Child 5184: Child process is exiting
Parent: Received shutdown signal — Shutting down the server.
Child 6924: Exit event signaled. Child process is ending.
Child 6924: Released the start mutex
Parent: Forcing termination of child process 432

Which is just telling me that Apache is crashing but not why. I am trying to pinpoint what the problem is but not sure how long I will have to Goolge search before I come up with the answer. In the mean time I have to manually restart Apache ever time it crashes. A website monitoring system would at least tell me when Apache crashes by emailing me or sending a txt to my cell phone but I would still have to manually log into the server and start Apache.

Wait a minute! I’m running IIS so why can’t I make my own monitoring script to check if a PHP website is up and running and if it’s not automaticlly start Apache and send an email/text message alert to whomever…

I made a simple PHP file called “check-apache.php” with the text “Apache is running!” in it and uploaded it to a PHP website ran on Apache. Then I created the following vbscript file:

on error resume next
Set xml = CreateObject(”Microsoft.XMLHTTP”)
xml.Open “POST”, “http://yourwebsite.com/check-apache.php”, False
xml.Send “”
TS=xml.responseText
set xml = nothing
If TS<>”Apache is running!”then
Dim oShell
Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject (”WScript.shell”)
oShell.CurrentDirectory =”C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin”
oShell.run “httpd -k start”
Set oShell = Nothing
Set objEMail = CreateObject(”CDO.Message”)
objEMail.To = “alert email addresses”
objEMail.From = “from emal address”
objEMail.Subject = “Apache Server Crashed”
objEMail.HTMLBody = now&”<br>”&Err.Number
objEMail.Send
Set objEMail = Nothing
End if

This vbscript uses a XMLHTTP request to check if the text “Apache is running!” exists in the returned value from /check-apache.php, if not then the command prompt is opened to start Apache with the “httpd -k start” command and emails are sent. This .vbs file is set up on a scheduled task to run every x minutes.  So the end result is if/when Apache crashes it will be back up within x minutes and I will be notified.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider observes that “In the old model, the president talks to the people on television [and] the people talk back in polls. In the new model, communication is online, and two-way.” Will Obama’s YouTube broadcast be more successful than Bush’s televised weekly address? Will the use of these social networking sites open communication with the public and create a new role for the president?

For more on President-elect Obama’s use of the internet click here to read the CNN.com article.

 An article from BBC news highlights the new ways that Senators Obama and McCain have been using these outlets to reach out to voters, highlight their platforms and get out the vote.  The article focuses on two aspects of how online media has affected this year’s campaign season, Obama’s advertising via video games and McCain’s grips with YouTube’s copyrighting clauses.

 Senator Obama has moved beyond conventional sources such as television, radio and print.  The article states that his campaign has paid for advertising in 18 video games.  These ads are being run in 10 states that allow early voting to encourage potential voters to vote before November 4^th.

 Senator McCain’s campaign has been taking advantage of YouTube by posting campaign related news segments on the website.  However, many of these videos have been removed due to copyright claims outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  McCain’s campaign disagrees with the removal of the news segments because they are an effective media outlet for the campaign and include important information for voters.

Tom has worked to improve Belmar by involving himself with many of their groups and organizations. He is a trustee on the Belmar Historical Council and the Belmar Adopt-a-Spot program, as well as a member of the Belmar Chamber of Commerce, the Belmar Harbor Commission and the Belmar Beautification Committee.

• In order to get the word out, the Tom Volker for Belmar Council campaign has taken advantage of InfoLoop’s Campaign & Fundraising Solutions package.  If you are interested in using this package for your own campaign click here to request a quote.

If you would like to learn more about Tom Volker, click here to view WeLoveBelmar.com.

The effect of blogging has created a whole new source of information bringing more interest to the convention than in the past.  GOP convention spokeswoman Melissa Subbotin points out, “Technology is playing an important role in this convention, more so than ever before.”  With specially reserved sections and up-to-the-minute updates, the DNC is experiencing how technology is changing the world first hand.

Obama has found success and recognition with online campaigning and social networking.  It will be interesting to see if C-SPAN can do the same.

    In an advisory opinion issued yesterday, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission determined that online contributions by credit card or electronic check payment may be made through PolitiCheck.com in accordance with NJELEC regulations.  The Commission noted that the electronic check contribution alternative offered by PolitiCheck.com “is the technological equivalent of a paper check and may serve the salutary purpose of promoting contributor participation in the political process.”  Click here to read Advisory Opinion 02-2006 in its entirety.

    PolitiCheck.com makes it easy for citizens to contribute online even in small amounts to the candidates and organizations of their choice.  PolitiCheck.com members can save their credit card or electronic check information, as well as their employer and other information required to be gathered by candidates, to their secure PolitiCheck.com acccount, and transmit it with a click of the mouse.  PolitiCheck.com memberships are free to contributors.

    PolitiCheck.com also provides an array of online campaign fundraising tools that let candidates and political organizations take maximum advantage of the convenience the internet offers potential contributors.  For example, in addition to using high-tech features like blast email solicitations for contributions, candidates that subscribe to PolitiCheck can even improve the effectiveness of their traditional fundraising mailings by including a line that lets their supporters know that contributions can be made online via PolitiCheck.com.  Time-strapped potential contributors are more likely to respond to fundraising solicitations if they can avoid handwriting a check and filling out a lengthy contributor informatoin card, and instead give simply with a few keystrokes. 

   “PolitiCheck’s greatest promise lies in its potential for democratizing the political contribution process,” said Kenneth E. Pringle, the founder of InfoLoop, LLC, which owns PolitiCheck.com. “By making it cost-effective for candidates to solicit contributions even in small amounts, and convenient for ordinary citizens to give that way, PolitiCheck can lessen the importance of contributions from special interests,” he said. “This Advisory Opinion now clears the way for us to offer PolitiCheck.com, and perhap to begin changing the political landscape in the Garden State.”

   After beta testing during the 2006 election cycle, InfoLoop plans to begin actively marketing PolitiCheck.com to candidates and political organizations in New Jersey in time for the 2007 election season.