Earlier today I ventured on the WordPress.org Help Forums. Since I am no where near efficient in writing PHP code for core, I figure I could lend a hand to those support threads that don’t get touched. Here is the backstory:

User has moved their entries from Blogger into WordPress. For some reason instead of using paragraph tags, this user has been using Div tags. The user’s posts are coming out all funky with spacing being an issue. What can be done?

At first glanced I wondered if by just editing each post by removing the Div tags could solve the problem. There are too many posts. What else can we do? Create functions!

I found this support post where line breaks were needing to be replaced by paragraph tags. That seemed to work, so I made some posts using Div tags in a local install and went to work.

What we need to do first is to convert all the div tags in the_content() to paragraph tags.

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// Replaces all <div> in the_content with <p>
function clear_replacedivopen($content){
	return str_replace("<div>","<p>", $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'clear_replacedivopen');

Second we need also need to convert all closing div tags to closing paragraph tags.

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// Replaces all </div> in the_content with </p>
function clear_replacedivclose($content){
	return str_replace("</div>","</p>", $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'clear_replacedivclose');

And finally clean up any empty paragraph tags left.

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// Clears all empty <p></p> in the_content()
function clear_emptyp($content){
	return str_replace("<p></p>","", $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'clear_emptyp');

Now we have a formatted page!

Facebook

As I wrote in a previous post, I dropped Facebook. For two weeks. Yes, but why only two weeks? In case anyone from the Spring Fling ’11 wanted to add me. Like I mentioned I hated the fact that I had “friends” that I never talked to, never responded and well never cared. When I activated my account I really went through my list of friends and thought, gee I can delete about half of these people and wouldn’t bat an eye.

I have this great scheme about finally creating a new account. One I can post what I want to the friends I want without it being questioned. By going to and working for a Christian University, I rather not have them liable of what I do and don’t on the weekends, I need to watch how much of an online presence I have. I created this new account and was wondering what I could do. I was browsing through all the privacy tools they provide that no one bothers to learn. They do have pretty nifty items in there, but it is poorly laid out that not the novice can no longer find it.

Well I decided to move everyone over to the new account. Which I did and had to stop along the way a few times because Facebook was thinking I was a spammer! Then some people were mad and thought I deleted them from my original. Can’t satisfy people. I’ve learned that now.

Aftermath: Why didn’t I just use the second account as a private account? Sigh. Maybe one day I will move everyone back. Facebook has lost its luster with me. Sure it is easy to communicate with others on there without mass texting people but maybe the allure of Facebook finally has caught up with me and I am tired of the same old posts day in and day out. Stay tuned.

Seasoned Gamers’ Spring Fling 2011

Wow, what can I write about this? Well I’ll give a back story. I joined Seasoned Gamers back in February 16, 2006. A link was posted on Bungie,net that lists adults getting away from the crabby, whiny, and immature children on XBOX Live. I thought to myself and said, “Brett, I really need to find a place for other gamers that play the games I do and have immense fun playing them!” Well I joined and have since enjoyed countless nights of gaming, laughter and friendship.

I knew going into this years Spring Fling the jokers I usually play Halo with would not be attending. In fact I think I was the only die-hard Halo player there. I have interacted with most on the forums and the host was a former Captain, so I wouldn’t be totally lost in the crew.

My friend Adam, whom I had joined SG shortly after I did, went with me to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania for Spring Fling 2011. It was an hilarious car ride up there. We finally got to Steel’s and the weekend was just a blast. Everyone was very nice to each other (even SnackEys), and JAMO and I almost won the CornHole championship! Here is what I learned from this years Spring Fling, in no order:

• Mystery doesn’t shut up. It is the best and worst quality ever.
• SG smokers think of jokers (like me) who can’t stand the smell. I want that in Tennessee.
• Steel is about as quiet and reserved as he is online.
• Steel’s parents can cook the best food I’ve ever had.
• Wicked Catfish is not JAMO, simply because he has more stars on the site.
• Payload always talked up some good jokes, but sadly none of them were told.
• I don’t drink beer, which no one believed.
• Skittle Vodka was a hit! But I made them too strong!
• Mahoney is Magnum’s illegitimate son.
• It’s not a Spring Fling until Mahoney gets so drunk he throws up.
• Mrs. JAMO can beat up Mahoney.
• Mr. and Mrs. Wicked love frenching dead spiders.
• This trip is one of many that I will be attending from now on. Can’t wait for the round up!

The Center and the Rest of the Summer

Boring and Fun. Most of the summer both Dr. Sturgeon or Dr. Stone were not there. No one was there. How did I cope? Only by blaring loud music and pumping out some awesome stuff for Lee University WebPages! Sure I answered some phone calls along the way, but in reality, nothing really went on. I worked, came home, ate, Halo, and sleep. That was the routine. Sure, friends came in some weeks and that definitely helped my sanity out a bit. Since I am all about lists this post let’s draw out some awesome happenings:

• Ryan Retcofsky came into town. Much shenanigans ensued.
• I introduced Ryan to Gardner’s. He loved it.
• Revival!
• Other friends came into town.
• Vegas
• Parties
• Best Idea Ever
• Putt-Putt
• Kinect Bowling, loser takes a Truck Bomb!
• Ions & A40′s.

In Retrospect

Well, summer is about over. Professors have been back in their offices and my phone has been ringing more. I am taking two courses this fall, working full time, and back as a Collegiate member of Phi Mu Alpha Pi Xi chapter. Hoping for good things to come out of this semester!

Most of it went to plan. I even took out the trash. I was a busy little be until around 3pm. I haven’t eaten yet and I was getting hungry. I knew it was too late to each lunch but too early to eat dinner. I began sending out text messages to some friends on whether to eat or not.

Decline after decline, my heart sank lower and lower. Am I really going to spend my Memorial Day all alone? Fantastic!

Since I no longer have Facebook I was unknowing of a Brother’s birthday. Sucks, but it’s not like I was invited to celebrate it. I mean it’s not like he returns text messages anyways. Sigh, enough gripes. He’ll eventually come around and maybe text me back. Maybe.

Fast forward to this Tuesday evening when I shot after some food, and up came some bubbling dramatic crude. Yes, it was all me and I will take a bow. **Bows** Oh well. Lesson learned and so goes on to live another day. Am I still kinda pissed about being left out? Sure. Will I care later this week? Probably not. Will I call someone out on it? You betcha!

My first Memorial Day off in 5 years and I celebrated it with obligatory me time. Fail.

I am not one of those. I do want to try life without the lure of Facebook leading it. You see, I have been on Facebook for the last 6 years. Six years this month. I remember spending a few hours during the Spring Semester getting certain text files ready for Lee University to be included in the College-only website. It was shortly after the summer began when I received a AOL IM from a friend telling me Lee University is now on Facebook!

I have seen countless upgrades and changes to the site. All of which I enjoyed and liked, except for the killing of the “Who’s Online Now” page and what they recently updated.

The last few weeks I have noticed a growing trend. I just grew tired of the same people updated. I had close to 500 friends, and only saw about 20 people regularly updating. I rarely updated my status anymore.

I just grew tired. For now, I have temporarily deactivated Facebook. I am sure I will return, but for now the friends I have, I already stay in contact with so I don’t need a medium to be friends with people I do not.

Well, in short: work. The job at Lee University has been really rewarding. Working with faculty, helping them achieve their goals for the classroom and possible expansion with technology has been challenging at best.

I am relearning Access so I can build a database. I’ve looked through Lynda.com tutorials and didn’t find what I was looking for, now I working through a textbook from the same publisher I learned Access back for Office 2003. We’ll see how that goes.

The last few days I have been given the day off because I have been ill. How ill? Well, I went into the Health Clinic because of a sore throat. I left (after a chest x-ray somewhere else) being diagnosed with PNEUMONIA!

Yes, Pneumonia. The same disease that sparked my awful year-end tragedy of 2009. This time, I am glad not to be experiencing any pain while breathing, just shortness of breath. I am pretty much over the fever, just dealing with a sore throat (still) and some aches and pain.

What is in store for me? Stay tuned…

For now, my strengths are as follows:

• Maximizer
• Futuristic
• Strategic
• Achiever
• Empathy

Moving forward I will talk more about how these are demonstrated in my life.

It only makes things worse when I look up the company who made the software and see it running in Google Chrome. Sigh. If only we can change some people’s minds when it comes to running SAFE browsers.

What I would like to do with my time: Work for Automattic. I have a ways to go yet, but that is one of my goals. The people that bring you WordPress and other fine products and services. To work for such an environment that fosters freedom and expansion will be mind blowing.

The worst job I’ve had: Playing at Weddings in String Quartets. I’ve literally had one good experience and that was at my sisters. I made sure we were at a prime location to see both the bride and other participants. We’ve practiced, practiced and practiced. We were hidden by the crowd, nor yelled at when we couldn’t hear each other because of said crowd.

And people wonder why I refused to play at weddings when I actually did play the cello more regularly.

I want to maximize my day by any means necessary. For instance, when I put together a theme for WebPages, I constantly go back and edit the theme files to make it better. I may have a bug here and a bug there to fix, or even a new add-on for a new version of WordPress that is releasing.

My glass is definitely half-full. About a year and 2 months ago I almost died on the operating table. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I do have time to live my life how I want to, with no regrets.