Green Fangs Make Jumping Spiders Awesome
July 24th, 2010
My lens doesn’t quite capture the majesty of these green fangs.
Technically, “chelicerae”.
These are apparently called Phidippus Audax.
It looks like a Phiddip.
Field Cricket
July 24th, 2010
This field cricket was reclining on my backpack.
Lua Code for Curry (Currying Functions)
July 23rd, 2010This is the Lua code to properly curry (according to the definition I learned, which is supported by Wikipedia) a function in Lua. Mine is a fairly efficient implementation that allows functions to be curried, regardless of how many arguments they would individually take.
My rant on incorrect implementations — several of them very common — follows this listing.
Spiders Out Back
July 18th, 2010
This jumping spider was finishing up its meal when I saw it.
It could fit comfortably on a dime.
My New (Used) Canon Rebel XT
July 15th, 2010
The Panasonic Lumix’s CCD just can’t match Canon’s. Of course, the prices reflect that in reverse.
More sweet shots of greenbottle flies and bumblebees after the break.
FontClustr Code for Ubuntu Lucid
July 9th, 2010
My GNU software called FontClustr has been updated to run on Ubuntu Lucid Lynx.
I’ve also corrected an omission of the 3 files that make the output webpages work properly. Sorry!
You need these files:
You’ll need to apt-get these Ubuntu packages (and possibly others):python-pythonmagick
python-pygame
python-gd
python-opencv
fonttools
Run it by making fontclustr.py executable and executing it, or running this from your command line: python fontlcustr.py
This will generate an output file called tree_text.html, which you can load in your favorite web browser to view the clusters.
As before, if you use FontClustr to improve font selection in your own program, I would appreciate some credit.
Hand-Crank Paper Shredder
July 3rd, 2010
I had wanted to do this paper shredder hack for a while.
So, when my paper shredder started acting up, I angrily tore it apart… then I discovered that it was my own fault it wasn’t working (it has a safety switch that engages when you properly place it on its waste basket)… then I went ahead with making it manual.
Microwave Fan Box - Where It All Began
June 3rd, 2010
This is probably the first thing I ever built by myself: a blower fan, made out of some parts from an old microwave and scrap wood. 13 years later, it still works very well.
FontClustr: It’s yours, free.
June 1st, 2010
The software I wrote in January called FontClustr is now available under the GPL.
If you use my methodology to improve font selection in your own program, I would appreciate the hell out of it if you credited me in some way.
For the impatient, you’ll need the following:
Run it by making fontclustr.py executable and executing it. If all goes well, you’ll be in for about 4 hours and 400MB to make all the output. At least, that’s what it took on my machine with about 1000 installed fonts.
Hit the jump for all the boring stuff.
Read the rest of this entry »
A Few Good Oil Companies
May 27th, 2010(With apologies to Aaron Sorkin)
BP: You want answers?
America: I think I’m entitled to them.
BP: You want answers?
America: I want the truth!
BP: You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that needs energy. And that energy has to be produced by men with drill rigs. Who’s gonna do it? You? Obama? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for the Gulf of Mexico and you curse the oil companies. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that the drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, while tragic, produces energy. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, produces energy… You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that drill. You need me on that drill.
We use words like mud, blowout, top-kill… we use these words as the backbone to a life spent producing something. You use ‘em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to people who rise and sleep under the blanket of the very energy I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up an engineering degree and produce your own energy. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to!
America: Did you order the drilling to continue?
BP: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
America: Did you order the drilling to continue?
BP: You’re goddamn right I did!!
