For some weird reason, I woke up today with a very famous Langston Hughes poem on my mind. Now I am certainly not the poetic type (although my wife may wish I was sometimes), nor am I one who is constantly consumed by the perceived american pursuit of happiness, but there is something profound about dreams and the pursuit thereof. Mr. Hughes put it best:

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

- Langston Hughes

I was first introduced to this poem while attending Upward Bound back in the mid-1990’s. For some reason this poem has stuck with my over the years: short, sweet, and concise.

The current version of WordPress (WordPress 3.3.1) allows for a theme creator to implement a ‘Featured Image’ meta box on the page/post editor for use in a custom theme. This can easily be added by just adding a single line of code to the themes setup function.

But what if you want to add more meta boxes to your page/post editor. While not as easy as the one line above, it may be easier than you think.

A quick goggle search for “wordpress custom meta box” yields the following result.

http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/add_meta_box

The above reference page give a solid example on implementation. Check out my implementation below that allows you add a featured YouTube video to your post.

hooks

add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'featuredVideo_add_custom_box' );
add_action( 'save_post', 'featuredVideo_save_postdata' );

add meta box

function featuredVideo_add_custom_box() {
    add_meta_box(  'featuredVideo_sectionid', 'Featured Video', 'featuredVideo_inner_custom_box', 'post', 'side' );
}

print box

function featuredVideo_inner_custom_box( $post ) {
    wp_nonce_field( plugin_basename( __FILE__ ), 'featuredVideo_noncename' );
 
    // show featured video if it exists
    echo getFeaturedVideo( $post->ID, 260, 120);   
 
    echo '<h4 style="margin: 10px 0 0 0;">URL [YouTube Only]</h4>';
    echo '<input type="text" id="featuredVideoURL_field" name="featuredVideoURL_field" value="'.get_post_meta($post->ID, 'featuredVideoURL', true).'" style="width: 100%;" />';
}

handle box post

function featuredVideo_save_postdata( $post_id ) {
 
    // check autosave
    if ( defined( 'DOING_AUTOSAVE' ) && DOING_AUTOSAVE ) 
      return;
 
    // check authorizations
    if ( !wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['featuredVideo_noncename'], plugin_basename( __FILE__ ) ) )
      return;
 
    // update meta/custom field
    update_post_meta( $post_id, 'featuredVideoURL', $_POST['featuredVideoURL_field'] );
}

helper function, displays YouTube video, which can also be used to display the YouTube video within your theme

function getFeaturedVideo($post_id, $width = 680, $height = 360) {
    $featuredVideoURL = get_post_meta($post_id, 'featuredVideoURL', true);
 
    preg_match('%(?:youtube\.com/(?:[^/]+/.+/|(?:v|e(?:mbed)?)/|.*[?&]v=)|youtu\.be/)([^"&?/ ]{11})%i', $featuredVideoURL, $youTubeMatch);
 
    if ($youTubeMatch[1])
        return '<iframe width="'.$width.'" height="'.$height.'" src="http://ww'.
               'w.youtube.com/embed/'.$youTubeMatch[1].'?rel=0&showinfo=0&cont'.
               'rols=0&autoplay=0&modestbranding=1" frameborder="0" allowfulls'.
               'creen ></iframe>';
    else
        return null;
}

and the final result

First, a brief look back on my resolutions from last year and what I managed to get done.

• Contribute to a Charity
  100% – Name of the charity is not important. Did I give as much as I would have liked to? No. But still, it’s a good start.
• Participate in Volunteer Work
  0% – A lack of effort on my part prevents me from accomplishing this. Totally my fault.
• Give Blood… Again
  110% – Proud of my accomplishments here. One caveat. Once the blood center has your name. They will harass you. I know people really need blood and that I may be in that situation someday, so I really don’t have a problem with it, but it can get annoying to the average person. Ah, I also gave platelets. Hope I helped someone.
• Redesign Website
  100% – Done and done. You like?
• Blog More
  0% – Fail. Probably blogged as much in 2011 as I did in 2010, which isn’t a lot.
• Get Out of Debt
  0% – This one was a huge longshot, but I put it there anyway, just to keep me focused on my goal.
• Get Back into Music
  10% – Been trying to brush up on my guitar skills, mostly working on scales. Not really happy with my progress here.
• Publish my Windows Phone 7 Application
  100% – My first mobile application, Study The Word, is submitted an currently awaiting approval. This was something done over the course of a year, while contributing a few hours a week. Nothing groundbreaking, but hopefully it will be a good start. Once approve I’ll post the offical marketplace url here, but for now, visit my application site page.
• Develop an Android Application
  0% – As my aforementioned bullet points states. I was only able to contribute a few hours a week to the WP7 application. As for Android, just wasn’t enough time. Fail.

All in all, I believe I made good progress in 2011, as far as resolutions go. So what could I accomplish in 2012?

• Evade Pending Doom
  Who believes in this 2012 Doomsday stuff anyway?
• Iterate. Iterate. Iterate. Port.
  Now that my app is finally out there, I want to iterate like a mad-man. I have a slew of features and upgrades already in the pipeline. At some point, I want to port to various platforms. Who knows where I will go with this?
• Blog With A Purpose
  Last year I simply stated that I want to blog more. I’m going to take that one step further and say blog with a purpose. Meaning, there are so many things I come across in the course of a year. I’m going to make a effort to at least give enough time to write about the really cool things. Or at least post a video here, an image there. I also want to make an effort to post on more programming/developer oriented topics. I kinda shun away from this now, but if something helps me, I know there is potential value for someone else. Hopefully I’ll keep you posted on this one, literally.
• 20,000 Xbox Live Gamerscore
  Now my score is laughable at best. Gotta get my weight up.
• Shave Off Debt
  To only have utilities, student loans, and mortgage would be a dream. Let’s get it.
• Visit Another Country
  Sad to say, I haven’t been outside of this country. Japan I’m looking at you.
• The Wall of Gaming Shame
  Hoping to up my gaming cred, by completing the following games that I’ve started and not finished, or simply have not played, most of which are 2011 blockbusters.
  • Portal
  • Portal 2
  • Batman Arkham Asylum
  • Batman Arkham City
  • Bastion
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
  • Rayman Origins
  • El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
  • Catherine
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution
  • Shadows of the Damned
  • Dark Souls
• Family
  I’m all about my family. I want to continue to do what’s best for them and pray for peace in the home. Although this is last on my list, it is in no way least.

Great look at the sound behind “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes”! Boy do I love this movie.

Acting as a foundation with an origin story for a new film series, Director Rupert Wyatt takes the audience on the science fiction summer hit, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The stunning visual effects produced by Weta Digital for the apes are complimented by the wide range of sounds recorded and edited for the film.

Leading the sound team is supervising sound editor and sound designer Chuck Michael and co-supervisor John Larsen with the talents of first assistant sound editor Smokey Cloud and sound re-recording mixers Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett.

I’ve often pondered the question, “Is it better be good at a lot of things, or great at one thing?” I’ve long struggled weather to simply diversify my knowledge of a particular array of related subjects, or honker down on one focused area and make that my bread and butter.

I guess their pros and cons to both methods. I remember my dad telling me that my great grandfather was a jack of all trades, meaning, he could do just about anything you needed done. Musician, barber, carpenter, you name it, he probably had some experience doing it. So my question is, by doing so, can you ever really become great at all those things or do you even need to be?

A look at any job posting these days will have a full list of desired experience, most of the time leaving you with the question, “Does anyone have all these things?” An although most of the time those listing are a scatter shot to pull in the most desirable candidate, it does bring up the value of “knowing” a wide range of things.

And then you can look at the value of knowing a wide array of things in another light.

We have long heard the saying, “Do not put all your eggs in one basket.”, or “Keep a diversified portfolio.”

What if you  were an expert on a dying technology and that is all you knew? Or had all your money in one particular stock and it crashed.

Looking at the situation from a less hardened point of view, the best approach would to simply become an expert at one thing, and a quasi-expert of other related topics.

For instance, most programmers focus on a particular programming language as their bread and butter, but keep up with and follow different related languages or platforms.

As a web developer, you may primarily focus on PHP, but from time to time, dip you fingers in .NET. You may be an Windows Phone 7 application developer whom picks up Java just to port your application over to Android.

I guess the bottom line is, the more you know the better. Try not to limit yourself and be willing to divulge into other areas that are related and may benefit you in the long run.

If you love learning new things, this will come naturally.  If not, you will have to work at it a bit, but it will greatly benefit you when it’s all said and done. At the same time, become an expert at your bread and butter, and if by chance you have to transition to something else, it will be less of a u-turn and more of a slight shift in course.

According to a recent Engadget article, all console emulators created by a developer named YonGzh (Nesoid, Snesoid, Gensoid, N64oid, Ataroid, Gearoid and Gameboid), have been removed from the Android Marketplace and his developer account closed. But the writing may have already been on the wall for this developer, as two of his emulators were removed last month, after Google received complaints from Sega.

Emulators are fair game on PC’s and Macs, why should it be any different here? I’m sure Google has its reasons for going through with this, but for now –seek alternative marketplaces on your Android devices for your emulation goodness.

via Android Markets most popular emulators disappear without a trace update — Engadget.

First Mass Effect 3 screens emerge –this game can’t get here soon enough. Right?

via GameInformer

UPDATE. Looks like this table has been delayed until next year.

Well, as many of you may know, the Stargate series has been given the proverbial axe as the speculation of a Stargate Atlantis movie has all but officially died due to the confirmed dismantling of the Stargate sets at the Burnaby Bridge Studios, which have stood for the last fourteen years. The certain demise, at least for the foreseeable future, of such a beloved franchise has brought a damper to the avid Stargate community.

That being said, I admittedly have not been such the avid Stargate fan over the years. Having only recently joined the fold of Stargate fanatics, I believe many others may have over-looked a great franchise. And while the choice to watch Stargate may have been an obvious choice for some, it certainly was not for me.

What Kept Me Away

I guess I can say that the greatest thing that kept me from adopting the franchise was Star Trek. For many years, this series tickled my science fiction itch on so many levels and I wasn’t ready or willing to let any other series into the fold of shows that garnered my constant attention. I really got into the Star Trek franchise during Star Trek: Voyager and it was my main science fiction show during my high school, as well as my college years. From Voyager, I went on to Star Trek: Enterprise.

I know what many people are saying, "Those weren’t even the best Star Trek series."

Be that as it may, I loved them and filled in the gaps with the Star Trek movies, as well as powering through the more beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. So, as you can see, I had plenty to keep me busy.

Not long after the end of Enterprise and the Star Trek franchise seeing itself in the same situation as we currently see the Stargate franchise in, I was without any sci-fi to watch, then along came Battlestar Galactica. This series proved to be great in its own right, and garnered my attention until 2009 as my series of choice.

From there I wasn’t too sure were to go and was kind of down on the state of sci-fi on television, but was happy to pick on on Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica spin off, however strange it was.

Recommendations Are The Best

I have to honestly say, if not for my brother, I may have never watched a single Stargate episode. He talked on an episode of our podcast about the new series Stargate Universe and how great it was. Ultimately it was his recommendation, along with the notion of an actual spaceship being the main setting in Stargate Universe, that got me on board with the series. From the first episode I was hooked. So ironically, I’m working my way backwards, from Universe.

What Makes It Special

The thing that makes Stargate so great to me aren’t the stargates, although they are great in their own right, it’s the fact that Stargate takes place in our current time. This makes Stargate easier to connect to on a personal level. One of my favorite moments of Stargate Atlantis is when Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is in the infirmary after barely surviving a harsh battle with the wraith, and he’s playing a Nintendo DS. Brilliant. And the references to pop culture don’t stop there. They are vast and brilliantly placed throughout the series. Enough to be special, but not slapping you in the face.

Oh, and about the stargate’s. At first glance, you’d think they are limited as compared to a ship. Well, they are, but they also provide a lot of depth and scenarios that a ship does not provide. The notion of instant travel from one planet to another is not a thing that a science fiction buff can easily turn a blind eye to.

Other than that, like any great series, the real draw is to the strength of the characters. All the main characters are very real and easy to connect to. As you would expect, you have everything from the headstrong military guy to the super smart and witty engineers/scientists that know it all. It’s all there. Not only that, but cameos run all throughout the series. From the one off episodes where a member of another series comes on board, to the arcs that features prominent characters from other popular science fiction series, to characters from either of the aforementioned groups joining on for a permanent spot, it’s all there.

The Franchise As A Whole

I haven’t watched all of SG-1, but  the numerous cameos from various members of SG-1 in Atlantis and Universe are intriguing enough to get me to go back and watch it in its entirety. Not only that, but also to fill in the various gaps and references that are made throughout. Oh, and MacGyver –nuff said.

I have since also gone back and watched the original movie. Really not anything like I initially expected, but I really loved it. It’s a great introduction to the Stargate universe and the staple of the series.

The Rebirth

Obviously everyone in the Stargate community is down about the cancellation of the series, but one thing stands true, Stargate will rise from the ashes. Yep, not long ago, Star Trek was all but dead, and look at it now. Old ideas die, are revised, rebooted, and reborn. It’s only a matter of time before someone realizes what a great franchise it is and look to capitalize on its fan base. We will see Stargate again, mark my words!

Blinky™ from Ruairi Robinson on Vimeo.

Update. For some reason, the creator Ruairi Robinson, made the video private (who knows why). So I’ve replaced it with the trailer. Sorry if you didn’t get to see the full film.

Things with the delightful android, Blinky, go horribly wrong. Great short film and a must watch.

Written, Directed & Edited by Ruairi Robinson.

Starring Max Records from “Where The Wild Things Are”.

Cinematography by Macgregor

Music by Ólafur Arnalds courtesy of Erased Tapes

Funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann / Irish film Board

via One Cool Thing a Day

Smallville, my journey with you has been a trying one. Times when I thought I had rid myself from your persuasive snare you somehow still managed to bring me back into your ever-changing fold. Yes, your following is ever-changing.

The Devout Fan

In one corner, you have the Superman faithful. Those who have followed the multitude of comics and have never been able to let go of the draw of truth, justice, and the American way that is represented by the one who adores the red and blue tights. At first, the hardcore fans may have been disgusted by the notion of a universe in which Clark and Lex could co-exist as best friends, but soon jumped on board the Smallville train to see the modern yet vastly different portrayal of Superman in a somewhat odd but pleasing light. These are the same fans who catch all the nuances and tidbits that are buried within the plot that tend to put a smile on their face as they look on in gratitude for the subtle but juicy morsel.

The Female Audience

In the other corner, you have the teen and young adult female audience, to which many of the narratives of the past ten years have played on. From the Clark and Lana romance that was played upon throughout the early years of the series, to the obvious Lois and Clark romance that has been the plot driver of the later seasons, the love interest of Superman has seemingly been a major draw to keep this demographic on board.

Every Other Guys Who Has Heard Of Superman

Finally, in the last corner, you have the viewers like myself. Whom of which are not  really huge Superman fans, but look at the comic genre from a distance and are ready to admire it whenever we can see something come to the big or small screens. Yes, this is me. And with the lack of good content in this genre (until recently) in said media spaces, my demographic of viewer will chomp at the bit to see almost anything. With a lack of understanding of the greater Superman universe, we can look on and take in much of the series as just being something cool and new, and not be jaded by the multitude of liberties taken with the series, while trying to stomach the romance as much as possible.

And after ten years of being on the air, I dare say that many of the Smallville following have left the series at one time or another, only to come back and be more and more disappointed. Ever-changing? Maybe a more appropriate choice of words would be ever-dwindling.

Ratings

According to Wikipedia, episode ratings peaked around the second season, and have been on an almost steady decline ever since. Season one had around 8.4 million viewers for the season premiere and 3.8 million viewers for the season finale, while season nine viewership was around 2.98 and 2.45 million. These number could easily backup my point, or it could be the result of the steady decline in overall television ratings, or is could simply be due to the burnout of a series running for ten years.

A Chance To Save Us All

All my aforementioned points could easily be forever forgotten by the hope of the closing episodes of Smallville’s tenth and final season. One thing about us Americans, for all the wrong in the world, if you do something great, we’ll forgot it like it never happened. Michael Vick, Kobe Bryant –I’m looking at you. But then again, there are numerous instances where the potential for the much anticipated redemption story never came to pass. Chris Brown anybody. I guess the only question I can really have for Smallville as we await on the airing of the final episodes is whom will they be? It all rests in their hands, but then again, I guess they know that.