"Airline fares" written by Tinypliny on estrip.org

Category: whine

11/05/11 09:52 - ID#55444

Airline fares

I hate it when I have just booked a ticket and find that I could have got it for $20-$50 less on a competing airline. In this case, the lesson learned is that Delta has cheaper fares coming back from NYC compared with JetBlue. I have seen this so many times. JetBlue is not exactly the cheapest as everyone believes.

I don't like flying and vastly prefer taking Amtrak. But whenever I am headed back home, anxiety trumps dislike and I usually fly. Going to the city, I always take the train.

I just hate all these price differences and deals in a way. They manipulate your thoughts so efficiently without you even realizing it.

Whiny whine.

Permalink: Airline_fares.html
Words: 117
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/05/11 09:57

Category: music

11/03/11 07:54 - ID#55435

What if you...

{set to the tune of Joshua's Radin's song}
opened a biscuit packet

What if you
found that each was broken

I wonder if you'd try
counting the pieces
it's come to this
so annoying
each one at the exact same place

What if I.. i.e.i,e.I
had bought a better packet!
I wouldn't have had to endure
this ridiculous breakage

Held together by the packet
But when your hand reaches the biscuit
there's nothing you can do
but watch irked as it breaks apart.

Permalink: What_if_you_.html
Words: 92
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/03/11 07:54

Category: eating out

11/02/11 09:09 - ID#55432

I hear they are very good.

Me at 7:00 PM: Rushing out of Walgreens with the speculoos.
Buffalo Police on Walgreens duty pointing at Biscoffs: Man, I hear they are very good. Everyone is getting one today. I need to try those...

Me at 7:15 PM: Rushing back into Walgreens because I forgot to get the shortbread I wanted.
Buffalo Police on Walgreens duty pointing at someone else's frozen pizza: Man, I hear they are very good. I need to get that!

Me at 8:00 PM: Back to walgreens for the chocolate.
Buffalo Police on Walgreens duty pointing at twizzlers in someone's checkout pile: Man, it's been ages since I had that! I hear they are sweeter now. I need to try that!

Conversation starter? Genuine interest? Or just massive hunger?

Anyway. Behold, a dinner of depravity.

Permalink: I_hear_they_are_very_good_.html
Words: 130
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 11/02/11 09:26

Category: linux

10/30/11 02:15 - ID#55410

Cloud-backup of files on Linux.

I tried dropbox sometime back for many months. I didn't quite like it because I felt like I couldn't control many aspects. In addition, I ended up deleting many of my files due to some stupid settings confusion. I bet they have more options now, but I don't feel like going back. So I signed up for 25 gigs of free space from... *gasp* Microsoft's Skydrive. I figured if they are giving away this much space in the cloud for free, why not twist it around and use it as a cloud for Linux so that the joke is actually on them.

Naturally, Skydrive doesn't have any desktop synchronization tools for linux. And that is where SMEStorage Sync comes in. All I needed to do was to

Install "Linux Cloud Desktop Tools" from SMEStorage for fedora.
Set up an account at SMEStorage and login.
Go to My Account --> Providers Tab
Add the Skydrive account and password
Set the Skydrive account as default (so all your files will be uploaded and synced to the Skydrive 25 Gigs account rather than the limited 2Gigs SMEStorage-Amazon Cloud. (An index of the Skydrive account is mirrored on the SMEStorage-Amazon 2 Gig Cloud. So the 2Gig account has an index but no real files taking up space.)
Fire up the SME Storage Sync Center on your laptop/desktop
Choose the US SME Server and connect
Choose the local home/system folders to Sync
Press Sync Up any time you want to upload and backup/sync your files in that folder.
You can manually fire up the SME Storage Sync Center everytime you feel like doing a backup or schedule it to do automatic backups at some regular schedule.

That's it! Evil example of using Microsoft's resources to make life on linux easier.

Permalink: Cloud_backup_of_files_on_Linux_.html
Words: 304
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/30/11 02:17

Category: eating in

10/30/11 11:58 - ID#55409

Sunday brunch

Dedicated to (e:fing). ;-)

Permalink: Sunday_brunch.html
Words: 7
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/30/11 12:10

Category: grocery

10/29/11 09:52 - ID#55406

What produce does $30 get you?

at pricerite?

0.25 lb Jalapeno Peppers
4.54 lb Acorn/Buttercup/Kabocha squash
3.46 lb Zucchini (Green squash)
3 generous bunches of fresh cilantro
5 medium red onions
0.89 lb red bell peppers (2 peppers)
3.79 lb Vine ripened tomatoes
1.00 lb Plum tomatoes
5.53 lb Granny Smith apples
2.61 lb Bosc pears
2.07 lb Black Friar Plums
1 Gallon Skim Milk

Except for the plums, each item on that list came from NY farms. Not bad at all for 13/14* 100 ~ 93% local produce & milk. I checked . That is about as seasonal and local as you can get.

---
Contrast with the sortie at (e:paul,55153)
Blasted thing won't post straight!

Permalink: What_produce_does_30_get_you_.html
Words: 99
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/30/11 12:23

Category: r statistics

10/26/11 10:41 - ID#55380

Writing Functions in R: Part 2

I skipped all the in-between bits of writing functions. Maybe I will return to them in the future.

But for now, I think it's super important to know how to apply a function once I have written it using what else but...
APPLY!!!

The output of Apply can be a vector or array or list of values
The input of Apply is always a matrix. So make sure to insert a "as.matrix" before anything you want to apply your function on.

Basic syntax:

apply(as.matrix(some object which is not a matrix already), Starting Row, function)

For eg.
Out <- apply(as.matrix(list of element), 1, function)

Permalink: Writing_Functions_in_R_Part_2.html
Words: 113
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/26/11 10:43

Category: linux

10/25/11 09:57 - ID#55378

Zim - Invading my desktop!

I am finding Zim (the desktop wiki-like note-taking software) SO useful for random on-the-fly notetaking!

Zim is like a wiki, todo checklist, notebook, LaTeX scratchpad all rolled into one! I think I like the todo checklist and LaTeX parts the best. It has this nifty dvipng plugin that generates small png images for equations. You could just take these equation pngs and stick them anywhere.

Like here.

Not only is it invading my desktop, it is invading the cloud. I set up cloud sync of my notebooks through SME sync to Skydrive. Now, that is one fail-proof hyperlinked universal brain dump.

Robert writes at 12:06:54 07/30/13 - Comment #70219: i love invader zim!

metalpeter writes at 05:26:31 10/26/11 - Comment #65788: Yeah all the computer stuff I read like 3 lines and give up..... I wonder if on Friday a computer will show up to the Halloween Party in an (e:tinypliny) Costume........ HA!

tinypliny writes at 02:19:40 10/26/11 - Comment #65786: Cute was not on the menu, but I will take whatever I get. ;-P

Really, you use ZIm as well?? On what platform? Android?? Is there a port for Mac?(aren't you primarily on a mac?)

OR maybe you mean Zim - you know, the real invader ZIm? :)

enknot writes at 01:59:48 10/26/11 - Comment #65783: stop being so cute. there's only so much I can stand. then my head explodes. you don't wanna be responsible for that.

I fuggin' love zim. So cutatstic. uugh.

tinypliny writes at 10:34:33 10/26/11 - Comment #65781: Sorry for being so dense and writing arcane stuff here! It's just that my life has been completely taken over by coding, statistics, "man pages" (or manuals for regular people), linux, R and pretty much everything that would help me finish this dissertation once and for all. :(

Actually, this software called Zim desktop editor could help you go paperless if you so wish. Its a crosslinked notebook software on your computer (I am sure there are clones like this in Mac) that helps you jot down (what else but) notes in a hurry. Additionally, you can make checklists and even quickly insert and format complicated formulas - that would require very tedious formatting in even big word processors like "Word" (or whatever the mac equivalent is).

Healthy is not always equivalent to tasty. hehe Some believe that happiness is the key to health so maybe you are actually WAAAAY healthier than I could ever be. You certainly look healthier :-)

lilho writes at 01:03:22 10/26/11 - Comment #65780: none of your blog ever makes sense to me except for the food entries, and then i always wish i could eat so healthy. i am a glutton.

Permalink: Zim_Invading_my_desktop_.html
Words: 105
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/25/11 10:11

Category: linux

10/25/11 02:33 - ID#55375

Change ANY Gnome 3 shortcut

I am making shortcuts left, right and centre in the Gnome 3 interface.

Turn on shortcut editing

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface can-change-accels true

Hover mouse over the menu entry
Press Delete
Press new shortcut combo

Turn off shortcut editing

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface can-change-accels false

Permalink: Change_ANY_Gnome_3_shortcut.html
Words: 52
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/25/11 02:33

Category: r statistics

10/24/11 07:21 - ID#55372

Writing Functions in R: Part I

I have been learning how to write functions in R. They are core to learning the language instead of just using what other people have written for their purposes. They make tailored manipulations in R easier. I am going to document the function writing system here, step by step so I can progressively write better functions and yet not forget the basics

Basic Syntax

NewFunction <- function (input){
answer <- some manipulation with the input
answer
}

NewFunction is the name of the new function.
function is the R function that creates functions.
input is the "argument" of a function
{ delimits the beginning of the function
} delimits the end of the function
the last statement (in this case, just "answer", returns the answer as the output of the function. I could also have said return(answer).

Permalink: Writing_Functions_in_R_Part_I.html
Words: 139
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/24/11 07:26