I'm a physics graduate student and my PhD work is going to involve a fair amount of programming. Aside from the coding part, what habits and skills do I need to develop to become a competent programmer?I am currently a graduate student working toward my physics PhD. I have been played around with coding since I was in middle school, but never anything too serious, and have taken a few classes, but never done anything really intense. However, my research path has taken me toward the computational end of things, and while I am confident in my ability to understand algorithms and translate them into code, there's a lot of quick and dirty/poorly commented/amateurish programming in the academic community, and I don't want to be part of the problem. So what are some good resources that go beyond just the coding side in dealing with becoming a good at programming? What are the best practices? How do I learn the skills that make me more a professional programmer than an amateur hack? Some of the key things I know to be important are: Commenting/Documentation I do try to write as many relevant details down about how the code works when coding up an algorithm, but it sometimes is all over the place. What are some systems of deciding what to when and where to make note of things? Are there any places where commenting on a certain aspect of a program is a necessity for another person's understanding that may not be obvious to me when I am writing the code? What sort of records are good to keep outside of comments in the code? Testing While I do come up with test problems to make sure my code is running correctly, I feel like I could save much time by having a plan for setting up tests in advance and automating them. What are some common strategies or techniques for doing this? I know bigger companies have software testing packages, but with my resources I'd probably be writing my own scripts for doing automated testing. Code Organization While I do know the basics of object oriented programming, and try to keep from having copy-pasted code that does similar things, I'm still at the point where my specific choices for which objects and routines to group together, naming conventions, etc. are made up on the spot and hardly consistent. Are there general guidelines or frameworks out there that I can work off of to develop my own, consistent style? Version Control I'm probably only going to be working on software by myself, so this isn't as big of an issue, but it would be good to have a system for keeping track of changes, and to know what to do/expect if I do end up working on a project with more than a couple of people. If people have good online resources to share, I would really appreciate that. Books are good, too, though as I grad student I don't have a whole lot of extra spending money so a few choice works would be better than a broad array of options. Personal experience and advice is also great. I know it's a lot easier to make good habits than to break bad ones, so I'd be grateful for help getting started on the right foot.
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Illustrator Jed Henry and woodblock printmaker David Bull recently collaborated on a set of videogame-inspired woodblock prints in the ukiyo-e style. Just recently funded through Kickstarter, the prints are already underway. There are videos of the creative process here and at the bottom of the first link.
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Shulamith Firestone, RIP. The founding radical feminist was found dead in her apartment, a quiet end to a revolutionary life. She thought childbearing was the main thing that made women an oppressed class, and she had some odd ideas about how to rectify that (incubating children in artificial wombs, for instance). But she was instrumental in radical second wave feminism and wrote one of its classics. After that, according to reports, she withdrew from public life and was hospitalized off and on for schizophrenia. She features prominently in Susan Brownmiller's In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution but is oddly largely absent from the web, except in recent remembrances. She contributed several essays to Notes from the First Year The Marxist Archive has an excerpt from The Dialectic of Sex Obituaries: WP, AP, Tablet Magazine, The Villager, CBC
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This weekend, IKEA is offering a food special where the price of your meal is deducted from furniture orders of $100 or more. In the fine print, I noticed an unusual clause: "Swedish meatballs not included in restaurant offer at IKEA Carson." Everyone loves Ikea's Swedish meatballs, but is the meatball market really THAT much more robust in Carson, CA? What's the deal?
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I'm looking for recommendations for music that might make me feel better about myself.I want a mix CD that I can play in my car with the volume up high on the way to work to give me some energy and gee me up for the day, and make me feel like a better human being. Maybe something to boost my self esteem or help me feel empowered about my life. I'm not looking for physical energy, more the musical equivalent of a hug and a motivational speech. I'm having a hard time explaining what I'm looking for, but here are some examples: P!nk - F*cking Perfect. Fun. - Carry On. David Guetta - Titanium. Queen - Don't Stop Me Now. La Roux - Bulletproof.
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Our bedframe is broken beyond repair. Perhaps this would be a good time to get a bed that is larger than a full. Our budget is Ikea level—so I have two questions: 1) Will their queen size beds comfortably support our combined weight of 500-550 lbs? 2) Are there any Ikea beds or mattresses that you particularly like?
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Where can I get tasty bulk spices at awesome prices online? I'm particularly looking for dried whole ancho chiles (which seem to cost upwards of $10/lb online)I am happy to pay for quality...but the most recent batch I got online were not good (one was clearly rotting). So, I'm looking for a seller who markets high quality spices at reasonable prices.
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Weird credit card charge..can you help?This is a somewhat odd occurrence and I'm looking for ideas on how it could have happened. I checked my online account for one of my credit cards this morning and noticed a pending charge at a fast food restaurant, dated yesterday. I recognized the resaurant number as the one a few miles from my house and I eat there a few times a month (usually using this card), but I did not eat there yesterday or anytime in the past week. I have an authorized user on my account, but I have both his card and my card in my possession. This was the only unknown charge. I contacted my credit card company and they said they could not do anything until it actually posted to my account, which would happen in 1-3 days. I will of course call back then, but in the meantime I'm wondering if anyone has an idea on how this could happen. I checked my account and have no transactions in the previous month at this place that match this amount (so it doesn't seem as if they accidentally ran a charge twice). I currently live alone (just broke up with my live-in boyfriend a few days ago) and I am terrified that I may have done this in my sleep because I can't think of any other explanation. I have a history of talking and walking in my sleep since I went off anti-depressants (Wellbutrin and Lexapro) about a year ago, but never sleeping or eating. I've never taken Ambien or any sleep aids so I'm pretty sure this isn't what happened. Ideas?
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I'm in the middle of treatment for breast cancer (chemo and radiation) and am unsure how to handle sharing this information (if I should at all) during my job interviews. What is my legal obligation? What is my moral obligation? What makes the most sense for everyone involved? I've been unemployed since January and was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. It was caught early, so my prognosis is very good, but I'm just finishing up chemo and still have 6+ weeks of radiation before I'm finished with this phase of treatment in early November. I expect hormone therapy will follow but I don't expect it will affect my ability to work. I just spoke to a recruiter about a job that really interests me. There is an in-person interview scheduled for next week which will be one day after my final chemo session. I am bald so I will be wearing a wig to the interview...I don't know if people can tell it's a wig but I don't look particularly sick or gaunt, so it's possible that no one will know. I guess my question is when do I mention it? I don't want to take myself out of the running for the job...I think I'm a really good match for the position. That said, many folks have told me that trying to work during radiation treatment (especially a new high-pressure job) is not very realistic. They've suggested requesting a start date for after radiation ends if the position is offered to me. If I start right away then I will have to take a long lunch or leave work early for the 6+ weeks I have to go in for my daily radiation. I'd love to hear from anyone who's hired someone while they were still in treatment or from someone who's started a new job during this process.
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Enron financial statement analysis The new generation financial statement with analysis. One of the best financial statements in 2012 so far.
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Incandescent lightbulbs are now banned across the entire European Union as of September 1. "Concerns about poor performance of replacement bulbs have been proved wrong." It is predicted to save 39 terawatt-hours of electricity across the EU annually by 2020. "The phase-out has been very smooth." BanTheBulb said "..the vast majority of the public have adjusted to using the next generation of lighting technologies with the absolute minimum of fuss and drama." World's Most Efficient Light Bulb - Philips L-Prize LED Bulb - a soothing review of the leading edge in light bulb technology, which are now being positioned as durable goods or appliances, like refrigerators or washing machines, rather than disposal items since they can last on average upwards of 30 years or more.
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The Osmonds' 1974 Fiddler on the Roof medley (SLYT)
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I bought a box of Oxiclean. I have a bunch of dirty clothes. Now what?I have a baby and so I also have a bunch of clothes, bibs, burping cloths and washcloths that have an assortment of stains from drool, vomit, food and even a bright pink antibiotic I had to give my baby for a week. Apparently Oxiclean is good at getting these sorts of stains out, but how do I do it being as effective as possible from the start? Most stains are on white fabric, but there's also a few of baby's regular clothes and pj's that could use a little freshening-up. Any laundry masters out there that can point me in the right direction? I have a top load regular washer, if it matters.
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How do you use your smartphone to actually improve your life/work? How would you persuade someone upgrading is worthwhile with real-life examples?I'm considering upgrading a very outdated phone running Windows Mobile, but I don't want to spend the money unless I know that I can do things that improve my life in some sort of measurable way. Most of the benefits I hear are hypothetical, and I've bought plenty of products over the years that I thought would deliver something they did not (Power Glove anyone?). So, can anyone tell me, how do you actually use your phone to save you time, accomplish more, etc.?
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I recently realized I look, dress, and act like my mother. No, my grandmother. I'm 26 and I need help knowing how to look my age. Help?Most of my friends are one to four decades older than myself. I have been mistaken for 35. I would like to look my age, while I still am this age, but how do I go about that? I look (and FEEL) like I'm 40 already. To add insult to injury people have mistaken my baby-faced fiance for my younger brother/son. I have boring dishwater brown hair a few inches past my shoulder (of course it is cut in the hair-equivalent to Mom Jeans). I wear glasses but recently upgraded to Hipster Frames. I am carrying a substantial amount of extra weight(which I know can be aging), but am working hard on losing it (60 pounds down, a lot more to go!) Most days I wear jeans and a shirt from either walmart or target. I like dresses but only if they are long. I wear makeup but it tends to be very subtle, most people can't tell it's on. What should the first stepping stone be? I don't have friends my own age to emulate. I have made an appointment for a hair cut and dye but have no clue what to tell the stylist. I dream of going gusty and getting purple underdye, but I don't think I'd be able to pull that off. Thank you for any suggestions thrown this way, Ask!
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For the past week or so I have been receiving phishing emails at my non-Facebook email account which appear to be from my Facebook friends. The sender's name is one of my Facebook friends, but the email addresses are not their real email address. The subject line reads FOR (MY FIRST NAME) and the message contains a link (which I never click, of course). Clearly there has been some access to my friend list and my email address. I am not using any apps on Facebook, and never give apps access to my info—my privacy settings are pretty locked down, or so I thought. Facebook is absolutely no help on this. I can't find a way to even report this to them because their reporting mechanism asks for links and there are none. I've changed my password, and locked down my privacy settings even more. Any ideas about how this happened and how to fix the security hole?
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Where can I park my car for a week in the Outer Banks (Nags Head, NC)?I am driving to the Outer Banks (Nags Head, specifically) this weekend to stay in a rental home with very limited parking. I would prefer not to take up one of those parking spaces, but finding a ride share has proven difficult. My memory is that there are no overnight parking facilities in that part of the coast, especially not during the high season. Is there someplace reasonably nearby (within, say, 20 miles) where I could park my car for the week? Paid parking is fine.
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How do you make sure you have a car seat waiting for you at a rental car company when you are travelling internationally? Details and crazy plan inside.We live in France and are planning a two-week vacation in Florida next winter. We have two kids aged 4 and 5. We are going to rent a car for the entire two weeks and I have a few concerns about getting rental child seats from the hire car company 1) It will be about $110 per child for the two weeks 2) I've heard stories of car seats from hire car companies that are not in good shape (filthy) 3) I'm worried that the seats won't be available once we are all standing at the rental car company's counter after a 15-hour trans-atlantic flight. So, I have this crazy plan: Our flight arrives in Miami at 9 p.m. Mom and the kids get a taxi to the airport while I pick up the car. The next morning I go out and buy two seats, except the next day is a Sunday and not much will be open. So I plan to have the car seats delivered to me at the hotel before we arrive. Is this plan feasible at all? Is there a better way to accomplish my goal? Who do I have to butter up at the hotel to make sure my stuff gets delivered? Does anyone have any positive experiences with American rental car companies? Please tell me there is a better way to do this!
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I'm a web developer in Toronto who is currently operating as a sole proprietor. A prospective new client would really like to hire me for a major new project, but they can only deal with incorporated companies and cannot hire a sole prop. I'm looking for advice on incorporating from a) people in Canada and especially Ontario, but also from b) anyone who has any relevant advice about the experience of becoming an Inc., even if you are not Canadian. Yes, I will be engaging an accountant or lawyer for specific advice if I do decide to move forward, so I'm not worried that some specific advice may not be appropriate for my jurisdiction: I'm just trying to get a broad picture of what it's like (and some recommendations for lawyers/accountants).My main concerns are the ongoing costs and complexity of running as a corporation given the kind of work I do. I would be the sole owner and employee, I don't anticipate hiring anyone as a sub-contractor, let alone an employee, and I expect to continue working out of my home office rather than a store front. I'll be paying taxes and CPP but no EI, as, of course, I would not be eligible for EI payments as owner/sole employee. If it weren't for this client, I'd probably be staying sole prop. Arguments FOR incorporation: Are there any other advantages that I'm missing? 1) This project alone could bring in as much money over the next few months as I've made all year so far. The hourly rate will be the highest I've ever charged. The work is well within my comfort zone and I know that I can deliver something really good. I have worked with my main contact before and we got along very well. 2) This may open the door for further work with the same company, but it could also make me eligible to work for crown corporations and other companies who also require that you be incorporated. 3) The usual reasons why people say that incorporation offers advantages: you can offset income to years where you can take less of a tax hit and it protects your personal assets in case of legal action. Arguments AGAINST incorporation: 1) Incorporating, a name search (if I don't choose to operate as a numbered corporation), consulting with an accountant and/or lawyer, getting accounting software and setting up a bank account and cheques could cost (I'm estimating) $500-1000. Are there any other start up costs that I'm missing? 2) I could do my own corporate taxes, but I'd feel more secure going to a good accountant, so that's probably another $500+ a year. (This fellow has been recommended here before: any other feedback or recommendations for Toronto accountants or lawyers?). 3) As a sole prop, tax writeoffs for software, other business purchases and use of my home office have been pretty straightforward. This may be best answered by a professional, but if you have experience in this area FOR CANADA, let me know. 4) Liability insurance: another client has asked that I get liability insurance to continue working for them as a sole prop already, so I expect that I should get this if I go coprorate. My first round of quotes (for a sole prop) put that at $800-1000, but from what I can see, a corporation doing the same kind of work would be charged closer to $2000. Canadian incorporated web/IT people: does that sound about right? And are there any insurance companies you would recommend? I think that's about it. Thanks!
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How can my sister start her new specialty retail food business?My sister has a concept for a new specialty retail food business. Specifically it's for a certain type of food that is prepared and eaten on the spot. It's quick, fresh, tasty, made of quality ingredients, and customized, sort of in the same way Blaze Pizza in L.A. is (but her food is not pizza). Everyone who has heard the idea really likes it. My sister is an accomplished cook (as well as kitchen designer and mediator) and has some business experience but not enough to execute her idea without a lot of help, especially because she wants to set it up from the get-go to have the potential to be a franchise. So that means she would start the first store to prove the concept, but then after that would want to sell franchises. What kinds of experts and consultants does she need to pull this off, and where can she find them?
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We used to swap mix CDs at Music Night, but one of us moved. How can we keep it up across the miles?So, we'd have music night every couple months and bring a mix to play and talk about. We'd burn a CD for each of the other people. But with one across the country, is there an easy way share a mix online, other than just uploading the bunch of MPs to a generic dropbox folder? thanks!
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My boyfriend has been sneaking porn into bed to secretly look at while having sex with me (pictures on cell phone while behind me). He has been doing this for a year. How do I deal with my resulting body issues and how do we repair intimacy?I am a 27 year old woman. He is a 39 year old man. We are living together and otherwise our relationship is incredibly loving and we are committed to working through this issue. I found out about two weeks ago (during sex, I finally reached around and grabbed his cell phone). We have only been intimate once since, and it was.. fraught with terrible insecurity for me. I don't mind porn as long as it doesn't effect our sex life. However, I am dealing with some residual anger and shame. I have always had body insecurity issues and this really piqued it. I feel like he was using my body to masturbate into and I would like sex to be between the two of us and not about using me as a sex toy for his pleasure. I feel like my body is not good enough for him to be aroused by. I'm trying not to dwell on these thoughts but I feel very violated by what he (non-consensually) did. I feel a flash of shame and a very physical reaction (that feeling in the pit of my stomach) when I see have seen objectified women in the last two weeks (such as cheerleaders, etc). I feel a little resentment towards my boyfriend for being the privileged sex in a misogynist culture. He is listening to my thoughts, but it is hard to know that he will always have one-up on me in this way. Some of the things we have considered to get over this: Taking a porn break to clear his mind; having less sex so it is fun for both of us when it happens; not watching sexually exploitative media for a while and focusing on going to the gym/making music/other projects for a while. What are some concrete steps that I can do to help me feel like I am fine the way I am? How can I enjoy sex again without feeling inferior to porn? What are some steps that he can do to help him be in the moment when we are having sex?
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Karateka Joe Lewis passed away this morning. In the '60s, he broke with convention at a time when martial arts tradition was rarely questioned, getting outside perspectives and training from the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson and Bruce Lee. In 1969, Lewis pushed for and fought in the United States Karate Championships' first ever full-contact karate match. Full-contact martial arts have exploded in the years since then.
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Kubrick - One-Point Perspective (vimeo) Sounds of Aronofsky (vimeo) Tarantino - From Below (vimeo) Wes Anderson - From Above (vimeo) Breaking Bad - POV (vimeo) Previous 1, 2
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After many years of living a very social life in a very big city I find myself living alone in a very remote part of the world. Seeking advice and insight into a life of solitude.My partner and I had planned for years to get out of the city and take on a smallholding far, far away. When the opportunity arose I took the risk and jumped but she didn't and we ended up going our separate ways. My new home is pretty remote, the nearest store is five miles away, I have no close neighbours although it's easy enough to meet people if I try. There are very few people my own age or background here however, the locals are much older and quite conservative. I work from home and am happy with my life choice however I can easily go a week without seeing or speaking to another person and when I do it's usually in a structured setting like being served in a shop, giving directions or simply saying hello as we pass. I'm naturally quite introverted so for the most part time on my own is entirely comfortable however I am plagued by doubts about this being a "natural" or "healthy" way to live. I miss female company most of all, there is practically zero chance of meeting a partner here and I fear becoming the strange old man in the empty house who dies alone. I have Internet access and good contact with old friends in the city which suffices me for human contact. My day to day work is fun, enjoyable, stimulating (copywriting, design). I rear animals and grow my own food, hunt and fish in a beautiful part of the world. I can indulge hobbies like stargazing and painting. I guess I'm looking for input, advice or reassurance on living a life opposite to what the majority of people (?) would consider successful or normal i.e. no partner, no close friends, no social life, no children and insight into how to make the best of this situation I chose to place myself in. Many thanks.
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