KompoZer - Unofficial Bugfix Stopgap for Nvu

My latest entry at Free Software Magazine, KompoZer - Unofficial Bugfix Stopgap for Nvu is now up. Nvu, the free cross-platform WYSIWYG HTML editor reached its acclaimed final 1.0 release in June of 2005. Official development then ceased to allow work on its successor, Mozilla Composer 2.0, leaving users with no bugfixes and patches. The post discusses the history and controversy of KompoZer, the unofficial community stopgap release of Nvu.

I'm really enjoying my week in Manhattan. The Zend PHP Certification boot camp is progressing smoothly, in spite of a delay in getting the official books (we had print outs of the PDF instead, so I had to transcribe all my notes once the books arrived). It's a small class in a small room; only four students and a teacher. However, this kind of setting is well suited for this kind of material and allows more individualized training. I'm fairly confident that I'll be prepared for the exam on Friday.

I've been to the IFC Center twice, the first time on Sunday to see David Lynch's Inland Empire, then last night to see the premiere a new print and revival of El Topo, the "first" NYC midnight movie. Inland Empire was everything that a David Lynch movie could be; emotional, surreal, and building a complex character and structure only to completely break it down without any compassion for the viewer. I liked it, but it was difficult to follow and felt more like an in-joke than a story.

Before Inland Empire, an advertisement for El Topo stated that the 7:20p show would have a special guest, so I bought an advance ticket. As it was John Lennon and Yoko Ono's favorite movie, I guessed that Yoko Ono would be there to say a few words since Lennon was busy elsewhere. The night of the show, they announced that she was supposed to be there, but due to unforeseen circumstances she was unable to attend. Instead, they played a section of Imagine and read a letter from her saying that she wished she could be there and gave her love to the audience. The newly restored print was absolutely beautiful, and I really enjoyed the movie, even more than Inland Empire.

This morning, the New York Post reported that Yoko was the victim of a $2 million extortion scheme from her chauffeur, complete with death threats, videos and photos. I suppose that's a legitimate excuse for not being at the premiere.

After El Topo, I went to Benny's Burritos in the Village, only a few blocks away. I remembered their Mojitos from previous trips and asked for one, only to be politely told that they didn't make them anymore. I ordered a margarita instead, then was pleasantly surprised when the waiter brought over a Mojito, saying the bartender did have the supplies after all. My jerk chicken on a curry tortilla was tasty and what I needed. While Benny's isn't haute cuisine, it is a nice place to get a good meal for a reasonable price with personable service.

Late that night when I was exiting the subway station, I happened to look up. The top Empire State Building was piercing the low-lying cloud cover, reflecting and diffusing its holiday red and green lights in an ethereal mist. I like this city, and I wish I could spend more time here.