WordPress URL Shortcuts

I learned something today that might be beneficial to anyone who runs, or visits, websites running the very popular WordPress software package: it creates shortcuts. You see, I was attempting to type the url for my super secret stats page: http://www.justincox.com/mint/ but instead accidently typed in http://www.justincox.com/min. Instead of getting the 404 error, I was redirected to http://www.justincox.com/2008/mint-worry-free-money-management/. Curious, I attempted a few more ’shortcuts.’

/gen took me to /2008/generation-kill/

/aug took me to /2008/august-blog-o-rama/

/fresh took me to /2003/freshmen/

It looks like this only works with the actual post slugs and not the post title. For example, the Freshmen article originally had a slug of /forums-flashback/. Typing in /fresh returned a 404 error. When I typed in /forums it worked. After changing the slug to freshmen the /fresh shortcut found the article in question.

I’ve also tested this on Two Slashes and it works there too. We’re both running WordPress 2.6.1 so I don’t know if it goes further back, but I have only noticed this since upgrading a few days back.

Find any other cool ’shortcuts’ around here? Try out some word combinations in the URL bar and let me know what you come across in the comments below.

Yearbook Yourself

So there is this little website out there that lets you, quite frankly, Yearbook Yourself. While the site seems like something VH1 would put together, it’s a fun little time waster where you can throw up a picture of yourself, move it a bit, and then see yourself in glorious yearbook style photos of yesteryear. Actually, much to Rachelskirts chagrin, the pictures kind of look like something you’d find in a Classmates.com spam email.

Behold, Justin Cox through the years:

Me in 1952. I was super awesome!

Me in 1960. I later went on to run the Harvard Chess Club.

Me in 1970. Perhaps I was the long lost son of Red Forman.

Me in 1982. Something tells me I couldn't be this groovy if I tried.

Me in 2001. No caption needed.

How awesome am I?

Generation Kill

The other day I read Cinematical’s public service announcement calling HBO’s Generation Kill the best fiction-on-film of the year. I find it hard to disagree.

Generation Kill on HBO is the mini series of the year.

The mini-series, which concluded yesterday, is the story of Evan Wright and his time with 1st Recon Marines at the start of the Iraq War. What’s wonderful about the show is that there is no decreeable political message wrapped up in it. Instead, it’s a look at the marines in the unit and their dealing with life and death and, for some of them, the desire to simply kill. The characters are so personable that you can’t help but want to laugh with them when one tells a joke, grumble with them when an idiotic order comes down the line, or morn with them when something goes wrong.

Generation Kill follows HBO’s long standing tradition of producing quality programming. While I don’t exactly agree that it’s the film of the year, it’s eight hours long after all, it is hands down the mini series of the year.

Did you watch Generation Kill, or maybe read the book? Let me know what you think in the comments.

I Guess It’s Election Season

It’s an election year. Surprise. This will be the third presidential election I’ll get to vote in. Who am I voting for? Good question.

The other day I was reading through a thread on an Apple forum about Obama’s potential VP (by the time this posts the cat should already be out of the bag). The tread started with potential people and then quickly, as all things do on the internet, turned into a debate back and forth between the candidates. This time four years ago I would have been ready to jump in and fight for my horse. But not this year. This year is different.

I don’t know who I’m voting for yet. I’m not sure if I should know at this point. I mean, it’s August. We’ve still got time. Sure, it’s a big decision but for some reason I can’t get excited about it. I’m not sure if it’s the candidates or what, but something just seems off this year. Because of this, I’ve made a decision to wait until the debates before forming any kind of opinion.

In the thread someone asked if this was because I wanted to see one or the other flip flop, or get caught up on something. That’s not really it at all. For some reason it doesn’t seem right to have made up my mind this early. I’m not sure if I’ve been jaded by world events over the past four years, or maybe I’ve grown up a bit, I don’t know.

What's so funny?

Maybe it is the candidates. On one hand there is Obama who everyone likes but no one knows why, and on the other is McCain who no one likes and everyone has a different reason why. Maybe it’s that we seem to make it about everything other then what it should be about. It’s not about what someone actually believes anymore, it’s all about what the media is spinning out. It’s all kind of disheartening.

So, unlike four years ago, there probably won’t be any scathing political editorials this year — at least not for awhile.

Do you know who you’re voting for? Do you feel like you’re in the same boat as me? Let me know in the comments.

Closing Time

As this is being posted the final day of competition is beginning in Beijing — yes, the Olympics are coming to a close.

It’s been a great two weeks and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve watched more events then I can possibly remember — everything from fencing to track and field to badminton to handball. As evidenced by the number of world records set, the competition has been at the highest caliber of any Olympics in history. It really has been a joy to watch.

I can’t try to recount all the amazing feats that have been accomplished during the games: there was Michael Phelps and his eight golds, the sheer dominance of the Jamaican sprinters, the owning of the diving platform by the Chinese team, and just how awesome US beach volleyball is. It’s been a great Olympics and, while it’s going to be a long wait until the 2010 Winter Games, it’ll give me some time to catch up on all the sleep I’ve lost over the last two weeks.