MILES to GO || before I sleep

At some point in the not-so-distant future, I will finish my cute wallpaper of a kitten trying to be a lion. And possibly make matching icons.

In the meantime, now that Lion (Mac OS X 10.7) is out, I'm going through my list of apps to try and determine which ones are PowerPC (read: not going to work on Lion, ever!) and which ones are Intel/Universal binaries (read: probably will work, but not guaranteed).

Of those, I'm trying to find out which ones I can and cannot live without. For the ones that I can't, I'm looking for solutions. For example, realMyst. It's an amazing game, with levels you won't find in the other versions of Myst out there, even for Windows (as far as I know). It's also PowerPC-only and unlikely to get patched or updated in any way to be compatible with Lion.


The solution? Get Steam for Windows and download it there for cheap. That particular version of Myst from Steam IS realMyst, so it'll have the special world that doesn't exist in the other Myst releases, will be all kinds of awesome and while yes, I'll have to run it in Windows, for a game like Myst, it's actually kind of worth it.

For everything else, please offer suggestions as to other/better/newer apps that are Lion-compatible, or let me know if there's an update I should get (hopefully free, but if I have to pay for it, them's the breaks).

( PowerPC-only apps )

After this is looking at all the other Intel-based apps and seeing which ones
a) haven't updated lately, and therefore may not work with Lion
b) I don't care about/use no matter how recently they've updated

And I think that's it...right? I almost seem Lion-ready...

I don't want to jinx things, but my computer problems might somehow have been mysteriously solved.

I did the security update from Apple earlier, along with a whole host of updates from Adobe. I've been going through all my apps to see which ones produce the infamously aggravating SIGTRAP error (or variations of it), but NOTHING has been crashing.

Not even Firefox, which used to take 3-4 tries just to boot, and it never said a peep when it crashed! Photoshop is staying open, with files open. I've had no problems with any other CS4 product (except Acrobat, because Acrobat is a whiny brat that doesn't like my serial number even though I got it from Adobe!), and other programs that crashed or acted weird are now being...fine.

There's Big Fish/Play First Games' "Gotcha! Celebrity Secrets" game that I wanted to try out. It previously tried to load but then crashed without a word. All of a sudden, it worked! I enjoyed 60 horribly bad-in-a-good-way minutes of playing "Where's Waldo" in a cartoon celebrity world, pretending I was a paparazzi blogger.

There's TextWrangler, which updated but then refused to let me update the command keys. Then I did, and...it works fine! No insta-crash like before!

Even Corel Painter 11, which would occasionally crash and occasionally work, now seems to be working fine, even displaying a start-up dialog box that I've never seen before!

I want to do a battery of tests on my most-frequently used apps and ditch apps I don't really use that often while I'm at it. If the errors still come up, I might want to stick to the Erase & Install option just for the sake of having a "fresh" start on the laptop, but if not, I can always cancel my appointment.... Of course, I should probably do this tomorrow and sleep now, because being awake at this hour is really quite bad for my internal clock. Or so people tell me. *flaps her bat wings*

*fingers crossed* I'd much rather go to In-N-Out Burger tomorrow than a crowded Apple Store to get my precious laptop wiped (for no reason???).

I've uninstalled Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium. Not just Photoshop, which was really the only application giving me issues, but all of it. I have the trial of CS4 and should be getting the CS4 backpack that is my graduation present soon-ish (it's on backorder from JourneyEd.com), but the problems...they aren't going away.

I uninstalled CS3 using the uninstaller in the Applications/Utilities folder. Everything was a success. Then I ran the CS3 Clean Script from Adobe's Support Center--twice. Everything seemed to go smoothly there, except it also apparently removed Shockwave Flash (Safari is now protesting I don't have the right plugin for some websites) and InDesign CS4. I re-installed CS4 and then Photoshop said it was missing components. So I reinstalled Photoshop. And everything seemed to be fine (again) for a few minutes. I opened some documents and prepared to get to work.

And then it crashed.

AGAIN.

Same error as before EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP).

I have tried everything at this point short of fully uninstalling Intego (but you'd think if that was really behind it, the error messages would say something relating to Intego, right?) and wiping the OS and reinstalling. I have NEVER had to do this with a Mac OS, so I'm obviously a) very worried and b) very reluctant.

This has happened with Photoshop, while I got another Initializing Extension Data... hang with Dreamweaver CS3. It only happened sporadically, though, and hasn't happened with Dreamweaver CS4. Only Photoshop seems to hate me, and I don't know why. (Why, Photoshop, why!? Was it something I said?)

Oh, and then there's Firefox. So after I couldn't get into my Photoshop for class, I thought I could use DeVry's iLab environment, which is run by Citrix. Blah blah, got the latest extension, went into Firefox because supposedly it's more compatible with Firefox than Safari (lamesauce, Citrix, LAMESAUCE!). Firefox didn't even seem to recognize it. So I uninstalled and re-installed (after a bit of a scuffle with a crappy beta). I let it be shiny-new, as is, for a while. Citrix seemed to be there (though not in the Add-Ons list, the way 1Password is despite being an external install), but the second it tried to launch Photoshop via Citrix, CRASH! The Citrix online plug-in, that is--not Firefox. Actually, it happened with ANY of the Adobe suite programs I tried to launch via Citrix (didn't bother trying Microsoft gunk--should I?), so it doesn't seem to be just Photoshop-related.

However, since that fresh install of Firefox, the app itself has crashed--repeatedly. It looks like the same error message as the Photoshop one, which is to say: not helpful at all. This tells me that whatever Adobe tells me to do to "fix" Photoshop won't actually help, because this is starting to look more and more like a system issue. I disabled XMarks, since that would cause freezes that would force me to quit Firefox, but the problem isn't really solved: Firefox takes around three "clicks" to get it to start. I can launch it from the Dock or via Quicksilver, but either way, it'll be in the Dock for a split second, even have the "running app" indicator below it, but it'll still just vanish without a word. No error, no crash reporter, nothing. And I'll try again. And again. And again.

And then it works, acting like nothing's wrong. It doesn't APPEAR to be as slow as it used to (which is why I switched to Safari in the first place), but it may depend on the website. And I still do have a lot of extensions, because to be frank: if there's going to be a limit on Firefox's number of extensions, then TELL ME SO from the outset. Give me a suggested number, or tell me how much memory each extension will hog up, or whatever. Because most of them I got because they're actually USEFUL and I need them in some fashion.

I think I'm going to have to make another appointment at the Apple Store. Hopefully I'll get someone who actually knows that Snow Leopard doesn't have Archive & Install as an option anymore, and that dust can't creep into your computer and make your hard drive explode (Yes, it's been said).

Another thing to add to The List of Mer's Computer Woes? My Time Machine is definitely on its last legs. My lovely new-ish Western Digital MyBook Studio has begun ticking, a bit like a soft clock. It doesn't always mount, and even when I do the whole unplug-to-power-cycle thing and re-plug, it doesn't always work. And I'll hear a soft tick-tick-tick...like a clock, only not as regular. Maybe every few seconds. This one might still be under warranty, but what's the use if I'd just end up replacing it with another WD drive? WD doesn't seem to be nearly as reliable as I thought. :( What are the HDs the "Geniuses" use at the Bar, I wonder? They look pretty compact and sturdy...

If it weren't for Mac360, I wouldn't know about/remember half these promotions, but geez, another bundle!? And it's not even Christmas yet! Let's check out the about-to-run-out MacBundles bundle. Talk about appropriately named, eh?

iPhoto Library Manager - I have yet to use multiple iPhoto libraries, but I can definitely see the use. You can keep multiple libraries and move photos back and forth between them without losing all the data like keywords and ratings. Wow--potential hit!

Media Rage - Help catalog, sort, update and organize thousands of audio files. I've got nearly 8,000 songs in my library, and I haven't even found the remaining 100 or so MIA tracks or imported all my CDs! HIT!

MyTunesRSS - Access your multimedia collection through a web interface in any browser. Create RSS feeds, download playlists, albums or single tracks. Play music in the browser or a favorite player. You know, short of shelling out for AirTunes, this sounds awesome! This sounds like cloud computing for me! HIT!

Renamer - Batch renamer. When Automater is just too confusing, and programs specific for file types are too annoying, I guess? Potential hit.

Simon - Checks site servers for monitoring and lets you know every damn way there is possible short of calling you up in the middle of a date. I'm not a business or anything, but this might be nice. Potential hit.

ViewIt - Image viewer for the most popular formats, has tools for quick image sorting, printing, digital cameras, and EXIF tags. Extendable via the SDK. I already have so many photo/graphic apps I've lost track of them all, but you never know when one can do what others won't. Potential hit.

WebPrint Plus - Quickly save or print snippets of any size from any program, the 'Net, or the clipboard. Eliminates the need for tedious copy-pasting between programs. Sounds useful, but...potential hit.

Yum - Recipe and cookbook manager. I already have SousChef. Miss.

Yummy FTP Fastest Mac FTP/SFTP client out there. Allows for directory synch, scheduling, remote editing with per-file editor support, auto-uploads, FTP Alias upload droplets, bandwidth throttling...blah blah, I have just what I need built-in to Dreamweaver, and Fugu for all else. Miss.

A-Dock X (BONUS APP) - Available for the next 9 days and 9 hours or so, brings a secondary dock to the screen. Allows for skinning, built-in separators, desktop trash, 10-level deep folder browsing, hotkeys, and more. Seems to do what DragThing does. Potential hit.

SonicMood (BONUS APP) - Available today and tomorrow for 9 hours. Creates a soothing background of tones when you don't want to listen to ordinary music. Comes with 31 moods and lets you customize or invent new ones. Sounds awesome--HIT!

FolderGlance (BONUS APP) - Small plugin for the finder that lets you right-click on folders to examine contents and sub-folders, down an unlimited number of levels, plus support for control-free pop-ups, display of hidden files and folders (!!), contextual menu font size, and more. Sounds pretty useful. Potential hit.

12 apps for $49.99 and the survey says...

Miss: 2
Potential Hit: 7
Hit: 3

That's 10 total programs that are worth my while and again, two that I already have a version of and would either be willing to try out or pass along onto a deserving person (hint hint).

Gaaak, another $50 bundle...to get or not to get!? Battle of the Bundles!

Found out about MacFriendly today, which includes 12 (maybe 13, depending on sales) apps for $50. But how many apps that are unique or different from what I already have to justify buying something like this?

Invoice 3 - useful if I ran a small business. But being that I presently have no need for an invoice application, this is useless. As for managing my finances, I have Mint.com and even Quicken. Miss.

Flash Decompiler Trillix - Do what with the what now? Something about messing with SWFs, which might be nice to know in the future if I ever start seriously playing with Flash, but for right now, this is a miss.

TimeNet - Basically something to work in conjunction with a business manager like Invoice 3...except I have TimeTable, which I like a lot, have gotten used to, and see no reason to replace. Keeps track of your time for billing purposes. Miss.

Icon Commander - Turn any image into icons for Windows Vista, XP, or Mac. Believe it or not, I'd actually find this useful. I'm always wanting to jazz up my apps and folders, and "if you want something done, you've got to do it for yourself." So I might just start making icons! Hit!

Amnesia - Uninstall apps properly. I already have AppZapper. Miss.

WaterThumber - Easily batch process images with watermarks, resize them, create web-ready thumbnails, and so forth. Sounds like a good replacement for the finer things that IrfanView for Windows does, and what powerful image editors like Photoshop don't do. I have a number of photo editors and managers, and this does things that they don't (as far as I know, though I don't have to do this often). Potential hit.

MacPilot - Finds all the hidden tricks in OSX without having to rely on Terminal. Supposedly does what TinkerTool and Onyx can't! Plus, I like Koingo Software. Hit!

Singlemizer - Get rid of duplicate files. This is a double-edged sword. Not all files that appear to be duplicates are, and some that are need to be kept for special reasons, like back-up or backwards-compatibility purposes. Plus, the most common producer of duplicates (for me, anyway) is iTunes, and I have Dupin for that. Potential hit.

Squish - A URL shortener. For the truly lazy who can't just go to bit.ly, fb.me, or any of those other URL shorteners. I use Twitter apps that shorten the URLs automatically, so this is a total miss for me.

Marketplace - Craigslist without the Ugly. I hardly use Craigslist at all, but I just might if it comes down to job hunting...and the incentive is greater if an app prettifies it. Potential hit.

Emailchemy - Takes closed-source email formats and makes them open-source. Can converted emails to Google Apps accounts (of which I have two: CSUN and Gaming Dead). Other than that...uh, I don't really think the features are all that useful for me. Overall, a miss.

ForeverSave - Time Machine on steroids. Lets you back up the documents created by specific programs, on a regular basis, to avoid all those program or computer crash losses. Sounds awesome. Hit!

iTasksX (LOCKED) - Project Management "for professionals." It sounds awesome, but it looks totally complicated and like it has a steep learning curve. Plus, how is it any different from what Bento, Things, or similar programs do? It may be more robust, but those programs LOOK easier to use, even if I have to use multiple programs to achieve the same result. Miss.

Overall? Six (Seven) Misses, Three Hits, and Three Potential Hits. It's basically dead-even if you don't take iTaskX into account, and usually I'd expect more out of a bundle, even for such a good deal as 12 (13) apps for $50. I'd be willing to split the cost with someone if they wanted the licenses for the apps I don't think I want, but where am I going to find someone like that?

I wish I could mix and match bundles, but that defeats the whole thing that makes bundles so cheap--the fact that people get dupes of apps they may already have, if they're Mac-savvy, that they discover new apps from cool, favorite, or possibly new developers, and that ALL TOGETHER, enough sales rewards all the developers involved. If I could buy only six of the apps, I'd probably pay at least $50 for them. Can someone invent the Mix Bundle, or a mini-Bundle better than the MacHeist nanoBundle?

Pleeeeease?

Eek, big bad final exam tomorrow.

Still haven't finished my Shakespeare essay. Maybe once I get public relations stuff out of my brain, Shakespeare will come to me easier. And then when THAT'S out of my brain, I can finish my belated Fanswap assignment (I got an extension/excuse, so participants don't have to worry about me just being one of those evil non-submitters).

Mac OS X updated to 10.5.7 today. I guess I'm one of those folks who doesn't mind upgrading, because if it's from Apple, I typically trust that it's an update for a good reason. Of course, I read the "What's Changed in this Version" notes for any updates to ANY software I get, which might make me a bit unusual...anyway, I found this rather amusing tidbit:



They changed the Energy Saver icon in the System Preferences to a CFC bulb! HA! Cute, Apple, real cute.

Also, the plotbunny I've been tending to--the one that's the trans-dimensional offspring of the second daughter of WDKY (a.k.a. the spin-off of the third story in the WDKY series)--has gotten a lot larger. I suddenly thought of TWO FULL ARCS for it, meaning the story (which only exists in note-form) is now at least 16 chapters long. And I suddenly thought of a socio-politcal twist to it (that's been happening a lot with my fic ideas lately. I wonder why?). I wonder if this is what happened to JKR when she was writing "Harry Potter?" The idea sounds cool and you fiddle for it with a while and then of a sudden: IDEASPLOSION! Of course, "Harry Potter" was an original series and this is a fanfic that won't see the light of day for some time now, so it puts me in quite the pickle.

That's my new catchphrase as of late: "in a pickle." Hm. Pickles.

It's funny how my memory is so Swiss-Cheesed that I can't remember saying or doing certain things that, to others, are clear indicators of my behavior or attitudes (towards things, people, etc). So I figure that by journaling, I can always have a written retrospective, in my own voice, of the things that are going on in my life day-to-day. Alas, I can't always update, but when I can, it's just as much for me (to vent, announce things, ask questions, whatever) as it is for others (who might be interested for whatever reason). I hate how I forget things so easily... I wonder if there really is something wrong with my brain, or if I'm just not smart, or not eating enough prunes or something...

I almost had a fit today because I had to upgrade my eFiction installs for both Dragonfayth and Epiphany. Usually it's not that big of a deal, but when eFic upgraded from 2.0.7 to 3.0, it took a lot of work, and it really stressed me out. The patch update (3.0.1) wasn't so bad, but I don't like the idea of replacing ALL the files, over and over again, when I have made edits to the skins or variables files (and so on). Anyway, I'd come up with this decent skin organization structure, which works like so:
efic3-drfa+epiphany (folder in which all the eFic files are)
--skins (the skins folder normally has EACH skins individual folders in here, i.e. CSS Zen, elegance, Zenlike. But since I have 2 different eFic sites and I DO NOT want to waste HD space by having them in two separate folders, I changed the layout of the skins folder to look like the following...)
---drfa (the skin folders I plan to use for drfa go in here. However, it's ONLY the files that are modified, i.e. the images folder and the style.css)
---epiphany (works the same way as the drfa folder)
---efic general skins (all the files that are used in skins but are NOT modified for each individual site. These are the files that are normally in /skinname/ in the uploaded site's skins folder.)

So I downloaded 3.0.2 and prepared to replace everything. I figured since I had those 3 special sub-folders in the skins folder (instead of the default skin names, which are CSS Zen, elegance, Zenlike, and SurpriseMe), it would just add the new skins to the skins/ folder, and leave MY modified structure alone. Apparently not! I don't know if it's something up with Finder/OSX or something else, but it replaced all my folders, even though MY folders didn't exist in the 3.0.2 update! It makes no sense...

Anyway, it stressed me out because I had to think of a way to get all my changes back without having to do them again, so I basically DOWNLOADED the images folders for each skin, the style.css for each skin (I hope no changes were made to the skins' style.css for the 3.0.2 update), and did my structure again. And when I uploaded the new files to Dragonfayth (and I will for Epiphany when the DRFA upload completes), I had to do it in pieces, or else risk messing up the file structure again. It's a pain in the ass and totally gave me a headache, but I'm trying to avoid MORE of a headache by having to do things over and over.

Once the second half of the Dragonfayth upload finishes, I'll see how everything worked out... hopefully nothing will be mangled, and I can just repeat the process for Epiphany.

Well, that didn't work. First I got a 404 for not uploading the install folder (I thought the install and skin folders were the two things you DON'T upload with every upgrade, major or minor!? I only uploaded the latest skin folders -minus the images and style.css- because Tammy said she makes fixes on those default skins on occasion). When I uploaded it, I got a header sent/session cache limiter error-- fatal, which means NO ONE can access the site. Ugh.

I'm off to a great start, don't you think?
Broke
Stressed
Forgetful
Lonely
Hungry
Procrastinating
Uncreative
Messy
Sad
Frustrated
Fucked