small thoughtssmall thoughts - LiveJournal.comHey, neat! The return of Image from NIH- January 27, 2006 NIH image was one of my favorite graphics programs on the Mac. Simple, fun to use, speedy, worked with a variety of image formats, and made my doodles look neater than they deserved. From compulsively checking Freshmeat, I see there's now a Java version called ImageJ. The Linux download's a bit large (includes a Java runtime), but at decent network speeds, what's a few tens of megabytes among friends, eh And unlike much of the software that I ever try to download, IT JUST WORKS! Good directions.http://tlord.livejournal.com/48898.html Apropos of nothing that I can think of ... an oddball dream- January 26, 2006 Sometimes dreams come out of those parts of the consciousness that are in no way "sub." A pretty girl, or scary but anticipated experience, or a childhood memory -- those are obvious candidates for appearances in the dreamworld. But last night I dreamed that I was having a luncheon with a) a few fellow law students from here at Temple, b) some students from other schools; I knew that a few were from Yale, but not sure how they ended up in such de-exalted company, and c) Dick Cheney. The...http://tlord.livejournal.com/48875.html Blood: Commodity- January 25, 2006 Finishing up a discussion of the Moore cell-line case, my property class today was arguing the merits of and proper limitations on the sale of things sometimes considered ungentlemanly to sell or deal in -- blood, whole tissues, particular cell types, medically excised material, etc. While I believe in a radical right to contract ("bargain to your potentially donable heart's content"), most of the class clearly does not. However, in the case of blood, I think it's much easier to support sale....http://tlord.livejournal.com/48422.html A long-ago note ... why not post it now- January 25, 2006 According to the note at the top, I wrote this little rant a bit over four years ago. I remember thinking about this topic (including a kids' programming language in every PC), but had forgotten until just now that I actually wrote this out. I see some things in here I'd update if I were to write today's version of this thoughtstream, but it's simpler to just dump it in and let the chips fall where they may. (And thankfully, Linux distros did and do come with at least some programming tools...http://tlord.livejournal.com/48208.html Half-baked idea: Biorhythms for cellphones- January 21, 2006 I note happily that today I am able to spell "rhythm" on the first try, which is unusual. I usually have to wrestle a bit with where exactly the missing-seeming vowel seems to be missing. Which has nothing to do with today's contribution to the half-bakery.http://tlord.livejournal.com/48083.html advertising is marketing is merchandising is selling- January 21, 2006 If you want to find strong distinctions among these things, I can't stop you. As the saying goes, you have a right to your insane opinion. However, I think the whole business of voluntary persuasion is really of a piece, and not split in the way so many of their practitioners seem to think. (I was going to say "voluntary persuasion for commercial gain" or something like that, but I think my argument is broad enough to stick with "voluntary persuasion.") Two of my favorite merchants who...http://tlord.livejournal.com/47636.html Buy your E-ticket to Tortland!- January 18, 2006 No rides!No windows!No ladders!Jello suits mandatory!No peanuts!No shellfish!No chemicals (none!)Closed during the dangerous seasons!Childen prohibited!Elderly visitors strongly discouraged!Gloves must be worn!No exposed skin (or hair)!Pregnancy forbidden!Flea- and tick collars must be worn!Living wills required of all guests! Mandatory weigh-in!Escape hatches well distributed!Smoking only in designated areas.(Please sign this form.)Step right up ...http://tlord.livejournal.com/47605.html Things about Philadelphia- January 15, 2006 A few thoughts on Philadelphia Stopping at stop signs More in the breach than the observance. People just don't. If you're used to pedestrians having the right of way, make sure your will is current. On the other hand, if you're a driver not used to pedestrians walking insolently in the way of traffic, better get used to the idea. General rudeness level is high: Philadelphians seem inured to retail surliness; wholesale, too.Great pretzels. If you can get a fresh-made, still-warm Philadelphia...http://tlord.livejournal.com/47203.html 12-baked idea: usage tracker for small appliances- January 14, 2006 I know that many large appliances actually have pretty complex record keeping, but here's my latest entry on half-bakery: Small appliance odometer(Keep track of instances hours of kitchen appliance use) I'm using my CostCo rice cooker bought a few months ago for the 3d time right now; it cost $30, so at the moment, I'm right at a $10 surcharge for each 4-cup rice serving, which is pretty expensive. However, in the medium term, I think it will end up saving me money on food, by helping me meet..http://tlord.livejournal.com/47087.html |