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This requires a little code hacking but it’s pretty simple. Open up: wp-includes/classes.php and find function: start_el

After the if else block that sets the value of the $css_class variable add the following code:


$url = get_page_link($page->ID);
$post_url = get_post_meta($page->ID, "url", true);
if ( $post_url ) {
    $url = $post_url;
}


and then remove get_page_link($page->ID) from the following line<a href="' get_page_link($page->ID) . '".... and replace it with $url: <a href="' . $url . '"

Now log in and edit the page or post you wish to specify a customized url for. Add a ‘Custom Field’ with key: ‘url‘ and a value of the full url (including http://) that you wish to send users to. The screenshot below shows the completed hack. NOTE: This will get wiped out next time you upgrade! I’ve also used the same logic to show/hide posts and pages from the menu systems.

I’ve always been a fan of non-motorized adrenalin sports. This evolution of skydiving certainly wins hands down: http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=4262

1. Check out files from a Subversion server.

Right click on the folder where you want to save the files and select SVN Checkout:

Copy and paste or type the url of the repository and click OK:

Confirmation screen indicating that a folder called ‘resources’ and a file called AssetMapping.pdf were downloaded successfully:

(more…)

In response to an energy conservation challenge initiatied by BC Hydro, our home has set a goal to use 15% less power this year. Using less electricity is going to be a challenge as we have already done all the easy things like change our lightbulbs to CFLs and fanatically turning off lights when not in use. The best candidate for upgrade are 3 fixtures from IKEA that use 4 20W Halogen bulbs each that are often on.

I think I found some bulbs that are compatible with my fixtures from LED Liquidators. I’m still waiting a response from them. I found a useful tidbit of information comparing the approximate lumens from LED bulbs to traditional halogen bulbs:

I wanted to figure out how long it would take to breakeven on upgrading all 12 lightbulbs to LEDs. Plus I thought it would be good to calculate what sort of energy savings I could expect from the purchase. To solve the problem, I created a little Excel speadsheet to crunch the numbers. Please download and test away. The BOLD values are editable. If anyone finds any flaws in my logic please leave a comment and I will update the spreadsheet.

References

• breakevenanalysiscalculator.xls
• http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/10022327
• http://www.ledliquidatorsinc.com/led-spot-lamps-mr16-gu10-hr-jdr.php

KIVA Microfunds are building on the success of the microcredit banking model created by the Grameen Foundation. KIVA is leveraging all that is great about the internet to fund poor entrepreneurs in third world countries by matching philanthropic microlenders with third world entrepreneurs in need. Their simple to use website lets you search entrepreneur’s profiles and make $25, $50, $75 loans to the entrepreneurs of your choice.

References

• http://www.kiva.org
• http://www.grameenfoundation.org

[tags]KIVA, Grameen Bank, Microcredit, Microloans[/tags]

In my unending quest for self-sufficiency and living with a light footprint, I have tracked down soil blockers from Ladbrooke Soil Blocking via Johnny’s Selected Seeds in the US.

I learned about soil blockers while volunteering for my friends Paul & Heather on Manitoulin Island last summer. They run a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) organic garden and rely on these tools to create soil blocks to start all of their plants. I have been using compressed peat pellets for the last few years which work great and are neat and tidy but somewhat expensive ($0.13CDN/each). Peat also has to be mined, transported, made into pellets, transported again to the garden centre and once again to the garden. The soil blockers involve a little more manual labour but of the good kind that gets dirt under one’s finger nails.

I installed the Geo & Plug ‘n’ Play Google Map plugins so I can geo-tag my posts. You can see it working here: http://shibumi.net/appropriate-technology/high-tech/web/geo-tag/.

I tried several different google maps plugins and this combo was the only one that worked. Install Geo first, then Plug ‘n’ Play Google Map. You can use Google Maps or Free Geocoder to find your logitude and latitude.

References

• Geo
• Plug ‘n’ Play Google Map
• Google Maps
• Free Geocoder

[tags]Wordpress Plugin, Geo-tag[/tags]

This is an absoluetly fantastic step in the right direction of energy production and storage for the energy independent home. Batteries alone are generally insufficent as a storage medium and don’t work well in the cold. This homemade hydrogren generation and storage system is definately a viable option for widespead adoption once the system is refined and commercially available.

References

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/play.html?pg=9

[tags]Hydrogen Powered Home[/tags]

Praise for Google Maps and a little creative use of their free API! This excellent website visually displays people in Vancouver with yards who would like a garden alongside those who want to garden but don’t have a yard.

References

• http://www.cityfarmer.org/sharing_backyards/index2.php

[tags]Urban Agriculture, Yard Sharing, Vancouver[/tags]