Bunch of stuff: – Intype could be the Textmate of the Windows. For Linux I am using Scribes, even if not extensively. As I read in a rant somewhere, it’s sad to see in the Changelog’s of the next killer text-editor the “Undo/Redo” feature being finally implemented. It’d be advisable to have some kind of system/framework routine for that. – keep an eye on Stikkit, its (geek-)natural language parser rocks. Enjoy yourself with the plethora of screencasts available. For an introduction, also check out an introductory article at 43folders. – I finally got around that “being arrived” feeling with my web-app mini-project, thanks to an insightful chat with my brother that lead to a change in the approach to the problem I am trying to solve. Stay tuned for further info. – The latest Mac ad of the “Get a Mac” series is just lovely. It features a body guard that asks PC to “cancel or allow” every event. Enjoy! – I really need to give Inkscape some love. It’s a lovely vector-design tool, which I completely ignored till yesterday. Actually I didn’t think you could do such great things with Scalable Vector Graphics! – “Although we would have thought Darwin would be a little more effective in the long term.”. NY state is about to fine people using iPod or other distracting devices while on streets, there have been too many killed crossing the road while distracted by electronic devices. Via The Inquirer. – Got a 29/30 in Operating Systems (part A), which I wasn’t expecting at all. Now I am waiting for one more result and need to do one more exam.

Technorati Tags: Life Link of the day Miscellaneous Programming

I don’t know your email habits, but like 6/8 months ago I decided I’d try to put in practice the Inbox Zero technique. Expecially with GMail, it’s easy to leave all your email stack up in your inbox folder, with no particular meaning for them to be there.
My simple workflow is: if you need to do something with that mail, keep it in Inbox, otherwise Archive it.
Thus my Inbox for me is a list of things to do in the email context (check Wikipedia for GTD and search for “context”).
Today after a busy period I just felt “in the zone” enough to empty my Inbox again.
It’s a great feeling, a sense of accomplishment pervades your self, you should try to check yourself!

Technorati Tags: Life Link of the day Miscellaneous

Yesterday I finished first round of examination for courses of the first semester. I had these exams:

• Algorhytms and Data Structures: passed the written test with 22/30, during the oral session the professor and I decided I could get a better mark in the written test, so I’ll do it again on February 21st
• Programming Patterns: awaiting for results
• Operating Systems (part A): awaiting for results
• Languages and Compilers: got a lovely 30/30
• Theory of groups rings and a-likes (the official name was “Discrete structures”, anyway mathematical stuff): 25/30 (the most un-deserved mark ever, I’d say I stole that in a sense; anyway it’s now out of my exams-to-do-list)
• English Language: me were finded ou-key weeth teh knot-ledje of eengleesh (no mark, you can only get a “passed”/“not passed” mark on this, that, in my opinion, nowadays is a shame)

All these make a total of 8 (between written and oral) tests in 16 days, that is 1 test every 2 days. Stats get even worse if take a sub-set of the tests: 6 tests in 8 days, that is 1 test every 1.3 days.
From now to February 24th there will be a second examination round, so I’ll have the chance to retry the tests in case I didn’t pass them. From the stats above anyway you can guess I had a pretty busy period lately, that’s why I am dedicating next few days to complete relax.
That’s also why I picked the Flickr photo you see: this morning I celebrated the end of the first round with a long warm bath. It was relaxing and I couldn’t get anything done for the following couple of hours because of that :)

Technorati Tags: Life

Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so. — Bertrand Russell (via Anarachaia).

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Want to know me better? Check the photo on the left and you’ll get to see me in my natural habitats (that is, wherever) and with my natural behaviour (that is, far from serious).
Thanks Bisco for the nice present, really much appreciated :)

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I just wanted to take the chance to link to AlbeJTD Flickr profile whose photos quality and flickr popularity are growing day after day.
Congratulations Alberto!

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Right after I made a risky overtaking, I realized how terribly true is that the choices you make today will heavvily affect your tomorrow’s. That’s something everyone knows but few are aware of.

That was yesterday. Today I realized one more thing: some people don’t care less about their today choices or actions. That’s the way they export freedom. Poor grown-up teenagers with a rifle in their hands. (First link via Giavasan)

Technorati Tags: Life

The big problem with this world is that when you read 1400 children are killed everyday by AIDS your brain processes a statistic. Stop.
You get past that number and realize 1400 children die every day only for this reason.
Same pattern applies when you get to know your bank invests your money to increase weapon traffic. You don’t really care, do you?
I am not calling for a sentimental reaction. I am not asking you to start crying or feeling sorry when you read such things. Actually I don’t know what to think.
People don’t care. If I gave you a button and I told you that if you press it, you would blow the whole Australian continent up, I think there would be great chances you’d press it. After all, it’s on the other side of the globe (assume we meet in Italy :P)
In such a world it’s no surprise people are “pro war”.
End of “Random pointless rant”

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I wasn’t expecting anything like this, but a day, almost one month ago, I was contacted by a friend of my brother.
He was looking for a computer assistant for a movie called “La giusta distanza” by a pretty famous italian director, Carlo Mazzacurati. I don’t know the whole plot, but there are some scenes in which computers are involved.
The characters interact through emails.
The movie is being recorded in a place where there is no connectivity. My tasks include setting up a wifi LAN, an Apache server, computer configurations, small file editing so that the computer that is being used on the set can act as it is connected.
It’s a pretty funny job. It certainly made me see a world that I’d never seen otherwise.
I’ll post some more insights in the future.

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This 6 words story totally blew up my mind: so short and so plenty of suggestions: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” (via Caterina.net via 37s).

Technorati Tags: Life