I have recently been troubleshooting some performance issues on a WordPress install. Although there were multiple causes, one in particular stood out to me. While digging through the WordPress database I noticed that the wp_options table had over 1,200 rows and was about 2.2mb in size. The wp_options table holds the preferences defined under Settings [...]

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile you have probably noticed that one of my favorite places back East is Provin Mountain, along the Metacomet Trail. When we visited Massachusetts back in the Fall of 2011, I got a chance to hike the trail, and snapped a few pictures while there. Although they may [...]

Hidden away in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Central California, Yosemite National Park has been a favorite destination for outdoorsmen, hikers, and photographers since before it opened on October 1st, 1890. Prior to being a national park, it was home to the Ahwahneechees American Indians. Who, in true American fashion, were driven out of their [...]

In the summer of 2011, MOCA Los Angeles hosted an exhibit called Art in the Streets, which featured the works of famed graffiti and street artists. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to check it out, and it didn’t disappoint. Although I was initially worried that it would focus too heavily on street [...]

I recently went for a drive and a hike up in the San Gabriel mountains. It’s amazing that a 20 minute drive can take you from home in the densely populated Los Angeles County, to wilderness and mountains. Unfortunately, my Canon didn’t make it out, but I was able to snap a few pictures with [...]

Suffice to say, 2011 was a busy year for me. A lot of great things have happened since my last update (Which was more than six months ago. Ouch!). I have started a new job, working as Web Director / Lead Developer at MPH Entertainment in Burbank, California. I have been enjoying the work immensely, [...]

I have used WordPress and jQuery together on so many of my projects in the past that I figured I would share a little tip for those who might be starting out. Google Libraries hosts a copy of the latest jQuery version and allows developers to use this in their live websites. This offers many [...]

I’m not even sure where to begin with the amount of pictures that I have to retouch, but here is one to start it all off. This is a photograph of Los Angeles shot from the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park. Griffith Park is probably one of my favorite places that I’ve been to since [...]

Update:I am going to start giving out vouchers on Twitter. Follow @MrRyanCowles to grab one! As you can probably tell from my lack of posts in 2011 so far, I have been extremely busy. What’s new, right? I do plan on posting more and I am really looking forward to getting back to writing here. [...]

And welcome back! As usual, there are countless new projects, thoughts, and ideas on my mind. The end of 2010 kept me really busy, and I disappeared from Metacom Creative for awhile. I am hoping I will be able to find more time in 2011 to get back to posting! One thing I am really [...]