Test

some issues with the Disqus comment system. this is a test post

Websites without RSS feeds...

Yes, there's still website without RSS feeds outhere, and if like me you can't accept that idea, or if you find RSS to practical to live without, then you find a way to make your own, and/or find something to replace it.

I've been doing exactly that for a while now, and I felt like sharing about 2 tools I find very useful to do that (Feedity, to create free RSS feed from a website, and Update Scanner, a firefox add-on) through some examples (GoKunming's classified, GoKunming's calendar).

Feedity
It's been a while since I have been using this service and it proved itself to be quite valuable. It's not that easy to set-up but when it finally works the way you want to (if it ever does), it's great.
For example, GoKunming has a feed for its article section but not for its classified section. And if you live in Kunming, you might wanna keep a look on that without having to visit the site everyday. Well, that's what RSS feeds are for, right?
Feedity let me create this feed which is working well for now. Might not work forever as it depends on how the website is built. if the said website change something, it might not work anymore. You then have to create it again if it's still possible.

Update Scanner
This tool proved to be useful when feedity was no help. Because it's not always possible to create the feed you want.
Then, this Firefox Add-on will help you to scan regularly the webpage you want to find if anything changed. It will even tell you what changed!
For example, look at that calendar page on GoKunming... I've tried to create a feedity feed for it, but it didn't work. So I've just added the page to the Update Scanner list : Whenever they add events there, I know it quickly (you can set up how often it should scan the page):

Well, if a website doesn't give you what you want, you might be able to get it anyway. It's not perfect, I wish all webmasters would use modern tools... (and opening up their site). Sometimes, you can also ask for it, like I asked GoKunming to have a RSS feed and got it. I've been wanting to do another wishlist for them but it's just too damned long...

But I'm ranting... This post is about how to keep an eye on website you love but don't have RSS feeds :-)


[update] sorry, comment section is missing because of a blogger-Disqus issue I'm trying to fix. please email/twitter me. or comment on friendfeed.

[update2] Funny how GoKunming just changed its calendar page - to something worst - the same day I published this. When I say worst... just check it out.

[update3] March 12, 2009. Calendar has been improved from last time. Now you get all the month events on the page again. so it means you can use "Update scanner" again! Let me see if I can make Feedity feed...

[update4] not so good but here it is:

三首歌

三首歌... 3 songs. That's the small job I got for Christmas night, from my neighbor. I'm not a good singer but that Chinese company need some entertainment for the party they organized in a five-star hotel, and what's better than a foreigner singing songs that you can't understand...
The good part is I could choose the songs. I picked 3 french songs I like (and that I could sing) that I plan to sing in the following order:

- Bazbaz : Sur le Bout de La Langue
- Art Mengo : Lettre à Milena
- Bazbaz :  Allo Papa Tango Charly

1. Bazbaz : Sur le Bout de La Langue

J'ai sur le bout de la langue
Un mot qui me brûle
Un mot qui m'embrouille
La tête m'arrache les os
Me griffe le cerveau
M'abime de bas en haut

Refrain:
J'ai sur le bout de la langue
Ton petit coeur qui tangue
Sur le bout de la langue
Ton petit coeur qui tangue {x3}

Il y a sous ta peau
Comme un frisson qui me touche
Un éclair sur ta bouche
Couche-moi près de toi
Nan, je ne bougerai pas
Même si tu ne m'écoutes pas

(Refrain)

Ne me montre pas du doigt
Si je veux tes mains d'abord
Si je te demande encore
De me raconter l'histoire
Des gens qui s'aiment une nuit
Des gens qui s'aiment une vie
(Refrain)

2. Art Mengo : Lettre à Milena

Il disait "Vous avez sans doute mieux à faire
Que de lire, je le sais, mes lettres ordinaires
Vous avez, il est vrai, mieux à faire de vos nuits
Que de lire sans arrêt mon visage qui s'écrit"

Mais permettez, Madame, cet aveu déchirant
Je suis sous votre charme, comme un petit enfant

Il disait "Dites-moi au moins "tu" une fois
Alors, je serai comme le plus heureux des hommes
Dans cette intimité seule connue de nous,
Vos lèvres de papier sauront me rendre fou"

Si le sommeil me fuit, si j'ai peur de dormir
C'est qu'au fond de mon lit, c'est la mort qui soupire

Il disait "Arrêtez de m'écrire chaque jour
Ce que vous me donnez, pour moi, est bien trop lourd
Chaque mot que je trace, chaque mot que je lis
Porte en lui la menace de rester incompris"

Vos lettres me font peur, leur bonté m'exaspère
Vos rêves de bonheur sont des fruits trop amers

Il disait "C'est ainsi, je ne sais pas y faire
J'aurai vécu ma vie comme un célibataire"

Permettez-moi Madame, de me taire aujourd'hui
Je vous laisse mon âme et je reprends mes nuits

3. Bazbaz :  Allo Papa Tango Charly

Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Répondez, nous vous cherchons
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Vous vous dirigez plein sud
Vers le triangle des bermudes

Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Je vous entends très bien
Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Me laisserez vous enfin
Je n'ai plus besoin de vous
Je vole par vent debout
Je vais noyer ma solitude
Dans le triangle des Bermudes

Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Répondez, nous vous cherchons
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Vous n'allez pas d'habitude
Vers le triangle des bermudes

Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Je vous entends déjà moins bien
Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Auriez vu compris enfin
J'ai perdu celle que j'aimais
Je ne la retrouverai jamais
Je vais noyer ma solitude
Dans le triangle des Bermudes

Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Répondez, nous vous cherchons
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Allo, Papa Tango Charlie
Vous perdez de l'altitude
Sur le triangle des bermudes

Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Je n'entends cette fois plus rien
Ici, Papa Tango Charlie
Vous m'avez laissé enfin
Mon avion est comme fou
Moi je me moque de tout
Je vais noyer ma solitude
Dans le triangle des Bermudes

Allo Papa Tango Charlie
Allo Papa Tango Charlie
Répondez, nous vous cherchons
Allo Papa Tango Charlie
Allo Papa Tango Charlie
Pas de réponse sur latitude
Du triangle des bermudes

non, non, non ....
yeh, yeh, yeh, ....



On a side note, I just realised how difficult it was to include music on your blog. Even snippets which is legal (right?). Seems to me that the World Wide Web is loosing more than a battle here. Last.fm doesn't seem to support the sharing of music by including code in your blog anymore.... Deezer can't play any of the songs I want anymore (that's because they don't support snippets)... and iLike didn't have the song I wanted... Life is hard.

(update) and radioblog is back to the rescue...

Next semester

Time to think about next semester already.
The current semester in Kunming College of Eastern Language and Culture (KCELC) is going to finish on January 9th. That's soon.

This morning, we were handed the information sheet for next semester: it will start on February 23rd and end on July 10th 2009.

I definitely wanna continue to study Chinese and I was very satisfied by the school, so I'll continue to study there...