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Jul. 26th, 2009 @ 11:47 pm 4chan
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Yale, Nico
Today AT&T blocked their users from accessing img.4chan.org

4chan gets called a lot of ugly names, and, indeed appears to be many ugly things, but it is one of the most influential sites on the Internet. It's where many popular Internet memes such as rickrolling started. It's also an easy target for those who would restrict and censor the Internet, because the loose regulation of the site also attracts some of the Internets more unpleasant denizens.

Anyway, if you don't like this sort of censorship, or perhaps if you like it, you should let AT&T know.

(Update: It turns out that there are a lot of rumors and maybes about what's actually going on. We'll have to wait and see how this develops and not blame AT&T for being evil just yet.)
Jun. 7th, 2009 @ 09:27 pm Voldemort's Face
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Yale, Nico
If you're interested in either Harry Potter or computer vision, this picture should be of interest to you. Check out the dots painted on Voldemort's face!

http://www.oclumencia.com.br/galeria/albums/19/promocionais-odf-oclumencia_com_br_(11).jpg

Anyway, a quick guess at how this works is that there's a 3D laser scan of the actor's face, and a 3D model containing the structure and material properties of Voldemort's face. The dots are placed in the correct places on the actor's face, and some minimization (probably non-linear, such as Levenberg-Marquardt) is used to solve for the optimal pose in the Voldemort movie footage.

Neat, eh?
Jun. 3rd, 2009 @ 11:42 pm Ping
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Yale, Nico
It's been a while since I posted. I stopped posting on LJ in hopes that it would light a fire under my butt to start a "real" blog.

Anyway, hey folks.
Dec. 28th, 2008 @ 09:04 am Heya
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Yale, Nico
Hey. I haven't posted to my LJ in a while. I want to start posting again, so I can keep in touch with people. I'm also kicking around putting together a real blog, so to speak. I want to write about my research but there's the obvious problem of not wanting to publish not-yet-published results. We'll see what comes of it.
Sep. 2nd, 2008 @ 12:37 am Twin Peaks
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Yale, Nico
Finally watching Twin Peaks. Halfway through the second season.
Jul. 29th, 2008 @ 11:22 pm Crackberry
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Yale, Nico
After hemming and hawing over whether to get an iPhone or a crackberry, I chose a Blackberry Curve 8320.

First thing I noticed:

Blackberry + Facebook + Drunk Dialing = Danger If you use Facebook through the Blackberry, it will turn your friends list into a phonebook for you.

Overall, very cool. Too distracting for this time of year :-P
Jul. 22nd, 2008 @ 03:24 pm Espen
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Yale, Nico
I'm sorry to hear of Espen's passing. My condolences to everyone who knew him, especially Nathan and Anthony. He was a good guy.
Jul. 5th, 2008 @ 08:32 pm Is XTZ no more?
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Yale, Nico
So, I tried purchasing some SkyRocket syrup from xtz.com, and the form wouldn't submit.

I tried emailing sales@xtz.com.

I tried emailing jjs@xtz.com.

Both bounced.

Uhmm... is XTZ still in business?

Ack!
Jun. 20th, 2008 @ 01:59 am Ice on Mars
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Yale, Nico
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=0&cID=85

Everyone's heard, right?
Jun. 19th, 2008 @ 12:39 am Otherworld
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Yale, Nico
Hey folks, some of you have heard me tell you about Otherworld (www.otherworld.org). It's a totally worthwhile experience, and I think that everyone should check it out. I especially think that it would appeal to many of my Camarilla friends (though, there are many things that differentiate it from a LARP).

Anyway, a few tidbits

1) I will be on staff this year :-)
2) It will be on Columbus Day weekend.
3) The price is $200 if you reg before Sept 1. $225 after. Space is limited.

Anyway, it would be awesome to see any of you folks who can make it.

A couple more details for my friend-listed people, since it would be awkward if random readership emailed me about that time I invited them to come crash with me in my dorm room at school.
Jun. 16th, 2008 @ 12:38 am Captain Crunch Frappuccino
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Yale, Nico
Apparently, this frappuccino tastes exactly like crunchberries.

1 Tall Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino with:
1 Pump Hazelnut
1 Pump Toffee nut
Whipped Cream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKLZAEAlf-I

My goal tomorrow is to consume this beverage.
Jun. 13th, 2008 @ 03:38 pm Ancient Roman D20
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Yale, Nico
http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4205385

For real.
Jun. 12th, 2008 @ 12:25 pm How long could I survive in the vacuum of space?
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Yale, Nico
How long could you survive in the vacuum of space?
Created by OnePlusYou
Jun. 1st, 2008 @ 04:20 am Scream 2
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Yale, Nico
Scream 2 should be renamed to something like, "nobody ever buys a gun, the one guy who had a gun didn't freaking shoot it, and when the killer is incapacitated, we never take him out, we try to sneak away like morons."
May. 28th, 2008 @ 02:49 am Presentation tools for Linux?
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Yale, Nico
I like Powerpoint well enough. I think that Keynote is a great presentation tool. I find that OpenOffice Impress falls flat on its face on many counts. Some of the features are pretty nice, but the interface is buggy, and it crashes often.

What gives?

Is there a presentation tool for Linux that is any good? As good as Keynote? (Bugs aside, I think that Impress is about as good as Powerpoint).

No fanboyism. Real opinions only, please. This is a matter of practical importance, not ideology.
May. 22nd, 2008 @ 06:47 pm LastFM tracks not matching the CDs in the interface?
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Yale, Nico
What's the deal with LastFM tracks that don't match the album in the interface?

Right now I'm listening to the live version of "The Something Special," by The Bouncing Souls. The interface says that it's off of "What I did on my summer vacation," which it is, but not the live version.
May. 19th, 2008 @ 04:24 am Note to people building store finders
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Yale, Nico
When you're building a store finder for your chain, perhaps it would be wise to include the hours of operation on the form.

1) Not all locations will be open for business at regular hours. Yale is near several areas where the businesses tend to close early due to the crime rate.
2) It's 4:30 AM, and I'm awake. If I knew that either Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme (yes, there's one in Milford) were open at this time, I might stop in for breakfast. As is, I'll head down to Gourmet Heaven, since I know that they are open.
Apr. 26th, 2008 @ 07:04 pm Wargames is going to have a direct to DVD sequel
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Yale, Nico
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/04/war-games-seque.html

Yeah...
Apr. 26th, 2008 @ 12:11 am Funny video
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Yale, Nico
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUt0RSU9qok

This is long, but worth it.
Apr. 24th, 2008 @ 08:54 pm Traditional Boxing in Nigeria
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Yale, Nico
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/africa_traditional_boxing_in_nigeria/html/1.stm

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