I know that a lot of people use BWW for writing bagpipe music. But I’m cheap, and I use a Mac, and I tried the demo versions of the music notation software my teacher and bandmates use and I hate them (the programs). Iconoclast that I am, I have chosen to transcribe all my musicContinue reading “Minor Lesson Today”
Author Archives: pirateguillermo
License and Registration?
If you read a book about software development or start a repository on github or bitbucket or launchpad, you’ll confront the question of software licensing very early on — likely, before you even get to the question of what development environment you’re going to use. I’ve come to decide that this is not really helpful.Continue reading “License and Registration?”
Upgrades
Back in, like, 1987, I lived in an apartment with three other guys. The four of us were all computer science majors and one of them had this catchphrase that we heard often late in the evening as he was working on his homework: “It was perfect, so I fixed it.” That has stayed withContinue reading “Upgrades”
Morning Roundup
So, I’m again listening to David Sedaris’ book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, and just got to the bit where he’s talking about going on book tours. The passage where he describes his restrictions and arbitrary rules (smokers got priority on one tour, as they are going to die sooner so their minutes of lifeContinue reading “Morning Roundup”
Security Is Not a Compiler Flag
With the ongoing brouhaha surrounding the NSA’s surveillance of everyone, everywhere, I’ve got a few friends who are getting excited about figuring out how to secure their email. I kind of want to tell them that their questions, which boil down to, “How can I send secure email,” are, in the words of Mr. Norrell,Continue reading “Security Is Not a Compiler Flag”
Can I Get a Cuppa Joe?
I like Santa Cruz. It’s a swell town. It’s been getting some attention lately because of its happy tweets and its job growth, but just now I’m feeling more like the character, Grandpa, in “The Lost Boys.” In the morning, I just want some coffee. If I have errands to run and a full dayContinue reading “Can I Get a Cuppa Joe?”
Software Progress
Over the past few days I have managed to put together enough patches for SifterReader that it is usable for me from my phone. I’ve submitted pull requests to the developer, but until he pulls them in, if you want to try using the app on your phone you will have to build it yourself.Continue reading “Software Progress”
Bagpipe Surgery
The other day at my lesson my instructor was tuning up my drones when he noticed an unexpected breeze on his wrist. Uh-oh. The grommet for the outside tenor had cracked and I needed a new bag. Fortunately, I knew that this or something like it was coming and already had a new bag justContinue reading “Bagpipe Surgery”
Organizing my Life
Listing saves us. It is a way of exporting intelligence into the environment. Every datum the environment remembers for you is one datum you don’t have to remember. I am absolutely in favor of this, but it gets me into trouble when the systems I use don’t work well together. The smartphone and web servicesContinue reading “Organizing my Life”
If I Were Better, I’d Be Good
As I put my pipes away from this morning’s practice, feeling wrung-out and self-critical, I panted, “Well, if I didn’t suck I’d be pretty good!” I thought about all the evenings when the Badb had been skimming through her viola practice, not really paying attention to her playing just in a rush to get itContinue reading “If I Were Better, I’d Be Good”