Fixing “invalid command…” When Trying to Start Apache

This is just an FYI post for those honorable and brave techies who would rather geek out with OS-level files and settings than let MAMP have all the fun.  Actually, I had MAMP installed and I uninstalled it because I felt… cheated some how.  I mean, it handled everything; the setup of Apache, MySQL, and PHP!  It didn’t leave me anything to do but use them – how quaint!  So, I decided to re-enable these tools in the native environment and live up to my esteemed title of grandeur… Geek! lol!

MySQL was up and running in no time, and I also got the latest MySQL Workbench to manage it.  PHP was a snap to setup because I had this configuration before, so I just used the old PHP.ini.  Apache, on the other hand, decided to cause me some grief.  I kept getting this message in my logs…

I remembered that unix files sometimes has problems if the document type/encoding is not setup correctly, and I noticed my file setting in TextWrangler…

Notice the Western (Mac OS Roman) and Classic Mac (CR) settings.  This will NOT work!  At least not for me.  I resolved the issue by changing this file to a unix file like this…

After this change, I restart the Apache Controller with:

… and Apache started right up with no issues.

I hope this helps someone!  Cheers!

Remove Email Addresses from GMail Auto-Complete List

I had someone ask how to get rid of email addresses from the auto-complete list in GMail.  I did some searching and found a couple of solutions that I could piece together to finally get the results I was looking for.  The solution is not straight-forward, but its not complicated either.  Basically there are three steps…

1. Delete the contact from your contacts list.  If you want to keep the contact but not have one of its email addresses show up in the auto-complete list, just edit the contact and remove the email address you don’t want.
2. Search ALL MAIL for the email address you don’t want.  When you have the results, delete them all.  If you don’t do this, the email address will continue to appear in the list… sorry, but I have not found a work-around for this!
3. Lastly, empty the trash folder to permanently remove the emails that reference the email address.

Refresh you GMail page and you should be good to go! I hope this works for you as it did for me.  If there are alternative solutions you know of please just drop me a line!  :)

The Gerbil Mentality

I am not going to sugar-coat anything in this post.  I will get straight to the point and share with you some information that will revolutionize your life if you will be willing to hear.  I have been thinking and meditating on the spiritual condition of humanity at large; specifically, us in America.  The general results of my analysis is that the majority of Americans are living in a daze; like mindless zombies who walk around without realizing they are dead!  But this is not the picture you are sold by society; no, no, no!  You are made to feel as though you are “normal” and that you “fit in”, and are given names and titles in support of this idea like: “Great American” and “Model Citizen”.  These names sound good, and they are labels that identify you as one of us!  This is not totally a bad thing though.  I mean, really, I want to surround myself by Great Americans and Model Citizens because the alternatives are much less appealing… and hazardous to my safety, peace of mind and general welfare, if you know what I mean.

So, why do I say we Americans are for the most part, walking around in a daze?  Because we are.  We have sacrificed our free will and ability to think for ourselves in order to be “normal” according to society which includes the aspect of religion.  We are sold the social package that says if you believe what government and religion tells you without question, then you are “normal” and are “one of us”!  If you are one who seeks truth… real truth, then you have to question things like our World View, Form of Government and Established Religions.  Why question them? Because I am one of a few people on this planet who believes and knows there is more to life, living and existence than what is taught in school, extracted from sermons, leaked by the media and revealed in the State of the Union address!  Sadly, most of us live our entire lives in reliance on these sources alone.  They believe what they are told, they live how they are told and yes, they even think how they are told!  Just like gerbils on a wheel, in a cage!

Have you ever watched a gerbil? They are cute, furry and tons of entertainment for the masters who keep them locked inside an illusion of freedom. Why do I say an illusion of freedom? Because the gerbil is made to think it is in a natural environment because the masters have provided pacifying luxuries to keep it happy and content.  For example, the gerbil wheel is there to allow the gerbil to exercise and stay fit for the ongoing illusion of freedom by tricking him into thinking he is running, but he is actually going nowhere and just… spinning his wheels!  He was designed and created to be free to roam and live without boundaries in an open and free environment, but the masters have taken the real freedom away and replaced it with a false freedom that keeps the little guy busy and occupied, wearing himself out, but going nowhere!

They even have gerbil cities!  These are large gerbil homes that the masters have provided for the gerbil at the low cost of dumbed-down thinking, blind-acceptance of whatever is given and the ongoing entertainment of living in the illusion.  The gerbil city has lots of tubes that cross, intertwine and intersect that gives the gerbil the illusion that it is freely roaming around in very upscale, polished and colorful tunnels.  Right on schedule, the gerbil will navigate the false tunnels in search of the food and water provided by the masters.  These yuppie gerbils have no idea that their journeys have all been done inside a cage that keeps them bound and confined at the very same time they think they have the ultimate freedom!

Why am I telling you this?  Because I don’t want you to end up like the gerbil; living in an illusion of freedom without the knowledge that it is actually NOT free!

You must understand that this life we have been given by God, our Creator is much more valuable than society wants you to believe.  You were created with purpose, power and spiritual provision to accomplish pure greatness in your span of life on this planet and in this time.  If you are not careful, society and its standards for normality, will keep you from achieving your greatness and the ability to use who you are to be a blessing to others.

No, I am not saying that you should be a wild-haired maverick and break all the rules of social order.  America is a wonderful place and I enjoy being an American with all my heart! But I am saying that you should be free enough to think for yourself, and question things that don’t make sense (which, by-the-way is a right of American citizenship).  The gerbil; in contrast, accepts whatever the masters give him because he has been tricked into believing that the creators of his illusion have his best intrest in mind; when actually, the masters only want to be entertained by the cute stupidity of the gerbil!

We are not gerbils, we are spiritual beings created by a spiritual Creator.  We are intelligent and profound.  We are elegant and wonderful. We are special and destined for greatness. Stop blindly accepting everything you are told by Washington Politicians, Media Personalities and Religious Leaders!

Research what politicians say so that their scare-tactics don’t have you running on a wheel in a cage!

Research for yourself what the media passes on to you as information and news; so that you are not waiting for the masters to drop food and water into the illusory cage of trust for you to consume and blindly accept!

Study the bible and other resources from history, archeology and science to see for yourself if the religious leaders are actually presenting you with the Word of God; so that you know for yourself if you are living in the light and love of God, and not deceiving yourself in the polished and colorful tubes of false hope and religion.

Do you think for yourself, with your own mind?  Or, do you have a “Gerbil Mentality” where you blindly accept whatever you are told for the entertainment of the masters and at the expense of your real freedom?

Real-World BizTalk

Some very wise individual once said, “The right tool for the right job!”.  How true this is.  I have been in IT software development for almost 25 years and have seen the evolution of application programming from TI-BASIC to Paradox Databases to IBM RPG/COBOL to Visual Basic to C/C++ to Java to C#; and that is only a partial picture of the stuff I have done.  With all of that experience under my belt – and then some, the one thing I have learned is this… Application/System development is easy – if you use the right tool(s).

Now, here is the wisdom of the trade – not all tools are cut out to do what they are supposed to!  That’s right, sometimes you will find software development tools that are touted to make the task of application development easier and better; however, they actually make things worse!  So, we have to stop trying to be “cool” and “trendy” with our programming prowess and become real software engineers who design and develop to the need to produce sound, reliable and easily maintainable code.

This brings me to my primary topic of using BizTalk Server in the real world or, at least, in my world since this post is about my lessons learned in using BTS.  Now, I must first say that BTS is a very powerful tool and “can” be a huge source of application development ease, happiness and bliss!  But as usual, we always find a way to bring out the worst in everything.  Here are some things you should never, ever, never, ever, never, never-ever do with BTS in my opinion…

1. Don’t use BTS in an ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) capacity of any kind!  It simply is not built for this type of data management.  Use Informatica or SSIS but don’t use BTS for this.
2. Don’t use the BRE (Business Rules Engine) unless you have a very basic set of rules that can be managed by someone other than a developer!  I believe the BRE was designed for Business Analysts to manipulate/manage BRE information.  There are ways to implement the BRE in a programmer-heavy way but I don’t recommend it.  If you have very complex business rules to drive you system functionality, you should code them in a class library.  This will make them easy to manage/maintain and you don’t have to have a BTS pro on-hand to change a minor business rule.
3. Don’t try to use BTS for everything!  Sometimes, all you need is a quick console application or class to perform a certain task.  Why use BTS and have to set up schemas, pipelines, maps, orchestrations and still need a helper class to do something that could be done very quickly.  Be smart, be simple and be happy!

Now, as I said before, BTS is a powerful tool so, if you are going to use it, use it to make things better.  Here are a couple of things I like about BTS and it’s uses…

1. BTS should be the goto solution for hosting XML Web Services – hands down!  An orchestration can be setup as a web service, receive the XML from the user, make decisions about processing that data and send the request to downstream systems or initiate processes based on that data.  This thought almost brings me to tears of joy!
2. BTS is an awesome system integration powerhouse!  If you have multiple, diverse systems in-house that must be in communication with each other to provide a total working solution for your company, then BTS is for you!

I am glad that I have some BizTalk experience because used in smart ways, it can be one of the most helpful and powerful tools in your company’s tool chest.

Get Ready For Change!

It must have been a dark and gloomy day for the Buggy makers of America (as in Horse and Buggy) when the automobile began to take center stage as the people’s choice for transportation.  How about deep impact thrust upon candle makers and oil lamp makers as the light bulb entered the human space?  What about the sudden decline of passenger train patrons as the airplane became common place?  And, let us not the forget the hurt feelings of carrier pigeons all over the world when the post office took over!  Ok, the carrier pigeons are a little over the top but at least you can see my point!

Times are changing very rapidly and people need to get ready for the changes that are emerging.  Stop trying to fight progress and just get on board and ride the train with the rest of us.  Here are a few things that I consider inevitable changes that will come regardless of what we think so, we may as well get ready for the changes…

1. Say Goodbye to the USPS! – The post office is going to go “bye-bye” because it just can’t compete with email, online bill-pay,  and instant social media interaction.
2. Desktops and Laptops are On Their Way Out! – We are so close to Tablet Computers and Hugely Functional Mobile Phones taking over all our computing needs. As soon as you can dock you mobile phone and/or tablet device and have a printer, keyboard, large screen and access to the “Cloud”, the internet cafe will have to transition into Public Mobile Docking Cafe’s.
3. Paper is so… over! – People just keep trying to hang on to the largest source of waste the world has ever seen! (in my own unscientific opinion of course!). It’s time to stop killing the trees and make the plunge into the pool of the digital age.   We keep procrastinating but face it people… the end of paper is near!

Now, these are just my personal ramblings as I did something that tends to get me into trouble… think!  I don’t know about you but I really think that there is merit in what I am saying regarding these coming changes.

Drop me a note and let me know what you think.

BizTalk Scopes and SQL Data Objects

If I had hair to pull out I would have done it today!  Fortunately, I am not sadistic enough to scratch away the skin from my bald head; rather, I chose a more technically viable approach to solving my problem.

I have a Sequential Convoy orchestration which employs a long-running scope to contain the processing and convoy loop.  Inside the scope, I use an Expression Shape to call a C# method inside a serialized class that has some SQL data objects defined…

namespace XXXXX.YYYYY.HelperClasses
{
[Serializable]
public class ProcessBusinessLogic
{

SqlConnection cnPOLICIES;
SqlDataReader drPOLICIES;

}

The orchestration enters the scope, instantiates the class and invokes the method which finishes normally.  The orchestration then tries to route a message to a folder via a Send Shape which throws this error…

Type ‘System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection’ in Assembly ‘System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089′ is not marked as serializable.

I also get this error for the data reader that is defined.  I could not for the life of me figure out why my orchestration was throwing a SQL error until I did a bit of research – like most of the days worth; and found that orchestrations will attempt to serialize everything in memory when it initializes a Scope Shape, Send Shape, etc.  Well, because SQL objects are not serializable,I was destined to get this error.  I opted to fix this by specifically indicating in the C# code that the objects are not to be serialized.  So, my code simply changed to this…

namespace XXXXX.YYYYY.HelperClasses
{
[Serializable]
public class ProcessBusinessLogic
{

[NonSerialized] SqlConnection cnPOLICIES;
[NonSerialized] SqlDataReader drPOLICIES;

}

Now, I am a happy camper and can move on to the next task.  I know there are other ways to have addressed this; however, this is what worked for me.  I hope it can help someone else too.

Code BizTalk Business Rules in C# vs BRE When You Can

So, I already know that there will likely be vehement opposition to this post but that’s cool – that’s what being in America is all about… the opportunity to offer unsolicited opinions freely!

We worked on a BizTalk Server (BTS) project last year that afforded us the opportunity to learn lots of lessons.  One of the biggest I learned is that the Business Rule Engine (BRE) is good; however, it is not the panacea for all things BizTalk.  I think it should be used strategically; which means analysis and planning (this is a struggle for many IT shops), and good design as to how the BRE will interact in the overall solution and the enterprise.  The project we did had over 800 business rules, all of which made calls to helper classes for processing – interesting… if our rules are so complex that we are going to call helper classes written in C# for additional processing (and they are), then why not simply code the rules in C# business rule classes to begin with and eliminate the BRE layer altogether?  Stop cringing – it’s not taboo!

Now, for simple projects that have rules that are also simple enough to process without helper classes; I say, OK go for it.  But for complex rules, I prefer to code Rules Classes/Librairies in C# thus creating an enterprise business rule layer.  This is what we did on our current project and we were able to complete the rules phase of the project in a fraction of the time we spent on the first project.

So, my point is not to rule out the BRE, but simply to use it strategically. Software solutions can be robust, functional and appealing with very simple vs complex coding and development approaches.

One more point to make with my preference is that if something ever changes or goes awry with the business rules, a .NET coder can take a look at the problem without having to come up-to-speed on the BRE.

Just my thoughts!

Blackberry or iPhone?

A friend of mine asked me if I thought the iPhone was a real business phone like the blackberry.  Now, I have the iPod Touch but will be getting an iPhone as soon as my current contract expires but, the devices are the same with the exception of the built-in voice capabilities of a phone.  I responded to her and thought I would share that response with you…

It really depends on what you really want.  Now, the blackberry is a great communications device (i.e. Voice, emal, scheduling, etc.); however, that’s where it stops even though RIM touts it can do more.  It can – just not very efficiently.  You can put music files on it and use Twitter and so forth but it was not designed for that functionality even though it supports it and has an app store to get applications from. The blackberry is a business communications device and if that is all you are interested in then I say that is the way to go.

When it comes to the iPhone, you are really talking a mini computer.  In fact, many people, amongst whom I am counted, consider the iPhone Apple’s netbook computer. The iPhone is not just a great business communications device for Voice, email, calendar but it is designed to provide all the other things that round out our lives (i.e., Music, Video, Photos, Personal and Business applications, Games, Utilities, and more!).  If it were not for the fact that I am a coder and need a desktop/laptop sized system to do that work, the only device I would have period would be the iPhone!

My Applications:

1. I connect to my personal Gmail, calendars, contacts, notes and my business MS Exchange/Outlook email, calendars, contacts and notes. Calendars and contacts, etc. are synchronized too.
2. I use Documents To Go® which is essentially Word, Excel and PowerPoint on my iPhone. My documents are wirelessly transferred to my iMac and my Windows Laptop to be printed or, I can print them directly to any wireless printer from the iPhone. Very cool.
3. I use an app called 1Password to store encrypted information such as personal numbers, account information, passwords, etc.  It’s like having a mobile locked file cabinet.
4. I use an app call ToDo® to manage my tasks and projects.  This app allows you to track projects with groups of tasks just like MS Project but without timeline GUIs and such. Powerful application!
5. I use another app (Free) called EverNote®. This application allows me to take notes on my iPhone (text, voice, photo) and synch them to my EverNote web account then to any other computer (PC, Mac, etc) that has the free client installed.  Or, I can just use the web interface.  In short, NO MORE PAPER NOTES!!  Yay!! J
6. I use the FedEx Tracking application (free) – self explanatory.
7. I use the Amazon.com application (free).
8. I use the YellowPages application (free).
9. I use an app called PocketMoney to manage my personal and business finances with budgeting.
10. I use Mantis Bible Study which is not just a KJV bible, but also ASV, NIV, Commentaries, Dictionaries, Devotionals and books.  In short, I keep my entire bible study library with me at all times.
11. I use the WordPress Blog application to manage my BBQ blog, my Personal/Political blog and my Ministry blog.  I can create/edit posts with pictures and update my blog from a florida beach if I want.
12. I use an app called Lose It® to keep track of my daily nutritional counts, meals, etc.
13. I use an app call iBP to track and monitor my High Blood Pressure stats.
14. I use the free Kindle application to purchase, read and manage my eBooks of all categories.
15. I use the Tweetie Twitter application.
16. I use the Facebook application.
17. I use the Skype application.
18. I manage LinkedIN with their application.

I use all these applications on a regular basis; not to mention, my 1300 songs, 10 Movies, 6 TV show episodes and 3000 photos!  The web browser is Mobile Safari and is a better browser than most on the desktop!  Lastly, there are enough games to keep you occupied til the Lord comes back!

So, after all that, and I haven’t mentioned everything I do with iPhone, that is how I use the device.  Anyone who says the iPhone is not a business device is likely someone who is simply not keen on Apple as a company.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Just because the device can do just about everything you need and do so in a seamless manner, does not mean it’s not a business unit.

Again, it just depends on what you need your device to do.  I hope this helps!

The GOP Does Not Get It!

Today, the RNC Chairman, Michael Steele addressed the republican party in the traditional party style of feeding lots of character demeaning “red meat”; however, it was presented with a good deal of eloquence.  No doubt though, Mr. Steele is a very intelligent and articulate person.  I must disagree with his position that Pres. Obama and the new administration are catalysts of a mysterious impending doom that in republican party ideology, is inherent with all democrats.  What I heard today was more name calling, character assassination and party demonizing – nothing has change with the RNC.  This is why the GOP does not get it!

America voted for Pres. Obama because he offered change to this great country in a time when we were all suffering from a very real since of political, economic, educational, medical and moral stagnation.  I’m sorry Mr. Steele, but for the first time in decades, America has a chance to move forward as a country, resume her place as the worlds greatest super-power and live up the promises of the constitution, made to all Americans regardless of political party.  This is what Pres. Obama has promised and this is what America voted for in this historic election.

In a little over 100 days of service, draped in constant criticism and complaint, the President has already begun to make good on his promises to America.  The GOP laughs at Pres. Obama’s actions and shuns them as inadequate and reckless.  That’s OK, you are Americans and you can say what you want.  But irrational speech will always be upended by positive results.  We will see very shortly how effective this administration is, and how important it is for the RNC and the DNC to step outside their respective political boxes and see that America is changing!

America does not need strong republicans, neither do we need strong democrats.  What we need is strong leadership across the board who are interested only in what’s best for America.  America is in the middle of a massive political paradigm shift.  America is on a much needed path to change.  America is on its way to an unparalleled world status, and the only way that is possible is through change.

America wants and needs change, the word of Mr. Steele shows that the RNC wants to rely on the policies and ideologies of the past… the GOP just does not get it!

Making Twitter Enjoyable For You!

A good thing abused or misused becomes very bad very fast.  I have been a Twitter user for less than 3 months and I have already learned some valuable lessons that I hope will be helpful to you.

Don’t Follow Everyone Who Follows You

Twitter is a social media phenom that highly encourages personal interaction via the internet; but personal interaction none-the-less.  This means relationship building.  Take from me; a guy who has been married almost 23 years – relationships take time!  You have to get to know a person before you commit to anything long term.  I feel that Twitter is no different.  If someone (who is not some automated Twit-Bot) follows you; let them follow and interact a bit before you follow them in return.  Force people to get to know you a bit before you follow them in return.  At least attempt to strike up some sort of interaction to see if you and the follower are compatible Twitter-Friends.

Know What Your Interests Are and Publish Them

I know Twitter is founded on the concept of random thoughts and musings; but if you want a quality Twitter experience, you need attract people who are like-minded.  Make sure your Twitter Profile clearly indicates what intrests you.  This way, prospective follower will not be surprised when you post certain types of tweets.  This also establishes boundaries and rules for what you are willing to discuss or participate in.   For example, if you profile clearly states that you are 100% supportive of the consumption of Baby Back Ribs, then a person who despises carnivorous BBQ eaters will know right away that you are not the person to follow!

Don’t Be Afraid to Clean Up Your Twitter House

Ok, so it was late and you did not have any coffee all day – and you followed a bunch of people who followed you and – you have absolutely nothing in common.  What do you do?  Clean up your followers list – I emphasize “Your Followers”.  These are people who chose to follow you but you are under no obligation to follow back.  You are obligated to be true to yourself and your interests.  Remember, noone had held any of us at gunpoint and forced us to be Tweeps!  It was our own decision and by golly we can do it our way!  Don’t worry about hurting anyones feelings if you unfollow them – really – it’s ok to move on!

In conclusion, remember that Twitter is supposed to be fun as well as free!  If your Twitter experience seems to be more of a chore, then maybe you have one of the issues I listed above.