I have spent some (very) limited time the last month or so, refreshing my understanding of electronics, particularly ICs (integrated circuits). This, like most things, is handy back pocket information for me in my day job although not particularly relevant.
With numerous flashing LED projects under my belt it’s getting time to move on to something a little more advanced. I would like to build a programmable board of some kind and have it execute some slightly more complicated logic than is feasible with hard-wired ICs.
After a quick Google …

I just realized something and here’s a puzzle that describes it…
For the next two months, my kids ages mimic my own age’s digits.
This will not happen again in my lifetime.
In 26 years my kids ages added together will equal my age.
How old am I and how old are my kids?
Dan [LINK] would get a kick out of this.

I suppose…
Creativity is having the imagination to think of something no one’s thought of before.
Talent is the ability to execute on the idea.
Couple this with a compulsion to see the idea through to execution, if for no other reason than to see it through.
All three are present in Lindsay Buckingham’s rendition of "Big Love". He wrote this song whilst in Fleetwood Mac, then rearranged it years later as a solo performance. The latter I’ve been trying to master for some years now; [LINK] and [LINK].
By copying …

A while ago I rented an indie movie called "13 Tzameti". It’s black and white and subtitled in French but well worth the watch.

The story revolves around a young guy, hard up for cash. He opens a package intended for someone else and follows the instructions inside. Unfortunately this results in him being forced to participate in a variation of Russian Roulette.

It’s a small movie, simply done that belies the incredible tension contained in some of the scenes. Recommended.

Regardez fixement l’ampoule!!!

Cardspace can currently be launched from a web page through the use of the object tag, html form and optionally some javascript.  This approach requires rendering an HTML page and some form of user interaction before the Cardspace ID selector is launched.
This works for the typical case of logging into a website, establishing a session and accessing protected web pages.
But what if you just want to protect a file. Or an XML resource like an RSS feed?
In this post I’ll propose an extension which would allow Cardspace …

High Definition is truely an amazing experience. A side effect of such a clear picture is that movie makers are going to have to work that much harder to create a realistic world for their movies and ensure the suspension of disbelief is maintained. Compare Spiderman 3 with Transformers for example. Night and Day as far as visual effects are concerned.
Here’s a great example. Look closely at the audience in the following picture for an example of the director just "phoning it in" (big file warning).
[LINK]