Blog Time Out
No, I’m not taking a time out from my blog (sorry, Fred).
This is about your blog timing out when you’re trying to make a post, or at the very least — having to waaaaiiiitttt forever after you click the “Publish” button for your post to actually do just that - publish.
Doesn’t matter if you’re using Wordpress, Moveable Type - or any other blogging platform that allows you to ping services when you make a new post.
Those ping services can be GREAT! Your www.jasminlive.mobi blog gets annotated on many lists (like blogrolling.com) - so that the WHOLE world knows that you have updated your blog with all your wit and wisdom!
However, it can have it’s downside, too. For instance - say your blog is set up to notify 10 different services that you’ve updated your blog. Your blog contacts those 10 servers while you’re updating…to let them know. If those 10 servers are responsive - - then GREAT - you’re done. If even ONE of those servers is having a bad server day (or worse, if it’s down completely) then your blog is going to get hung up while attempting to ping that particular service…. it can take forever.
In addition - - if one of those ping services is down - -your blog will keep trying and trying (during your publishing process) to contact that server… until it times out. If it times out on, say, the second ping service on the list - - then the other ping services that you have listed won’t get update. In addition - if your blog times out when trying to send a ping to one of those services… and you have a bunch of trackbacks that you want your post to send out to other bloggers? Chances are - your trackbacks won’t get sent, because your blog has timed out trying to contact the ping services that you have specified in your blog configuration settings.
The complete solution?
Don’t ping anyone.
But! But! No one will KNOW that I’ve updated!!!
So, then ping - - but understand that those ping services are third party servers. The success in your blog showing as updated… the success of your blog not timing out during the publishing process… could very well be dependent upon how responsive those ping services servers are to your feedback.
A few rules of thumb:
If you blog loads fine, otherwise - but times out during the publishing process: More often than not, it’s not the fault of your hosting company. Take a look at the list of ping services you have configured.
If the trackbacks you sent out this morning went out just fine - - but the ones you sent out this afternoon didn’t make it? Take a look at the list of ping services you have configured… Most blog platforms will send pings to the ping services first.. then ping the sites you’ve trackbacked last… if the ping services have timed out - - chances are, the trackbacks you’ve sent won’t make it through.
If it’s a persistent problem that you can’t live with out? Consider removing all ping services from your configuration - - then manually pinging these services using something like Ping-O-Matic to update those services that your blog has been updated with all of it’s bloggy goodness.
Recently, I had a client who was positive that it was our servers fault that their blog was timing out during the publishing process. When I went in to their configuration and took a look - - the client had this entire list of ping services configured to ping when he published. When those services were removed - - his publishing process took all of seconds to complete.
Please troubleshoot before coming after your web host with a sledge hammer! :D
Super Bug
I don’t know about you - - but when I read something like this, I start thinking about all the little coughs, sniffles and tickels in my throat I’ve had over the past week. It’s a curse - - it’s my long-standing habit of expecting the worst.
Three Chicago-area have died of a toxic shock syndrome-like illness caused by a superbug they caught in the community and not in the hospital, where the germ is usually found.
The cases show that this already worrisome staph germ has become even more dangerous by acquiring the ability to cause this shock-like condition.
“There’s a new kid on the block,” said Dr. John Bartlett of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, referring to the added strength of the superbug known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
Ick!
My son came into my office after he got home from school yesterday.
He says, “Mom, my throat hurts. Right behind my Adam’s Apple”
Me: “How long has it been going on?”
Him: “A day, or two”
Me: “Are you running a fever?”
Him: “I don’t know”
(I feel his forehead and he feels normal)
Me: “Doesn’t feel like it. Grab the thermometer and check it, would ya?”
Him: “Well, what is it??”
Me: ” It could be the start of a cold, flu or allergies - - it is change of season around here.”
Him: “I’ve had colds before - and my throat never hurt like this. And I don’ thave allergies, Mom”
Me: “There are all sorts of different types of colds and flu bugs. I doubt you’ve beeen exposed to them all. Plus, a person can develop allergies at any time in their life - - you never know. Let’s keep an eye on it. Let me know how the thermometer reads - - and let’s see if you feel better or worse in the morning, ok? There are throat lozenges in the cupboard upstairs, you can use those - - and take some Advil”
Him: “I could be dying and you are brushing me off!! I could be dying!!”
Me: “You want me to take you into the ER where you can tell the busy Emergency staff that you have a sore throat? Maybe they can squeeze you in between the woman having a massive heart attack and the guy bleeding to death from the car crash?”
Him: “No.”
Me: “Well, take your temp., use the lozenges and take some advil. Let’s see how things go, ok?”
Him: “Well, alright.”
Is it possible that the whole ‘expecting the worst’ trait of mine has rubbed off on my son??
Lost Ticket!
So, I took a nap this afternoon and had a dream.
I was a waitress in a diner. It was my first day on the job, and no one would help me. They just gave me my pad of tickets, a pen and showed me where my section was.
I spent the evening taking orders from families sitting in booths. I kept writing down the orders wrong and kept having to re-write them on a new ticket, throwing away the original one. The families were getting very irritated with me - - in addition, I kept losing my pad of tickets. Everytime I went to take a new order - - the ticket pad was gone and I kept having to ask my co-workers from https://www.chaturbaterooms.com/, who for some reason weren’t talking to me, where my ticket pad was?
They would point to the waitress station and say “duh it’s right there”
I woke up feeling like an idiot who couldnt’ handle a job as a waitress.
Is this what I get for napping in the afternoon??
Starting already
Are you ready for me to begin stressing over wedding plans yet? lol
Nah, I won’t stress at all. Weddings aren’t worth stressing over. We’re not doing a big wedding either. Just something very simple, sweet, short and inexpensive. Never did understand the need folks have to spend thousands on their wedding day - - when that money can be well spent on the honeymooon!
The honeymoon location is already set - - we just need to plan it.
We’re trying to decide on a date and a location. I think we’re leaning more towards a wedding in New York - that is where Chris is from - and his family has a beautiful country home in upstate with a gorgeous garden that has a pretty creek with bridge that goes over a waterfall. We’re thinking that will be a nice place to get married.
Problem is? The folks we’d invite to the wedding come from all over. Mainly, Wisconsin, Illiniois, Texas, Georgia and California. How to get them there? Where to put them when they get there? Can they all make it?
Can’t we just do Vegas?
The dress will be a big ‘to-do’ for sure. Chris’s mother is a wedding dress designer in Manhattan. Fittings are already being planned - - dress types, colors, length… All of which, of course, means that I have to keep with my whole pre-cruise diet and exercise program.
Taking pictures underwater is not as easy as it seems. We had purchased a new underwater camera in preparation for the underwater adventures we’d be having on this cruise - - and it’s just not as easy to point, aim and click when you’re underwater, battling the Pacific tides and trying to keep your snorkel tube above the water.
Ever get a full mouthful of ocean water? Blech!
Below are about 15 underwater pictures - if you care to surf, could be some slow loading though - - some of the photo sizes are big.
Paradise Lost & Found
My tan is fading already . . . I can FEEL it!
We’re back and we had just a fabulous time! Lots of sun and sand - - snorkeling and drinking and some great time with some fantastic friends. Who could ask for more in a vacation??
The folks from Jasminelive.online already know I am home didn’t believe me when I said I was actually able to relax, without a computer in front of my face. Well, here’s my proof for you non-believers:
Relaxation Proof
Probably the one and only time I will put a cleavage shot up here on this blog - - but that’s me in St. Maarten’s … relaxing in the shade of a few palm trees. . . no computer in site!!
I have TONS more pictures to share of the cruise and the fun antics aboard ship . . along with some great shots of local wildlife and such - - but that comes later when I’ve actually organized the 6GB of pictures that we shot in the past week!
Here are a few that I’ve taken off the memory cards:
Our ship - the Princess Caribbean - took this one from the beach at Princess Cays Island:
PC
The boat is anchored out in the ocean, as there is no docking area at the Princess Cays Island. They ferried us in on little ‘tenders’:
Those tenders dropped from the sides of the ship - - we all loaded in and took the 10 minute ride to the beach.
On the island, a guy was doing fruit carvings with watermelons:
Fruit Carvings
At 102 degrees - - I just wanted to EAT the watermelon!
There is just one more little picture that I was able to grab off the memory card today.
Outta Here!
The time has come! I’m outta here and headed off to the long-awaited, much-needed vacation time. All packed and ready to go. Now, I just have to wait for the man to get home. He’s been in Atlanta all week for work - - he flies in tomorrow, leaving us enough time to get our stuff together and drive back to the airport to fly out again. Time for some much needed rest and relaxation for sure!
While I’m away - I’m leaving you some links to keep yourselves busy with. I’ve watched and read the coverage about Katrina - and the utter devestation caused down on the Gulf Coast. How could anyone who is human not be affected by the sights and sounds coming from that area? If you feel a sense of compassion and duty - it’s time to put the money where the mouth is and make a much needed donation to one of the charity organizations of your choice to help the surviors and their families during this time of incredible need.