BTW, this is a powerful but incredibly finicky piece of software. It is an X11 app, and I wonder how much that is affecting it.

One thing to watch for is the path length limitation on the names of m files. it is 63 characters total for the full path – that is right, the FULL path. the full path by default is some long path pointing into a MATLAB directory in your documents folder, in my case, 52 characters were already used up. So when i put a nice long name on an M file, I exceeded the 63 limit and got some completely nonsense error message about the file not being on my path. Well ok the error message was true, the truncated filename file wasn’t on any path anywhere, but stupid.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that Matlab really doesn’t like m files whose names begin with a number – ie it just will not run something called “55.m”. you need to start with alpha.

Silly. It’s 2009 guys. These feel like MSDOS restrictions circa 1990.

…sorry for bizarre appearance and content. working on.

Some silence in last month. Spent a lot of time enjoying family and central Ohio, fall is the time to be in the state with football, color changes, often good weather, etc.

And when not in Ohio, I was in Helsinki (recommended: Hotel Glo, Fazer Cafe), Stockholm (Lydmar Hotel, Vasa Museum, Sture shopping area, Skogskyrkogården, Sodermalm, Fasching Jazz Club, Opera Bar, oh and much more), and Brussels (Hotel Amigo, St Michael/St Gudula Cathedral, Roue d’Or, Musee Magritte, Comic Museum, Sablon, Wittamer chocolates, and much more).

Mentally I’ve been thinking about Fat Spaniel, a couple new things, and my half time load at UW this term as I continue my education. Lots of differential equations theory and numerical analysis, stuff I touched on 25 years ago, but good to get the base refreshed. Amazing how the tools have changed – MatLab and Mathematica are just incredible pieces of software.

• @mtnspring congrats on launch! Nicecoverage in reply to mtnspring #
• RT @mkapor: Tech industry veteran Adam Bosworth launches Keas, individually customized health plans. Very promising. http://bit.ly/4qCxCL #
• @richtong my drobo has been solid for 2 years. USB version, not net version in reply to richtong #

Powered by Twitter Tools

• I’ve downloaded a billion myself: RT @om: Two Billion iPhone Apps Downloaded, Apple Says http://om.bit.ly/3GSqjj #
• Ncaa deserves to lose this one: RT @BCSFootball: Retired players seek to join Sam Keller’s suit vs. EA Sports: http://bit.ly/2a3lQS #
• @jberwin and yet you’re still a cal fan in reply to jberwin #
• @jberwin not in Cleveland, no one plays football in Cleveland. The Browns are a performance art troupe in reply to jberwin #
• @asackofseattle golfers will buy anything on the off chance it will fix their game in reply to asackofseattle #
• @richtong my time capsules have failed too. Useless. Using backblaze now in reply to richtong #
• Helsinki – very pleasant downtown. Feels like Portland? #
• RT @elevenwarriors: We have 50 Google Wave beta invites. Launch a DDOS attack on MGoBlog.com to get one. #notreally #

Powered by Twitter Tools

* “If air travel was like health care”:http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/st_20090926_4826.php * “Value added by universities”:http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2009/09/value-added-by-universities.html. Interesting way to rank

After fall quarter ends…

* “Microsoft Courier”:http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet. Well covered by now but gosh looks like a cool device. * “Daytum”:http://daytum.com/. I feel like I should like this but not really sure what to do with * “StockTwits”:http://www.abnormalreturns.com/2009/09/how-to-make-the-most-of-stocktwits/. Should learn more about * “Iphone app discovery”:http://crashdev.blogspot.com/2009/09/iphone-app-discovery-mad-libs-for.html. Nice work from guys working with Chris * “Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile”:http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/autodesk_puts_the_fun_in_your_pocket_introducing_sketchbook_mobile_14649.asp

Not doing a big Halloween thing this year due to other commitments. Saving these tips for the future…

* “Monsterlist”:http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/. Starting point to find any kind of halloween project * “Kurt’s tool wishlist”:http://www.grimvisions.com/tools/tools-i-want-to-get. I can only aspire to Kurt’s skill and tool collection * “Kurt on prop setup”:http://www.grimvisions.com/halloween/setting-up-your-halloween-display-for-maximum-effect. The guy knows more than I ever will about this * “Scott on controllers”:http://tangleofwires.blogspot.com/2009/09/arduino-vmusic2-xport-halloween.html. Need to read and parse this, Scott is ahead of me here. * “Kurt on foam construction”:http://www.grimvisions.com/products/working-with-polyurethane-foams. Foam is my best friend at halloween time * “Measure tape tape”:http://toolmonger.com/2009/09/03/fill-your-shop-with-red-tape/. Simple but brilliant * “French Curves”:http://toolmonger.com/2009/09/04/french-curves/. Who doesn’t need these.

No time to blog, fall quarter starting, and travelling too. Dump of stuff that is interesting:

* “Ultimate Productivity Blog”:http://productiveblog.tumblr.com/. I think that is clear. * “Paintable transistors”:http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122605160/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0. Semiconducting polymer stable when applied at room temp, cool. * “Hydrophobic Nano Grass”:http://www.materialsviews.com/matview/display/en/1102/TEXT. Nano scale fluid handling tech is pretty awesome. * “Fantastic Solar System Photos”:http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=59247082&page=1. Humbling and inspiring. * “Structural Color Printing”:http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/40551. Structural colors are very cool – colors created by the nanostructure of an item, not by dyes. And now you can manipulate the color dynamically. * “Atoms jump around a lot”:http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/blog/624-under-observation-restless-atoms-cause-materials-age-25090.html * “Bionic Eyesight”:http://www.platformonomics.com/BionicEyesight.aspx. You rushed ahead and got Lasik surgery, while those of us late to the party are going to be able to see through walls and have heat vision.

• Best outdoor store in Columbus? Outdoor Source? Gander Mountain? #
• Why OU is treated better than OSU in simple terms: http://bit.ly/14fGyN #
• RT @MartinGTobias: @Deepak_Chopra: Knowing exactly what you want to do, with unwavering conviction, is the spark that generates everything. #
• Times have changed…RT @shanselman: Fun #microsoftfact: There are no humans working at Microsoft at 5:01 on a Friday. #
• Off to tailgate at the ‘shoe. Go Bucks! #

Powered by Twitter Tools

* “The Unforgiving Minute”:amazon by Craig M. Mullaney. Subtitled “A Soldier’s Education”, the story of the author’s travels through West Point, Oxford, Ranger and Infantry training, Afghanistan, and post-Afghanistan. No amount of physical training, education, reflection, or preparation prepares you for the reality of combat and it’s lingering effects. A little overwritten at times but interesting nonetheless. Amazon says 4.5 stars, I’d say 4. * “A Big Little Life”:amazon by Dean Koontz. Sweet book about his dog and the deep impact she had on his life, an unexpected piece of work from Koontz. Amazon says 4.5 stars, I ‘m not sure any book in this genre can really be 4.5 stars, but this is heartwarming and won’t hurt you.

Might be last book postings for a while. Fall course load will displace pleasure reading.

* “Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America” by Robert Charles Wilson. Excellent tale of post-apocolyptic America. Classic tragedy themes – the rise of an idealist to power, and his fall driven by his excessive actions in service of his ideals. All narrated by a friend in a folksy Twainish style. Very engaging. Amazon says 3.5 stars, I might nudge a little higher. * “The Manual of Detection”:amazon by Jedediah Barry. A clerk in a detective agency gets pulled into a conspiracy of murder and power. Oh and the boundary between dreams and reality is completely porous so this is a pretty odd read. The ending is all too neat for a premise this strange. Amazon says 4 stars, I don’t know. Some people will love this book, some will hate it. * “Fear The Worst”:amazon by Linwood Barclay. A straight-ahead mystery adventure, which was nice after the book above. A man’s daughter disappears and he gets caught up in murders and conspiracies and lies. A little too parsimonious with characters as the author makes nearly every acquaintance of the protagonist a member of the conspiracy. 4 stars on Amazon, yeah sure, tho this is brain candy and won’t stick with you. * “The Snakehead”:amazon by Patrick Radden Keefe. Nonfiction, the story of the human smuggling trade from China to the US in the 80s/90s/early 2000s. A little dated but a great story, man the money involved was phenomenal. 4 stars on amazon, I’d agree.

* “Pink Moon Cupcake Bakery”:http://www.pinkmooncupcakes.com/. My sister turned me on to this one, I never would have found the place otherwise. Awesome cupcakes in a quaint old town. * Lawns. My gosh do people love their lawns here. Even modest houses have gigantic expanses of grass, all lovingly tended. People spend half their weekend mowing. And the mowers! These things are nearly RV-sized. In Seattle, lawns are often an afterthought, and sometimes nonexistent – grass just doesn’t do as well in the climate. * The Ohio State University Hospital. We had an appointment there this week, the staff were unfailingly polite, honestly a better experience than that at the many other facilities we have visited.

Here’s a typical blog posting from the “USC community”:http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2009/9/20/1045207/play-calling-is-overrated. Whacking on Corp for Saturday’s loss. All the blogs repeat this theme as do the press like the OC Register. And I saw quotes from Pete basically throwing Corp under the bus.

Seems to me tho that “Corp was no better or worse than Barkley before him”:http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2009/9/20/1045089/comparisons-between-barkley-and. When you change QBs and results are the same, perhaps it is the other variables – receivers or coaching. And as I watched the game, the poor ball handling by Havili and McKnight, who both gave up unforced fumbles to kill scoring drives, seemed like the greater issue.

Of course as a Buckeye fan, this all just reaggravates the wound.

• Seen next to Ohio field: iCorn.com branded seed. Corn 2.0, CaaS, Semantic Corn can’t be far behind. #
• He got his freaking gift early RT @CoachSark: Happy Birthday to @petecarroll! #
• At&t coverage in ohio blows. RT @richtong: Best day of my life will be when AT&T loses iPhone monopoly. Worst getting worse. #
• RT @hallowindow: IT’S ALIVE!!! The new site is up and Hallowindow III is ready for preorder!!! http://bit.ly/NnCwg #
• Please be good: RT @WindowsGamer: BioShock 2 surfacing February 9. http://bit.ly/6kjV3 #

Powered by Twitter Tools