So I’ve run into a problem alot lately with working in foreign wifi networks. Sending via SMTP in Thunderbird. Turns out alot of networks block port 25 which is used to send in most email clients. This is due to spam. I researched and found SMTP.COM. Sign up and they’ll give you an SMTP working off of port 2525 instead of 25. This solves everything! So far it’s very fast and responsive.

Just added my current theme to WPzone.net. Go download your copy. For now, I’ve postponed releasing the “verysimple” theme. Still working on some bugs in it.

Thought I’d share a useful tool I’ve been using for quite some time now. I find that when working in CSS, I get pretty messy. I indent some of the time, type it in inline, and sometimes I just get too anxious and just type it in anywhere and save. This leaves me with quite a messy looking CSS file. There are several CSS optimizers out there, but I find Clean CSS the best and quickest. Just paste it in and process!

Why Optimize?

Well for two reasons mainly. It helps you get smaller CSS file sizes and better written code. The way the optimizer works actually lets you decide how much compression you want. From super compressed (virtually unreadable and editable by a human being) to visually pleasing. I prefer the standard setting because it gives you a little of both.

Another cool feature is that it helps you with shorthand coding. I am by no means an expert at CSS. I do not have all the shorthand methods memorized (yet!). For those of you using Dreamweaver, like myself, you’ll find that it likes to use longhand code. By this I mean putting each seperate rule on it’s own line. This can get tedious copying and pasting it make a small change. A lot of that stuff can get consolidated into one line, like backgrounds and borders.

So your main reasons for wanting to optimize are to make sure your CSS files are clean. There is a certain art form in clean and concise code. And I’m not even a programmer and I can see that. I’m an artist, so this tool really helps speed things up.

Check out Filego.net. It’s a free file hosting site. Any file up to 30mb.

Some reasons you might use Filego.net:

• It is more secure than normal e-mail.
• You don’t have to worry about the size of file and being rejected because their e-mail server won’t allow a file that big or their e-mail is full.
• If you send a file to several people and discover you forgot someone you don’t have to upload the attachment again. Simply send the filego.net file link to the person you forgot.
• The download is the exact file you uploaded and no one had a chance to spoof or replace the file with another. Our servers are secure, and after a file is uploaded and you have the link it can be removed but not changed.
• Now you are able to e-mail out from an internet cafe, friends PC, or while you’re at a company pc. You can easily upload the files from the PC and then download them when you get to your destination.
• Stop being shouted at by your friends saying it took forever to get your e-mail attachment and they couldn’t receive or send an e-mail until it’s completed. Not everyone is on a high speed connection, and files get larger every day. By sending the link people, can download your files at their leisure when they are ready.
• Eliminate country or domain blocking problems for e-mail. Because of spam, more and more companies are implementing new rules about receiving e-mails. It is not uncommon for companies to delete e-mail from certain countries or even domains. If someone can’t receive your e-mail, just telephone them and give them the file link over the telephone. This will allow them to download the file easily and simply.

My last theme was a very plain, text-based theme. I will be adding this to wpzone.net shortly. I need a few days to get it all ready for distribution. Check wpzone.net to download it.

I have released my current theme (Briny) for download at wpzone.net. I have received a lot of requests for it. So here you go!

http://wpzone.net

I have officially launched my new theme site wpzone.net. From here on out, you can find all of my latest themes there. I integrated a really nice preview system using the Thickbox plugin for your viewing pleasure. Gracias, and have a nice day.

These guys are one of my latest finds. Got the new UNKLE record, which features this band. The Duke Spirit, live..

Music so far this year that is worth listening to:

Interpol - “Our Love to Admire”
Some are saying it isn’t that different from their last releases. But I feel it’s a little different, and with Interpol, you can’t veer too far off. This is a great record with strong hooks.

Arcade Fire - “Neon Bible”
This is my favorite band. Probably the best record released this year (so far). Very moody. Keeps your attention the whole time. Very theatrical. Very serious.

Unkle - “War Stories”
Unkle has released some really good stuff in the past. But nothing compared to “War Stories.” 14 tracks of genius song writing. Guest vocals all over the place. Track 8, “Mayday” with the singer from The Duke Spirit is my favorite on the album.

I’ve released “acSimple,” which is a theme for activeCollab. If you don’t know what activeCollab is, it’s a free web-based project management system you can host yourself. A great alternative to fee-based Basecamp.

View or download “acSimple” for activeCollab
or
Download and try activeCollab