I need to get Google into the picture so that I can find stuff later, so here's some info about the WordPress blogs we've just set up.

Stephen asked me to set up the research logs, so that we could have more control over the plugins. In particular, he wanted to be able to use LaTeX in his research journal. I agreed to set up the site, and now myself and David Collins have logs, too.

How to touch a bunch of files when the argument list is too long.

cable $ touch `ls -1tr | head -100`

Repeat as needed.

My labmate Stephen caught me playing Frets on Fire. Now you know why graduate school takes so long.

In preparation for an upcoming workshop, I'm building some XML schemas for the CADAC. I've been uploading them to a directory a directory on the website, to reference them from instance documents. And I've just learned that Reload Dependencies doesn't mean a damn thing to Eclise, at least in the area of validating XML and HTTP. So, if you modify the schema document on a remote server, go to Preference->Internet->Cache and remove the offending entry. I considered disabling the cache, but this was a learning curve issue, not a design problem.

Other than that, I'm finding Eclipse, and it's Web Tools to be reasonable for creating schemas and instance documents.

I was inspired by today's XKCD comic to mention some things I enjoy on the web. XKCD is definitely one of them; Randall Munroe just seems to nail the stuff that I deal with daily. Some of it is a little too topical (like Rick Rolling), but having a computer explain the feeling of a segfault is just perfect.

Something that I've just started listening to is Astronomy Cast. This is podcast that does a good job of covering current research topics in astronomy and astrophysics, without delving into math. Which means it's perfect for me while I'm walking to get coffee.

For some time now, I've worked with my family at Sterling, a custom elevator interior company. I know this sounds odd for someone who's current life mostly involves being a graduate student in astrophysics. But, most of my work for Sterling has been system administration type stuff. This has allowed me a little more up-to-date in technology areas outside of the code we work on in the lab.

Our GE dishwasher has been giving us some trouble lately. It will hum when we try to start it, and after a couple of tries, it will usually work. The sound is reminiscent of an electric motor trying to turn, and that's exactly what the problem is. I found this photo, which summarizes the fix. Of course, if the motor keeps this up, it's going to get replaced. Or, my wife's dream of a new (much quieter) Bosch dishwasher will come true.

A little musty, might have sat in the fermenter too long. Other than that, it's well carbonated, and tastes like it might have a kick.

I'll try it again when I get back from my trip. Then I'll have to decide if it's worth trying to improve the process.

I had to post this. I was chatting with an undergrad who worked with me last year administering a Beowulf cluster, and we were discussing Ubuntu. We've been using Rocks, but we're lazy enough to want something even easier. (Hard to say if you've used Rocks.) Anyways, I mentioned the idea of running Ubuntu on the cluster, and he totally disappeared.

Academic Connections has my bio online still. I'm wondering how long it will stay up.

I've just started to write up my next project on my research site. This a computational astrophysics data archive that we're bootstrapping for a KITP conference and workshop.

Greg Wilson has been helping me to get to this year's SciPy conference as a result of the class I'm teaching. I've been keeping an I on his blog, and today's post was reassuring. That is the kind of atmosphere that will make grad students work 60 hours a week for no money and appreciate it.

My friend Daniel and I bottled up another batch. This time it was a fruit beer based on a recipe from Home Brew Mart. It had six pounds of dried malt extract at the start, and then I added another six pounds of peach and apricot puree a week later. The fruit kicked of a second ferment, which kept bubbling for another week. It tasted sweet and light going in to the bottles, so I have hopes for it. If it doesn't come out overly carbonated, it should make a good Summer beer.

Yo! Google! Twig on this! Here's my academic record, as I've maintained it from the beginning. Now I just have to fess up and put my graduate record grades on. I'm not saying I found graduate school a bit more challenging, because my grades will say it for me.

Now I just have to make sure any work I've posted in the past is still accessible.

And, while I'm at it, I've added a link to my research area where the truly bored (or my adviser) can see what I'm doing.

Enzo - Trac