For last few years, I've been saving all my install files on an external hard drive. Doing this has really helped me whenever I have to re-install my operating system. I've had to re-install Windows XP twice, not counting the time that the Lenovo repair depot needlessly wiped my laptop back to factory state.
Starting over from scratch, it's handy to have all my install files on-hand without having to download them again or even remember what I had on my computer [1]. More importantly, if you buy software that's only available online, you can only download it once. If your computer crashes and you have to re-install your operating system, that is not a "valid excuse" for getting another copy of the software. Believe me, I tried.
If the install files require license codes, make sure you save those, too. And don't forget to backup the install files!
[1] Alternatively, you could run Belarc Advisor on your Windows machine to get a list of all installed programs on your computer. Belarc Advisor is also handy for getting hardware model/ID numbers.
22 January 2009
21 January 2009
18 January game recap vs Northern CT Edge
My memory is weak on this game, so bear with me.
Score: 4-1
Opposition: They were definitely better than us, but not completely out of our league.
Team performance: We did better than our previous (horrific) game. Our coach had the game videotaped, so we could discuss it later in a team meeting.
My performance: I played well. I seem to get better with every game and the asthma is completely gone. A new thing I tried, on the recommendation of the coach, was to drink a lot of water the three days before the game. I played on a line with Denise and Allison for most of the game. In my first shift, on the attack, I took the puck clockwise around the net and sent a Wayne Gretzy-type pass through two defenders onto Denise's stick. She got a shot on net and Allison was even there for the rebound, though she didn't get her stick on it. Amazing! Probably pure luck, though. I remember getting a nice pass to Denise, though maybe I should have skated it up. I didn't really think about. I just saw Denise and passed to her. Next time, I should check the positions of the opposing players. I also had a nice shift where I was trying to break out on the left board. The puck came around the boards and I lost the puck to the defenseman. But I stayed with her and even though I was a step behind, I lifted her stick and got the puck away. The coach was pleased. She's been trying to get our team to lift sticks for ages. I drew two penalties (though one I'm not completely sure about). In one instance, I was charging into the offensive zone with the puck and somehow got an arm in the head. I thought the penalty was for roughing or interference, but Trudy thought it was tripping. No concussion, though my neck was sore for two days from the whiplash.
Score: 4-1
Opposition: They were definitely better than us, but not completely out of our league.
Team performance: We did better than our previous (horrific) game. Our coach had the game videotaped, so we could discuss it later in a team meeting.
My performance: I played well. I seem to get better with every game and the asthma is completely gone. A new thing I tried, on the recommendation of the coach, was to drink a lot of water the three days before the game. I played on a line with Denise and Allison for most of the game. In my first shift, on the attack, I took the puck clockwise around the net and sent a Wayne Gretzy-type pass through two defenders onto Denise's stick. She got a shot on net and Allison was even there for the rebound, though she didn't get her stick on it. Amazing! Probably pure luck, though. I remember getting a nice pass to Denise, though maybe I should have skated it up. I didn't really think about. I just saw Denise and passed to her. Next time, I should check the positions of the opposing players. I also had a nice shift where I was trying to break out on the left board. The puck came around the boards and I lost the puck to the defenseman. But I stayed with her and even though I was a step behind, I lifted her stick and got the puck away. The coach was pleased. She's been trying to get our team to lift sticks for ages. I drew two penalties (though one I'm not completely sure about). In one instance, I was charging into the offensive zone with the puck and somehow got an arm in the head. I thought the penalty was for roughing or interference, but Trudy thought it was tripping. No concussion, though my neck was sore for two days from the whiplash.
20 January 2009
Search beyond Google
I've recently realized that I use websites besides Google to search for information. The heavyweight is of course Wikipedia. I read an article (can't remember where) decrying the fact that Wikipedia articles now frequently come up as the number one search result on Google.
The New York Times finds that many people (especially children) use YouTube as a search engine. I certainly have done that, especially when my searches involve a strong visual element, for instance, an obscure sport. I like using Youtube to bookmark favorite video clips. Even if I own the DVD, it's nice to instantly pull up a favorite scene from a TV show. As someone remarked in a post (forgot where this one came from, too), we don't currently have a standard way to bookmark and highlight video the way we can with physical books and papers. It would also be wonderful to search YouTube videos in more complex ways than just by title, description, and tags. For example, what if I wanted to find all instances of pigs in Youtube?
A couple weeks ago, I mentioned how Midomi allows people to search for tunes. I also used Flickr to look for photos of New York Comic-Con. It's my first big comic convention and I wanted to know what to expect.
The New York Times finds that many people (especially children) use YouTube as a search engine. I certainly have done that, especially when my searches involve a strong visual element, for instance, an obscure sport. I like using Youtube to bookmark favorite video clips. Even if I own the DVD, it's nice to instantly pull up a favorite scene from a TV show. As someone remarked in a post (forgot where this one came from, too), we don't currently have a standard way to bookmark and highlight video the way we can with physical books and papers. It would also be wonderful to search YouTube videos in more complex ways than just by title, description, and tags. For example, what if I wanted to find all instances of pigs in Youtube?
A couple weeks ago, I mentioned how Midomi allows people to search for tunes. I also used Flickr to look for photos of New York Comic-Con. It's my first big comic convention and I wanted to know what to expect.
18 January 2009
Golden age of television?
I've been impressed with the quality of television shows the last few years and started thinking about whether television has finally matured as an art form. Every type of media (e.g. movies, plays, musicals) starts out as a crude amusement and later evolves into sophisticated, challenging entertainment [1]. Is this the moment for TV?
I found an article called "Welcome to the Third Golden Age of Television," which supports my thinking. It's a little old (from 2007), but does a nice job of arguing why we are living in a golden age for TV.
[1] Movies started with silent film, Charlie Chaplin, and "Steamboat Willie" in the 1920s. Masterpieces like Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Strangelove came in the 60s. Musicals have their roots in vaudeville. Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the musical from a shabby shell for some songs to a cohesive, organic story. Then Sondheim came along with his groundbreaking Company in 1970. (I feel weird writing footnotes for my posts.)
I found an article called "Welcome to the Third Golden Age of Television," which supports my thinking. It's a little old (from 2007), but does a nice job of arguing why we are living in a golden age for TV.
[1] Movies started with silent film, Charlie Chaplin, and "Steamboat Willie" in the 1920s. Masterpieces like Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Strangelove came in the 60s. Musicals have their roots in vaudeville. Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the musical from a shabby shell for some songs to a cohesive, organic story. Then Sondheim came along with his groundbreaking Company in 1970. (I feel weird writing footnotes for my posts.)
13 January 2009
Baseball song trivia
I've had an interest in baseball music since I heard "Go Cubs Go" at Wrigley Field. Here are some of the songs I know about.
Chicago Cubs
Victory song - Go Cubs Go by Steve Goodman
Boston Red Sox
Middle of 8th inning - Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
Victory song - Dirty Water by The Standells
The lyrics "dirty water" refer to the Charles River which has a notorious reputation for being so dirty that if you fell in a few years ago, you had to go to the hospital.
New York Yankees
Mariano Rivera coming out to mound - Enter Sandman by Metallica
Victory song - New York, New York performed by Frank Sinatra
I don't like the Yankees, but you have to include them for historical reasons. I've attended Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees games.
Chicago Cubs
Victory song - Go Cubs Go by Steve Goodman
Boston Red Sox
Middle of 8th inning - Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
Victory song - Dirty Water by The Standells
The lyrics "dirty water" refer to the Charles River which has a notorious reputation for being so dirty that if you fell in a few years ago, you had to go to the hospital.
New York Yankees
Mariano Rivera coming out to mound - Enter Sandman by Metallica
Victory song - New York, New York performed by Frank Sinatra
I don't like the Yankees, but you have to include them for historical reasons. I've attended Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees games.
3D pdf and interactive 3D data in scientific publishing
Prof. Goodman at the Harvard astronomy department published her latest
Nature paper with 3D figure that you can rotate and manipulate inside
the pdf.
The 3D pdf can be downloaded here though the
link on the right "PDF 3D version."
A movie demonstrating the features of the 3D PDF can be found on
Goodman's webpage.
I downloaded the 3D pdf and it really does work. (I used Acrobat Reader
8.1)
This seems like an interesting way to visualize complicated data.
Nature paper with 3D figure that you can rotate and manipulate inside
the pdf.
The 3D pdf can be downloaded here though the
link on the right "PDF 3D version."
A movie demonstrating the features of the 3D PDF can be found on
Goodman's webpage.
I downloaded the 3D pdf and it really does work. (I used Acrobat Reader
8.1)
This seems like an interesting way to visualize complicated data.
12 January 2009
11 January game recap vs Fighting Saints
Score: 3-1 loss
Opposition: They might have been a little better than us, but we were roughly well-matched.
Team performance: It was easily the worst game I've seen our team play. I watched as our coach became progressively unhappier and unhappier as the game went on. We started poorly and we just couldn't recover. The Saints kept pressing and we kept panicking and losing our composure. It was as if our team lost its collective brain. People threw the puck away constantly. Our coach told us that we should have lost 10-0 or more if it weren't for our goaltender.
My performance: I did pretty well (methinks). I've been having problems with exercise-induced asthma lately, so I played a more conservative game than usual. This time I played left wing with Fran on the right and either Allison or Miriam as center. I think that helped me because I had more energy when it counted. I had a nice idea to redirect Allison's shot on goal. I also had a nice rush up the left boards. I got a shot off at goal. Too bad Fran wasn't quite able to get the rebound. On the forecheck in the last two minutes of the game, I charged the defenseman with the puck and picked it up. As I was battling for the puck behind the net, I think I drew a penalty. The bad. I skated over the puck one or two times. Mary thought I might have been thinking too far ahead. I also need to do a better job of backchecking on odd-man rushes if I'm one of the first players back. Sometimes the center or second defenseman can't get back in time and I need to fill-in.
Opposition: They might have been a little better than us, but we were roughly well-matched.
Team performance: It was easily the worst game I've seen our team play. I watched as our coach became progressively unhappier and unhappier as the game went on. We started poorly and we just couldn't recover. The Saints kept pressing and we kept panicking and losing our composure. It was as if our team lost its collective brain. People threw the puck away constantly. Our coach told us that we should have lost 10-0 or more if it weren't for our goaltender.
My performance: I did pretty well (methinks). I've been having problems with exercise-induced asthma lately, so I played a more conservative game than usual. This time I played left wing with Fran on the right and either Allison or Miriam as center. I think that helped me because I had more energy when it counted. I had a nice idea to redirect Allison's shot on goal. I also had a nice rush up the left boards. I got a shot off at goal. Too bad Fran wasn't quite able to get the rebound. On the forecheck in the last two minutes of the game, I charged the defenseman with the puck and picked it up. As I was battling for the puck behind the net, I think I drew a penalty. The bad. I skated over the puck one or two times. Mary thought I might have been thinking too far ahead. I also need to do a better job of backchecking on odd-man rushes if I'm one of the first players back. Sometimes the center or second defenseman can't get back in time and I need to fill-in.
08 January 2009
Legend of Basara
I was racking my memory trying to remember the anime series my college roommate Neeti and I used to watch. After searching for words like "prophecy" and "twin sister," I finally figured out that it was Legend of Basara.
As I vaguely recall, there is an empire and an oppressed village of peasants. The villagers hold onto the hope of a prophecy that a child will be born to lead them out of poverty. Twins are born and one of them is the child of the prophecy. Unfortunately, the twin brother dies in an attack and the twin sister impersonates her brother to become the leader. The girl goes on adventures and keeps running into a mysterious man, who turns out to be a king. They are mortal enemies, but they have no idea.
People have called Basara a Shakespearean story. Unfortunately, only 13 anime episodes were made. Apparently the series was canceled due to poor ratings. The 13 episodes correspond roughly to volumes 1-5 of the 27 volume manga series.
As I vaguely recall, there is an empire and an oppressed village of peasants. The villagers hold onto the hope of a prophecy that a child will be born to lead them out of poverty. Twins are born and one of them is the child of the prophecy. Unfortunately, the twin brother dies in an attack and the twin sister impersonates her brother to become the leader. The girl goes on adventures and keeps running into a mysterious man, who turns out to be a king. They are mortal enemies, but they have no idea.
People have called Basara a Shakespearean story. Unfortunately, only 13 anime episodes were made. Apparently the series was canceled due to poor ratings. The 13 episodes correspond roughly to volumes 1-5 of the 27 volume manga series.
07 January 2009
Lifehack for separating clean and dirty sponges
A while ago, I learned on Unclutterer about a way to separate clean and dirty sponges.
I tried it today and it worked like a charm. The idea is that as your sponge gets dirtier and nastier, you cut off a corner. The more corners that are cut, the dirtier the sponge. So you can use the dirtier sponges for nasty business like cleaning showers and the cleaner sponges for washing dishes.
I tried it today and it worked like a charm. The idea is that as your sponge gets dirtier and nastier, you cut off a corner. The more corners that are cut, the dirtier the sponge. So you can use the dirtier sponges for nasty business like cleaning showers and the cleaner sponges for washing dishes.
06 January 2009
Fun with Midomi
Midomi is a music database that allows you to search for songs by humming or singing a few bars. I heard about it over two years ago on Lifehacker. Then my dad reminded me about the site over the holidays and I went back to look at it.
The Midomi database/software was able to identify popular songs (e.g. "A Little Respect" by Erasure) and it even identified Chinese songs (my sister tried it). If you register for an account, you can contribute to the database by choosing a song you know well and singing into your microphone. I sang "How long has this been going on?" by George Gershwin and my sister gave a stirring rendition of "Twinkle twinkle little star."
Midomi is an example of "query-by-humming" software. There are other research projects underway to improve this software.
The Midomi database/software was able to identify popular songs (e.g. "A Little Respect" by Erasure) and it even identified Chinese songs (my sister tried it). If you register for an account, you can contribute to the database by choosing a song you know well and singing into your microphone. I sang "How long has this been going on?" by George Gershwin and my sister gave a stirring rendition of "Twinkle twinkle little star."
Midomi is an example of "query-by-humming" software. There are other research projects underway to improve this software.
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