switching to linux

lab :: distrohoppers anonymous

linux screen shot

switching to from windows to linux is one of the best choices i have made in years. the freedom it provides is unparalleled. the fact that it's 100% free, the open nature of it's development, the community focus, and the abundance of free software was enough to convince me to give it a try.

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git with the program

code :: source code management with git

git is a distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) system with an emphasis on speed. git was designed by linus torvalds, of linux fame, for managing the development of the kernel. every git working directory is a fully fledged repository, complete with revision tracking abilities independent of a network or centralized server. git is 100% open-source, freeware, and distributed under the GNU general public license v2.

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mysql string replacements

code :: quick and dirty sql example

sometimes you find the need to do mass string replacements in your mysql/maria databases. here's how i do it:

UPDATE your_table
SET your_field = REPLACE(your_field, 'old_value', 'new_value')
WHERE your_field LIKE '%old_value%'

BLiSS Sim for ipad

lab :: my first itunes release

BLiSS Sim

the Bioregenerative Life Support System Simulator, BLiSS Sim, is an ipad app, built with titanium studio, based on investigations conducted by NASA scientists and engineers to explore how plants can be grown to provide air, water, and food for astronauts at a lunar base.

BLiSS uses a game format to engage youth and adults in the challenges of supporting humans in space or extreme environments on earth.

The app is free and available for download from the iTunes Store.
Visit the promotional website at: http://bliss-sim.cet.edu/

stencil graffiti

art :: paintings for my friends

stencil graffiti - fight club

this year i decided to make xmas gifts for all my friends. part of me wanted to make something special for everyone, part of me just wanted to paint. i chose stencils as the medium for a few reasons. one, i have little experience with them. most of my graffiti has been hand drawn on the fly. some people in the 'graff scene' seem to think that stencils are cheating. but i don't see it that way. it's just another method in the same medium...

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double cooked tofu

notes :: steamed and fried goodness

tofu - double-cooked

one day i walked into an unfamiliar chinese restaurant and ordered szechuan tofu. the nice lady behind the counter asked me if i wanted it steamed, fried... or both. at that moment my mind was blown. and the idea of double cooked tofu was born. it’s a simple recipe for anyone new to cooking tofu. this article is meant to teach you how to cook tofu, not flavor it. tofu is known for taking on the tastes of whatever it’s cooked with. after cooking the tofu in this method you can coat or sauté it in a sauce of your choice, or eat it plain.

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LSDj keyboard tutorial

lab :: DIY gameboy piano interface

LSDj keyboard

so, making music for LSDj is fun. but after a while you start to wish you could “play" the gameboy software as a musical instrument as opposed to composing music in its tracker style interface. that's where the LSDj keyboard comes in. the idea is, the keyboard sends messages though the gameboy linkport to LSDj. the commands that can be sent vary from playing/stopping notes or chains or tables, un/muting channels, in/decreasing octaves, switching instruments, navigating screens, and more. 
here's what the LSDj wiki says about the keyboard...

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