Hard-to-find tips on otherwise easy-to-do tasks involving everyday technology, with some advanced insight on history and culture thrown in. Brought to you by a master dabbler. T-S T-S's mission is to boost your competitiveness with every visit. This blog is committed to the elimination of the rat from the tree of evolution and the crust of the earth.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Python : You Want to Check if All Elements of a List are the Same (Identical)
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Add Line Numbers to a Text File
You want
line 1
line 2
line 3
..
to become
1. line 1
2. line 2
3. line 3
...
My way : pipe through perl -p -e 's/^/$.. /;'
nl -ba and cat -n both give a large number of spaces before the line number. Don't know how to prevent that..
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
The Best Book Review in the World
https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Kotlin-Expressive-Performant-Applications/dp/1680506358
Cons:
1. The body text tends to be repetitious, The code examples are trivial and silly, and sometimes exemplars of lousy code. A poster child for the latter is the functional-programming recipe for testing whether a number is primreame. The author's code tries to divide the number by every number from two up to the number itself. In reality, for a non-trivially large number, you only need to divide by numbers up to the approximate rounded-up square root of the number to be tested - a recipe that Eratosthenes figured out 2 millennia ago.
Another instance of a bad example: he defines his own Complex class using Pairs - of *integers* for the real and imaginary parts. (They should be decimal or floating point numbers.)
2. The author has an unhealthy obsession about the supposed evils of read-write variables (declared with var). Traditional languages have them for a good reason: you can't keep cloning large collections (arrays, lists, maps, etc.) each time you decide to modify a collection by adding or removing an element. Kotlin itself has a family of classes prefixed with the name Mutable (e.g., MutableList) which, it turns out, can be declared with val - they permit modifications to the contents while not allowing replacement of the entire collection with another. (The fact that you get some safety by declaring mutable collections with val is not mentioned in the book: you have to go to the online Kotlin documentation.)
3. Some chapters are superficial placeholders that will take you from beginner to -- beginner. For example, chapter 20 on Kotlin programming on the android platform is a joke.
4. The book gives every impression of being a rush job, with more thought being given to the jokes in the text (which are sometimes decent, but often labored) than to the examples and detailed exploration of this excellent language, to which this book does a disservice.
5. The author repeatedly emphasizes conciseness (you don't have to type semicolons and sprain your right pinky - wow!), but mere conciseness without clarity (which is important for long-term code maintainability) is worthless. The old days where show-off C programmers tried to squeeze in as much semantics into a single statement, combining multiple assignments separated by commas, and increment/decrement operators are over - opaque code gets programmers fired today Kotlin allows a reasonable degree of conciseness, but I expect that, at some point, when enough experience with the language has accumulated, a style guide will be written that identifies the optimum balance between conciseness and clarity.
In summary, the author does a quick survey of Kotlin, but I have to wonder if he's ever written serious, production-quality code for a living.
Friday, October 02, 2020
Get the Length of Each Line : Something unix wc Can't Do
Replace each line with the character count :
perl -p -e 's/^(.+)$/sprintf("%d",length($1))/e;'
Prefix each line with character count :
perl -p -e 's/^(.+)$/sprintf("%d:$1",length($1))/e;'
Thursday, September 10, 2020
How Fascinating History Is
Joseph Leconte - on the preparation of saltpetre - 1862 :
SWEDISH METHOD
Every Swede pays a portion of his tax in nitre. This salt is therefore prepared by almost every one on a small scale. The Swedish method does not differ in any essential respect from those I have already described. First a clay floor; upon this is placed a mixture of earth, mould, spent ashes, animal and vegetable refuse of all kinds. Small twig branches, straw and leaves are added, to make the mass porous; a light covering, to protect from weather, frequent watering with urine or dung-water, and turning over every week or two. The process is precisely the same as the French, except that the process of preparation and nitrification are not separated. I only mention it to show that nitre may be made by every one on a small scale. By this method the beds are ripe in two years-- perhaps in less time in this country.
.. from "The Alchemy of Air" by Thomas Hager - super book.
Saturday, September 05, 2020
What it Takes to Work with the Best
Electrical Robotics Engineer - Senior
Location: Manchester, NHType: Full TimeMin. Experience: Experienced
For over thirty years, DEKA Research & Development Corp. has made Manchester, New Hampshire home. Housed in the largest industrial complex of its time, the historic Amoskeag Millyard, DEKA employs a team of professionals, whose engineering, design, manufacturing and quality expertise make DEKA a hot spot for creating innovative solutions and advanced technologies. Located about an hour from Boston, the beach, and the mountains, DEKA is one of the leading research and development companies in the country and is the birthplace of some of the most innovative and life-changing products of our time.
We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer for an advanced robotics program. This position will be central to the development of one of the worlds most advanced autonomous delivery robots. This is a rare opportunity to become involved at a stage where you will have major impacts on the design direction of an amazing piece of engineering. This candidate will be responsible for the concept, development, and production-related activities of electrical circuit board designs within a multi-disciplinary project team. The candidate should be familiar with a broad range of engineering activities from low level analog to high speed digital circuitry. This position requires a fair amount of autonomy and clever thinking as projects here at DEKA involve inventing new and better ways of solving the many engineering challenges that the world is confronted with.
Responsibilities:
Design and develop complex circuit boards containing a mix of analog and digital circuitry through the creation of schematics and the ability to manage complex PCB layouts
Perform debug and failure analysis of circuitry as well as the creation of test fixtures to aid in both the development and production of circuit boards
Create clear and concise documentation including electrical requirements, design descriptions, and failure analysis procedures
Requirements:
Requires at least 5 years of experience in the development of electrical circuit boards for complex electro-mechanical devices
Minimum of a BS in electrical engineering required
Demonstrated electrical design experience from concept through production
Proficient in debugging circuitry through hands-on testing, analysis and analog/digital simulation
Solid grasp of signal integrity, signal timing, power consumption, and design for ESD and EMC compliance
Experience integrating embedded processors with sensors, actuators, power management, and wireless communication peripherals
Must be skilled in writing and working with specifications and detailed design documents
Must be able to set priorities and work independently under aggressive timelines and date driven schedules
======================================
Oracle's Req for a Data Center Designer :
Evaluates reliability of materials, properties and techniques used in production; plans, designs and develops electronic parts, components, integrated circuitry, mechanical systems, equipment and packaging, optical systems and/or DSP systems.Responsible for designing, developing, modifying and evaluating electronic, electro-mechanical or mechanical components, assemblies or integrated circuitry for hardware systems for the external market. Includes new design, as well as modification activities that results in significant product enhancement. Activities encompass design, analysis, testing and process development using engineering principles and methods. Technical disciplines may include electrical and logical design of printed circuit boards or integrated circuits; mechanical design of electronics enclosures or integrated circuit packaging; and embedded software/firmware design.Work is non-routine and very complex, involving the application of advanced technical/business skills in area of specialization. Leading contributor individually and as a team member, providing direction and mentoring to others. BS or MS degree or equivalent experience relevant to functional area. 7 years of engineering or related experience.Oracle is an Affirmative Action-Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veterans status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.As a DC Design Engineer at Oracle, you will lead designs for data centers globally and impact other projects around the world. You will help develop a highly creative and efficient design team tasked with solving problems and challenging the status quo. As a subject matter expert, you will have a direct impact on the design of prototypical DC facilities/white space provide technical guidance, solve large scale implementation issues, and build a strong understanding of international architectural, civil, and structural design requirements.Responsibilities: Communicate conceptual designs and create/maintain project documentation before, during, and after construction. Maintenance of Basis of Design, prototype design, and template specifications for architectural elements. Create, review, and release civil/structural/architectural design RFPs. Manage external civil/structural/architectural design consultants through the design and construction process. Coordinate with internal and external MEP design engineers. Effectively communicate design standards to internal and external project partners. Manage multiple fast paced projects simultaneously. Think outside of the box to find innovative solutions prior to and during the construction process to reduce costs without negative impacts on quality or reliability. Travel for site assessments, internal design meetings, construction review, and interfacing with design consultants. Anticipated travel of up to 25%.Basic Qualifications: 5 years of commercial / industrial design experience. 2 years of mission critical facilities design experience. 3 years of Data Center design experience. Solid working proficiency with AutoCAD, BIM, Revit, and MS Office Suite. Proficiency in building codes, local/regional/international regulations, and data center standards. Excellent communication skills and attention to detail. Preferred civil / structural / architectural / mechanical engineering degree.Job: Product DevelopmentOrganization: OracleTitle: Data Center Design DeveloperLocation: United StatesRequisition ID: 20000RVGOther Locations: CA-Canada
Friday, August 28, 2020
John Teel's Tech Tips
https://predictabledesigns.com/about/
Step | Action | Object |
1 | Define | product, based on market research |
2 | Understand | Costs and Obstacles en route to market |
3 | Formulate | Plan to deal with costs/obstacles |
4 | Pick | Development strategy and team |
5 | Design | Schematic for Electronics |
6 | Generate | Bill of Materials for Electronics |
7 | Design | PCB |
8 | Develop | Firmware and Software |
9 | Design | 3D model for enclosure |
10 | Get | Independent reviews |
11 | Build | PCB Prototype |
12 | Build | Enclosure prototype |
13 | Evaluate | Prototypes |
14 | Get | Certifications (UL,FCC, etc) |
Sunday, August 09, 2020
The *ds of M$ and Why GOOG *Is* a Monopoly
*ds of M$ - why not have a easy way for the user to find out what has recently changed in his setup - especially without his intention!
Sunday, August 02, 2020
Saturday, August 01, 2020
Stephen Covey Was an Idiot. Wait! Hear Me Out!
Sunday, July 26, 2020
The New Blogger is Crap
With the old one, you could make a post a sticky top post simply by setting the publish date to something in the future.
Try that with the new Blogger and what do you get? You can't even see the damn post because it's "scheduled to post" on that date you set. *ds of Google!
- Revert to draft
- Publish with the new (current) date
Oliver Wyman : Why You Shouldn't Outsource Your Flagship Products
Walmart -> Amazon -> Google Express -> Target
Look on Walmart.com, tough luck - you can see people have searched for it, because of the predictions when you type... but it just doesn't show up.
Worse, the Adidas after shave I usually get for $5 and change is all the way from $10 to $22 from various private sellers - on Walmart.com!
The Church and Dwight Clean Shower Daily Shower cleaner thing you can pick up from Kroger for less than $3 is $33 on Google! *ds!
Anyhow, on the same page, you see Target has it for $2.4. Good.
Get on there, and they also have the other stuff you want to get from Walmart, so... that's where I'm heading lads.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Loonycorn's NLP Class
Falling in Love is Easy - Supposedly
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Set II
13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
16. What do you value most in a friendship?
17. What is your most treasured memory?
18. What is your most terrible memory?
19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
20. What does friendship mean to you?
21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?
24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
Set III
25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “
26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “
27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.
29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?
34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
Killer Jupyter Notebook Tips
How to Clear Cell Output :
Monday, July 20, 2020
Anaconda You Miserable Piece of Crap
Tom Rahill and the Swamp Apes
Alexander Green : I Want You to Buy Foxconn So I Can Cash Out
Friday, July 17, 2020
It's Peter Munson, Not Peter Zimmerman
Peter R. Munson
Peter Munson is a partner in the San Diego office of
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. His practice focuses on all
aspects of intellectual property, including strategic counseling,
prosecution, litigation, licensing, and other transactions, as well as
counseling on other intellectual property and business matters.
Peter provides comprehensive counseling to clients on intellectual
property and related business matters. He has analyzed intellectual
property portfolios and performed IP due diligence for both venture
capital firms and businesses in a variety of investment environments,
including mergers and acquisitions. He has written opinions, negotiated
and drafted transactional documents, performed IP audits, and formulated
strategies for, and carried out, company formations, structured
spin-outs, license renegotiations and acquisitions, and out-licensing of
intellectual property in such fields as pharmaceuticals, medical
devices, immunology, molecular biology, proteomics, microarrays, and
gene therapy.
Peter has litigated patent, trade-secret theft, trademark, and
trade-dress disputes in a diverse range of technical areas, including
pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, molecular biology, microarray,
bone-substitute materials, DNA-sequencing instruments, and dental
implants. He has prosecuted patent and trademark applications before the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including managing the national and
international patent prosecution docket for multiple start-up and major
San Diego pharmaceutical, device, and biotechnology companies.
In addition to his legal career, Peter has worked as a chemist at
Cytogen Corporation in New Jersey and at Agouron Pharmaceuticals (now
Pfizer) in San Diego.
Good to know
Areas of Practice | 1) Intellectual Property, 2) IP Litigation, 3) Global Generics, 4) IP Counseling & Patents and 5) Life Sciences |
Law School | Franklin Pierce Law Center (J.D.,1997) |
Admitted Year | 1989 |
Education | Cornell University (B.S., 1986) |
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Apparently the Belgians Beat the Nazis to It
Saturday, July 04, 2020
Igor Tulchinsky's Four-Month Data Science Course
1 | Program flow, data structures |
2 | Data structures, algorithms, classes |
3 | Data formats |
4 | Multi-dimensional arrays and vectorization in NumPy |
5 | DataFrame, Series, data ingestion and transformation with pandas |
6 | Data aggregation in pandas |
7 | SQL and Object-Relational Mapping |
8 | Data munging |
9 | Introduction to Machine Learning |
10 | Regression and classification |
11 | Metrics and overfitting |
12 | Model selection |
13 | Principal Component Analysis and Dimensionality Reduction, feature engineering |
14 | Statistical methods and nonparametric analysis, probability distributions |
15 | Ensemble methods |
16 | Support Vector Machine and Natural Language Processing |