Bernie Zimmermann http://www.bernzilla.com/ Bernie Zimmermann's Blog PHP 4.2.3 Copyright © 2008 Bernie Zimmermann Iterating on a Set of Files from the Windows Command Line http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/08/iterating-on-a-set-of-files-from-the-windows-command-line/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/08/iterating-on-a-set-of-files-from-the-windows-command-line/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/08/iterating-on-a-set-of-files-from-the-windows-command-line/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 01:04:40 GMT I'm not a big fan of batch files, most likely because I was exposed to bash scripts well before I ever started to delve into the former. Anyway, I didn't feel like switching to a bash prompt or writing a bash script today when faced with the challenge of iterating on all files of a certain type to perform the same operation on multiple files.

Therefore, I decided I wanted to do something directly from the Windows command line if possible, and shortly thereafter discovered a poorly designed yet inversely informative page on batch file commands that included the following information on the FOR command:

The syntax for this command is: FOR variable in (set list) DO command

The variable must be in the form of one alphabetic character preceeded [sic] by %%; e.g., %%v.

However, if you run the FOR command outside of a batch file, simply from the system prompt, just use a single % in the variable name.

I gave it a shot, and it did what I needed. Here's an example for completion's sake:

FOR %Z IN (*.pl) DO perl %Z

I figured I'd jot it down here at my blog in case the need presents itself in the future (or someone else finds it useful).

]]> The Notorious B.I.G. and Dr. Dre Mashup http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/07/the-notorious-big-and-dr-dre-mashup/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/07/the-notorious-big-and-dr-dre-mashup/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/07/the-notorious-big-and-dr-dre-mashup/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 06:18:14 GMT It's going on a year since I released my first mashup, so I figured I'm due for another. My Jay-Z and Nine Inch Nails mashup garnered some fairly positive feedback, so I'm hoping my latest mashup will turn an ear or two as well.

This time around, rather than crossing genres like I did last time, I've stuck with the rap genre and have paired one of the greatest rappers of all time, The Notorious B.I.G., with the greatest rap producer of all time, Dr. Dre. The result is:

Dead Wrong (Bernzilla Mashup)

If you're a fan of rap music, and especially if you're a fan of those two artists, I'd recommend giving it a listen and letting me know what you think. If you're not into rap or you're not a big fan of NSFW lyrics, it's probably not a bad idea to pass this time around.

For more information on where the lyrics and music come from, respectively, head on over to YouTube or check out the track listing of 2001.

]]> The Slip http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/05/the-slip/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/05/the-slip/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/05/05/the-slip/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 17:12:53 GMT If you're trying to get your hands on The Slip, the album that Nine Inch Nails is giving away for free today, I'd highly recommend going around the whole email/download link approach and heading directly to The Pirate Bay. I was downloading at rates between 500Kb/s and 1MB/s and it took about five minutes to get the whole album, in FLAC format mind you, on to my computer.

If you're only interested in the MP3 version of the album, it's available there, too, and at a smaller size and with more seeders, downloading that version should be a breeze.

Happy listening, and long live NIN!

]]> America is a Layover http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/america-is-a-layover/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/america-is-a-layover/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/america-is-a-layover/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:04:02 GMT America is not the final destination.

America is a layover.

I, your neighbor, am likely on a different course than you. Neither of us cares.

I'll talk over the announcements you care about, you'll talk over mine. We'll take turns glancing at the clock in anticipation.

Your other neighbor may be on the same path as you, but guaranteed she'll fight tooth-and-nail to get where she's heading if it comes down to her or you.

We'll turn to junk food, magazines, mobile phones and laptops to find anything that can take us, at least temporarily, away from this place.

And all the while, we'll complain about how we're not yet where we want to be.

]]> Why Jason Kottke's Feed Messes with My Head http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/why-jason-kottkes-feed-messes-with-my-head/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/why-jason-kottkes-feed-messes-with-my-head/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/why-jason-kottkes-feed-messes-with-my-head/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:19:13 GMT Almost every feed I subscribe to contains meaningful or at least marginally meaningful post titles associated with every post. Jason Kottke's feed, on the other hand, contains post titles that are, in the majority of cases, substrings of the post content's text. Because of this, my inner monologue while reading his feed goes something like this:

Some great photos of Americans commuting by Vincent Laforet using...

Some great photos of Americans commuting by Vincent Laforet using a tilt shift lens.

Ten ideas for making NYC streets a more friendly place...

(Oh, crap. I'm doing it again).

Ten ideas for making NYC streets a more friendly place for those not in automobiles, including the woonerf, bicycle boulevards, and the green grid...

I feel like I've posted this one before but the Google...

(Oh, crap. I'm doing it yet again! Remember, Bernie, skip the post titles when reading Jason Kottke's feed!).

I feel like I've posted this one before but the Google says no so....LUNCH is a blog written by a couple of NYC architects who believe in the sanctity, sanity, and satiety of the lunch break...

Frustrating? I'd say so. But I love his blog, so what's a guy to do?

]]> Reverse Ordered Lists in HTML 5 http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/reverse-ordered-lists-in-html-5/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/reverse-ordered-lists-in-html-5/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/29/reverse-ordered-lists-in-html-5/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:06:12 GMT I've always kinda wondered why you couldn't reverse ordered lists in HTML, especially given people's propensity for counting down in "top ten" lists. Via The WHATWG Blog, Lachlan Hunt shares the news that ordered lists can be reversed in HTML 5:

These are the same as ordered lists, but instead of counting up from 1, they instead count down towards 1. This can be used, for example, to count down the top 10 movies, music, or LOLCats, or anything else you want to present as a countdown list.

Through the use of a reversed and an optional start attribute on the ol tag, one can reverse an ordered list and even dictate what number the list starts counting down from. A key thing to remember is that in XHTML, the attribute has to be used somewhat redundantly, by specifying reversed="reversed".

Head on over to The WHATWG Blog for all the details, including some examples of the new feature put into use in various ways.

]]> Consolation in the Eyes of Dell http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/28/consolation-in-the-eyes-of-dell/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/28/consolation-in-the-eyes-of-dell/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/28/consolation-in-the-eyes-of-dell/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:30:29 GMT I ordered a non-PC electronics product from Dell on April 2nd. I received a pretty good deal on it, so I was pretty excited about the purchase. The boilerplate order confirmation I received via email noted that my estimated ship date would be April 17th. I hoped that that was simply boilerplate and nothing more, since I wasn't buying a custom PC, but rather an electronics product that is manufactured by someone other than Dell.

However, April 17th arrived and my order had not yet shipped. In fact, at that time I received an email from Dell informing me that the shipment of my order had been delayed due to product availability issues. I was told shipment would be delayed by a week, and was therefore estimated for April 24th.

When April 24th arrived, I had no email from Dell. I received nothing to confirm shipment and nothing to explain why the shipment hadn't yet happened. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the order status link I had received in my original order confirmation, and I was taken to a page explaining that my order had been canceled due to the product I ordered having been discontinued by the manufacturer. Keep in mind, I received no email from Dell explaining the cancellation. If I hadn't checked that link, I probably still wouldn't know to this day what the status of my order was.

In exchange for the three weeks of my time that were wasted waiting for my order, I received what I perceived to be a consolation email today, offering 10% off any purchase toward electronics, software and accessories. The kicker?

Expires 05/02/08.

Oh, so you can waste my time, but I can't waste yours, huh Dell?

You just gave one loyal Gateway customer even more reason to remain loyal.

]]> Still Waiting... http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/still-waiting/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/still-waiting/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/still-waiting/#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:15:31 GMT I subscribe to Daniel Glazman's feed, and if I had an adaptive feed reader, it would most certainly know I don't understand French, and therefore would significantly reduce the number of posts from David's blog that end up in front of my eyes. But alas...

]]> Seahawks Sign Two Local Wide Receivers http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/seahawks-sign-two-local-wide-receivers/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/seahawks-sign-two-local-wide-receivers/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/seahawks-sign-two-local-wide-receivers/#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:45:33 GMT I read at Seahawks Insider (where else?) tonight that the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms with both Anthony Russo from the Washington Huskies and Michael Bumpus of the Washington State Cougars as undrafted free agents recently.

As was the case with Marcus Trufant, Michael Bumpus will be granted a one-year window in which to make up for the fact that he was a Cougar.

Go Seahawks!

]]> Up-keep http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/up-keep/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/up-keep/ http://www.bernzilla.com/2008/04/27/up-keep/#comments Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:13:59 GMT In the past week, I've invested a little over $1,000 into my Acura Integra, including a complete tune-up, replacement parts and brand new tires, in the hopes that at some point around the year 2033, I can report back here about how I've doubled my most recent milestone.

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