Friends

24 July 2008 @ 12:18 pm

API for user profile and photos

Hi,

Are there any LiveJournal API that will allow me to read and update user's profile, as well as photos? I took a look at http://www.livejournal.com/developer/, but didn't find too much about actually profiles there.

Thank you.

Leave a comment

ticklethepear

24 July 2008 @ 02:58 pm

true confessions

We bought a new rice cooker. Why? Because I don't know how to cook rice in a pot. Really. When our old rice cooker conked out, MoBob had the rice-cooking duties. I grew up dumping rice and water into the rice cooker and pushing the button. I'm guilty of worse transgressions but I do eat rice every day and wouldn't survive if MB hadn't been around.

Last Saturday we went with T. and her family to visit the Natural History Museum. I haven't been there often; maybe the last time was when we went to the gift shop in October before visiting

clynne and

erich_schneider. We always stop by to pay hommage to the elephant. This visit we actually took the time to elbow our way through the crowds (with little Raphael in his stroller) to see some of the exhibits. I was surprised and pleased to see the permanent African Voices exhibit. It was much more familiar and friendly than the National Museum of African Art. I was so happy and, yes, even nostalgic to see the everyday objects and scenes in the exhibit. Every few feet MoBob and I would exclaim, We've been to that market! or We have that cloth! It was still a sanitized view of Africa but pretty realistic I thought.

Leave a comment

kactiguy

24 July 2008 @ 11:05 am

Sketch Painting

http://kactiguy.blogspot.com/2008/07/sketch-painting_24.html

Leave a comment

yrk

24 July 2008 @ 08:20 pm

AdUni Systems

AdUni's Systems course was taught by Luis Rodriguez and recorded on video. It is really worth slogging through. One of the many interesting papers presented there was "A History and Evaluation of System R" (IBM Research). The paper is extremely well written. Here are some points I found interesting:

The paper is from '81 and still mentions Codd when talking relational databases.

One of the questions asked is: Can an amateur with a high-level language compete with a professional programmer who uses a low-level language? It is still a good question, and has even become a bit taboo.

They wrote a prototype and developed it for a year with the intention of scrapping it and starting over. That is awesome. It is also what Knuth writes about in TAOCP.

Back in '81 they had acronym fetishists as well. By the fourth page of the paper you will have read of TID, XRM, CPU, RSS, RDS, and SQL. Only a few of those are actually better articulated as acronyms.

Locking and mutual exclusion, transactions and deadlocks come up pretty quickly.

Stonebraker is mentioned, making this an official DB paper.

The users of the system wanted regular expressions and wildcards, or at least though that it would be a good addition to the system (not the same thing).

System R contained a catalogue of the database which could be queried using SQL, giving it almost Lisp like introspective powers. Users liked the idea of being able to run queries *about* the database in the same language that they would query *the* database.

They demonstrated "...the feasibility of applying a relational database system to a real production environment...". Today it might very well be a little too feasible.

Leave a comment

dilbertdaily

24 July 2008 @ 12:00 am

Comic for July 24, 2008

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DilbertDailyStrip/~3/ViCl2MftwWg/

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2008-07-24/

Leave a comment

hober

23 July 2008 @ 11:15 pm

whirlwind trip

kirinqueen and I just went on a quick trip back east, which included spending the night in several places:

Scituate, MA
Northampton, MA
Saint-Pierre-de-Véronne-à-Pike-River, QC, Canada
Lebanon, NH

The reason for the trip.

Pictures will be posted to flickr (his, hers) soon.

Current Location: San Diego, CA

Leave a comment

ticklethepear

23 July 2008 @ 07:01 pm

postcrossing - success! (six days to Finland)

Good news Sylvia!

User Minri from Finland received the postcard you've sent! It reached its destination in 6 days after traveling 6,833kms!

Minri wrote you a message:
---------------
Dear Sylvia,
Thank you for the beautiful card, I really like it.

Happy postcrossing and take care,
Minna
---------------

Plus I got my membership kit from the Letter Writers Alliance *and* a Real Live Letter from the lovely Janet!

2 comments | Leave a comment

dexteradzinski
[lj_dev]

23 July 2008 @ 05:35 pm

Uploading photos on LiveJournal

Hi All.

I want to write a simple utility (using Java) to upload pictures in LiveJournal Scrapbook directly from my PC (or, say, a cellphone???). I need some help to get started, i.e.

What documentation I should go through.
What APIs I can use.
The general method to accomplish what I intend to accomplish.

Just an outline would be enough; I will find out the rest.

Thanks.

Dexter.

Current Mood:

curious

2 comments | Leave a comment

dilbertdaily

23 July 2008 @ 12:00 am

Comic for July 23, 2008

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DilbertDailyStrip/~3/Z8Xt8CdOtVQ/

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2008-07-23/

Leave a comment

bbqhuff

22 July 2008 @ 11:47 pm

Chick flick alert

Just finished watching 'Wit' with Emma Thompson. It's about a woman who is dying of ovarian cancer....it's a whole box of kleenex kind of movie but it makes you relish life. Watch it alone if you don't want anyone to hear your audible sobs and sniffling.

1 comment | Leave a comment

ehuff

22 July 2008 @ 07:33 pm

Airshow, New Calling Stuff, Pioneers and a (small) diabetes rant

First off, the air show. INCREDIBLY COOL! It was about an hour away in Dayton, and there were 7 of us that piled in to our friend's suburban and drove out there. We got there at about 9 in the morning and were there until about 4:30 in the afternoon. It was about 90 degrees out that day, and the sun was shining the entire day, needless to say, we all got burnt to a crisp, despite the fact that we were piling on the sun block. Like I said in a previous post, I had never been to an air show before, so this was a whole new experience for me, but I had a great time! It was especially fun, I think, because one of our friends that went with us is getting his PhD in aero-space engineering (yes, he's a rocket scientist) so he was able to tell us all about everything. He not only knew how all the planes worked, but what they were all called, what they were all used for and the history behind the development of all of them. It was like watching a kid in a candy shop, but it made for a great time for the rest of us. On the way back, we stopped to eat at a Waffle House, which I'd never been to before. They are much like an IHOP, only cheaper, and I think the food is actually better.

My new calling at church is going well. Our first big activity is this Saturday, so I'll let you know how it goes. Thursday is Pioneer Day, which is a Utah state-holiday, celebrating the pioneers settling in the Salt Lake Valley. In Utah, they traditionally have parades and fireworks, and little kids sometimes dress up in pioneer costumes and drive "ox carts" or pull "hand carts", which are usually radio flyers that their parents have designed to look like various types of carts. Well, we don't have that holiday in Ohio, but there is quite a large faction of young LDS people in and around the Columbus/OSU area, so my roommate and I decided that we are going to celebrate Pioneer Day by having a party. We are calling it "If I ever see you again it will be Zion to me!", which is a much quoted quote from a cheesy (yet good) movie about pioneers travelling to Salt Lake. So, we're going to watch the movie at the party, and have treats like "Buffalo Chip Brownies", "homemade" bread, and perhaps even "Donner Pass Delight" (we haven't decided yet if that last one is just a little too disrespectful of our pioneer heritage or not). Also, we're telling people to don their best full-beards and to BYOB (bring your own bonnet). Oh, there are SO many fun things you can do with pioneer day!

But seriously, folks, all the joking aside, I am grateful for early church members who paved the way both in settling a new portion of our country and in the early days of our church, making it possible for me to reap the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't imagine what my life would be like without it.

And finally,

( the latest in the diabetes rant. )

1 comment | Leave a comment

ticklethepear

22 July 2008 @ 03:12 pm

almost famous - but for what?

Once in awhile I get emails asking me for more info, and once in awhile I'm thrown for a loop. I received a message from a student working on gender and refugee issues. She wrote:

I read that you are "interested in the history and anthropology of witchcraft in West Africa," as well as Islam and gender issues, so I wonder if you might be able to assist me in my research.

Wow. I'm a programming person, not an academic, and far from an expert on Mali or women or witchcraft or Islam. It turns out that she found me on the siyanda.org website doing a general search for Mali. I've gotten a few strange offers via that website (transport policy in Tunisia?!) but at least it's nice to know that people use it.

I half-heartedly put up an Obama08 bumper sticker in our window. I'm lukewarm. I feel as if at least with Hillary there was no more dirt to dig up, but with Obama I fear some sort of "October Surprise." MoBob is not immune. He recently invoked the name of Obama in exhorting me to change my sleeping habits. Alas, Obama stickers are available in Hebrew but not Arabic.

ETA: OK, whoever came up with the Mormons for Obama thong is either a non-member or a member with a warped sense of humor.

9 comments | Leave a comment

dilbertdaily

22 July 2008 @ 12:00 am

Comic for July 22, 2008

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DilbertDailyStrip/~3/e3fiI0eeUVA/

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2008-07-22/

Leave a comment

ncgaskin

21 July 2008 @ 09:58 pm

GOOG 411

3 am in the morning...

When I am all alone, and have no one to talk to, and the cell minutes are free, then I dial 1 800 GOOG - 411.

I ask a question and they give me answers.

And I go back to sleep.

Tags: 411, goog

Leave a comment

ckpblog

21 July 2008 @ 01:28 pm

School Day Fantasies

http://ckpblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/school-day-fantasies.html

The following are the most frequent fantasies I had in grades K-12.

10. While in line to go inside after recess, I suddenly faint. The person I have a crush on, throwing decorum to the wind, rushes to my side to be sure I am all right.

9. During a test I come down with accute appendicitis, and/or collapse with exhaustion, and am rushed to the hospital. The person I have a crush on, throwing decorum to the wind, rushes to my side and rides in the ambulance with me, alternately holding and kissing my lifeless hand.

8. I win "Student of the Year" at Grandview Elementary! (This never happened, to my bitter disappointment).

7. In order to shake things up a little, I decide to sing a solo for my 5th grade book report, to rave reviews. The person I have a crush on, in a very revealing moment, is the only person to give a standing ovation.

6. I receive a carnation on Valentines Day at Provo High--from a MALE, not from a well-meaning female friend.

5. My idea to do a Kangaroo Court for the teachers at Dixon Middle School is such a raging success that every person in the school wants to thank me personally.

4. I play the lead in the high school musical (sadly, I didn't even make it into the CHORUS of the musical I tried out for).

3. I rip the coveted Bausch and Lomb scholarship from the clutches of the Collings family, breaking their multi-generational monopoly on smartness.

2. A large bouquet of roses is delivered to me, red with embarrassment, in the middle of choir/English/biology class.

1. My foreign exchange student boyfriend--usually from Italy, yet who looks surprisingly like Rattle and Hum-era Bono--shocks the world by giving me a kiss while we are walking down Main Hall together, en route to get some seriously good fried chicken at Hardees (the fried chicken at Hardees is the only part of this fantasy that I actually experienced....and on a regular basis).

Leave a comment

ticklethepear

21 July 2008 @ 12:07 pm

Burkina Redux

I'm glad the WaPo series on Burkina Faso continues today with a piece on a woman in the rural area. And an accompanying article on a typically nasty petty bureaucrat.

The ladies featured in today's and yesterday's newspapers were part of my world. We saw the women sweeping every day. We drove past the women working in the fields. They made up our respective constituencies (Peace Corps for MoBob, Catholic Relief Services for me). Even so, MB and I were protected in so many ways. We looked obviously different; we had money to get us out of most jams; other people did the dirty work (getting visas, shopping, etc.) for us. Lastly and most importantly: we could always had the choice and the means to leave.

Leave a comment

dilbertdaily

21 July 2008 @ 12:00 am

Comic for July 21, 2008

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DilbertDailyStrip/~3/pfmHiXy6bUQ/

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2008-07-21/

2 comments | Leave a comment

trishtator

20 July 2008 @ 11:32 pm

Baby weekend

This weekend I ventured to Reno, Nevada to visit my newest niece, Alexis. (And, by default, her parents :). They recently moved into a new house, and I also had the honor of being their first house guest. So fun!

First off, Alexis is truly adorable. As I have noticed with other babies in the past, pictures don't appropriately justify how cute they are. You need to have the full 3-D baby experience. My brother and I had an intriguing conversation as church was starting about how nothing really is 2-D. Only if you have a representation of something (on the computer screen, or something similar) is it really 2-D. Other than that, everything, even drawings on paper, are 3-D. However, my amateur knowledge of the spacially-constructed planet on which I currently live may not be sufficient to know the real answer to the question. Really, does 2-D exist?

Anyway, back to Alexis. The whole 3-D situation is that you have to be able to actually hug the baby. Really, cheeks are ultimately disappointing unless squished in person. Therefore, the angles at which babies are usually photographed do not justify as a true representation. (duh...?) She's got giant blue eyes (more blue-gray maybe), sandy blondish hair, all of which being located on the back of her head, and cute chubby cheeks. Actually, she looks a lot like me :). (Chubby cheeks become less of an asset as one ages...)

We went to Lake Tahoe, 7-11, Jack in the Box, the Walgreens that is actually built on a freeway overpass, "Fourth Street", the seafood buffet at the Silver Legacy Casino, and drove through Virginia City (an old mining town, nestled in the hills south of Reno, with a 12% grade drive). I think really what caught me most is how refreshing it is to be near a few people who know you so well. Or who have known you your whole life, and lately you have been far apart, and then being together again is almost like no one ever left. Yes, my brother does have a wife, a baby, a new house, a doctoral degree in Pharmacy and the same funny laugh, but it was nice to "hang with the fam." I suppose I just enjoy the adventures of seeing who people are, and how we all have grown.

And you can see pictures of me and Alexis at Lake Tahoe on my Facebook page.

I suppose tomorrow is back to the grind. :) However, life is good.

Tags: family, travel

Current Location: Eric's guest room

Current Mood:

content

Leave a comment

mhuff

20 July 2008 @ 12:31 am

A sow's ear.

This past week I had my second annual Mary Kay party. While my first annual Mary Kay party was planned as a favor to a friend I hadn't spoken with in four years, this second annual party--though also originating as a favor to a friend (but one I talk to regularly)--had serious personal motivation as well:

Several months ago, I smashed my go-to eyeshadow on the bathroom floor.
Thereafter I began using the eyeshadow I had purchased with the express purpose of taking on my mission so as not to be "bogged down" with having to shop for "beauty products" while serving a Higher Purpose. I did take it on my mission. I just didn't use it up. (And really, that was only nine years ago. Not even a decade.)
Somehow, mysteriously, the applicator for that eyeshadow just disintegrated one day while I was using it. Apparently, foam is not made with long-term use in mind. Thoughtless of those manufacturers, I say.
Having no applicator, I attempted to put on eyeshadow with my finger. It didn't work very well at all until I moved on to my last eyeshadow option, the one I received as a free gift from the Clinique counter at Nordstrom where my mom took me to buy makeup when I got home from my mission. (That last sentence, in case you don't know, is an exercise in the unbelievable. My mother? In Nordstrom? Buying makeup? For her daughter?) And that was only seven years ago.

So I had the Mary Kay party, hoping just to get some new eyeshadow and move merrily on. The entire process of the public application of makeup, however, reminded me of the fact that I have never known anything about makeup and that people have probably been openly mocking me since I was 12 and first attempted the mysterious womanly art of painting on one's face. (If you knew me in high school, you'd be fully justified in the mocking, and not just for the makeup.) (No, I will not post any pictures.) (Just know that in 1996 bangs were, for me, a breakthrough. That's how bad it was.) The two highlights:

I put lipliner on my eyes. Yes, it was pink (-ish, in my defense). Looked like eyeliner to me!
After having perused the lipstick color choices, I settled on "apple berry." It was... dark. When I saw Janel, I was instantly envious of her superior choice. We had the following exchange:
M: What color is that?
J: Tanned.
M: Tand?
J: Tanned.
M: Tand?
J: Tanned.
M: Tand?
J (the fear in her eyes growing more each time I opened my mouth): Tanned.
M (what on earth is the strange word Janel keeps saying??): Tand?! With a "d"?
J: Yes. TANNED.
I finally had to look at the written word to understand it.

Clearly my problems extend beyond the mere application of makeup to the more complex issues of understanding single-syllable words. I therefore find it unlikely that even given the helpful makeup application videos on the Mary Kay website, I will succeed with the new makeups. But, hey. Maybe pink "eyeliner" will turn out to be the new style.

7 comments | Leave a comment

bbqhuff

21 July 2008 @ 12:17 am

I snagged a couple of free tickets to go hear the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom tonight with a bud from church. What a fun concert! Weather was perfect and got to hear the orchestra accompanied by the birds that roost in the open air Blossom pavilion...fun stuff.

Leave a comment