Customizing the Django admin

March 29, 2015

Today I was working to continue to improve my website and came across some really helpful stuff to improve the Django admin. By default, the django admin has a really simple interface for managing objects in your database. For example, the page for managing my Pages looks like this This works and is much nicer than having to build my own admin, but there is a lot more power hidden in Django...

Deploying Django with virtualenv on Dreamhost

March 22, 2015

I have recently moved away from PHP and begun working with more all-purpose languages, Python being the main one. While experimenting with this new language, I rewrote my blog to use the Python web framework Django. Django 1.7 with Python 3.x is not supported by default on Dreamhost's shared servers, so here is how I installed my own custom version of Python to deploy my app. In this tutorial I...

Creating Fake / Test data in PHP

Aug. 18, 2014

Yesterday I was looking around for a way to easily populate a database to test out some of my code. Instead of sitting there for hours punching out tons of random stuff, I decided that there had to be a better way. That's when I ran across Faker.Faker (on Github) is a PHP library the aims to make creating fake data fro testing purposes super, super easy.The easiest way to install faker is via comp...

How to make your own web browser in Python.

July 16, 2014

Its late, and I can't fall asleep, so I'm coding!The other day I started playing around with python some more and took a look at gtk and webkit. GTK is a gui thing (Idk what else to call it) for Python, like Swing is to Java. It comes installed on most linux systems and is pretty nice. Webkit is a nice little library for interfacing wiht websitesWhat so these two things combined create? A browser!...

Evolve OS Alpha 1 first impressions

July 10, 2014

A beautiful thing about the world of Linux is that the possibilities are endless. Unlike Windows and OSX where you have to wait years for a new desktop environment, Linux gives developers the ability to create their own! That is exactly what Ikey Doherty has done with Evolve OS.Evolve OS is an all new flavor of Linux that comes with a brand new desktop environment (Budgie). The OS is super lightwe...

PHP Database wrapper: Medoo

June 10, 2014

NOTE: I no longer use Medoo, or PHP for this site So the other day (When I was completely rewriting this site), I was looking for a better way to deal with my databases. Particularly, a more secure and easy way to retrieve data from my databases. During my scouring of the Internet, I came across Medoo. Medoo is a simple php database framework that makes is really easy to run queries. It has a d...

Installing Composer and Laravel on a Dreamhost Shared Server

June 8, 2014

The other day I decided I was going to start to learn a PHP Framework. There are tons out there, but I decided I'd like to learn Laravel. By far, the hardest part of getting everything installed and configured, was getting composer installed on my Dreamhost shared server, so I thought I'd show my solution (to help you, and me when I need to do this again :P)First off, you need to make sure that yo...

Cool technology tools

May 19, 2014

As many of you know, I recently started a job at Bulu Box. I am a Web Development intern and will spend most of my time managing and updating the Magento based store that is the backbone of the site. And in joining the Bulu Crew, I have been exposed to many new tools and technologies that I had never heard of. Here's a rundown of some of my favoritesMagentoEven if you don't already know what Magen...

Northern Tier: Crew E080413I - Final Trip

Aug. 12, 2013

My last crew of the season came from Indiana. They were a really great bunch, but all of the scouts were young. Because of this, we decided to take a very portage-light trip. The first day we went up the Moose Chain to a nice campsite on Sucker Lake. Nothing really exciting happened that day. The next day we headed over to Basswood Lake, and I started trolling as we paddled. That day I caught 7...

Northern Tier: Crew E072713M - Little Sag

Aug. 3, 2013

This last trip was probably one of my favorite trips of the summer. We did the Little Saganaga Loop which was an 80 mile trip in 5 days. The first day we got all the way to Knife Lake by mid afternoon. We were lucky enough to find tons of juneberries growing right near our campsite, so we spent some time gathering them and had a juneberry pie the first night. It was really good and the scouts enjo...