Here’s a great quote by John Bass on an EDN article about function pointers as an implementation of state machine design: Failure complexity is a metric of a design. http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/embedded-basics/4406821/Function-pointers—Part-3–State-machines
Author Archives: Rob
IKEA kitchen light mod, part 2
A while ago, I modified my daughter’s little kid kitchen. In that project, I found my design self teetering on that edge between two goals: get-it-done on the one side, do-it-right on the other. I had chosen the former and even my 2 year old (at the time) could see that this was a critical …
AC multi-way light switch
My garage has a single light switch in it for its overhead fluorescent lights. This light switch is not conveniently located; it is situated beyond our freezer, such that one has to walk into the darkened garage in order to turn the switch on. So I made an electronic 3-way switch. “Why?”, you ask. Indeed. …
The long happy life of a coyote survivor
“Daddy, Ebenezer not sick anymore?” “No sweetie, he isn’t sick anymore.” Ebenezer was more than just a pet cat. He was a symbol of my developing adult life. I got Ebenezer when I lived in Dallas. My Aunt Debbie and Uncle Rick knew of a neighbor who had a new litter of kittens. They knew …
The Cabin In The Woods
[stextbox id=’alert’ caption=’Spoilers Below’ color=’ffffff’ bgcolor=’ff0000′ bgcolorto=’ff0000′]Note that every word following this is considered a major spoiler for the film.[/stextbox]
Surround Sound Debug
For some reason, this keeps happening to me. I must be doing it wrong. But I’ve either been too stubborn or too distracted to find the better way to do it. I’ve installed surround sound wiring into my abodes at least five times (twice in my bachelor days at two different apartments , and thrice …
Thoughts on semantics and syntax, forests and trees
I love “computer” programming. There are many good programming principles that can be applied to life. Take for instance the difference between syntax and semantics in language. Syntax is the nuts and bolts. It’s the grammar, the rules that tell you how to construct a sentence correctly. Its meaning is derived solely from how the …
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Typeface
I caught this nice little Kickstarter video today while reviewing the top 2012 funded projects. It’s a typeface commissioned by the city of Chattanooga. Their pitch video is really well done, in that Helvetica , designer-friendly way. It reminds me of the really excellent podcast “99% Invisible” by Roman Mars, which explores the hidden world …
Career hop
There are hunters and there are gatherers. I’m more the latter, my wife the former. I like to settle down and dig my roots in. What can I say, I don’t like change. The same goes with my job choices. My first job post-college lasted 10+ years. It basically fell into my lap — a …
Prometheus vs. Avatar
The planet Pandora has nothing — and I mean nothing — on the little moon SC-223. This place scared the (R-rated expletives) out of me; it was unnerving, frightening, dreadful, in all the ways that Pandora was not.