Author: kiusau

Life is full of surprises. Still, you can quit at anytime, if you have grown weary of their outcome. For, after all, survival is but a first step; it is a primitive instinct that does not distinguish us, humans, from other animals. Accordingly, if it is all that you can achieve in life, do not be surprised that others treat you like an ordinary animal. Alas, if it is all there is left, and you have grown weary, it is good justification to depart. Before you go, however, look deep inside and determine if you are not the cause of your own demise. For, in the end, society owes you nothing, and even your parents are likely to forsake you, if you have not been grateful. Have you said thanks for all that you have received, and have you given in return for all that you have taken? John F. Kennedy once stated "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". Obviously, he was not thinking of taxes, but the help that he would require to become an effective president. Little that is great can be achieved alone. Then too, it takes great leaders to motivate society and move it forward in a manner that will pave the way to a better tomorrow. The world is in need of good leaders. Maybe you are one of them in disguise. Indeed, no one owes you a living, but if people see you struggling they are apt to lend a hand. Just do not be afraid to reach out. And, do not quit, if nothing is given in return. For, many people simply do not care, and you must not let them get you down. You have a right to your own life and the pursuit of your own happiness, so do not be afraid to claim what is yours. Just do not take what belongs to others, if it not without their permission or obtained in fair competition. And, cry out when you have been cheated, but only if there is something to be gained from your cries, for few people like a cry-baby. Be judicious, strategic, and select your battles wisely. Do not waste your time with trivial injustices, for we all make errors, and we are all, therefore, subject to the injustice of others. It is the very thought of exercising my freedom of last resort that keeps me alive, for it is the comfort that I can put an end to my suffering at any time that allows me to endure enormous pain. It is what gives me the courage to fight for what is right without fear of losing. It is a powerful freedom that you should never surrender! Just do not make pain your goal, or you will surely finish a loser. Then too, never place pleasure over goodness and know to distinguish between the two. In liberty, Roddy

Persistence Pays

It has been a long time in coming, but what was before a line and bar chart that was largely inaccurate for 100 values, and then an accurate bar chart for all values since the beginning of the year, is now a line and bar chart with full accuracy for all values since the beginning of the year.

The Arab translation of the first edition of the Seven Gates newsletter is still undergoing revision, but the Eid holiday has past, and it is likely that the final revision will appear soon.

Roddy

More Good Than Bad

The Good (new): When you hover over a country on the world map in the new World Map section of the Visitor Profile not only does the country name appear, but also the number of visits received from that country. Currently, Saudi Arabia ranks above China, India, Brazil, and Russia.

The Bad (more of the same): When the World Map panel loads on a smartphone the map does not readily align. You must scroll past it once in order for it to fill the viewport properly. It remains a nuisance.

Roddy

عيد الفطر مبارك

In celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid holiday I wish my best wishes to my Muslim friends in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia, and Canada.

The CRON scheduler that runs the Graph & Charts section under the Visitor Profile menu is finally performing its job as it should. It has been a long several weeks in coming, but it was achieved on this final day of Ramadan.

The new world map that highlights visitor location is nearly complete, but several problems remain. Hopefully they will be resolved before the end of the Eid holiday.

Finally, the Arabic translation of the first edition of the Seven Gates newsletter is nearly complete. Hopefully this, too, will be ready before the holiday’s end. My best wishes to Jaffer Al Qallaf.

Roddy

Charts and Graphs Update

The solution to the slow loading of visitor data is now in place. Its first implementation can be viewed in the Visit Frequency table in the Graphs and Tables option of the Visitor Profile menu.

In addition to an instantaneous upload it now covers data since January 1, 2019. With an additional CRON job it will soon be automatically updated.

More control also means an accurate display of data. The guess-work of previous data uploads has been eliminated.

Roddy

A Midpoint

We are now half-way through the month of Ramadan, and sometime between yesterday and today there has been a full-moon in the Americas.

In celebration of the occasion I have posted a preview of Grammar Captive’s, not-yet-completed, first Arabic edition of Seven Gates. It is a gift from a former student from Jubail University College, Saudi Arabia. Jaffar and I have known each other since 2007. He recently became the father of his first daughter.

Congratulations, Jaffar, and thank you for your continued support!

Roddy

Matomo: Boon or Bane?

Although it was previously thought that Grammar Captive’s WordCloud functionality had been rendered dysfunctional by a change in Matomo’s reporting API, it has fortunately turned out not to be the case. In fact, it is quite the opposite, the new functionality turns out to be complementary with even more potential than previously available.

Hooray! Hooray!

Roddy