Author: Andrew Perry

DNA – Part 2

[Posted on: 08 April 2024]

(A masterpiece of precision engineering)

In DNA Part 1, we looked at the way that DNA is coded, effectively using a 4 letter alphabet. We are now going to look at the way that it replicates itself.

Our bodies are constantly producing new cells, be it in the the process of growth, reproduction or replenishment of old cells. As was said in Part 1, every single cell of our bodies (with the exeception of a few cell types) contains a full copy of our genetic blueprint. When a new cell is created, the full DNA set (all 3.2 billion letters) has to be copied. How is this done with such accuracy? (more…)

DNA – Part 1

[Posted on: 01 April 2024]

(A advanced message coding system with a 4-letter alphabet)

Nowadays DNA is a well known concept, especially with the extensive use of DNA testing in many areas such as forensic science. We all know as well that we possess things called genes, these being the biological entities that make each one of us who we are and are used to pass on characteristics from parent to offspring. For some, this may be as far as the knowledge of such things goes, so now for a bit more detail. (more…)

Starting Point

[Posted on: 01 April 2024]

(We have to decide)

No-one has been around long enough to have witnessed the origin of the earth or the universe. Whilst this may seem a ridiculous statement of the obvious, it is nevertheless one way of saying that we cannot systematically prove how the universe came into being using conventional scientific methods. Unable to do so, that leaves us with the task of having to look at the evidence available and build a scientific model that fits the facts. If more than one model is possible, then we have to decide on our starting point. (more…)

Creation vs Evolution – Introduction

[Posted on: 27 March 2024]

Belief in the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution has become the norm in contemporary society. As a result, the Biblical account of Creation, Adam & Eve and the Flood tends now to be written off as mere myth and fairy tales. Sadly there are even professing Christians who would claim that these stories are allegorical rather than literal.

What is perhaps often not realised is that behind the scenes, many educated and qualified scientists who are also committed Christians, have been researching the subject of creation versus evolution for many years. (more…)

DVD Order

[Posted on: 07 April 2022]

DVDs are now basically sorted alphabetically according to title. Each record is indexed by a sequence group (normally the initial letter of the title) and a sequence number, so that the sequencing is of the sort A1,A2,A3…,B1,B2,B3… etc. The following points need to be noted:-

  • Each item has what is known as the ‘alpha title’ in addition to the main title, and this is what is used to sort the records. By default it is set to the main title with any leading articles (i.e. ‘the’, ‘a’ or ‘an’) stripped off, but can be manually amended if required.
  • If there is a series of DVDs (e.g. James Bond) where the order is not naturally definable by the title, then a custom sequence group can be allocated and the sequence number used to order them correctly. If the order is naturally definable by the title (e.g. a TV series with season numbers) then the DVDs just go into the main sorting order.
  • It is possible assign one or more tags (e.g. Christmas) to a given DVD. These do not affect the main indexing but can assist in selecting the DVDs of a given category for placing together on the shelves. The list of available tags exists as a table with each tag designated ‘normal’ or ‘special’. The only difference is that those designated ‘special’ will create a listing at the end of the printable document.
  • The group ID from the old version of the database has been retained for reference purposes only.

Importing from GEDCOM – Part 2

[Posted on: 16 December 2021]

Running the GEDCOM Merge

On selecting this action, you are presented with the following three options:-

  • Do not overwrite existing database records.
  • Overwrite all database records without the import lock set (default).
  • Overwrite all database records regardless. (more…)

Importing from GEDCOM – Part 1

[Posted on: 15 December 2021]

Main Tables

  • gedcom_imports – List of import ID, GEDCOM filename and key person.
  • imported_people – People records extracted from GEDCOM file ready for merge/import into main database. Indexed by Import ID and GEDCOM ID.
  • imported_families – As above but for families.
  • imported_notes – As above but for notes.
  • import_matches – Result of last match operation. Each GEDCOM ID is cross referenced to either an existing main database ID or a proposed new record ID. (more…)

Custom Rewrite Rules in WordPress

[Posted on: 07 August 2021]

I was trying for quite a while to get a custom rewrite rule to work on one of my WordPress sites but to no avail. I found quite a number of pages online explaining how to do it and yet they all seemed to lose me part way through. Eventually I got there largely with the help of the WordPress Codex itself. Here is a brief account of what I was trying to achieve and how I eventually did it.

I have published my family tree on my own personal web site. There is a page for each individual person on the tree, and the URL for such a page is:- (more…)

Custom Monitor Stand

[Posted on: 23 July 2021]

I was recently given a 29 inch monitor, which I thought would make a good replacement for my 24 inch monitor. The only problem was that the amount of verical space available was limited as there are overhead wall cupboards above my desk. The monitor on its native stand would not fit.

Fortunately it is quite easy to build a custom stand. Most monitors have four bolt holes in the back for attachment to a wall mounting bracket. These are arranged in a square, spaced by an exact amount – typically 100mm though in this case it was 75mm. They take a standard size bolt, which generally seems to be M4, but you would need to check to make sure.

(more…)

Switching from Windows to Linux

[Posted on: 15 May 2018]

In my earlier article I made reference to the potential benefits of using open source software as an alternative to normal commercial software. I have had an interest in Linux systems for a few years now and have always used Linux as the preferred platform for servers, but it has taken some time to take the plunge and try using Linux as a serious alternative to Windows in the desktop environment. Until recently had I played around with Linux desktop systems a few times but had gone no further. A couple of months ago a major change took place. (more…)