Sunday, February 7. 2010
LEFT IN THE DARK
In what is probably a common reaction among grooms, Fenton got all emo about being left out of the wedding plans. (Yeah, I wish I could have that option!) These feelings came despite his having absolutely zero interest in the various tasks, or the ability to carry them out even if he did. It’s one of the major events in his life and it’s totally beyond his control. Letting him figure out the seating chart for the reception should keep him busy, even if he accomplishes it by writing special computer code.
Most of the planning is taking place at Tree, with Rachel and Rhonda and (via Skype) Tammy. Rhonda is disappointed that Fenton and I won’t be living in the Family Housing dorm next year with her and Quinn. Speaking of Quinn, he accompanies Rhonda during her visits here and he and Fenton end up on the sofa playing video games.
My bridesmaids are going to be Rhonda, Rachel, Tammy, Fiona and Corrie. Rachel wondered if her girlfriend Joan could be included, but I had to say no simply because I don’t know Joan that well. I’ve already had to turn down several of my old herbivore friends from Caliban.
Speaking of being left out, Tree (who is still on the mend) wishes that she could attend the ceremony in some fashion. I came up with a solution. Coney, as the Flower Girl, won’t be sprinkling flower petals as she walks down the aisle. Instead, Coney will use the pine needles that came off Tree during the process of being loaded onto the truck last month. (There were lots of those!)
Today's question for those of you on the east coast of the US: how many inches of snow did you get? (We just got cold, awful, nasty rain.)
Most of the planning is taking place at Tree, with Rachel and Rhonda and (via Skype) Tammy. Rhonda is disappointed that Fenton and I won’t be living in the Family Housing dorm next year with her and Quinn. Speaking of Quinn, he accompanies Rhonda during her visits here and he and Fenton end up on the sofa playing video games.
My bridesmaids are going to be Rhonda, Rachel, Tammy, Fiona and Corrie. Rachel wondered if her girlfriend Joan could be included, but I had to say no simply because I don’t know Joan that well. I’ve already had to turn down several of my old herbivore friends from Caliban.
Speaking of being left out, Tree (who is still on the mend) wishes that she could attend the ceremony in some fashion. I came up with a solution. Coney, as the Flower Girl, won’t be sprinkling flower petals as she walks down the aisle. Instead, Coney will use the pine needles that came off Tree during the process of being loaded onto the truck last month. (There were lots of those!)
Today's question for those of you on the east coast of the US: how many inches of snow did you get? (We just got cold, awful, nasty rain.)
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Where I live, we usually get a dusting of snow every couple years. Last week, we got 9 inches, the most we had in twenty years. Yesterday, we got our second snowfall, a dusting.
And yep, giving Fenton that long a list of people to seat, but not next to one another, will keep him busy.
And yep, giving Fenton that long a list of people to seat, but not next to one another, will keep him busy.
Well, I won't be able to awnser the question due to the simple fact that I live in the midwest. (It did snow a few inches here, if you're wondering)
Anyway, glad to hear the wedding plans are going well. Though I do have to wonder why seating would be as diffcult as a game of Tetris.
Anyway, glad to hear the wedding plans are going well. Though I do have to wonder why seating would be as diffcult as a game of Tetris.
As a long-time geek myself (working in the computer field since 1969), Fenton will probably feel happier if he did write special code to arrange seating. We males just don't understand females well enough to comprehend the intricate relationships of people and colors that you females design for these affairs.
I cannot dispute your bridesmaid selection, but how are you going to arrange them? Tallest to shortest? That would be (I think) Rhonda, Tammy, Fiona, Corrie and Rachel. Closest friends nearest to your side? I wouldn't even begin to try to sort that out! You actually already have two matrons-of-honor (Rhonda and Tammy), but have you considered a third? The woman who has been as true a mother to you as any child growing up could want? I am, of course, referring to Kell Dewclaw...
Apparently, the official total in the Washington DC area was 17.8 inches, if I got it right: the fourth largest snowfall recorded. I'd rather have had the rain. Schools in the area closed on Friday: most didn't even open! And that was before one snowflake had fallen. I left work at 1:00 PM: the snow had started but was only starting to accumulate on grassy areas. By the time I got home at 2:30, the roads and pavements were starting to get slushy. I lost power at 11:45 that night, got it back at 4:45 AM, lost it again at 7:30AM and got it back at 7:30 PM.
I cannot dispute your bridesmaid selection, but how are you going to arrange them? Tallest to shortest? That would be (I think) Rhonda, Tammy, Fiona, Corrie and Rachel. Closest friends nearest to your side? I wouldn't even begin to try to sort that out! You actually already have two matrons-of-honor (Rhonda and Tammy), but have you considered a third? The woman who has been as true a mother to you as any child growing up could want? I am, of course, referring to Kell Dewclaw...
Apparently, the official total in the Washington DC area was 17.8 inches, if I got it right: the fourth largest snowfall recorded. I'd rather have had the rain. Schools in the area closed on Friday: most didn't even open! And that was before one snowflake had fallen. I left work at 1:00 PM: the snow had started but was only starting to accumulate on grassy areas. By the time I got home at 2:30, the roads and pavements were starting to get slushy. I lost power at 11:45 that night, got it back at 4:45 AM, lost it again at 7:30AM and got it back at 7:30 PM.
Well how would you go about the code? Brute force or tree pruning or something else. We could help out, write that code (grin).
The west coast in getting plastered with water. The hills are turning a seldom seen color: green. LA, CA based. El Nino has sent its gifts. Our reservoirs are filling. After a sting of dry years this is a needed wet one. Potential water rationing may not be a topic. Much complaints from people not used to water from the sky.
The west coast in getting plastered with water. The hills are turning a seldom seen color: green. LA, CA based. El Nino has sent its gifts. Our reservoirs are filling. After a sting of dry years this is a needed wet one. Potential water rationing may not be a topic. Much complaints from people not used to water from the sky.
Brute force is unlikely to work: there are 7.886578674e+374 permutations of a 200 member wedding list.
We will need to first simulate the seating arrangement with a cross linked list of nodes, and populate the nodes with members of an alphabetized wedding party list, and and check the list against a alphabetized list of objectionables, and truncate the populating in any case where there is a objection. This will 'prune' that branch of the populated seating tree.
if the node pairs are always presented to the objection list with the alphabetically lower one, we can speed things up. The objection list is alphabetized, the node pair is too, we should get hits in the matching (if there is a node-objection hit) early.
The problem is for each node pair that is good, we have searched the whole objection list, making this likely to be an O(2) level problem. Which means that it will not scale well, and with that many possiblitiys it will have to scale well.
Someone else will have to do the GUI to edit the simulated tables, I am currently assuming one long table. It gets much easier if there are more separated siimulated tables, and harder if 'seated near' means diagonally counts too.
Maybe Fenton could get a friend to write it in a language that would use a room full of servers as a supercomputer. Or a friend that could wire together 200 playstations (first buy them (oh my!)) into a supercomputer.
Would you have a better suggestion?
'Otter
We will need to first simulate the seating arrangement with a cross linked list of nodes, and populate the nodes with members of an alphabetized wedding party list, and and check the list against a alphabetized list of objectionables, and truncate the populating in any case where there is a objection. This will 'prune' that branch of the populated seating tree.
if the node pairs are always presented to the objection list with the alphabetically lower one, we can speed things up. The objection list is alphabetized, the node pair is too, we should get hits in the matching (if there is a node-objection hit) early.
The problem is for each node pair that is good, we have searched the whole objection list, making this likely to be an O(2) level problem. Which means that it will not scale well, and with that many possiblitiys it will have to scale well.
Someone else will have to do the GUI to edit the simulated tables, I am currently assuming one long table. It gets much easier if there are more separated siimulated tables, and harder if 'seated near' means diagonally counts too.
Maybe Fenton could get a friend to write it in a language that would use a room full of servers as a supercomputer. Or a friend that could wire together 200 playstations (first buy them (oh my!)) into a supercomputer.
Would you have a better suggestion?
'Otter
Actually a few days worth of design may have helped, also consideration of optimal table size.
If all the tables were only seating 4 people, then the problem space would shrink from more than a squared google to 1552438800 or about 1.5 x10^9. The main table wedding party can be subtracted from the general wedding population, reducing the complexity greatly. That table should have less Objectionable Matches. And being smaller, and having its population known before hand, would also be a much smaller problem.
At 1.5 Billion different combinations, the problem could be solved with a brute force computation, assuming decent but not brilliant design. Even with all tables having 6 per table, it would be possible, but the programming would be tougher.
Fenton now needs to
1)organize an open source project and/or search the net for prior art,
2) Check if hiring guards and posting that no predation is allowed on threat of being eaten would cut down the objectionables list. If you hire guards, do so from 2 or 3 different companies, each will try to be better than the other, and 3 will rein in the other if rogue. For that matter, make it bonded guards if any.
3) Get how many are expected, and get some feel for how many will show up. That number can be more than expected if some bring kids or new close friends. Work with the RSVP committee.
4) Get an idea of how many tables, what size, and what spacing from the company that will set up the hall. He also needs to observe some of their operations to find out if their estimates are reliable. We will need well spaced tables to avoid having to check the backs of people for 'too close', and to reduce the problem space to a reasonable size. By the time he has acquired the knowledge of how the setup crew works his report will be welcomed into the highest levels of the planning.
5) As mentioned elsewhere, he should arrange the tele-presence arrangements, with Tree and the Collies being just two of the ones that need such. Your bug friends would likely be happier using a telepresence system with all the bats around, and the bats would be happier if no one was using a sonar disrupter/masker near them. Each telepresence would need a mask/photo at minimum, and a full screen face at maximum.
He should be busy. And some of the proposed activities take him directly into the major planning stages.
Ok, the update of the details of the program:
(yes there is a CS major in the house: me)
If we take the Objectionables List (OL) and create an allowed list from it, and only populate the seats from the allowed list, that would cut the check of the OL by one. We would still have to check the already populated across and diagonal seats, if any.
If we use a hash table to access the OL and enough memory to have a one to one table (no collisions) or just hand make a psudo-hash table, we can get to the part of the OL dealing with the newly populated seat and its adjacent pairs in one access per pair. This will allow scaling up better. But it is hard to beat 10^230.
It might be best to try to find prior art.
'Otter
If all the tables were only seating 4 people, then the problem space would shrink from more than a squared google to 1552438800 or about 1.5 x10^9. The main table wedding party can be subtracted from the general wedding population, reducing the complexity greatly. That table should have less Objectionable Matches. And being smaller, and having its population known before hand, would also be a much smaller problem.
At 1.5 Billion different combinations, the problem could be solved with a brute force computation, assuming decent but not brilliant design. Even with all tables having 6 per table, it would be possible, but the programming would be tougher.
Fenton now needs to
1)organize an open source project and/or search the net for prior art,
2) Check if hiring guards and posting that no predation is allowed on threat of being eaten would cut down the objectionables list. If you hire guards, do so from 2 or 3 different companies, each will try to be better than the other, and 3 will rein in the other if rogue. For that matter, make it bonded guards if any.
3) Get how many are expected, and get some feel for how many will show up. That number can be more than expected if some bring kids or new close friends. Work with the RSVP committee.
4) Get an idea of how many tables, what size, and what spacing from the company that will set up the hall. He also needs to observe some of their operations to find out if their estimates are reliable. We will need well spaced tables to avoid having to check the backs of people for 'too close', and to reduce the problem space to a reasonable size. By the time he has acquired the knowledge of how the setup crew works his report will be welcomed into the highest levels of the planning.
5) As mentioned elsewhere, he should arrange the tele-presence arrangements, with Tree and the Collies being just two of the ones that need such. Your bug friends would likely be happier using a telepresence system with all the bats around, and the bats would be happier if no one was using a sonar disrupter/masker near them. Each telepresence would need a mask/photo at minimum, and a full screen face at maximum.
He should be busy. And some of the proposed activities take him directly into the major planning stages.
Ok, the update of the details of the program:
(yes there is a CS major in the house: me)
If we take the Objectionables List (OL) and create an allowed list from it, and only populate the seats from the allowed list, that would cut the check of the OL by one. We would still have to check the already populated across and diagonal seats, if any.
If we use a hash table to access the OL and enough memory to have a one to one table (no collisions) or just hand make a psudo-hash table, we can get to the part of the OL dealing with the newly populated seat and its adjacent pairs in one access per pair. This will allow scaling up better. But it is hard to beat 10^230.
It might be best to try to find prior art.
'Otter
No prior art found here.
Any wedding may have a very few that can not sit together, but as a wedding is supposed to be a happy time, most people who bring conflcts to the wedding are just not invited. Or if there are only one or two, just give them handlers and deal with the problem.
Nor do we have a do-not-sit pred with prey problem, so there are less troubles.
OK, assuming 120 guests, 60 per side, which is just a wild-ass guess, (no offense to any wild asses on the Domain side) the computational breakdown looks like this
120 guests taken 120 at a time: 120! = 6.68 *10^199. A drastic reduction, but still a bit much, 120 guests taken 4 at at time = 120!/116!= 197149680 or .1 billion possiblilties, taken 6 at a time is 2629976731200 or 2629 billion.
In any case much easier than 200 guests.
In my wedding's reception, we had a main group up a a raised table, and the rest around 4 person tables.
The crew that was going to do the reception was picked from a reputable company, but were complete fools. The main person in that company was competent, the crew he sent was not. My next youngest brother is a photographer, his photographs are better, he posed people, and they took shots using his poses. There were places where they were not to go during the ceremony, they went there. They changed tapes during one of the wedding songs by my wife's friend, and missed it. They tried to photo me with a tree behind me, my bro said that it would look like I had a tree growing out of my head.
The same companies crew ran the reception. They expected us to call the shots, we waited for them, they for us, things did not get going well. The dances they had the same lack of competency problem: We wanted them to direct, they wanted us to, and neither side understood what to do.
Now the wedding was rehearsed, so I know that I made one wrong step (and no one else did). The only unrehearsed thing was my favorite younger brother, best man, presented the female priest with 2 rings, one from a cracker jack box.
'Otter
Any wedding may have a very few that can not sit together, but as a wedding is supposed to be a happy time, most people who bring conflcts to the wedding are just not invited. Or if there are only one or two, just give them handlers and deal with the problem.
Nor do we have a do-not-sit pred with prey problem, so there are less troubles.
OK, assuming 120 guests, 60 per side, which is just a wild-ass guess, (no offense to any wild asses on the Domain side) the computational breakdown looks like this
120 guests taken 120 at a time: 120! = 6.68 *10^199. A drastic reduction, but still a bit much, 120 guests taken 4 at at time = 120!/116!= 197149680 or .1 billion possiblilties, taken 6 at a time is 2629976731200 or 2629 billion.
In any case much easier than 200 guests.
In my wedding's reception, we had a main group up a a raised table, and the rest around 4 person tables.
The crew that was going to do the reception was picked from a reputable company, but were complete fools. The main person in that company was competent, the crew he sent was not. My next youngest brother is a photographer, his photographs are better, he posed people, and they took shots using his poses. There were places where they were not to go during the ceremony, they went there. They changed tapes during one of the wedding songs by my wife's friend, and missed it. They tried to photo me with a tree behind me, my bro said that it would look like I had a tree growing out of my head.
The same companies crew ran the reception. They expected us to call the shots, we waited for them, they for us, things did not get going well. The dances they had the same lack of competency problem: We wanted them to direct, they wanted us to, and neither side understood what to do.
Now the wedding was rehearsed, so I know that I made one wrong step (and no one else did). The only unrehearsed thing was my favorite younger brother, best man, presented the female priest with 2 rings, one from a cracker jack box.
'Otter
#3.1.1.1.1
Godel Fishbreath, Old Professor Otter
on
2010-02-11 16:30
(Reply)
update on the CS project.
We can make some simplifications if we consider wedded couples as a pair, but this means some populated groups will take up 2 seat-notes and have different checking needs.
I am a bit rusty on this stuff, thus the multiple designs.
I considered how it would work in a C++ OOP system, and found some savings. I do not like C++, it is a bit of a system hog, but I have seen Object Oriented Programming type thinking done in assember, and it certainly could be done in C or Pascal or whatever Fenton thinks of using.
Ok, what we need to represent our population is a structure (a construct that defines what is stored where, and also can be instantiated: that is created as a memory resident item that can take values) that will contain a pointer to a list of acceptable table partners but only that part of that list that applies to the individual. That last will mean that we do not have to index into the list to find the person that we are dealing with, that person's list will be pointed to by a structure entry. And we do not have to check for going further into the list than we need. We do the same with the objectionables list, breaking it into individual's list. And we need a fast binary list that might replace the objectionable list with a list of all participants and a yes or no flag for seat or no-seat.
We can simulate an association list if the language will not support such by assigning a number to each name and using that number to index into the respective list.
This would mean that each check will only cost one or max 2 references into a well known list.
So now we have it fast.
We still need to generate code to create successive tries, and some code to abort a try when it fails, and then recover by either trying again with different people or going up one level and retrying.
We can make some simplifications if we consider wedded couples as a pair, but this means some populated groups will take up 2 seat-notes and have different checking needs.
I am a bit rusty on this stuff, thus the multiple designs.
I considered how it would work in a C++ OOP system, and found some savings. I do not like C++, it is a bit of a system hog, but I have seen Object Oriented Programming type thinking done in assember, and it certainly could be done in C or Pascal or whatever Fenton thinks of using.
Ok, what we need to represent our population is a structure (a construct that defines what is stored where, and also can be instantiated: that is created as a memory resident item that can take values) that will contain a pointer to a list of acceptable table partners but only that part of that list that applies to the individual. That last will mean that we do not have to index into the list to find the person that we are dealing with, that person's list will be pointed to by a structure entry. And we do not have to check for going further into the list than we need. We do the same with the objectionables list, breaking it into individual's list. And we need a fast binary list that might replace the objectionable list with a list of all participants and a yes or no flag for seat or no-seat.
We can simulate an association list if the language will not support such by assigning a number to each name and using that number to index into the respective list.
This would mean that each check will only cost one or max 2 references into a well known list.
So now we have it fast.
We still need to generate code to create successive tries, and some code to abort a try when it fails, and then recover by either trying again with different people or going up one level and retrying.
#3.1.1.1.2
Godel Fishbreath, Old Professor Otter
on
2010-02-11 16:57
(Reply)
If you use robots to work the telepresence needs, Tree may want to keep hers after. That however may alter the strip's feel too much, and those robots are expensive, unless you kit them together yourself, which takes time. Still, if Fenton wants to give a house warming gift to Tree, mobility of viewpoint could be one, assuming that she wants that kind of thing. One has to consider potential alien to my mindset thinking.
Again, from my sub teacher thread, considering some species in need of (glasses, tranducers, walkers, robots, gliders etc.) some kind of enabling technology would be kind in some circumstances.
It does not have to be sold as handicaped person equipment, but as enablers.
Again, from my sub teacher thread, considering some species in need of (glasses, tranducers, walkers, robots, gliders etc.) some kind of enabling technology would be kind in some circumstances.
It does not have to be sold as handicaped person equipment, but as enablers.
#3.1.1.1.3
Old Prof. Otter
on
2010-02-12 10:26
(Reply)
This is a view into a computer and tech world like our own.
The Japanese have telepresence robots, there are kits for robots around, so it should be possible to get such on the domain side.
Going on what a telepresence could be
in a increasing order of complexity and likely expense:
1) A mask/photo with a video camera and a speaker/microphone
2) A terminal with a video camera
3) A computer with a vidcam, speaker, mike.
4) All or part of:
a mobile joystick controlled robot with vidcam, speaker, and monitor with its own remote tv feed.
'Otter
The Japanese have telepresence robots, there are kits for robots around, so it should be possible to get such on the domain side.
Going on what a telepresence could be
in a increasing order of complexity and likely expense:
1) A mask/photo with a video camera and a speaker/microphone
2) A terminal with a video camera
3) A computer with a vidcam, speaker, mike.
4) All or part of:
a mobile joystick controlled robot with vidcam, speaker, and monitor with its own remote tv feed.
'Otter
#3.1.1.1.3.1
Old Prof. Otter
on
2010-02-13 21:12
(Reply)
I hope you realize that this snow fall was because of global warming, not in spite of it.
The Gulf stream that heats the east coast and Europe, is faltering. This has happened because the salinity of the water has decreased, which happened when the ice caps started melting.
It can lead to removing summer as a season in much of Europe, which would bring back ice to them.
The scary part is that this was predicted as happening years from now, not now.
'Otter
The Gulf stream that heats the east coast and Europe, is faltering. This has happened because the salinity of the water has decreased, which happened when the ice caps started melting.
It can lead to removing summer as a season in much of Europe, which would bring back ice to them.
The scary part is that this was predicted as happening years from now, not now.
'Otter
We got 28 inches here in Philly. Two and a half inches shy of '96's 30.5. This winter is now second for most snow (1996 has it with 56.6 inches).
And, it's nice that you were able to find Fenton something to do to include him. Are you getting excited? June will be here before you know it!
And, it's nice that you were able to find Fenton something to do to include him. Are you getting excited? June will be here before you know it!
The mid-Atlantic states got sacked with two-three feet, yes FEET, of snow, starting Friday evening and Saturday; a record amount. And just to add insult to injury, I heard on the radio this morning that /another/ storm is on its way adding possibly another foot to the lot. I do not envy those folks.
I've lived in the Detroit area most my life and I haven't seen more than eight or nine inches at one time, and that was enough to bring everything to a stand-still. I can't imagine what three feet is like. Fortunately, in my area, we've had a rather mild Winter...so far. The most snow we've had at once so far is three to four inches, and that only lasted about a week. Most of the time it's been pretty dry, but cold. But now that Februaty is here, we're bound to get at least one six-incher storm. It's become something of a tradition around here.
I can sympathize with Fenton. When my Sister got married, my Brother in-law was just as clueless. Like you, my Sister would give him assignments, which was fine with him. It's not that he didn't want to help, he just didn't know what to do. Maybe it's just that weddings are--for lack of a better term--a female-oriented thing; everything is about being frilly and pretty and emotional, things that most guys just aren't into.
That's my two-cents worth.
I've lived in the Detroit area most my life and I haven't seen more than eight or nine inches at one time, and that was enough to bring everything to a stand-still. I can't imagine what three feet is like. Fortunately, in my area, we've had a rather mild Winter...so far. The most snow we've had at once so far is three to four inches, and that only lasted about a week. Most of the time it's been pretty dry, but cold. But now that Februaty is here, we're bound to get at least one six-incher storm. It's become something of a tradition around here.
I can sympathize with Fenton. When my Sister got married, my Brother in-law was just as clueless. Like you, my Sister would give him assignments, which was fine with him. It's not that he didn't want to help, he just didn't know what to do. Maybe it's just that weddings are--for lack of a better term--a female-oriented thing; everything is about being frilly and pretty and emotional, things that most guys just aren't into.
That's my two-cents worth.
We where lucky. Less then an inch.
If Fentonrealy does write a special computer code for the seating chart for the reception he should copy write it & use the money to help fund your research.
Another way of raising research funds is go one step further on the pendent you gave Rhonda market a day planer you wear as jewelry. I think it would be a big hit with buisness workers with busy agendas.
If Fentonrealy does write a special computer code for the seating chart for the reception he should copy write it & use the money to help fund your research.
Another way of raising research funds is go one step further on the pendent you gave Rhonda market a day planer you wear as jewelry. I think it would be a big hit with buisness workers with busy agendas.
Yes, I am getting excited since I now know where I'll be living after the ceremony. However, the emotion of "excitement" currently takes a back seat to "stressed," "exhausted" and "anxious."
Kell politely declined my offer to be a Matron of Honor, feeling that the wedding party should consist of those close to my own age. She said her role will be to sit in the front pew and bawl her eyes out.
Kell politely declined my offer to be a Matron of Honor, feeling that the wedding party should consist of those close to my own age. She said her role will be to sit in the front pew and bawl her eyes out.
Not on the east coast, so my snowfall was somewhere between 4 and 8 inches. Of course, the wind was blowing just right to pile up drifts against my garage door.
You could use a video service to both tape and transmit the wedding, and Tree could then be there in a sense in real time.
How would Tree sense this anyway? My video idea assumes eyeballs or equivalent.
'Otter
How would Tree sense this anyway? My video idea assumes eyeballs or equivalent.
'Otter
Actually a video feed into her computer ports maybe with an adapter could get her to see the wedding real time.
Ironically, here in Ontario, we got none of the white stuff. Actually, we've had a relatively snowless winter. It makes me uneasy; even in previous El Nino seasons, it was never this dry...
As for the pine needles, just make sure no pregnant creatures eat them. They've been known to cause some creatures to lose their embryos.
On the other hand, if you happen to have any woolly flying squirrels visiting from Afghanistan, make sure to invite them; they live almost entirely on pine needles!
As for the pine needles, just make sure no pregnant creatures eat them. They've been known to cause some creatures to lose their embryos.
On the other hand, if you happen to have any woolly flying squirrels visiting from Afghanistan, make sure to invite them; they live almost entirely on pine needles!
Well, look at it this way: when you get too stressed from wedding planning, you can focus on your research, and vice versa.
Speaking of which, I just heard that Microtalon and the National Science Foundation are teaming up on a cloud computing initiative for US scientists (with plans to eventually take it global). Cloud computing...and Microtalon's version of it is called Azure...gee, can you tell the company is run by birds?
Anyway, Lindesfarne, any idea as to whether your research would be eligible for a grant? I know genetics research is data intensive (and that's an understatement!).
Speaking of which, I just heard that Microtalon and the National Science Foundation are teaming up on a cloud computing initiative for US scientists (with plans to eventually take it global). Cloud computing...and Microtalon's version of it is called Azure...gee, can you tell the company is run by birds?
Anyway, Lindesfarne, any idea as to whether your research would be eligible for a grant? I know genetics research is data intensive (and that's an understatement!).
Yes, I have applied for research grants, and won a number of them for the department. (It's one of the reasons I rarely discuss my research, and then only in the most general terms.)
Maybe I'm just being a guy here, but if Fenton's feeling disappointed that he's not in the wedding planning, and you wish you didn't have to plan ... isn't there an obvious solution staring us in the face? Why can't Fenton do the planning? Your whole family has a reputation (some say good, some say bad) for being a rather "progressive" family here in Domain, that'd be a very progressive move. (As I've mentioned before, we Lions are a bit traditionalist, I was left out of the planning, and I didn't mind (even though I am a geek and Mrs. Lion is not). Actually she delegated most of her planning to her maid of honor because she doesn't like planning either and her MOH is more of a "go-getter" (yes, it's usually the male lions who are the lethargic type, but I think Mrs. Lion is part male in that regard! 
))
))Nary a flake here, in southern New England....... but we'll see what happens this week.....
Fenton has no right to complane about being left out of the planing stage of the wedding. After all its mostly the brides day. If planing where guests will sit is the only thing he is able to do then lets hope he can do it. With all the difrent types of guests you have invited you may have to space a lot of table up to 10 feet apart to keep the peace.
A good three to six inches here in Wisconsin.
If you don't mind, Lindesfarne, I have a question.
On our side of the portal, there's a Greek myth that says Prometheus gave humans the secret of fire because his idiot brother gave all the cool stuff (fangs, claws, wings, glow-in-the-dark eyes, etc.) to the animals.
How does the legend go on your side of the portal?
If you don't mind, Lindesfarne, I have a question.
On our side of the portal, there's a Greek myth that says Prometheus gave humans the secret of fire because his idiot brother gave all the cool stuff (fangs, claws, wings, glow-in-the-dark eyes, etc.) to the animals.
How does the legend go on your side of the portal?
Oy, it's been a long time since I've read the old myths! If I remember it correctly, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus apparently with the thought of favoring one species (which seems to vary depending on the species of the storyteller). Zeus saw this and struck the torch from his hand with a thunderbolt. The torch landed upright on a high hill; it being a fire and torch from the gods, it was ever-burning.
While many fled from the fire (instinct, after all), a number of different animals climbed up to the fire because they were fascinated by the sight; naturally, the first few were burned (i.e. small insects like moths were killed, small birds were killed and cooked, etc). The ones who stood back and watched saw what fire could do, and while they learned to be cautious, they also coveted it (one good taste of cooked meat will do that).
It took a group of animals working together and putting aside their differences to figure out how to capture fire and tame it. Once they did capture and tame it, of course, they promptly fell to bickering and split apart, but each one of them now had the secret of fire.
And Prometheus? He had the last laugh. His goal, as it turned out, wasn't to favor any ONE species, but to give each one an equal opportunity to become like the gods. His brother Epimetheus, by giving special stuff to every animal, made the playing field uneven, so to speak; it took fire to even things back up.
That's how I learned the story, anyway. (I left out a lot of details because, like I said, it's been a long time since I've read those myths. I'll have to check my shelves to see if I still have those old stories!).
While many fled from the fire (instinct, after all), a number of different animals climbed up to the fire because they were fascinated by the sight; naturally, the first few were burned (i.e. small insects like moths were killed, small birds were killed and cooked, etc). The ones who stood back and watched saw what fire could do, and while they learned to be cautious, they also coveted it (one good taste of cooked meat will do that).
It took a group of animals working together and putting aside their differences to figure out how to capture fire and tame it. Once they did capture and tame it, of course, they promptly fell to bickering and split apart, but each one of them now had the secret of fire.
And Prometheus? He had the last laugh. His goal, as it turned out, wasn't to favor any ONE species, but to give each one an equal opportunity to become like the gods. His brother Epimetheus, by giving special stuff to every animal, made the playing field uneven, so to speak; it took fire to even things back up.
That's how I learned the story, anyway. (I left out a lot of details because, like I said, it's been a long time since I've read those myths. I'll have to check my shelves to see if I still have those old stories!).
It came to me that to avoid tragedy you will have to be very firm with the caterers. The list of what should NOT be served should include all guest species. You will need a procedure to ensure that all levels of the caterer's staff understand and sign off on this. You might well use the phrases 'Deadly insult', 'predator riot', 'feud with Herdthinner's backing' in the contract. And hope that no one is mis-informed enough to serve Kell rabbit or Bruno/Ralph muttton. Or other similar foolish life-limiting mistakes. Substituting something wrong for an suddenly unavailable meat could be bad.
If your insect friends do attend, they will need sonar jammers to feel safe. And the bat population, needing sonar to get around, will want that jammer to be confined to a small space.
Which brings us to your co-worker who is now in New Zealand. A certain amount of tele-presence could greatly help, and expand the wedding party without expanding the cost to people or the do-not-seat-by list. Fenton could help arrange the tele-presence stuff, maybe including masks/photos/telescreens of the distant people.
This wedding will take more planning then most.
Oh, yes, only non-flying insects should be served as food, to keep the confusion down.
'Otter
If your insect friends do attend, they will need sonar jammers to feel safe. And the bat population, needing sonar to get around, will want that jammer to be confined to a small space.
Which brings us to your co-worker who is now in New Zealand. A certain amount of tele-presence could greatly help, and expand the wedding party without expanding the cost to people or the do-not-seat-by list. Fenton could help arrange the tele-presence stuff, maybe including masks/photos/telescreens of the distant people.
This wedding will take more planning then most.
Oh, yes, only non-flying insects should be served as food, to keep the confusion down.
'Otter
And I do mean all guest species. Serving Aby canid meat would also lead to bad things. Ditto the other way.
Also note that any deposit or bond is void under 'Deadly Insult' circumstances. That will get the accounting dept. attention.
Serve only enough alcohol to toast the wedding. Fun is fun, but some inhibitions should not be damped.
'Otter
Also note that any deposit or bond is void under 'Deadly Insult' circumstances. That will get the accounting dept. attention.
Serve only enough alcohol to toast the wedding. Fun is fun, but some inhibitions should not be damped.
'Otter
My estimation of 200 wedding guests was based on an estimation of that list of objectionables. Obviously more than on person has more than one do-not-sit-by.
A list of K&K characters would produce a better estimate of about 60 or less on Lindesfarne's side. Much more easily done.
Assuming that Fenton's side either is mostly bats or would co-opt some of those 60 means that the computer situation is not as grim as thought.
Changing topic, who would be involved in the batchler party?
Rudy might be too young, George, Kevin, Ralph might be too old.
A list of K&K characters would produce a better estimate of about 60 or less on Lindesfarne's side. Much more easily done.
Assuming that Fenton's side either is mostly bats or would co-opt some of those 60 means that the computer situation is not as grim as thought.
Changing topic, who would be involved in the batchler party?
Rudy might be too young, George, Kevin, Ralph might be too old.
Fenton must have some freinds his own age who can plan a batchler party for him. Rudy may be young but he could still attend the party. He just has to stick to soft drinks.
Bruno might be old enough, after all Corrie got her HS equivalency cert a while back.
And I guess that he might have a few bat freinds or relatives.
But if it is Bruno and the Bats they will need to rig carry gear to transport him if they go to a bat oriented hang out.
'Otter
And I guess that he might have a few bat freinds or relatives.
But if it is Bruno and the Bats they will need to rig carry gear to transport him if they go to a bat oriented hang out.
'Otter
If Bruno is old enough to go then so is Rudy. Remember at the time of their big fight over Bruno's trans-diet
They had been freinds for 13 years. Does Lindesfarne still have the hang glider. They could use that to get to any bat oriented hangout.
They had been freinds for 13 years. Does Lindesfarne still have the hang glider. They could use that to get to any bat oriented hangout.
Wonderful! The bat glider would be fab!
Now we need a bit of time for him to learn how to use it safely.
Linidesfarne had fallen from a hight without harm, and had much training to get used to aeronautics before she got that glider. A wolf may have more problems with both.
I am not ever sure in comic-aging how old someone is.
Rudy took many of our years to go from 14 to 15. There has been no graduation ceremony for him (or Bruno for that matter).
I am not sure that Rudy and Bruno are the same age.
Back to the glider, it may well need to have 2 wolves as pilot and copilot if both R&B attend.
'Otter
Now we need a bit of time for him to learn how to use it safely.
Linidesfarne had fallen from a hight without harm, and had much training to get used to aeronautics before she got that glider. A wolf may have more problems with both.
I am not ever sure in comic-aging how old someone is.
Rudy took many of our years to go from 14 to 15. There has been no graduation ceremony for him (or Bruno for that matter).
I am not sure that Rudy and Bruno are the same age.
Back to the glider, it may well need to have 2 wolves as pilot and copilot if both R&B attend.
'Otter
#18.1.1.1.1
Old Prof. Otter
on
2010-02-12 10:10
(Reply)
How about having Lindesfarne ferry 1st bruno then Rudy to the party. That way they will get their safe. She can pick them up after the party.
I think once Rudy gets a taste of flying he will ubnderstand why Lindesfarne likes it so much.
I think once Rudy gets a taste of flying he will ubnderstand why Lindesfarne likes it so much.
#18.1.1.1.1.1
STEVEN BRAMS
on
2010-02-12 22:10
(Reply)
Wolves in flight:
Or be traumatized for life. It depends, and a gentle pre-introduction would likely help.
And remember it will take 2 flights, one each. But, yes, Lindesfarn could be useful there.
'Kell ... bawl her eyes out': ... Awww, so typically motherly.
Skunks: well they do share one name with you on the adoption papers. And you and them like each other, which is an added
bonus.
'Otter
Or be traumatized for life. It depends, and a gentle pre-introduction would likely help.
And remember it will take 2 flights, one each. But, yes, Lindesfarn could be useful there.
'Kell ... bawl her eyes out': ... Awww, so typically motherly.
Skunks: well they do share one name with you on the adoption papers. And you and them like each other, which is an added
bonus.
'Otter
#18.1.1.1.1.1.1
Old Prof. Otter
on
2010-02-13 20:56
(Reply)
You may be right about Rudy and Bruno's approx age equality.
I recall that fight strip they said that they met at 1.5 years of age.
'Otter
I recall that fight strip they said that they met at 1.5 years of age.
'Otter
#18.1.1.1.2
Old Prof. Otter
on
2010-02-12 11:36
(Reply)
You know, Otter's been raising some valid points. Not to diss Fenton's skills, but he might want or need some help. Hmmm...you don't suppose he'd think of trying to enlist the aid of programmers on the other side of the portal, do you?
Thank you, it is nice to be useful.
(Purrr)
I will update the program design because of this comment.
I was feeling that it was all just jargon for the non-programmer.
But if it helps, no problem.
From what I understand, Fenton has hardware and network knowledge, but has not done much heavy programming. If Lindesfarne is going for a CS degree as well as Biology, she could direct this. But she is much too busy unless she makes this her senior project ... which would negate its usefulness in keeping Fenton busy and connected.
So, if he asks, and if we could transmit code, and if the compiler and language spec is close, and other such, yes, we could and likely would help a bit.
Still I will supply the high level design, that is transferable.
It would be better for him to organize a Open Source project on his side. The code would be transferable.
We also strongly need an approximate number of attendees.
'Otter
(Purrr)
I will update the program design because of this comment.
I was feeling that it was all just jargon for the non-programmer.
But if it helps, no problem.
From what I understand, Fenton has hardware and network knowledge, but has not done much heavy programming. If Lindesfarne is going for a CS degree as well as Biology, she could direct this. But she is much too busy unless she makes this her senior project ... which would negate its usefulness in keeping Fenton busy and connected.
So, if he asks, and if we could transmit code, and if the compiler and language spec is close, and other such, yes, we could and likely would help a bit.
Still I will supply the high level design, that is transferable.
It would be better for him to organize a Open Source project on his side. The code would be transferable.
We also strongly need an approximate number of attendees.
'Otter
I'll let you know when it stopps. I can get you a pretty acurate measure burrowing out.
As Fenton has never shown up to comment here, he may not know of this resource.
Get him to say Hi after you tell him??
'Otter
Get him to say Hi after you tell him??
'Otter
You are going to have RL at the wedding, aren't you?
Husband of your old 'mother'.
Talk about do-not-sit-by.
"Otter
Husband of your old 'mother'.
Talk about do-not-sit-by.
"Otter
...Because I wouid not trust RL near anyone (except his wife) who did not have a chance to physically take him down or at least survive the first attack. He can be well behaved, he is ruthless.
This just about breaks most of the programming, and also suggests a social solution.
If the amount of seats is greater than the amount of guests, and if in some cases we isolate the more toxic to a one or two person table, then the problem might be easily done with cards, lists, non-programming stuff. This will need a large hall to have the room to do this kind of thing.
'Otter
This just about breaks most of the programming, and also suggests a social solution.
If the amount of seats is greater than the amount of guests, and if in some cases we isolate the more toxic to a one or two person table, then the problem might be easily done with cards, lists, non-programming stuff. This will need a large hall to have the room to do this kind of thing.
'Otter
Interesting wedding, interesting.
This sounds like a soap opera plot: Kim is moving to Jane, even if he still loves July, which won't left Andrew, as long as John is still with Mary... Mary me please!!!
This sounds like a soap opera plot: Kim is moving to Jane, even if he still loves July, which won't left Andrew, as long as John is still with Mary... Mary me please!!!
The US eastern states continue to get snow. Today even the area that appears to be analogous to Domain is getting snow, a rare event.
For the first time in recorded history Washington, DC, has more snow than either Grand Rapids, MI, or Buffalo, NY. Apparently the only part of the US east of the Mississippi with more snow than DC is the upper peninsula of Michigan!
For the first time in recorded history Washington, DC, has more snow than either Grand Rapids, MI, or Buffalo, NY. Apparently the only part of the US east of the Mississippi with more snow than DC is the upper peninsula of Michigan!
Are you inviting the little skunks?
In a sense they are relatives. Adopted kids of you prior-'mother'.
As a computational load they are heavy,
As a social load they are easy to seat, they can have their own block of tables, or just one. And RL&A can have someone to sit by them.
'Otter
In a sense they are relatives. Adopted kids of you prior-'mother'.
As a computational load they are heavy,
As a social load they are easy to seat, they can have their own block of tables, or just one. And RL&A can have someone to sit by them.
'Otter
I think you are right. Put RL&A with their children. RL claims the little skunks make the best bodyguards plus they will keep RL&A in line too.
To get on a differan subject. Catherine & the crew of the Ursa Minor found a human male early 20's Near the portal. Shows signs of just being trancformed. This also happened about 30 years ago. A dolphin came thru & turned into a human male. Lindesfarne helped him turn back into a dolphin & get back into the buman world without turning into a human qgain so he could be with his dolphin girl freind. I wonder where they are now.
Tammy and Ray will be part of the wedding party, as stated.
So one less remote unit, and one more jammer.
Except that with that jammer, the bats will not be able to 'see' part of the wedding.
Can you tell Tammy and Ray that they just have to trust a room full of bats?
This needs some resolution, and maybe some ingenuity.
A replay speaker system and a visual-to-sonic virutal reality system would work, but I suspect that it needs invention, and can not be had but June.
Anyone have any good ideas?
'Otter
So one less remote unit, and one more jammer.
Except that with that jammer, the bats will not be able to 'see' part of the wedding.
Can you tell Tammy and Ray that they just have to trust a room full of bats?
This needs some resolution, and maybe some ingenuity.
A replay speaker system and a visual-to-sonic virutal reality system would work, but I suspect that it needs invention, and can not be had but June.
Anyone have any good ideas?
'Otter
I have been in cold nasty rain, and at 1 inch of rain = 1 foot of snow, have been in several feet of snow. I was there when Massachusetts was shut down for a week because of a 3 foot snow storm was followed by a 3 foot snowstorm that was dry and drifted. I much prefer the rain. The money ran out, the stores were shut down by the state, the food ran out, there were problems, I walked from Arlington Heights to MIT (where I hung out, never was a student there).
I live in texas, lindsfarne, and my family and I got 12 inches of snow in a span of thursday and friday! Pretty weird weather for the lone star state, huh? Also, because of the weather situation on friday, I didn't go into work. That's a good thing because I got to play in the snow, and a bad thing because I'm saving money to go to a furry convention that's this upcoming weekend.
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