Gardening: Unguided beginner... do I know just enough to be dangerous to my plants' livelihood?

 I've started an interest in gardening because someone likes to have plants but not maintain them, and I hate seeing things die so I took it upon myself to help but no clue how. Obviously starting with watering them. Then eventually learning about over-watering. Then learning about composting.

I have to say after about 3 months... gardening is very hard. I still have no clue if I am over-watering or under-watering. I live in an area that is very dry, and the top soil is almost desert-like. My plants were doing way better when I started watering. One looks like it is not doing well again. One died which we suspect is over-watering because someone decided to just water that one plant without me knowing. Not only was I already over-watering, it had even more water than I thought. Also the soil did not look well in it.

This is actually quite time-consuming just watering and very-very-light pruning which I still am just guessing on how it works. I spend most of my time on watching videos on seeding and composting. I should probably spend more time on the things I should be doing...

Oddly enough, the experience is actually quite nice and pleasant even though it is hard work and takes up quite a bit of time. I really enjoy watching epic gardening, and like the idea of being more self-sufficient. 

There is just too much information to absorb. Would be nice if gardening was a bit easier... maybe I should consider finding a gardener friend.

Unknown knowns: Connecting DBeaver to Google Cloud VM MariaDb

Install MariaDb Server and database is pretty standard. I used this link:
https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-mariadb-on-debian-9/

The problem was using DBeaver to connect to the server which required another step:
http://www.daniloaz.com/en/how-to-create-a-user-in-mysql-mariadb-and-grant-permissions-on-a-specific-database/

• May also work for MySql

Reference

https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-mariadb-on-debian-9/
http://www.daniloaz.com/en/how-to-create-a-user-in-mysql-mariadb-and-grant-permissions-on-a-specific-database/

Expanding to Linux, Apache, Postgres, Python, and Django in Google Cloud

I finally got around to learning Linux and Python for the second time. I tried many years ago at a friend's place but never went back after I messed up a build. This time it was way faster with Google Cloud.

I spent about half a day figuring out the free trial versus always free. In reality, I was trying to figure out and extrapolate the always free part. Because as a hobbyist, this was very intriguing part. So basically, I can spin up a small VM and Cloud Sql for free, of course up to a certain limit which I think is well below the traffic and usage that I will be working in.

I think this is great because I am mostly on to practice and learn. If I were to expand my projects, scaling up my projects looks to be kind of simple for both infrastructure and cost. Although I did not delve deep into how to do that exactly. But the costs seem rather reasonable on a personal level.

I spent the rest of the day learning the different parts of google cloud. I quickly went through some of the options then saw all the different types of OS and DB google cloud has to offer. Of course, I spent most of the time figuring out which Linux distro to choose (Debian) and database (Postgre).

I chose Debian because it was free and seemed to have good amount of documentation online. I chose Postgre because it is new to me (I have worked with Oracle, MySql, and MS Sql in the past) and appears to be gaining some popularity (and also been seeing quite a few on job posts).

The next day, I spent all day trying to install Python, Apache, and Django. I spent part of the day looking into which web server to use which I almost scrapped because Python had its own server. I could not get the Python web server to work properly because I did not know how to open a web browser to be local within my google cloud "space" (I am still unsure if that is even possible). I was not able to open the ports to access it from an external source.

I also spent a lot of time trying to learn all the Linux commands to install. I spent a good amount of time trying to find what I can do without super user (sudo) which I found to be almost nothing. I was eventually able to install Apache with Python by following directions and open it from my system's browser (outside of google cloud).

I then looked into Python IDE which then I stumbled across Django which I later learn is a framework for python web development. So then I attempted to install Django, but ran into a lot of issues. Because I already had Python and Apache installed, I was trying not to repeat certain steps or skip certain steps. Because I was not exactly clear on what needed to be done and things were not working, I deleted my Django project and tried to start over.

I had to start over a few times until I found a different site (https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-serve-django-applications-with-apache-and-mod_wsgi-on-debian-8) that eventually got me up and running. On the bright side, I am now a bit more familiar with a few basic Linux commands: sudo, nano, mkdir, rm, mv, cp, service, etc. At least I think they are Linux commands as opposed to Python or Apache commands.

I have not started any programming yet, but excited to eventually get to that point. I still need to learn a bit about the Django framework before I can really start. So hopefully, I will get some time to work on that soon. Also, I still need to find an IDE or text editor.

Reference

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-serve-django-applications-with-apache-and-mod_wsgi-on-debian-8

Review: CamStudio Recorder, Candy Crush - Cereal Sea, YouTube (First Impression)

I have many firsts for this post. I've been meaning to test out the CamStudio Recorder for a while. It is an application to record my desktop. What has kept me from testing this was the last of something to record. It is a rather lame (and lazy) excuse but that is how I fool myself sometimes. Then I figured to publish it on YouTube to see how that works too.

You can see the results of my efforts here, http://youtu.be/iPHJ-gnOwN8.

CamStudio

To start, CamStudio Record was quite easy to use. It has a simple music player-like setup with record, stop, and pause. There are options to record part of a screen, select a screen (if you have multiple monitors), or default is all displays.

I did run into a couple tricky things. I wanted to record only part of my screen, but it kept recording putting the area onto my first screen. Even when I moved the browser to the first screen, it was not aligned correctly. To fix this, I had to uncheck "Fixed Top-Left Corner" which I was a bit suspicious but it was checked by default.

It also has options for recording sounds, but I did not test this as I don't have anything worth discuss.

Candy Crush - Frog

They started the new Candy Crush level, Cereal Sea. It starts at 606 and ends at 620. In this level, a frog is introduced. It was odd figuring this one out. The most obvious is that it does not fall like candy. You can match it with other candies of the same color. As you match them, the frog gets fatter. At some point it reached a max point which you can tell when it starts pulsing. At this point, you can click on the frog. When it is highlighed, you can click on another part of the board. Where you click, a 3x3 area is hit.

If the frog is part of a combination that creates a wrapper candy, the frog is then encased in a wrapper. When you match a wrapped frog, it will explode like a wrapped candy except it only explodes once.

If you use a spotted candy on a frog, then all candies of the same color is cleared like a spotted candy with a regular candy. In addition, the frog eats all the candies cleared.

YouTube

Although this is not my first uploaded video, it is my first published video. There are filters than you can apply. There's also a special effect to blur but not sure how effective it is. There are simple fixes available like lighting and contrast. It also has slow motion. Most of these I have not actually used.

My favorite feature is the stabilize feature. I use this for videos that I record from my phone. Another is the ability to trim. I can also rotate the video. I can add annotations, subtitles, and audio.

Overall, it seems very simple to use and has features to publish simple videos.

Misc

I am not very familiar with video editing, but I could use some recommendation on an application to edit videos like trimming or cropping. I guess something like YouTube features plus cropping. I could also use one that helps with desktop training like zooming, mouse clicks, etc.

Reference

http://youtu.be/iPHJ-gnOwN8

Work Life: SharePoint 2010 - Creating Workflow Error

The list of workflow actions on the server references an assembly that does not exist. Some actions will not be available. The assembly strong name is Microsoft.Office.Workflow.Actions, Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c. Contact your server administrator for more information.

For me, I had to restart my SharePoint Designer which fixed the problem. My guess is because I opened it yesterday and left it open overnight. My VPN disconnected as usual when my machine goes to sleep-mode.

Here's another site that looked promising, but appears to require access to the server:
http://sharepoint.stackexchange.com/questions/68769/sharepoint-2010-sharepoint-designer-notification-the-list-of-workflow-actions

Review: Google+ Events (You don't have access to this event)

Me trying Google+ Events for the first time

Setup

The set up is pretty easy although it took me a few scans to find the events option (since I rarely use Google+). Once there, I just click on Create Event then fill out the information.

Information can all be edited later and the same for the guest list.

Accepting Invitation

Quickly, a guest did accept the invitation. I had also sent an invitation to one of my test accounts. Here I faced a problem and received an error "You don't have access to this event" even though I can view the event.

I then noticed that my test account is not on Google+ yet, so I went ahead and registered that. I'm not sure if this is what caused the problem or not, or even part of the fix. This may or may not have played a role in this issue.

So, I attempted to delete the test account but this only seems to block the user. With the test account, I will get that I no longer have access to the event. So I returned back to the main account and re-invited the test account. The test account still has the same problem.

Oddly after attempting several more times through the event page or from the email, I noticed that I had something in my notifications. I clicked on that bell-looking icon, and the event was also published there. I clicked on that and there was another form for yes, maybe, or no. From this form I was able to submit a response.

Once I did that, I returned back to the event page to change but still received the same error. I tried the email form, and that now allows me to change the response. I closed the event page and reopened from the email and now appears to work even from the events page.

Rejecting Event

Rejecting an even will remove the event from "Your events". I am not sure if there is a way to view a list of events that you responded with a no. I reopened the event from the notifications bar. I assume you can also do the same from the email. I am not exactly sure how you would manage this easily if you want to change your response.

Messaging

Very standard forum-like message board. Messages are only shared within the event.

Messages can be edited by poster and moderator.

Compared to Evite

The only other invitation managing site that I've used before was Evite (but only as a invitee). Evite seems to have a few more other "fun" features like changing the yes, maybe, and no responses. It also appears to have more themes. I am not quite sure how Google+ Events is for non-Google users, but should be rather uniform for Evite which should be agnostic to your email provider.

Cooking: Salsa (first time)

I did a variation of Chelsea Kenyon's salsa from about.com.
1. No chiles
2. 2 Roma tomatoes instead of the beefsteak tomatoes
3. 1 tbs Cilantro
4. 1/4 large Vidalia Onion
5. 1 tsp Salt
6. 1/2 squeezed lime
7. 4 cloves of garlic

I diced the tomatoes, cilantro, onion and garlic. Mixed it all together in a large bowl, and done. This was very simple to prepare.

I like my salsa spicy so I was a bit sad that I didn't have any chile lying around, but it turned out really good. I think this may have been a little heavy on the garlic and onion for some people because there was still quite a bit of kick to it. Freshness of the cilantro, onion, and garlic makes a big difference too. I just bought mine from the grocery store about 30 minutes prior to preparing.

My grocery bill:
5 tomatoes $1.51 ($0.97 / lb)
1 large garlic $0.68 ($3.99 / lb)
2 large Vidalia onions $1.71 ($0.77 / lb)
1 bunch of cilantro $1.99
4 limes $1.00

Total: $6.89

I probably used a quarter of each item. I think that made about a container of the regular salsa containers from the supermarket. So much cheaper than buying pre-made salsa. On the other hand, I like the consistency of the pre-made salsa. Mine did not seem to mix together as well and the liquid was watery so just sunk to the bottom of the bowl. I think I had to dice the tomatoes a bit finer. I probably could take out the liquid part of the tomatoes before dicing. All in all, the salsa turned out very well for my first attempt.

Sadly, the bag of chips cost $4.29 but I probably cannot make the chips at home. I wonder if the popcorn chips would taste good with salsa. Unfortunately, I didn't buy it although I was tempted since it was right in front of the checkout counter.

Reference:
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ss/salsastepbystep.htm