Line by Line

Archives: 2010

2010 is the year of the site's launch. Not much else of interest happened. And here it is:

Reading List Update: Three Down, Ten to Go

posted August 02, 2010

Tags: reading list




I haven't been able to devote as much time to reading as I thought I would, since I've also been getting caught up on my podcasts and working on my art. (Who knew deviantArt would actually be fun?) But here are my thoughts on those books I have finished. Therefore, this post is a long one. Next time I'll have to remember to post as soon as I finish one book. I'll also try to be more timely in the future.

First up, Ender's Game. Apparently it's considered required reading for science fiction fans, and I've been wanting to get more sci-fi in my diet.

I'm struck by the similarities and differences between the technology in the book and the technology we have today. The book's copyright date is 1977, after all.

...

Read the rest of this post in the blog.

New Old Art

Posted Jul. 11, 2010




I've been wanting to post something new art-wise for a while. I'm working on something big, but it won't be ready for a while (and besides, I always say that and never deliver). So for now I've pulled something old out of the pile, and added it to the Art Gallery.

It's the first appearance of a character I plan to draw fairly often, so maybe this will turn into something bigger...?

2010 Summer Reading List

posted Jun. 28, 2010

Tags: reading list




Well, I finally made it out the other end of college. Through some combination of hard work, dumb luck, and Divine intervention, I actually managed to graduate summa cum laude. (That, or the gold rope thingy was so they could strangle me if I didn't leave.)

So between now and the time I finally find a job, I've got some free time. I plan to use this time to reconnect with my long-lost love: Reading! Here's my list, in no particular order:

I probably won't get through the list this summer, but I hope to read as much as soon as I can. I also plan to blog about some of this, especially the Summa.

See this and other posts in the blog.

Can we all fit in Texas?

posted May 03, 2010

Tags: fact-checking, math, myths, population




I'm sure you've heard of overpopulation. And if you have heard it debated at all, then you've probably heard the claim that everyone on earth could fit into the state of Texas. As skeptical as I am about overpopulation (I'm pretty sure it's a myth),I'm equally skeptical about the Texas claim. It's something I've heard repeated over and over again but never substantiated.

So I decided to find out, once and for all, whether it's true or not. The first time I ran the numbers, screwed up by converting linear instead of square units, and wound up with the badly inaccurate figure of 2.5-ish square inches per person. It's actually closer to 1,100 feet.

Here are the data I used to reach this calculation

...

Read the rest of this post in the Blog.

Tag Searches Fixed

Posted Mar. 23, 2010




I fixed the tag searches in the blog or Art Gallery. Until now, any search terms would return an error message stating that no results were found and no pages had any of the requested tags, regardless of what the search tags were or whether they were valid.

Now that it's fixed, you can search the blog for "privacy" or the art gallery for "dragon" and you'll actually see results. you will only see those error messges if you put in some tags that don't exist or a combination of tags that aren't shared by any one page. (Note: If the search tags include tags that aren't used, the program will still search for any valid ones.)

There are still a few improvements I'd like to make a little on down the line. For now, though, I'm happy. My next goal is to increase the amount of content on the site. I'll probably start by putting something in that lonely, empty HTML Tutorials section.

Site Launch!

Posted Mar. 17, 2010




After years of alternately working and sitting on this site, I've finally got it ready for prime time. All it took was a deadline! (Oh, and a lot of work.) Here's what I have so far:

The "About" page lists some information about me and this site, and tries to explain just what is up with that crazy name.

The blog has one post so far, and the art gallery and corresponding deviantArt account have two. The archives are nearly empty; the site is brand new, after all. The "Web Stuff" section comprises HTML tutorials and "Gadgets," various fun things you can do with a little scripting. So far there's one feature there: a "Gadget" demo of pop-up navigation menus. As you might expect, any writing that doesn't go into those categories can be found under Other Writing.

Okay, the site is just getting started, and it shows. There are some pages that still need polish (and could maybe use an additional section or two). HTML tutorials... Well, they're coming. Bear with me. But I hope that you get some benefit from what I have so far, and I plan to update with additional content on a somewhat regular basis.

Spycams: Is Bad School Policy Just the Start?

Posted Mar. 17, 2010 (Written Feb. 28, 2010)

Tags: PC World, privacy




A recent blog post on PC World tells the story of a teenage boy who whose school disciplined him on drug charges because they saw him eating Mike and Ike.

Now as stupid as that is, the real issue here isn't a Zero-Tolerance policy gone wrong, but how and where the school saw him: In the privacy of his own home, courtesy of a shool-provided laptop with a webcam in it. Apparently the laptops come with remotely activated "security" software that phones home with a live feed from the camera. It's supposed to be used to track down stolen laptops. The FBI has gotten involved to see whether the school violated any privacy laws

...

Read the rest of this post in the Blog.

Tag Searches Fixed

Posted Mar. 23, 2010




I fixed the tag searches in the blog or Art Gallery. Until now, any search terms would return an error message stating that no results were found and no pages had any of the requested tags, regardless of what the search tags were or whether they were valid.

Now that it's fixed, you can search the blog for "privacy" or the art gallery for "dragon" and you'll actually see results. you will only see those error messges if you put in some tags that don't exist or a combination of tags that aren't shared by any one page. (Note: If the search tags include tags that aren't used, the program will still search for any valid ones.)

There are still a few improvements I'd like to make a little on down the line. For now, though, I'm happy. My next goal is to increase the amount of content on the site. I'll probably start by putting something in that lonely, empty HTML Tutorials section.

Site Launch!

Posted Mar. 17, 2010




After years of alternately working and sitting on this site, I've finally got it ready for prime time. All it took was a deadline! (Oh, and a lot of work.) Here's what I have so far:

The "About" page lists some information about me and this site, and tries to explain just what is up with that crazy name.

The blog has one post so far, and the art gallery and corresponding deviantArt account have two. The archives are nearly empty; the site is brand new, after all. The "Web Stuff" section comprises HTML tutorials and "Gadgets," various fun things you can do with a little scripting. So far there's one feature there: a "Gadget" demo of pop-up navigation menus. As you might expect, any writing that doesn't go into those categories can be found under Other Writing.

Okay, the site is just getting started, and it shows. There are some pages that still need polish (and could maybe use an additional section or two). HTML tutorials... Well, they're coming. Bear with me. But I hope that you get some benefit from what I have so far, and I plan to update with additional content on a somewhat regular basis.