No signal in external display connected to MacBook Pro running Catalina - Fixed

Before I start I should add a caveat - the post title is misleading. I didn't actually fix anything since there was no problem to begin with but my own lack of observational skills! Nevertheless there are many people similarly afflicted, and this post might help them.

So I’ve been connecting my MacBook Air mid-2012 model to an external ASUS VP228HE monitor successfully for a long time. That Mac doesn't have an HDMI port so I've been using a HDMI <-> Thunderbolt adapter all these years.

I just purchased a MacBook Pro early-2015 model, and tried connecting to that monitor the same way. However there was no signal to the monitor. So I was just getting a black monitor screen.

I scoured the internet for answers. I tried every bit of advice provided in this excellent Medium article, and several other articles, but nothing worked.

Eventually I realized that this MacBook Pro actually has an HDMI port! Duh… 😯

So I connected directly to that, rather than to the Thunderbolt port using the adapter. It worked beautifully.

Dayum!

Growing Tomatoes!

I decided to try my hand at growing some vegetables this summer.

So why not start with my favourite veggie - the tomato! We decided to go with open-pollinated seeds and seedlings.

Seedling

We bought one seedling from this place in Saitama: http://www.seinousha.com/ .  We drove there, up to Saitama, to pick it up. It's a variety called アロイトマト (aroi tomato). I can't find much info about it in English. 

We transferred it over to a proper planter.

Seeds

We also bought some seeds, by delivery, from Noguchi Seeds: https://twitter.com/noguchiseed.  Those were delivered.

We planted them into small pots, will share photos of those in the next blog post.

Don't be Pressured to be an Entrepreneur

There is no need to be an entrepreneur if it is not your bag.

There are countless other roads to happiness, prosperity, freedom, respect, and self-expression.

Now, if you have an idea and a burning passion to pursue it, and confidence in it, then by all means launch a startup! I wish you all the best.

However if your only reasons for wanting to be an entrepreneur are because it is "cool" or socially esteemed or because you envy other people doing it, you may want to reconsider. Those are superficial reasons for making career choices. They are not reasons you prefer one person over another, are they? Hence, they are not reasons to like yourself better either.

I personally like people who are sincere, authentic, and positive. Those are the things to aspire to. If that means being an entrepreneur, more power to you!

Persistent questions during meetings

There are some people who are really impatient and incapable of delaying their understanding of things.

So when you are doing a presentation they will keep interrupting with questions. However, due to their impatient nature, if those questions are not easily answered they will keep doggedly pursuing the point in their quest to get the answers that satisfy them. This causes the discussion to get further and further off track.

I find it helps to just politely ask them to allow me to finish the presentation, or at least wait till I get to the end of the current chapter or section, and ask questions then.

Another thing that helps is to discern if the question is out of bounds for that meeting. For example, if I promised to provide just an overview of that topic, and the question is really intense and detailed, I can politely tell them that today we are just doing an overview. I can get to their detailed question later or on another day.

Adding Google Analytics to Blogger

Great info here on Kevin Sandlin's blog.
https://generalassemb.ly/blog/how-to-connect-your-blogger-account-to-google-analytics/

DMM SIM needs access point registration for data connection

I am temporarily using a SIM-free LG G2 mini (Japanese).

I inserted my DMM SIM card.  Phone and SMS worked fine, but there was no internet connection via 3G or LTE. I simply couldn't figure it out.

I thought about sending DMM a tech support ticket but before doing so went through their FAQs. It turns out you need to register the dmm.com access point for it to be able to work. 

Here is the info (Japanese):
DMM mobileのSIMを端末に入れても、通信できません

Gotta remember that.

Business hotels

If you are stuck in Japan without accommodation, there are actually tons of small hotels called "business hotels".

Generally you can always find vacancy in those somewhere in the city. The name sounds luxurious but they're actually low-priced and no-frills.

They typically don't have a restaurant or many amenities, and the rooms are small. However they are clean, comfortable and get the job done. They are mainly used by people on business trips.

I've used them a lot myself and was always pretty satisfied. However most of them don't have much info in English. If needed I can give you a hand with that when you're here.

Export iCloud Contacts fails on IE, succeeds on Firefox

Downloading iCloud Contacts on Windows does NOT work on Internet Explorer, but works fine on Firefox.  Which is weird since IE is the recommended browser for iCloud on Windows.

The steps to export your iCloud contacts on a Windows machine:

1. Log into iCloud.com
2. Go to the Contacts application
3. Click on the gear icon at the bottom-right. -> A menu pops up.
4. Select "Export to vCard"

When I tried it on IE, very simply, nothing happens whatsoever.  However when I tried it on Firefox it works perfectly.

My environment is Windows 8, running the latest IE and FF.

My wife got the exact same results.  She uses Windows 7 with whatever the latest IE is there.

Accessing MS SQL databases from classic ASP

I am writing a CMS (content management system) in classic ASP using Microsoft's JScript language (a server-side language based on ECMAScript3) with a database in Microsoft's MS SQL.

Why I am using such an ancient technology as classic ASP/JScript is a topic for another time.  Today I will focus on the steps it took to get it working, and the troubleshooting I had to do along the way.

First of all, you start by instantiating an ADO connection object as follows.
Next, connect to the database using a connection string.

try 

{

var objADO = new ActiveXObject("ADODB.Connection");

var dbConnStr = "Driver={SQL Server};server=MyMachine\\SQLEXPRESS;database=MyDB;uid=MyId;pwd=MyPw;";

objADO.Open(dbConnStr);

... use database ...

}

catch(err)

{

Response.Write(err.description);

}

Note that the code is in a try/catch structure.  The output from err.description helps a lot in diagnosing problems.

First problem

err.description had value:

• [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Login failed for user 'MyId'.]

The solution to this was found here:

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/555332

The problem was that in SQL Server Management Studio I had set the authentication of SQL Server itself to

• Windows Authentication mode

It should be:

• SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode

Second problem

err.description had value:

• [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Login failed for user 'MyId'.  Reason: The password of the account must be changed.]

The solution to this was found here:

• https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/sqlserver/en-US/3174e9f5-5e51-4d95-89cc-bc81a9f16351/login-failed-for-user-please-what-am-i-doing-wrong

The problem was that I had set following property for the login for MyId in SQL Server Management Studio.

• User must change password at next login

It should be unchecked.

END

Unable to read downloaded compiled help (CHM) files?

A problem I keep running into and forgetting how to solve, so I will jot it down here for future reference.

You download some compiled help (*.chm) file from anywhere on the internet.  You open it and see the hierarchical Contents tree on the left panel, but no content on the right panel!

Steps to solve this:

1. Open the files Properties
2. Click the button Unblock, assuming it is displayed.
• The button should disappear after you click it.
3. Press OK.

You're good to go.

I think the reason the problem occurs is that later versions of Windows block them automatically as a security feature.   As with anything, make sure you are downloading them from a trusted site!

Windows 8 - Create a makeshift Start Menu

1. Right-click taskbar
2. Select Toolbars
3. Select New Toolbar...
4. Select folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

There are also some Start Menu shortcut items under the following:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

So repeat steps 1 to 3, and use the above path for step 4.   Don't forget to substitute <username> with your correct user name.

Bio-likeness

Went to this event.
http://www.design-lab.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/exhibition/biolikeness/

FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1438596953056344/

Cheetahs on the Edge

Check out the sheer beauty of this cat. Must be viewed in full screen, and preferably with good speakers!