PerlEdit

I just started with programing, and I am using PerlEdit to write Perl scripts with ease. It colors different aspects (e.g. comments green, commands blue, strings purple), and has a nifty little triangle button that allows you to do the program automatically.

It's still on trial, but I looked and it only mentioned the "Debug feature" as going away when the trial is done, and I've yet to use it.

Download it here, and look at this sample script which I gave up on:

#!usr/local/bin/perl
# Copyright (C) 2010
srand();
# ---CHOOSING PLACES OF ARTICULATION---
# VARIABLES FOR PLACES
@placs = ('labial','alveolar','velar');
@nplacs = ('retroflex','palatal','uvular','glottal');
# SELECTING THE PLACES
$max = int(rand(3));                  # times looped is an integer between 0-3
for ($i = 0; $i <= $max; $i++) {      # starts the loop
$ntodelete = int(rand(7-@placs));     # the number in nplacs that will be moved to placs
$placs[@placs] = $nplacs[$ntodelete]; # added to @placs
delete $nplacs[$ntodelete];           # deleted from @nplacs
};
# ALVEOLAR > DENTAL SOMETIMES
$dent = int(rand(2)); # whether yes or no
if ($dent == 1) {     # if yes
$placs[1] = 'dental'  # switch to dental
};
# ---CHOOSING VOICING---
$blos = int(rand(2));          # whether to have blosives
if ($blos == 1) {              # if so
$dinplos[@dinplos] = 'voicing' # add voicing
}
# ---CHOOSING ASPIRATION---
$phlos = int(rand(2));            # whether to have phlosives
if ($phlos == 1) {                # if so
$dinplos[@dinplos] = 'aspiration' # add aspiration
};
# ---UNVOICED ASPIRATION---
if ($dinplos[1] == 'aspiration') {          # if bhlosives are possible,
$nobhlos = int (rand(2));                   # decide yes or no
if ($nobhlos == 1) {                        # if no,
$dinplos[1] = 'aspiration_in_the_voiceless' # say so
};
};
# ---SAY NONE FOR PLOSIVES---
if (@dinplos == 0) { # if no distinctions in plosives,
$dinplos[0] = 'none' # say so
};
# ---FRICATIVES---
# ONLY S?
if ($placs[1] == 'alveolar') { # if there is /t/,
$sonly = int(rand(2));         # decide if only /s/,
}                              # to be stated later
# ---ADD POSTALVEOLAR ONLY IF $sonly isn't 1
if ($sonly != 1) {              # if there isn't only /s/
$pamove = int(rand(2));         # decide if possibly postalveolar
if ($pamove == 1) {             # if so,
$placs[@placs] = $postalveolar; # say so
};
};
# ---VOICING IN FRICATIVES---
$vricative = int(rand(2)); # decide if voicing, to be set later
# RHOTICS
@rposs = ('trill','tap','approximant','retroflex approximant','uvular trill');
$rhotic = @rposs[int(rand(4))];
# LATERALS
@lposs = ('approximant', 'fricative', 'approxiant and fricative');
$latrl = @rposs[int(rand(2))];
# To be done:
# get the order for places of articulation right
# fix unvoiced aspiration
# ---PRINTING---
print "----PHONOLOGY----\n----Consonants---\nPlaces of Articulation:@placs\n"; # show places
print "Distinctions in Plosives:@dinplos\n";                                   # show distinctions in plosives
if ($sonly == 1) {                                                             # if only s,
print "Fricatives are only in the alveolar.\n"                                 # say so
};
if ($vricative == 1) {                                                         # if voiced fricatives
print "Distinctions in Fricatives:voicing\n"                                   # say so
};
print "Rhotic:$rhotic\nLateral:$latrl\n";                                      # show rhotic/lateral

VoteEasy

Most voters will act on who they think "looks trustworthy" or "sounds okay," not actually on their views. For example, there are practically twice as many people who identify themselves as conservative then as liberal, though the obviously not conservative Barack Obama won the election.

So that people know who they are voting for, they should go to http://votesmart.org/voteeasy/.

Just take a simple test on your political views, and it will match you to the candidates who agree with you most. It's wonderful if you have no idea who to vote for.

Translating the Bible requests

If anyone would like me to translate any portion of the New Testament, I'm available. Using e-mail or the wiki, just send the verses and the mood you want (literal, poetic, modern), though don't go beyond one chapter.

Commentaries are also available.

Translating the Bible

"...we are all consecrated priests..."

– Martin Luther

In my opinion,

"...we are all consecrated translators..."

– Me

A few days ago, my friend visited and showed me a notebook in which he had translated the Tao Te Cheng, the Taoist bible. I decided to do that with the Christian bible. Though it would have been best to start with Genesis, I'm doing Luke because I have a book with the original New Testament with translations of each Greek word.

Here's the first five verses:

Many have tried to relate to us, on hand, about the practices fully carried in us,according to what is giving to us by the original viewers that have become the Word's subservients. I, having followed all up until now exactly, have taken things down by others to write for you, O Theóphilos, lover of God, so that you can know exactly and not doubt the words you have been instructed on.

The Stratēgós of Athēnai

Want it? E-mail me, it's done.

Making Flowers

Want to make flowers in a graphing calculator? If you have polar functions, you can.

It's this formula I made up:
r=a*cos(bθ)+c
In all cases, if you put a negative number, it does the same thing as the positive value.

a is the mean distance from the flower's tip to root.
b is the number of petals if odd, twice that number if even. (So if you want 4 petals, do b=2. Sorry, no 2-petaled flowers). If you do fractions it will be distorted, and if you do 0 it will make a circle with a radius of a+c.
c is the most complex, as it involves morphing, and does different stuff to different values of b:

If b is even, it will make horizontal petals have a+c length and vertical petals have a-c length.
If b is odd, it will make two petals, one on top of the other, where just one petal would have been if c=0. One petal would have a+c length and one would have a-c length.

So there you have it. Next time we will feature what happens when you replace cos with sin, and more interesting stuff like that.

I haven't forgotten about the Stratēgós

Don't worry. It just so happens that on Friday and Saturday I went to a class on the constitution, so I didn't have time to finish.

By the way, know this: the Supreme Court is NOT the supreme arbiter of the constitution; it is NOT their duty to interpret it. Nowhere does the constitution mention whoever will be it's interpreter. However, the constitution DOES say:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Thus, it is the states and the people, not the Supreme Court, who decide what the constitution means.

The Stratēgós of Athēnai

I haven't posted since 22, so for some first-day-of-September spirit I'm going to get you all to look forward To the Stratēgós of Athēnai, which will come out Friday barring a death in the family or my forgetfulness.

Here's a sneak peak:

My name is

Aren't you excited? You can pre-order the 0$ edition by waiting for me to post the link.

Hu-hu-hu, that's all folks!

Doo doo doo doo doo.