Reading Material

posted on 2009-09-09 03:15:24

I screwed around a little this weekend trying to port some Common Lisp code to Haskell. I hadn't messed with Haskell in months, made a bit of a fool of myself on the #haskell IRC channel and then promptly realized I'm being silly. Why? It's fun learning languages. I have half a mind to try learning some Factor by porting the same code to it.

It's silly because I'm finally at the point where Lisp is starting to feel natural and I'm getting real work done in it. Nothing fancy or sophisticated mind you. I'm thoroughly a noob. But I'm a noob who is learning by working on bigger projects. If I give in to the "new language diversion" now, it may be fun and I may get something out of it but it's mostly writing toy programs in another language instead of continuing to work on bigger programs in a language I'm finally starting to think of as a native tongue.

So, here's some reading I hope to do in the near term:
I might as well get as good at SLIME as I can since it's my environment of choice. Bill Clementson has a series of good articles.
I am finally going to take some time and try to pick up web dev. I'll start at the high level and go lower as I have to. It seems like Weblocks is the most active and awesome Lisp Web Framework so I'm sure I'll be writing about that some. Hunchentoot and weblocks are installed on my laptop so I just need to hit the docs and get hacking.
If there's stuff I can't figure out how to do, between #lisp on IRC, some mailing lists and RosettaCode, I'm sure to be in good shape.

Finally, if you're interested in lisp do as Xach said and read some of abhishek's stuff before you get started. Dispel the myths and know about the features.

Like New Music...

posted on 2009-03-05 14:40:22

You, offworlder, your clangs and drones
only return quizzical stares.
And then I hear it, layers and patterns,
a structure unfolds.
And I begin to hear something warm and
viscous like the wet earth.
I was mistaken. You are one of us.
Come in and make yourself at home.

Two quick complaints:
EA Blackbox should literally go punch themselves in the crotch. The Community Center, Parkade, et al DLC for Skate 2 is embarrassing. Throwing a bunch of crap all over the place is not helping me, is not respecting or doing justice to the original and is not level design. Go screw yourselves and give me my five bucks back. All you want me for is my money.
Dear Street Fighter IV shotos, particularly Ken scrubs, you all aggravate me. And bring out my larger issue with SFIV. I never failed to enjoy a fight in Smash Bros, even if I lost. Why is it that all the online matches are miserable, even the ones I win? I may have more to say about this and SFIV later. Just wanted to whine for now.

Two quick shout outs:
Don Gerz is tearing it up with good poetry. See Flying and Lost Realities. Mmm mmm good.
Been listening to really weird music lately. Abstract and ambient stuff. Particularly taken with Rivers of Sand by Fennesz. I like it, I think, but am also not entirely sure what to make of it. Am also enjoying Philip Jeck, Triosk, Tipper and Tim Hecker. Weird bunch. Should I go see Watchmen this weekend? I'm thinking yes. But when?

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