Python coding

So... I'm playing around with gnomeblog. I'm adding an "Add LJ User" button to it, so in theory, I should be able to hit alt-u or something and it'll pop up a dialog and fill in the lj user tag for me. So far, I've been able to make a button containing the text add lj user. I've also copied the "add html link" code and changed that to addljuser function so now all i should have to do, in theory, is modify the tags it's creating and it should work. i hope i can finish it tonight.

this is pretty simple shit.

Ideally, since this is a multi-blog poster (that is, it uses Blogger and Advogato and other shit, not just LJ) I'd do a conditional test somehow and see if the user is using an LJ, and only show that button in such a case, otherwise, it would not show.

But since this is only for my benefit (Seth Nickell isn't even apparently active anywhere, so I don't know if this thing is being updated. It's not on sourceforge or anything, so...) I'd try to give the code to the developers but, that's not possible. It's just a fun little project.

It's done!

I can namedrop like no tomorrow! At least I'm hoping so... It's a quick little hack, and I feel like it's a bit shaky, but overall it seems to work! Observe!

symbioid; vesicular; sophy for example.

As I'm typing, I just have to hit "alt-u" and up pops a dialog, where i can enter the username and (well I should fix this thing next) alt-a to "add user"... I'd like to just hit "enter" to make it automatically apply. So that's one thing I could clean up. Being that was in the "add link" code, that's how I have it done. I'll just have to look to see how I can make it default if I hit "enter"

shit i forgot

it's almost april 15. at least i have 1040ez... and can do it online.. whew...

Writing to Lessig

So, recall my previous posts about the lawsuit regarding copyright issues and public right to know. I wrote to the EFF, but haven't heard back, so I just tried my hand at Lawrence Lessig. I highly doubt I'll get a reply. Mostly I'm just wondering if he has any suggestions as to who I can contact locally regarding this issue.

I don't know if there's any good copyright lawyers who would take this type of issue in Madison.

xing fingers!

pi is(should be considered) wrong?

http://www.math.utah.edu/~palais/pi.html

This is an interesting little thought. I don't know much about trig/geometry... But the little I do know makes nice little case on why the value of pi should really be 2pi.

To put it in C:

pi *= 2

He makes analogies with other similar mathematical formula that currently aren't isomorphic with the area of a circle. That is πr^2 as the formula for the area of a circle could, using 2π as the value would be expressed as 1/2πr^2, which dovetails with kinetic formula 1/2 mv ^2, or 1/2 gt^2 which is a formula to describe falling objects..

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99902.htm
http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sfall.htm

(note, I looked those up, I certainly didn't know what they were)

Anyways... as it is, using 1/2pi to express what we currently know as pi (that is, if we changed pi to 6.28.... or whatever), it would lend an air of isomorphism between those three formulae.

It also cleans up many formula, apparently, that have to use 2π in their calculations. Removing the 2 makes it easier to read...

So anyways, thoughts from the more mathematically inclined? I think it's interesting. Of course it won't really matter, since you'd have to turn centuries of mathematical expression on its head. But besides that pragmatic issue, do you think the author has an interesting point.