coverage team (specifically, Troy Polamalu) scored with zero seconds left and the Steelers win by the rather dull score of 17-10. Way to go with the trick kick return, San Diego!

So: 12,838.

The count continues.

OOPS!

After review, the ref called an illegal forward pass on the return, indicated the penalty was declined, and called a Steeler touchdown. Then the extra point team is chased off the field as the ref announces that time has expired and there would be no extra point. THEN the touchdown is taken off the board, since the play was dead with the illegal forward pass. Confusion abounds!

So: 12,837, and our long national wait for an 11-10 final is over!

update:

OOPS!

i had written errantly that polamalu broke up a lateral on the kick return; it was actually on the last play from scrimmage.

OOPS!

it seems that the polamalu touchdown was rescinded in error, as is described here.

Rick esta...

the meaning of thanksgiving

we had a lovely time in Spain, and while waiting in line in Barcelona, for what everyone said was a great restaurant (it SUCKED), we got to talking to the two english families behind us.

a girl of 13 or so asked me what thanksgiving was all about anyway.

"well, you europeans came over to america and killed a lot of native americans, but nonetheless some of them helped you to survive a winter so the europeans put up a big festival and invited the native americans along to thank them for that.

so, every fall, we give thanks for what we've got and eat a big meal, and then we go out and kill a few native americans."