I’ve just installed [John Gruber](http://daringfireball.net/)’s [Markdown](http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/) plugin for [Movable Type](http://www.movabletype.org/). This plugin allows us to use nice, readable, non-HTML markup when we write our blog posts. It also allows our blog readers to use this same shorthand when posting comments to our blog entries. You can get a basic intro [here](http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/basics).
Enjoy!
Following up on my recent post about [post frequency](http://prwdot.org/archives/2005/08/post_frequency.html), I’d like to offer a few tips on how you as a reader can more easily keep up with our blog.
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fff|ggg|boston_with_jenn/P1040655|At the hatch shell…|ggg|fff
We had a lovely weekend with the beautiful [Miss Jennifer](http://junefourteenth.blogspot.com/ “Jenn’s site”).
On Saturday we ventured into Boston with high hopes of seeing the city from 350 feet up. We found an interesting opportunity to take a [Helium Balloon](http://www.aeroballoon.com/buy.html “More info”) ride up above Boston Common. We were excited to go up in a balloon (a first time for all three of us), but the weather was working against us. It was too windy to be safe.
To assuage our disappointment we headed over to the South End for dinner at [b.good](http://www.bgood.com/ “Restaurant website”). Peter has been wanting to try it for a while and this seemed like a good time. Peter and I had burgers and Jenn enjoyed an Oriental Chicken sandwich. YUM. Check it out the next time you’re on Dartmouth Street.
Our appetite for sky-high views was still strong after dinner so up to the [Skywalk](http://www.prudentialcenter.com/play/skywalk.htm “Skywalk info”) at the top of the Prudential Tower. I hadn’t been up there in a few years and they’ve added a few things: an audio tour that gives a guide to the sights and exhibits from the now defunct *Dreams of Freedom Museum*. I love being above the city!
From the 50th floor we could see the [Hatch Shell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatch_Shell “Info at Wikipedia”). It looked as if they were testing the lights. We wondered what kind of concert would be taking place so we strolled through the back bay to find out. From several blocks away we could hear the main act…and Peter made a guess as to who it was. And, amazingly, was correct. So, who do we hear?
None other than [Jesse McCartney](http://hollywoodrecords.go.com/jessemccartney “Jesse’s site”)!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! We enjoyed Jesse in *Summerland* but as a singer he’s a little too teeny bopper for me. Nonetheless, we stuck around for a few songs and had fun watching the 12 year old girls having the time of their lives.
Phew! What an afternoon!!!
p.s. You can see all of the day’s pics [here](http://gallery.prwdot.org/boston_with_jenn).
Tonight, Becky and I made a zucchini layered bake for dinner, with a recipe from Becky’s friend Jen Hancewicz. (One of Becky’s bridal shower gifts was a box of recipe cards with recipes contributed by the ladies who attended the shower (and some mailed in by the ladies who couldn’t make it). Very good idea, and we have gotten some very tasty recipes out of there!) It was utterly delicious. I could have eaten the whole dish. We each had two helpings, and then saved a good amount to put in our lunches tomorrow. Yum! Here’s the recipe:
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***Movable Type 3.2 is out|http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/news/2005/08/movable_type_3_2.html***, and I’ve upgraded the prwdot.org blogs to the new version. Presently, and in the immediate future, there really won’t be many changes for our blog readers to see. But for the folks who have blogs hosted at prwdot.org, you will notice various changes and improvements in the content management interface.
If you’re looking for a powerful, full-featured, mature blog authoring system, go check out ***Movable Type|http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/***. And if you need any professional assistance with Movable Type, head over to my pal ***Chad|http://jayseae.cxliv.org/***’s ***Everitz Consulting|http://www.everitz.com/***.* You could tell him that Peter sent you, but I don’t think that will get you (or me) anything. 🙂
*Incidentally, I just noticed that the E.C. site has been redesigned by Jesse of ***PlasticMind|http://www.plasticmind.com/***… very, very slick.
Have you seen ***Real Women Have Curves|http://imdb.com/title/tt0296166/***?
We watched it last night courtsey of Netflicks. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Mexican music and flair was entertaining, the story heartwarming and the dialogue sharp and witty. America Ferrara did a splendid job portraying a not-so-stick-thin gal struggling to find balance between family obligations and personal ambition.
I think you should see it. Be warned, however, that you will see underwear.
***Google|http://www.google.com/*** is reportedly going to be launching an instant messaging service/tool/thingy tomorrow called Google Talk. ***Niall Kennedy|http://www.niallkennedy.com/*** has reported that it’s possible to ***set up a Jabber-capable client|http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/archives/2005/08/google_talk_is_live.html*** to connect to Google’s ‘Talk’ server as of today.
I gave it a try with ***AdiumX|http://www.adiumx.com/***, and it seems to work just fine. Well, at least the logging on part. What I really need is for someone to try contacting me to test it out. If you are so inclined, read ***Niall’s post|http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/archives/2005/08/google_talk_is_live.html*** and try it out. You can contact me at peter.r.wood at gmail dot com.
Update
***Google|http://www.google.com/*** ***Talk|http://www.google.com/talk/*** is now official (though there has been no ***press release|http://googlepress.blogspot.com/*** as yet). They have a downloadable Windows client, as well as instructions for setting up other clients to use Google Talk.
Update
Here’s the ***official press release|http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/talk.html***, and the ***official blog entry|http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/google-gets-to-talking.html***. They’ve also introduced a new way to get a Gmail account:
qqq|…starting today, Google is making it easier for anyone in the U.S. with access to a mobile phone to sign up for a Gmail account. When users visit http://gmail.com and enter their mobile phone number, they will receive an invitation code via a text message. This code enables them to open an account.|qqq
Question for you blog readers. How many posts would it take before you would seriously have trouble keeping up with our blog? Currently, we are averaging around one post per day. Would you be able to deal with two posts per day? Three? Four? More?
There are a lot of things that I’d like to post about, but I hold back on posting because of this (possibly incorrect) perception I have that our blog is already enough for most folks to keep up with.* So let me know what you think about that… could you stand to see more posts out of us? Or is it enough to handle as is?
* That’s partially the reason that I was toying with the ***WoodCast|http://prwdot.org/woodcast/*** – I was thinking that I would use it as a platform on which to discuss all of those topics I didn’t blog about. As you can see, however, I only have the introductory episode. I realized after discussing the issue with Becky that the idea I had come up with was little more than an audio blog, and not a podcast… and that’s not really what I want it to be. So it’s back to the drawing board with the WoodCast. We’ll see if anything actually comes out of it.
fff|ggg|hne_outing/P1040577|Newport Harbor|ggg|fff
I spent the day today touring parts of the lovely town of Newport, Rhode Island. It was the Historic New England summer outing. I’d say that for a Monday it was quite lovely.
Our first stop was the ***Schooner Aurora|http://www.newportexperience.com/aurora.htm***. We took a nice “sail” around Newport Harbor. There was absolutely no wind! The crew was fun and raised the sails for image sake, but we had to motor for most of the time. It was hot and sunny and really pleasant.
After the sail we trooped across town to the ***Ocean Cliff Hotel|http://www.newportexperience.com/oceancliff.htm*** for lunch. We had a tent on the deck with a fantastic view of the harbor and the Newport bridge.
Our last event of the day was a tour of ***Rough Point|http://www.newportrestoration.com/roughPOINT/rough.html*** the home of Doris Duke. It was a beautiful mansion, and the first one that I’ve toured in Newport. It was incredibly lavish and furnished with 16th and 17th century tapestries and furniture and accented with 18th century Chinese imports and dutch portrature. A nice ending to a lovely day.
All my pictures from the day are in our gallery ***Here|http://gallery.prwdot.org/hne_outing***
ps. to my elementary/high school friend Erin Murphy–You were right Tropwen was great!
ppp|
Aunt Chris!
|ppp
Hope you’re “***Haven|http://www.schuylkillhaven.org/***” a good time.
Har har har.