Install Apache, MySQL, PHP5, and PHPMyAdmin on Debian “Jessie”

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This is a quick guide to getting an Amazon EC2 server up and running with LAMP and PHPMyAdmin based on the LTS (Long Term Support) Debian version 8.5 “Jessie”. This guide was written using the Community AMI image debian-jessie-amd64-hvm-2016-04-03-ebs for Debian “Jessie” and assumes you are able to launch the server and connect via SSH.

Amazon assumes an EBS volume of 8GB (t2.nano) or 10GB (t2.micro), but if the server will be storing very little, the real minimum size of the EBS can be calculated safely as:
1.5GB + (RAM x 2)
That is roughly 3GB EBS for t2.nano, and 4GB EBS for t2.micro.

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Change the Legal Name of Your S-Corporation in 5 Steps | USA, Colorado

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After recently selling all of the assets of Dice Candies, it was time to change the name of my umbrella S-corporation from Dice Candies Inc to Slowpreneur Inc. These steps are here to help ensure you don’t miss a step.

One quick note: While many of the links are specific to the state of Colorado, the steps are the same anywhere in the United States.

1) Articles of Amendment

The Articles of Amendment are an official document submitted to the Secretary of State’s office, where the corporation is registered, declaring the name change. Usually there is a small fee involved ($25 for Colorado). This first step is critical because the document is later used as proof for all other agencies and companies.
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Picky Mat Example

Picky Mat – Make Your Own Cat Food Dish Liner

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While I’m sad that the Kickstarter project failed for Picky Mat, I know the product works and I know it solves a real problem: cats who complain when they eat their dry food and suddenly see the bottom of the dish and consider their dish empty. Picky Mat solves this by removing the discouragement and in some cases retrains the cat to eat more of their food even after the mat is removed. All that being said, I didn’t want that work to go to waste, so here is a quick tutorial in making your own DIY Picky Mat.
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WebM Converter Batch File

Encode WebM Video Files on Windows for HTML5 with FFmpeg

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If you want to put video on the web, you’ll probably just going to upload it to YouTube and use their embed code. However, if you want to embed video on your own site without YouTube you want to make use of HTML5’s video element. To do that, you’ll want to make two encodings of your videos: WebM (Google backed) and H.264 (current standard). H.264 is easy because it’s been a standard for a long time (I personally use HandBrake), but WebM is quite a bit more difficult. There hasn’t be a defacto winner when it comes to encoding, though Miro Converter has come close.

However, the core of Miro and many others is the open encoder FFmpeg so we’re just going to setup an easy way to use that in this tutorial. Here are our goals:

  1. Install FFmpeg on Windows
  2. Create a Batch file (.bat) that we can drag-and-drop video files on to create WebM video
  3. Write the HTML5 code to allow for maximum speed and compatibility

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Zubits vs Klöts: Say Goodbye to Tying Your Shoelaces

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I’ll be honest, I don’t like tying or untying my shoelaces. Typically, I would just leave them tied relatively loose and them over time abuse the shoe by getting in and out of it without touching the laces. Why? This may be too honest, but frankly, at the time of this post I’m overweight and my gut gets in the way and it’s not at all comfortable. There has to be an easier way, right?

Turns out there is, and the answer is in a custom closure. Sure, you could get some Velcro closed sneakers, but what if you want to try and maintain the sneaker look and snugness and get the ease of getting in and out of them without touching a shoelace? What if it is not a sneaker at all? Enter two options I’m going to quickly compare: Zubits and Klöts.

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honda-insight-battery

Options for a Failing Honda Insight IMA Battery

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My Honda Insight hybrid is a 2002 model and has already had its battery pack replaced in 2008. Well, in its 13th year (7 years on the new pack), the pack started reporting degradation of the battery requiring some decisions. Considering the value of a car with 165,000 miles and 13 years on it, replacing the pack (even with a refurbished/reconditioned battery) would constitute over 50% of the value of the vehicle, so it’s not a good idea at this point IMHO.

That leaves two options, but if you found this article then I need you to learn from my mistakes:

  • Keep driving, ignoring the lights, with IMA going in and out
  • Disable and bypass the hybrid battery

The Honda Insight, at its core, is a 3-cylinder 67-hp engine and can function without the battery with the loss of auto-stop, regenerative braking, and some MPG. However, depending on when your pack was made, the decision above will be made for you. To explain, I’ll briefly tell you my experience and logic.

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