Last night the Badb had to find the prime factorization of a number. Thrill moment! This is exactly the problem I once wrote a computer program to solve and wound up entering that program in the school science fair. That was pretty cool. Back when I had to solve this problem, my computer had aContinue reading “Programming Assignment: Prime Factorization”
Author Archives: pirateguillermo
My New Commute
Highway 85 is, unless you’re a carpool, unusable during commute hours. I’ve been trying different ways to get to NASA for the past week and so far the best I’ve been able to come up with is 70 minutes. Without freeways, there are basically two routes: mountains north and a short run east across PaloContinue reading “My New Commute”
Bagpipe Tuning
There are several pages out there that go into great detail about tuning the Great Highland Bagpipes. The real trick, for me, is making sure that the chanter is in tune. I am not blessed with perfect pitch and it can be difficult to do this by ear. On top of that, my instructor doesn’tContinue reading “Bagpipe Tuning”
Kids, Start Typing!
I have finished writing a BASIC implementation of a tic-tac-toe game. There are lots of ways it could be improved or modified, and the Badb has already told me she’d be interested in a tic-tac-toe program. I’ve printed it out on paper so she can type it in, herself. This is how I learned toContinue reading “Kids, Start Typing!”
Hook ’em Early
Yesterday I downloaded Chipmunk Basic and installed it on my laptop. I did code up a quick sieve of Eratosthenes with lots of comments and helpful PRINT statements, all without cheating and looking at the sieve program included in the readme. I guess I get a gold nerd for that. Anyway, this morning I toldContinue reading “Hook ’em Early”
Those Were the Days
I think I just had a sports dad moment. This has always seemed a little alien to me: in the movies there’s always the middle aged dad who still remembers his glory days in high school and relives them vicariously through his children. I didn’t have glory days in high school, I had misery. Oh,Continue reading “Those Were the Days”
Look for the Union Label
I don’t remember what inspired this train of thought this morning. Maybe it was when I drove past the junk antique shop with the Republican signage, or maybe it was just thinking about how my labels have changed although I don’t actually think my core positions have. But anyway, I started thinking about politics andContinue reading “Look for the Union Label”
Too Much Information
I saw this story this morning, that Sandia Labs has come up with a smart bullet. That is a pretty cool thing, for sure. But way down at the end of the story there’s this quote: “Where we’re going is to a world where the individual soldier, Marine, sailor or airman lives in a bathContinue reading “Too Much Information”
Get Excited!
Back in October, I wrote this: So right now, what do I want? I want to be a good piper, I want to be a good husband, I want to be a good father, and I want to put good into the world. I’m still working on the actual implementation. I guess I need toContinue reading “Get Excited!”
How Long, O Corp?
I saw this headline on the BBC this morning and I thought, “You know, that is a wrong question.” The right question, I think, is, “How long should a company live?” Whether a company is successful or not, I am of the opinion that it ought to ride the carousel after a brief run andContinue reading “How Long, O Corp?”