My Kingdom for a Bath

Last night, I dreamed that I took a bath and my cast got wet, then fell off. I don't remember the last time I took a bath, rather than a shower, but having to rely on my husband for sponge baths to get clean has me wishing I could soak in just about any body of water.

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Blog Keyword Index for Blogger

Although Blogger is a reliable, free blogging service, it is lacking in indexing capabilities as it only provides archiving by time, but not categories, keywords or tags. Yesterday, I wrote about using del.icio.us tagging combined with template changes to provide categories. del.icio.us has a new feature, tagrolls, which makes adding a keyword index to a blog simple. While the directions below are written with Blogger in mind, they can be used with most blog services which allow template customization. Here are the steps:

1. Tag blog entries using del.icio.us. Make sure that you add a unique identifier for your blog. For example, I use JanineWhite as a tag on all of my blog entries, as well as whatever keywords describe the entry.
2. Configure a tagroll for you del.icio.us account. Set the size to the highest setting to ensure that all keywords show up. Adjust the max font and min font to the largest sizes you want your keywords to have. If you want them all to be the same size, set the sliders to the same location. The max font cannot be smaller than the min font and the min font cannot be smaller than the max font, so adjusting one may adjust the other. I made my max font and min font the same size. Change the max font and min font colors to match your blog, as desired. I blanked out the title and unchecked icon so that I can format the heading for the list myself. I suggest leaving sort on alphabetical for a keyword list. For flow, select list. If you want to know how many del.icio.us entries per tag you have, select tag counts.
3. Copy the tagroll code into the sidebar of your template.
4. Modify the tagroll code to only pull the keywords related to your blogs by adding a forward slash and your unique identifier after your del.icio.us account link. For example, in my code http://del.icio.us/feeds/js/tags/jiwhite becomes http://del.icio.us/feeds/js/tags/jiwhite/JanineWhite.
5. Save the template and republish the blog to see the changes.

Unfortunately, del.icio.us does not have additive searching. Although only tags associated with blog entries will show up in the keyword list, unless you only use your del.icio.us account to track your blog entries, when you click on the keyword links in the sidebar, all del.icio.us entries associated with the tag will be displayed.

If you enjoyed this entry, then digg it.

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Blog Categories for Blogger

Blogger, the free blog service I'm using for this blog, does not directly support categories, keywords nor tags for entries. While this is a distinct disadvantage for active bloggers wanting a better indexing system than time for their blogs, there are workarounds. I'm in the process of adding categories to my blog using a combination of tagging my entries in del.icio.us and providing links in the blog's side bar. Although I'm doing it manually, there are several different ways to accomplish adding categories to Blogger blogs using del.icio.us. See the references below for detailed instructions. The current hacks are less than optimal because people are directed off of my blog to see the other entries, but it's better than nothing. So far, I've only tagged entries going back a couple of months. By the end of next week, all of my entries should be tagged.

Some references for getting categories and tags into Blogger:
3 ways to use del.icio.us for categories in blogger
Blogger Categories Revamped
Tagging in Google's adopted baby
technorati and delicious tagging

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Doctor's Visit

My recovery is going well. My ankle is hurting less than my back and hip. I haven't taken any pain medication since Sunday night. I got out of the bedroom and the house today for the first time since the surgery for a doctor's visit with Dr. Discont. They took x-rays to be certain that the pins for the second ligament were still set properly, which looked good. I asked if I could be switched to a lighter cast to take some pressure off my back and hip, but Dr. Discont explained that my current cast is specially designed to keep pressure off the ligaments. At my next appointment, the cast will be replaced with a temporary cast that will be removable for showers, but still will not be a walking cast. Since it won't be changed for two weeks, poeple at work will have a chance to sign it.

We also rented a wheelchair and purchased grab bars to install around toilet. I'm using crutches to lift myself up and down, which works, but is not as safe as I would like. The wheelchair makes it much easier to get around and will be very useful at work. The wheelchair doesn't fit through the bedroom door, so I still have to use the walker most of the time at home.

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Cold Turkey

This morning I woke up in little pain (3/4 out of 10), but rather nauseous. I wanted to take the Hydrocodone, but I decide to go cold turkey. I have been feeling shaky and nauseous as the medication wears off. I don't want to get physically addicted to it, so I chose to stick with sleeping and cold packs to handle my pain today. I've been able to eat some toast and grapes as my nausea abates.

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Independence

As my pain starts to recede and I'm more lucid, having to rely on others for help is difficult for me. Early this morning while Jim was asleep, I knocked over the portable air cleaner and laptop trying to reach my medicine and glasses, which had fallen between the bed and side table. I woke him up to turn on the lights and help pick up the things that had fallen. He turned on the light and picked up my things, but then started cleaning my side table. I felt that my space was being violated and asked him to stop. He wouldn't stop until I used our code word, "blue," which means stop the argument and take a break immediately. My world has suddenly gotten very small. I haven't been out of the bedroom since I came home from the surgery. Jim was trying to be helpful with too little sleep, but I felt that what was left of my independence was being stripped. We worked it out. Jim understands that I appreciate his help, but I am struggling to let him help me and I still want to do what I can.

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Ow!

Yesterday evening, my doctor was sweet and called to check up on me. He explained that he had repaired the extremely loose ligament and added an extra piece from another tendon for extra support, given the issues I've had with my ankle. I told him that I was feeling a bit nauseous, but handling it with Coca Cola and Tums. He said that was handling it correctly and not to be afraid to page him on call if I felt I needed a prescription for the nausea or if my pain got worse.

I woke up this morning with my analgesic wearing off. The muscles I'm using to compensate for not using my leg, including my abs, back, arms and chest are sore from holding me up. My ankle is also much more painful. I took two Hydrocodone and am using a cold pack which is cutting down the pain to a bearable level (7/8 out of 10) and doing things like writing this entry and petting the cats to get my mind off of the pain and relax. On the bright side, although my throat is a bit sore from the intubation, I'm feeling significantly less nauseous.

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Surgery Done

We had a bit of an adventure getting to surgery at Physician's Surgery Center this morning. I was given instructions that I had to be there at 5 AM. We arrived 20 minutes early, then waited until 5 AM, but still no one was there. We left a note on the door and called my doctor's answering service to have them call us when they opened. While we were at McDonald's just down the road making a pit stop and getting Jim a Diet Coke, they both called. Dr. Discont was on his way and wasn't sure why the center wasn't open, yet. It turned out that I had missed the voicemail that said that I didn't need to be there until 5:45 AM. The doctor's office was probably confused because other surgery centers require check in an hour and a half before surgery.

Once we got back everything went very smoothly. I changed into a hospital gown and left a sample for a last minute pregnancy test, needed beauce I had done my pre-op bloodwork before we went to Kauai and they have to have a pregnancy test within two weeks of the surgery. The staff was very helpful and the facilities are beautiful, for example, there are extremely comfy leather recliners in the pre-op room, rather than hospital beds. They ended up needing to do the longer procedure that requires harvesting tissue from another part of the ankle to reconstruct the ligament. After surgery, I woke up nauseous in post-op and was given some medication for it. I also got some more medication for the pain. I hadn't been told that I would need to get my mobility aids myself before surgery, so Jim had gone out and purchased a pair of crutches and a walker while I was in surgery. Overall, I would highly recommend Physician's Surgery Center and all of the attending physicians and staff who took care of me.

My lower leg is encased in a traditional hard cast. It's a good thing that we bought a massage table several weeks ago because it will make it much easier to bathe at home. I can only have sponge baths until I get changed to a removable cast in one to two weeks.

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Ankle Surgery Tomorrow

I'm all recovered from the viral upper respiratory infection we had last week while we were in Kauai, except for huge cold sore which is healing. The sinus surgery that I had last year made it bearable and I didn't get a secondary bacterial infection, like I normally would have, which is a huge blessing. The cats have all pretty much recovered from their infections, too, although Vixen did manage to spray me with a sneeze once yesterday for good measure. My ankle surgery is scheduled for 6:30 AM tomorrow morning, which means that I have to check in at 5 AM, which means that we have to leave the house by 4:30 AM, which means that I have to get up at 4 AM. As a night person, I hate that, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I am preparing myself for the mental and physical ordeal of recovery. I had a broken wrist when I was very young, which I don't remember as being overwhelmingly painful. Waking up from surgey on my ankle should be less traumatic than waking up from sinus surgery last year. This afternoon in physical therapy I had Laura, my Physical Therapist, give me some exercises I can do to keep my back and hip as healthy as possible while I'm stuck in bed the next couple of weeks. I'll be going shopping this evening for entertainment. My Dad, who is a Physician, will be visiting for a week starting Sunday and our new Assistant will be starting full-time next week. I also have a plan to finish tax preparations and program a web site while I'm down for the count. Between analagesics, exercises and keeping my mind busy, I expect as quick a recovery as possible.

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identity<>reputation

Today I watched the OSCON 2005 Keynote presentation, Identity 2.0, by Dick Hardt, the CEO of Sxip. The presentation is very engaging and direct. I then read Hardt's blog entry discussing identity=reputation and competing blog entries by Marco Barulli at Clipperz, identity is not reputation and by Phil Whindley, Owning Identity, Not Reputation or Transactions. The core of Hardt's argument is that universal, independent identity verification for the web is needed for the convenience of both individuals and commercial interests. Identity according to Hardt is not just who one is, but also what they like and their reputation. Whindley doesn't define identity, but he does specifically state that it is not transactional data nor is it reputation. Barulli references a slide from Hardt's presentation the defines identity as "who you are." While I enjoyed Hardt's presentation, I believe that saying that identity equals reputation is a mistake because it confounds authentication and authorization.

Authentication is the process of proving that an individual is who they say they are. Authentication is established by something that one is, i.e., fingerprints or retinal scan, something that one has, i.e., an identification card, and/or something that one knows, i.e., a password. One might think that authentication by something one is would be the strongest form of authentication, but in practice biometrics can be spoofable. The more types of authentication that are incorporated in a system, the more likely that system is to be able to correctly determine that an individual is who they say they are. For example, ATM authentication uses two-factor authentication, something one has, an ATM card, and something one knows, a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Authentication establishes identity, who someone is. Authorization is the process of allowing privileges to a known individual. Increased authorization is earned based on trust and reputation. Authentication must proceed Authorization to ensure a secure environment where the right people can perform needed or desired actions. Hardt appears to be skipping the question of authentication and skipping directly to authorization. Web sites could share authorization levels based on trust of established reputation, but only once the question of authentication has been settled for an individual. A single appliance can perform both functions, but they must be done in the proper order to establish a secure environment. As long as Hardt confounds the concepts of authentication and authorization in his notion of identity, security professionals will have difficulty buying into his framework.

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Wild Chickens

One of the most amusing parts of visiting Kauai is seeing wild chickens everywhere. According to our Polynesian Adventure Tours guide, there are more jungle fowl than people on Kauai. I've also seen Gallus gallus called moa, red jungle fowl and Polynesian jungle fowl. The jungle fowl were introduced to Kauai and the other Hawaiian islands as a food source by the Polynesians centuries ago.

The jungle fowl are most plentiful on Kauai because it is the only island to which mongoose were not introduced. The mongoose were introduced to the Hawaiian islands to control the rat population. Unfortunately, one is nocturnal while the other is diurnal, so they never meet and most of the islands ended up infested with both rats and mongoose. The mongoose are a scourge because they eat the eggs of ground fowl, like the jungle fowl and the endangered Nene goose. Kauai avoided the mongoose because, when they were brought to the island, one of the mongoose bit the king, who then ordered the entire shipment drown in the ocean. There is also a small island off Kauai, Lihau, which is predominantly inhabited by rabbits because when the rabbits were brought to Kauai, they reminded the king of the mongoose and they were ordered to be abandonded there.

There are several species, including jungle fowl, pigs, goats and deer, that were introduced to the island for food. Only the jungle fowl and pigs have no hunting season. They cannot be taken on Federal land. They can be taken on County land. However, there is a $500 fine for having an animal on County land. If you trap a chicken on County land, it's now your animal on County land and you can be fined for it. Anywhere on Kauai that they are not fenced in, the jungle fowl can be hunted without the use of guns. They continue to be a meat staple on the island. The eggs can also be eaten. However, people shouldn't eat chicken eggs they find lying around on the island because they don't know how long the eggs have been there and they are likely to be fertile, unlike the vast majority of commercially produced eggs. Most hens in modern commercial farms have never seen a rooster.

Jungle fowl, Gallus gallus, are the only ancestors of modern chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus. There is concern about the species survival because they can and do crossbreed with modern chickens. One study found that 96% of the jungle fowl on Kauai has interbred to some extent with mondern chickens. We saw many examples where this had clearly occured. During one of the hurricanes that hit the island in recent times a poultry farm was hit and modern white chickens were scattered in with the local jungle fowl population. It is not unusual to see chickens that are part jungle fowl and part white chicken on Kauai. Another possible threat to jungle fowl that is currently of concern in other parts of the world is the Asian bird flu. However, I have not found any reports of it in the Hawaiian islands.

Although they are very beautiful and many people mention them in passing and post pictures of them on the Internet, I was surprised by how difficult it is to find reliable information about the jungle fowl online. Here are the few references I could find that I consider reliable and more information on Hawaii:

• Encyclopedia.com


• Checklist of the Birds of the ABA Pacific Region


• The status and degree of hybridisation of Red Junglefowl on three islands - a comment


• Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources


• Hunting in Hawaii

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We made it

We made it to Kauai yesterday, despite both being sick with a cold/flu. I almost couldn't believe it. Now that I'm here, I have to say, if you have to be miserable, you might as well be miserable in Hawaii. Kauai is lush and beautiful, very humid and green. Yesterday, we didn't leave the resort, Embassy Vacation Resort Poipu Point, once we settled in. Today, we went out to go grocery shopping and stopped to take pictures along the way. We stopped at a tourist trap store along the way and saw a gallon of milk for over $8, but then left and found our way to a local grocery store with prices a little higher than at home, but not completely ridiculous. We also stopped at a marina, where I photographed a flock of wild chickens for a while, and a beautiful overlook. Along with the usual battery of cold and breathing aids, Claritin, Sudafed, Entex and Albuterol, the Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care tea and chelated zinc lozenges are helping me to feel better.

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La Stalla Cucina Rustica

Last November, when my mother was visiting, we tried a new restaurant, La Stalla Cucina Rustica, in downtown Chandler across the street from the entrance to the Hotel San Marcos, where we had rented a car for her use during her visit. The last time I had been in the area, the restaurant had specialized in very tasty New Mexican cuisine. The current switch to gourmet Italian food turned out to be a disappointing one. The appetizer I had, baked mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto, was too salty and too oily. The veal entree I had was more appetizing, but not outstanding. The service was disappointing. With the prices being charged, the waiter should be quick with the refills and never refer to a patron as Dude. The decor was very nice, but the faults in the food and the service did not provide a good overall value.

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Nerdiness

I couldn't resist checking my Nerd Score when someone at work posted his. I'm not a Nerd God like Josh, but I'm pretty close, a Supreme Nerd. Playing Dungeons and Dragons and knowing what Sir Isaac Newton looked like probably pushed my score up, but I wasn't sure which element Mn is, so I just guessed.

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