HLSL and GLSL fun...

I recently started playing with GPU shaders, learning GLSL and HLSL, which is more like learning how to use a particular C Library, than learning any kind of new language. It is almost identical to programming in C, with some significant limitations.

But once you understand the purpose and flow of information it's all quite simple - the basics anyway.

Teaser: Illuminated

Cool trailer/teaser

360 Panoramas: A While back...

A while ago, I shot some 360 panoramas, just for a fun experiment and to see what I could do with my 10.5mm Dx Nikkor lens. The lens is really amazing, obviously it's designed for the DX sensor, so won't work, or won't completely work with FX sensors, but anyway. The lens is REALLY sharp and makes images that are clean and easy to stitch using the panotools stitcher plugin for photoshop - once you get over the complexity of understanding the conversions - and of course, you have to compile yourself to overcome the 160° FOV limitation.

Whatever the case, check out the results.



http://cakeller98.site90.com/syntheticnature/panorama/

Intuit Still Bites! I found a workable but lame solution to my problem.

As stated in a previous post, I've been hobbled by intuit's inability to purge or export / import transactions. I can't remove a year of transactions because once I do, I can NEVER get them back. Or so I was led to believe.

It used to be, you could easily export a QIF file, and Import it back into the file, clean and simple. However, as of Quicken 2006, they removed the ability to import QIF files into Checking, Savings, or any other account type that you might want to - what??? that's right, any account you might want to download from a financial institution. Why? because intuit charges banks to allow customers to download OFX files into quicken. Unfortunately this precludes us lowly customers from being able to import exported transactions into any of these type of accounts, which means repair of our quicken file is nearly impossible.

Or so I thought.

They keep QIF arround for import of transactions into CASH accounts. Not sure what their logic is here, but it appears to me, as though the reason for this is exactly what I'm about to describe to you now.

If you want to import a set of transactions from one quicken file into another:

1) backup your files because if you mess this up (accidentally import into the wrong account or something)
2) export the transactions from your original file
3) open the other file.
4) create a dummy cash file called something like "IMPORT"
5) import the QIF, be sure to import to the IMPORT account.
6) select all the transactions in the IMPORT account and right-click CUT them.
7) switch to the account you want these transactions in, and paste.
8) ... oh that's it, we're done... check your ballances, maybe reconcile but that's it.

I think the whole reason for this hassle and headache is simply so that quicken can control WHO gets to download transactions into their software.

Seriously, if I can find an open source solution that does what I need it to, I'm switching. This BITES!

But as I mentioned before - at least now I can deal with my files in a reasonable way.

:) Cheers! (to all but the bone-heads at Intuit)

Quicken RANT!: Year End Copy, Wasn't Working...Intuit, You Suck! Now it is working... You Still Suck!

For the last 10 or so years, I've used Quicken... when Quicken Home and Business arrived I was thrilled to start using the new invoicing functions etc.

Unfortuneately I am a bit of a paranoid goob when it comes to personal information (why I would write this kind of post in my blog is kinda beyond me, but whatever)... So I password protected the file, which seems the prudent thing to do with financials. And heaven forbid I accidentally edit a transaction older than... 1, 2, ok 5 years, that seems like a good idea to password protect OLD transactions.

So every year, come tax time, I fruitlessly attempt to do what's called a "Year End Copy" of my quicken data file... I really want to purge out anything older than the tax year. But every year, without fail, I end up giving up on this, and going back to my latest backup and just slog through, cleaning up the categories, and making sure every invoice and every payment correlates, and reconciles.

So here's what would happen; When I'd try and do a year end copy, purging transactions older than xyz, quicken would "POOF" dissappear. Bleepity monkey bleeping bleep.

OK, so... I'd try doing other things like a File->File Operatiosn->Copy. I'd specify to keep only transactions between Jan 1st and Dec 31st...

Seemed to work, at first, but upon examination, certain accounts contained all old transactions?!?! When I manually started to delete transactions, it was asking for the password only in these accounts and only on REALLY old transactions. It was then I realized that it seems it is only these accounts that have at least one transaction that requires a password that have all the old transactions?!?!?!

Ok, fine! I removed the passwords (file and transaction-protection password) and tried a year end copy, which is what I REALLY wanted to do anyway... and wooooo hooooo!!!

After YEARS of struggling, searching for answers, that I never did find - not once did I find someone explain this - I think I finally have the answer:

In order to do a year end copy, or any automated function that may delete or alter an old transaction, you must ensure that the transaction password is blank!

hope this helped someone not bash their heads in with a box of old quicken CDs.

recap:

Quicken?
Year End Copy?
Do this:

First Step ->
Remove Transaction Password
File -> Passwords -> Transaction,
enter the current password, leave the new ones blank!)

Second Step ->
proceed as normal
File -> File Operations -> Year End Copy

Third Step ->
If you're still paranoid, re-set up the password

Fourth Step ->
bookmark these instructions for next year!!


------------- UPDATE!!! FRACKITY FIG NEWTON ----------------

I spoke to soon.

Problem still exists... however, my best work-a-round, and at least I now don't have to enter the transaction password each time I delete a transaction...

File -> File Operations -> Copy

the select the dates you want.
You won't have cleared out ALL transactions, and I haven't figured out why yet... but at least now you can narrow it all down to a single year at a time.


WHAT REALLY sucks is, you can't ever merge these files back together.

oh well... I'm in search of an open source alternative. Of course, there'll be a learning curve. But at least if I have my quicken broken up into manageable single year chunks, I can import a year at a time, and get used to it. Maybe I never import the old crap, maybe I do... awe, WHUDEVER... did I mention, Intuit stink-y-stink.

Shazzle... I totally thought I had it beat, but once again, this year, like every other, I have hit a wall that doesn't want to be penetrated. At least I have found a way around the wall. And by this time next year, or sooner, I will be on a completely different path - I HOPE - using some open source solution!

-- did I mention, that once again... slogging through is all I can do? MUST FIND OPEN SOURCE SOLUTION (because MS Money, is WORSE!)

There's No Such Thing as All Natural...

If we, in any way, had anything to do with making it!

For example, unless you find some un-touched, virgin land with vegetation growing on it in some remote part of the world that is isolated so completely as to have never come in contact with pollutants, or pesticides, or anything we may have made, contributed to, or whatever... there's simply no such thing as "ALL NATURAL"...

Organic food could be considered synthetic from a certain point of view. We SYNTHESIZE it from the earth, the seeds, and the nutrient rich soil we plant the seeds in and the water we use to make it grow.

Which brings me to an interesting, albeit goofy point... all natural synthetic foods... I love it! mmm what a delicious concept.

Crazy Stormy: 60MPH winds and buckets of rain!

I've never seen rain and wind this hard and the voluminous. The closest I ever remember what the innagural day storm, some 12? years ago... in Washington. But the rain wasn't as hard. The other big difference... this one lasted for a minute.... skies got dark, little bit of rain and a little wind, then all at once the rain began, so hard it sounded like hail, with plumes of mist skating across the street. It was really awesome. And now, Sunshine... probably a Rainbow or 5. That was somethin' else.