Magnets and pickups (guitar)

Question: My partner and I are working on a small, analog device that would attach to the strings. We're thinking that for simplicity of design, attaching the pieces using magnets would be most elegant. However, I know that you could theoretically mess up pickups with magnets nearby and that strings are usually magnetic so that they interact with the magnets in the pickup. Any idea how strong a magnet would have to be to mess with the pickups? If not, we'd probably just use a hinged clip but it's less pleasant while strumming.
Comment: Welcome! It might help to edit to explain a bit more. The oddest thing about this question is that if anything physically touches the string directly, no matter how, it will affect the vibration of the string—like, stop it entirely, or buzz/rattle against it, or mute it. I wonder whether you're imagining some kind of "mag-lev" system that "attaches" without direct physical contact? That would be quite an engineering feat... Please also mention where on the string's length you're thinking of. Yes, strong magnets very near pickups would be a problem. But, like, over the fretboard might not.
Comment: Both answers seem to assume that the magnets will be attached to the strings themselves. I doubt that's what you meant, but in any case, please edit with more clarity. Also tell what sort of guitar you have in mind. Acoustics are very different from semis, or solids.
Answer: Simple test;
Put a magnet on the strings.
Play.
Listen to hideous buzzing rattle caused by the magnet not quite adhering, or if it does, the alteration in pitch caused by the additional weight.
Take magnet off again. Think up a new idea ;))
You don't need to get as far as how much this would interfere with the pickups.
Answer: The magnetic pickups in electric guitars work by inducing a small electric current when magnetic field changes. The field changes when the ferromagnetic strings move in the field, so adding an additional magnet near the pickups would at worst change the tone in similar way as changing a magnet inside pickup to different one.
There are however other problems with the approach. Just try attaching a magnet to the string and you'll see.
Answer: I think you'll have much bigger problems with doing that. First of all it will be quite hard to get a magnet holding any load attach firmly to the string. But adding mass to the string will affect how it vibrates, it can even mess up intonation.
We do not know what your device is supposed to do, but attaching things randomly onto strings is usually not a good idea :)

Magnets and pickups (guitar)


What is ECU(AWS)? What does that mean?

Question: I did a test performance for my server(1 ECU), but My server only arrived 1000 users in testing, how many ECU I need for 15000 users?
Comment: The correct will be 16 ECU for 15000 users?
Comment: Possible duplicate of [What does ECU units, CPU core and memory mean when I launch a instance](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19248087/what-does-ecu-units-cpu-core-and-memory-mean-when-i-launch-a-instance)
Answer: The ECU (Elastic Compute Unit) was a unit of measure designed to provide a relative measure of performance between Amazon EC2 instance types. For example, an m1.small instance had 1 ECU, an m1.large had 2 ECUs, etc.
However, it is no longer possible to summarize the power of an instance in a single number. Some instances have more RAM, some have more CPUs or more powerful CPUs, GPUs, enhanced networking and even burst capabilities.
Therefore, the ECU has slowly disappeared from AWS services and documentation. It can still be viewed as an optional column in the Amazon EC2 Launch Instance console.
The ECU is definitely not a good measure of "the number of users" that a system can support. The number of users that a system can support are totally dependent upon the application architecture and its system requirements. When testing the number of users a system can support, closely monitor all system components (eg CPU load, RAM utilization, disk queues) to identify the bottleneck. You can then try to modify the application or improve the bottleneck to provide better application performance.
Comment: so, if we take two identical instances, say db.m5.2xlarge vs db.m4.2xlarge except that the former is one generation newer than the latter, can we assume the former is faster compared to the latter if its ECU is higher?
Comment: I would always recommending looking at [Amazon EC2 Instance Types - Amazon Web Services](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/) to confirm specifications. It shows both as having the same vCPUs and RAM, but lists m4 as "2.3 GHz Intel Xeon® E5-2686 v4 (Broadwell) processors or 2.4 GHz Intel Xeon® E5-2676 v3 (Haswell) processors" and m5 as "Up to 3.1 GHz Intel Xeon® Platinum 8175M processors with new Intel Advanced Vector Extension (AVX-512) instruction set".
Comment: thank you. I just checked the specs from the link you shared. so, is it possible for the m5 to provide a higher ECU because the CPU has a higher frequency compared to the other, although the processors are entirely different and may exhibit differences in other features?
Comment: Frankly, I have not seen ECU referenced for several years now, since it is now an inadequate measure due to GPUs, Intel vs AMD, networking differences, etc. The best method is to pick a family that best meets your needs (eg RAM:CPU ratio, GPU, networking, chipset), then perform tests to determine which size works best within that family.

What is ECU(AWS)? What does that mean?


Deeper sleep when closing lid of MacBook Pro?

Question: I have a mid-2015 MacBook Pro (Monterey 12.5.1), and the battery is quite badly degraded, despite being replaced once. I can only just get 30-40 minutes of use from a fully charged battery. This isn't so much a problem, as I rarely use the device without a power source, however I'm finding when I shut the lid of the device at night with a 100% charge, by the following day when I return to the device, the battery will have drained to < 10% and the device powers off, as can be seen in the image below.

My battery settings are shown below.

If I shut the device down at night, when I power it back up the following day, the battery has lost no more than a couple of percentage points of charge, so my question is, is it possible to have the Mac go in to a deeper sleep when the lid is shut?
Comment: How many cycles did you get out of the replaced battery?
Comment: Only 106, but it's quite old and the device is used for around 8 hours most days, and it's always plugged in when in use. I stopped leaving it plugged in overnight, as the original batteries swelled up quite dangerously.
Comment: Yes, for the price of a battery you're quite the way into a M1 mini or discount M1 Air - you're doing everything right, just going to be hard to justify another swap if you can make the jump to a new Mac. See if you can get a couple hundred trade in and shop refurbished? https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac
Comment: Thanks, I'm planning on getting a new MBP in the next 12 months or so, so don't really want to spend any more on this if I can help it.
Answer: I've never been able to get hibernate to work in a way that was helpful, so if you can't keep it alive by turning off Power Nap (which your screen shot shows is already off), you'll have to shut it down, plug it in or replace the battery.

https://support.apple.com/lv-lv/guide/mac-help/mh40773/mac
Comment: Thanks @bmike, I was hoping there was some hidden setting I might not have been aware of that would have caused a deeper sleep, though (unfortunately) I suspect your answer is correct, as ultimately I need to replace the battery. Given the age of my device, it's not economically viable to replace the battery, though I am due an upgrade.


plant disease names upper case?

Question: is it permissible to use lower case for the Latin names of plant diseases in the body of a text? (The cases in point here are 'sclerotinia' and 'phoma')
Comment: many thanks again for additional background / references - this is the stuff good translations are made of :)
A word of explanation (should we meet again) is in order: I'm a freelance translator (German>English) and I mainly work for the big auditing companies, Deloitte, KPMG etc. While I don't generally have much trouble with the financial sections (I'm also a qualified accountant), the company concerned can be in just about any line of business... shoes and ships and... canola!
Comment: Your two examples are actually the genus part of the scientific names of the plant pathogens. Usually these are capitalized when they appear in genus-species nomenclature, but only the publication you're writing for can tell you whether the lower-case shorthand is permissible. This is a matter of style, so consult your style manual or your editor.
Comment: many thanks, unfortunatemoniker!
unfortunately I'm a mere translator flummoxed by scientific nomenclature. My problem is that I'm translating from German, so all nouns are capitalised. I wasn't sure what to do with 'Sklerotinia' and 'Phoma'. If your comment were an answer I could select it.
Comment: I have converted the comment into an answer, one which isn't very helpful, but at least is too long to be confined to a comment. Good luck.
Answer: The two examples you give are actually the genus part of the scientific names of the plant pathogens. Usually these are capitalized when they appear in genus-species nomenclature. The genus lends it name to the disease itself, and what you want to know is whether you should capitalize the genus when it names the disease. Alas, there appears to be no rule valid across publications. The Farmers' Bulletin (Issue 1184, 1953) capitalizes the name as the genus of a fungus, but not as the name of the rot caused by the fungus:

Two gensing diseases are caused by fungi of the genus Sclerotinia. The diseases are sclerotinia white rot, and sclerotinia black rot.

Australasian Plant Disease Notes (2006) opts to keep the name capitalized in both uses:

Symptoms exhibited were watery brown, irregular-shaped necrotic lesions ..., which are typical of Sclerotinia white rot recorded on other hosts....

Here, the genus name is incorporated as such in the disease name. (You can tell because it's italicized.) So it makes sense that it's also capitalized. However, the USDA Research Service  in a 2011 publication capitalizes then name of the disease in all roman type:

Examples would be apple scab [Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Winter], Sclerotinia white rot of canola and beans [Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary]....

This is clearly a style issue that will be decided by the publication which has engaged you. Your best bet is to consult the publication's style guide or your editor.
(Emphasis above is mine.)
Comment: many thanks again for additional background / references - this is the stuff good translations are move of :)
Comment: sorry: are *made* of

plant disease names upper case?


Are messages still delivered after deleting a chat or clearing its history?

Question: If I send a message and it's confirmed to be send (one tick) and then I clear the chat's history, or delete the chat, will the message still be delivered? (Note that I'm not talking about deleting/editing a particular message after posting.)
Answer: It depends, if you sent it to a user/regular group then once you see one tick it's delivered, and there is nothing you can do to delete the message.
If you sent it to a secret chat/super group/channel then you can delete messages even if it has 2 ticks.
Comment: Thank you. Is there perhaps some reference to the official documentation that explains this? (I couldn't find any.)


What does "that's what" mean?

Question: I heard many people saying this, but I couldn't really understand what they meant to say:

That's what I am saying.
Answer: That's what I'm saying is normally used in an argument to say literally that's what I'm saying, you are arguing my point
Comment: I cant not enough reputation
Comment: Do You know what I mean here @Queue21
Comment: OH sorry now I understand I fixed it
Answer: "That's what I'm saying" or "That's what I'm talking about" can mean different things in different contexts.

You are in an argument with someone else when you realize you are saying the same thing, just in different ways. You'll say "That's what I am saying" (perhaps said meekly).
A group of people, including you, are having some discussion and you agree very much with something that some other person just said. You'll say "That's what I'm saying!" as an alternative to "I agree completely!"
You and some friends go to a nightclub, where the nightlife is rather lame and every member of your sexual preference represents the antonym of eye candy. You convince your friends to go another club, whereupon immediately a very nice example of what you think of as eye candy walks by. You turn to your friends and say "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

A final example: I grew up ten miles from a ski area. I don't remember not being able to ski. Then I moved to Houston, Texas. Later when I took my sons to a ski area, they wanted to snowboard. Knowing only how to use two boards, I put my sons in a class. I greeted them as they came out of the class and took them down what I thought was a very easy slope. My sons all took the very slow and cautious approach they were taught in class. One of them finally said "enough of this pansy stuff" and pointed straight downhill. Shortly later he dumped and tumbled. As I approached him, he stood up, dusted himself off, and exclaimed "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!"

What does "that's what" mean?


How does a simple alkaline battery work?

Question: The basic + - electrolyte set up. Modern batteries and the like. How exactly do they work?
Comment: Your question is rather broad. Could you narrow it down to one type of battery?
Comment: Duracell or energizer your pick just tell me which in an answer
Comment: A related question and answer [here](http://physics.stackexchange.com/a/247656/69087) on Physics.SE.
Answer: An alkaline battery (or more precise alkaline manganese cell) consists of a zinc anode, a $\gamma\!-\!\ce{MnO2}$ cathode and $\ce{KOH}$ (in paste form) electrolyte. Zinc is the negative electrode and $\ce{MnO2}$ the positive electrode.
During battery discharge, zinc at the anode is oxidized and dissolves in the electrolyte as hydroxozincate. When the electrolyte is saturated with zincate, zinc oxide starts to precipitate. With continued discharge and decreasing $\ce{OH-}$ concentration, zinc hydroxide is formed, which can slowly dehydrate to zinc oxide.
\begin{aligned}\ce{
Zn + 4OH- &->~ [Zn(OH)4]^{2-} + 2e- \\
[Zn(OH)4]^{2-} &->~ ZnO + 2OH- + H2O\\
Zn + 2OH- &->~ Zn(OH)2 + 2e- \\
Zn(OH)2 &->~ ZnO + H2O\\
}\end{aligned}
At the cathode, $\ce{MnO2}$ is in turn reduced, first to $\ce{MnO(OH)}$. When the battery is discharged slowly, this can be further reduced to manganese(II) hydroxide.
\begin{aligned}\ce{
MnO2 + H2O + e- &->~ MnO(OH) + OH- \\
MnO(OH) + H2O + e- &->~ Mn(OH)2 + OH- \\
}\end{aligned}
The overall reaction, when only considering the first reduction step at the cathode, is:
$$\ce{Zn + 2MnO2 + 2H2O + 2OH- ->~ [Zn(OH)4]^{2-} + 2MnO(OH)}$$
During discharge, zinc is irreversibly oxidized and water is consumed. As a consequence, the battery is "dead" when the electrolyte is dried out and/or all zinc has dissolved.
Sources: 1, 2
Answer: The chemistry of alkaline batteries involve the oxidation of zinc and the reduction of manganese dioxide. The description of a cell can be found here.


Patient safety culture

Question: I would like to ask if anybody here can suggest me places where I can get open access to papers under the topic of the behavior of patient safety. I am doing a research on this subject but the institution I am working in is not academia, therefore people around me are not quite well informed about such information.
Answer: A full college library should have what you need. They typically have most major research journals. Some large municipal libraries will too. Smaller libraries may have material on the subject, but they probably won't have access to research journals.
And of course many research papers are available free online. Abstracts for almost all research is available for free, but full text may be behind pay walls. But the abstracts alone will often be all you need, and if you need the full article it at least gives you the exact publication you need to find.

Patient safety culture


Best pattern for an image link on a card

Question: I am using cards with images in a project. Ideally, I would like to have the images to be clickable and link to additional information on the topic presented on the card. On desktop, this works wonderfully. On mobile, this is an issue since users end up activating the link when trying to scroll. I have currently deactivated the image link and introduced "More Info" button. Feels link a sub-optimal solution though. Any graceful patterns out there?
Comment: On mobile a touch is either a tap or something else like a swipe or drag. Mobile users can touch, hold, move, and swipe linked areas. The whole card should be a link unless you have more than one link on the card. Mobile users can swipe on that card.
Answer: I have two possible solutions I can think of in this case.
1) This is also not quite the most optimal, and would require some testing to see if users quickly can figure out what to do. On mobile, perhaps require users to 'double tap' instead of tapping once to prevent them from accidentally accessing content they don't want.
A way you could possibly do this so the users can naturally figure out what to do is once they click, either the card will create a drop shadow or the text in the image will underline to indicate a link. Do something in some way to indicate that if you click again it will take you to the content. So click once -> indicates somehow to click again -> user is taken to content they want.
This should hypothetically stop the issue of accidentally link clicking. But again, user testing should be done on this feature foresure because you don't want your users to wonder how to access content.
2) Another solution might be only allowing the text to be a link, and as such underline the text or in some way indicating that the text is a link. This way the content is still clickable but should make it harder to accidentally access content. (I don't know how your cards are designed so this may not be true) And because the users may want to click the image, perhaps allow the image to be a link if the users holds it down or double tap.
Either way, it's hard to know what to do without any visualization and there is of course 100 ways to approach this problem. I hope these help a little!
Comment: I don't think double-tapping is a common convention on mobile.
Answer: There is a function that disables clicks when scrolling. With javascript the developer can write a code somewhere along the lines of : If scrolling stopped enable buttons and when scrolling disable buttons.
Edit: By buttons I was reffering to any type of links.


Do projectors work from the front and the rear?

Question: Or do you have to purchase one specific to your use?
Answer: To do rear projection it would have to be capable of flipping the image horizontally. I think it's fairly standards, but check what control you have over the image just to be sure.
For example, I've seen projectors mounted upside down from the ceiling with the controls facing downwards project an "upright" image - i.e. one rotated 180o.
Answer: Usually they have a setting to flip the projection so that you can use it from behind or in front - I've never used one without that setting.
Answer: Generally, projectors have a flip setting to allow them to be used from either side. Most  graphics cards also offer this feature for any display output, so even if your projector doesn't support it, your gpu probably will.


is there a way to see how I edited an image that has already been changed to a jpeg?

Question: I have an image that I can't remember how I edited and I no longer have the lightroom catalog. I thought there was a way to view the editing steps from the metadata, does anyone know how to do that?
Answer: It is impossible to extract the information how you edited a raw file from the metadata of an exported jpg file. There is no such information in jpg's metadata.
What you can do for future
activate the option "Automatically write changes into XMP" in Catalog Settings. This will create sidecar files with extension .xmp saved right next to the original RAW files. You can then import those files and settings will be automatically applied to the corresponding raw-files ("corresponding" means here "having the same name").
You can also save XMP-data at any time manually by selecting one or more photos in the Grid view of the Library module and choosing Metadata > Save Metadata To File(s).
If you happen to lose or to delete the original raw file you will still be able to get editing settings from the xmp file. Just open it in any text editor and you will see something like
<code><contrast>+1.1</contrast>
<brightness>-0.4</brightness>
</code>
and so on.
Comment: Actually, it *is* possible for software to save this information directly in the JPEG file; [darktable](http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/darktable), for instance, will do this, and can later import a "style" from such a JPEG.
Answer: Maybe a moot point, but if it was originally a JPG image, then simply viewing that JPG file in another program now will see only the original version, it cannot see the Lightoom edit changes.  Only Lightroom can see that, which is the reason we have to output a new JPG from Lightroom, for other programs to see (lossless editing).  This comparison won't tell how you edited it, but will show the difference in the result.


Function and expression of pseudogenes

Question: Can pseudogenes be transcribed into mRNA and translated into functional proteins, or should they be regarded as functionless mutated genes?
Comment: **Attention: Wikipedia is wrong about its definition of pseudogenes.** Please see my answer below for a) one of many example of the official organization that defines "pseudo-gene" gene-type for individual genes (NCBI), which lists functions for specific individual pseudogenes b) One of many research articles studying transcribed pseudogenes (here: those which are even translated). _wikipedia cites outdated paper from 80ies_
Comment: By [definition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudogene), a pseudogene has lost its ability to be transcribed or generate functional protein. If you reinstate that ability, it will no longer be a pseudogene.
Answer:
A subset of pseudogenes can have a function - even if not translated: For one possibility see the official record for PTENP1, which acts as a tumor suppressor by providing a decoy for PTEN targeting miRNAs
A subset of pseudogenes can be translated. There is a selection for preserving the length of the reading frame, which suggests (but does not formally show) the presence of a translation-dependent function of (at least a subset of) those pseudogenes. - See Xu et Zhang 2016: Are human translated Pseudogenes Functional? (paywall)
As indicated by the above, it seems likely that quite some pseudogenes have a function, which just has not been discovered yet - and that the mode of action can differ between different pseudogenes.
Comment: This is very interesting. I have added a conventional answer so that yours can be seen in context. Note that I state what the term was coined to describe, which is not changed by the fact that some pseudogenes have acquired functions distinct from encoding proteins.
Answer: The term 'pseudogene' was originally coined to described genomic sequences related to protein-coding genes, but which contained:

"defects… which would completely prevent the production of functional protein."

(Quoted from review by Jeffreys and Harris, 1984.)
There are two distinct types of pseudogene:
Duplicative Pseudogenes
As their name implies, these are produced by gene duplications. As illustrated in the globin gene families, some of such duplications produce new functional genes, whereas others acquire inactivating mutations. For example a pseudogene with a premature stop codon might be transcribed and translated, but the protein would be truncated and probably degraded.
It should be noted that single mutations can, in the course of time revert, and there are examples of multi-gene families in which genes are active in some species and inactive in others. I have referred to the ABO gene family in this respect in an answer to another SE question.
Processed Pseudogenes
These arise from reverse transcription of mRNAs into DNA which is inserted into the genome, presumably by enzymes encoded by transposable elements. This may occur in any cell, but when this occurs in non-somatic cells do they become established. Hence such pseudogenes tend to be for general genes such as non-muscle actins. They are recognizable by their lack of introns, polyA sequences, and lack of promoters. Unless, by chance, they should come under the influence of a promoter they will not be transcribed and, hence, not translated.

Function and expression of pseudogenes


I will think as if I had already taken it???(as a rejection)

Question: The situation is that somebody tries to give me something as a reward(a kind of gift?). But I don't need it, but also I don't want to say to him/her, " no thanks!" I think it's kind of rude because he/she tries to show me his sincerity. So hmmm, in this case, I want to express like this, even though I didn't actually take it, I want to say as if I had already taken it. Are there any proper expressions for this situation?
How about this.. I'll think it I had already taken it. Haha this is literally translated. Tell me how to say in this situation. Always thanks. :}
Comment: Do you mean appreciation rather than sincerity?
Answer: An informal, idiomatic way to say this generally (at least in parts of the US, and maybe elsewhere) would be

"Thanks so much, I'm all set." (MacMillan Dictionary)

or, even more briefly,

"Thanks, I'm good." (idioMeanings)

The "but" is implied--it sounds politer to avoid it if you can, since it basically negates what comes before. "I'm all set" and "I'm good" in this context mean roughly "I'm content as I am; I don't need anything additional at this moment."
Whether one of these phrases is acceptable or even recognized might depend on region (see Is the use of "all set" exclusive to certain regions? and Difference between "I'm fine" and "I'm good"). I'm from the Midwestern US and use both.
You can also reverse these, adding back in the "but" and saying more about your appreciation, to really emphasize the thanks:

I'm good, but thanks for thinking of me!
I'm all set, but thank you so much for the offer, I really appreciate it!

and so forth.
Finally, you can actually use either phrase without any thanks at all (just plain "I'm good" or "I'm all set") when someone offers you something, and they still convey a very slight, very casual sense of gratitude (see the links in block quotes above). This would be the least formal and least thankful-sounding option, though. Used most often in situations such as a sales clerk asking if you need help finding something, or your significant other offering to get you a drink when he/she gets his/her own.
(I note that Urban Dictionary also suggests "I'm straight" and "I'm square" as synonyms, FWIW. I recognize both, but wouldn't think to use either.)
Answer: You want to show appreciation for a gift while at the same time declining it because it's not useful to you?
I'd go with something like "That's very kind of you, but ... [reason]"
If you want a little more emphasis you can explain that not only are they kind, but you're also grateful: "That's very kind of you, I do appreciate the offer, but ... [reason]"
That's a rather formal/polite way of saying it in British English. In an less formal context or with a close acquaintance (or as a default option in less politeness-heavy cultures such as Australia or America), one could simply say "No thanks mate, I've got one already".
Answer: It would be impossible to use as is in your case of a bonafide  act of kindness, but "Let's not and say we did" is a similar notion used to "[indicate] that the speaker does not agree with a proposed action, and does not wish to participate" (from Wiktionary).
 (similar in the sense that one party believes  that it might/would be better to pretend that the action has occurred when it really hasn't)
Maybe you could put a positive spin on it and say:
"That's so kind of you, but I already have one of those. Let's just give it to someone else and say/pretend that you gave me the one I already have, ok?"
Answer: Thank them for their offer.
In French, after a doing someone a favour, we use the phrase, "Merci, tant que," following the offer for reward which loosely translated as, "Thanks, all the same," in English. You might want to strengthen the response with, "You're very kind to offer."
Although it amounts to a refusal of an offer, there's no negative used and no explanation is necessary. It's as though the effort you volunteered is already worth the simple expression of thanks offered without further remedy or reward.


Is it possible to get food stamp or financial assistance for early retirement

Question: Say if you retire early with 500k in saving but you lose all your income, do you count as low income and can get some sort of financial assistance e.g. food stamps or having that 500k disqualifies you for any assistance?
Comment: retire at what age? Is there a disability involved?
Comment: The qualifications for federal and state food assistance are *surely* posted *somewhere* on the Web. What has your research shown?
Comment: Well, if you have no problems getting other people to pay your food for you, it is less paperwork to sit at a street corner with a cup.
Comment: Since you won't have employer medical, and assuming early is below 65 you won't get Medicare, you **can** qualify for 'assistance' (aka subsidy) on exchange-purchased **medical insurance** in the form of normal or advance Premium Tax Credit and possibly Cost Sharing Reduction -- those are based solely on income (AGI with some addbacks) not assets. Also FYI the program formerly and still commonly called food stamps stopped using stamps decades ago and was officially renamed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program = SNAP.
Answer: You'd need to look into the specific eligibility criteria for each program you're interested in and for the specific state you're in.  If you want to receive food stamps in the state of Idaho, for example, you're generally limited to 5,000 in assets in addition to a car.  Other states and other programs will have different limitations.
That being said, it is pretty unlikely that someone with half a million in assets would receive meaningful amounts of cash welfare assistance in any state if they were able to work and just wanted to retire early.  It is also reasonably likely that if you have a $500,000 portfolio that you're using for retirement that you'd be producing a reasonable amount of income in the form of dividends, interest, capital gains distributions from mutual funds, etc.  It would generally be unwise to be retired and have your entire nest egg in early stage growth companies that don't pay dividends.
Comment: That link you provided has a more relevant point on it "Can I get food stamps if I'm unemployed? Yes, **as long as you aren't leaving a job or reducing your hours specifically so that you'll qualify.**"
Answer: Yes, by engineering your lifestyle and by being honest with your social worker, you can get food stamps with a net worth of $500k in many states [PDF].

Engineer for yourself an income near $0 by investing 80% of your money in non-dividend payers such as Berkshire Hathaway. The other 20% is cash savings for you to spend down. Don't realize any capital gains. Don't take on any interesting consulting work or part-time gigs
Sign a statement requested by your social worker, to prove that, by spending down your savings, you are paying your monthly bills despite having little income
Prepare to be underwhelmed by the food stamp allowance for a single individual with no kids

Here's a relevant forum post from early-retirement.org


How can I make my D gracenotes shorter and crisper?

Question: On the Great Highland Bagpipes, the D gracenote can be difficult to play as short and crisp as the G gracenote, especially in contexts such as the tachem. Aside from just consciously trying to play them shorter, is there a good way/exercise to practice them?
Answer: Well, one of the main things to remember is keep light fingers instead of a kung fu grip. Also, keep your fingers straight rather than curling them. Working with your fingers while off the chanter is important too. Try doing some finger exercises like flexing your fingers or using something like Xtensor. Try not to lift your finger super far off the holes. Just keep practicing them over and over. Building the muscle memory will make it much easier to do, and remember, light fingers.
Answer: I don't play bagpipes, but I do dabble in a few woodwinds. I am an expert guitarist though, and it seems like the way we do hammer on and pull off techniques would help you. When a guitarist does a hammer on the move their finger quickly. They don't move it immediately because that will change the rhythm but their finger does move quickly once it moves. When I do a pull off they pluck to the side of the string almost plucking it with the left hand. This creates a circular motion for the whole hammer-on/pull-off/slur thing. So basically if a guitar player wants to do continuous hammer ones and pull-offs they move their hands in a circle that is hammering and plucking very quickly on the string. I think if you were to apply that to the whole on your bagpipe you would get a similar effect. Just use the lightest touch as possible.


Potted tulips are drying up

Question: This is the first time I bought tulip bulbs and I kept them inside, beside the window.
Recently I got flowers.
But, the flowers are there for only 2-3 days before they started drying up.
Is this normal ? Or, am I doing something wrong ?
Comment: Are you giving water?
Comment: Do you mean tulip bulbs planted in potting soil in a pot? Did you buy them like that, or pot them up yourself?
Comment: What's the temperature in your house and how much sun do they get?
Comment: since the original author is not responding with new information i think this is too open of a question and not all that useful other than to say that potted tulips usually are forced for one season and then discarded.  the conditions those forced plants experience vary so much you would have to track the supplier/chain - let alone figure out how the person asking the question treated them.
Answer: I know that tulip bulbs before planting have to stay for a while in the cold either in the refrigerator or simply planted in the garden during the winter. Then we can plant them in pots kept in the house
Comment: But that's only relevant to coax them to sprout, it's absolutely not related to how long the flowers last. Are you sure you are *answering the question*?
Comment: You think what you want, but i know what i'm talking about. For good germination and healthy flowers, tulip bulbs should stay for at least two months at low temperature.
Comment: Do you have a citation to back up your answer? I've never heard of a link between the amount of time forcing tulip bulbs and how long the flowers last, and I'd be interested to read more about the subject. Thanks!

Potted tulips are drying up


How to property uninstall Python 3.7?

Question: I'm trying to build a package but would like to uninstall Python 3.7 from my machine first. The build appears to think /usr/local/opt/python/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/Python exists on my machine, but it doesn't. I wonder if some process is still linked to 3.7 even when it doesn't exist. Anyone know how to property unlink/uninstall Python 3.7?
Comment: How did you install python 3.7?
Comment: @Mark I'm afraid I don't remember... Possibly by brew, but I've already uninstalled Python with brew.
Comment: WHat is the build system?
Comment: @Mark You mean my `cmake` version? It's 3.15.2.
Answer: I had to do this; I used:
sudo find / -name '*3.7*' 2>/dev/null | grep -e '[Pp]y' | xargs sudo ls -lad

I pipe stderr to /dev/null to eliminate internal files that even with sudo I can't access. Things like:
find: /private/var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000sm00006d/0: Operation not permitted

That returned all the possible Python 3.7 files / folders / symlinks on the machine. Armed with that, I can remove those files.
Pity that brew may have left something around. That does happen - I just spent 40 minutes getting VirtualBox manually deinstalled / reinstalled up to 6.01 because something in the uninstall file prevented brew from cleaning the existing installation up.
Comment: ewport those errors to Hombrew so they get fixed

How to property uninstall Python 3.7?


Spotify API get Related Artists

Question: Is there a way to get a list of related artists through the spotify api. Like the small list that displays in the actual program?
Would be very useful if so, but I am not so sure
Cheers
Answer: Yes, it's available through libspotify. There's a SPArtistBrowse class that contains a lot of metadata, including the related artists. Check out the
CocoaLibSpotify comes with a documentation package, where you can find more details on what's included: https://github.com/spotify/cocoalibspotify.
Do note that it's currently extremely slow to load an entire SPArtistBrowse object. I'm assuming it's got something to do with libspotify loading it all in one chunk and on the main thread (?). From what I know, Spotify are suppose to remedy that in an upcoming version of libspotify, though.
Answer: Get an artist's related artists is now available through the Spotify Web API.
GET https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/{id}/related-artists is the format.
https://api.spotify.com/v1/artists/43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE/related-artists is an example request.
For more information, see the API documentation.
There is also a JSFiddle demo app.
Comment: Link-only answers are strongly discouraged here at Stack Overflow.  In this case, [it is preferable](http://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/8259) to include examples of how to the list of related artists using this new feature, keeping the link as a reference.
Answer: Definitely! All you need is the "artist_id" and the SpotifyPublicAPI can return a list of the related artists. You don't need an access_token at all.
You can easily test the API call here on RapidAPI. I've specifically linked you to the getArtistsRelatedArtists endpoint. Rapid will provide you with a code snippet you can copy and paste directly into your code to make the call.
Here is an example testing the API call using Beyonce's artist_id:

Here is a sample code snippet provided by RapidAPI wth Beyonce's artist_id passed as a parameter:

Spotify API get Related Artists


USB to HDMI adapter that works with Ubuntu

Question: I am fairly new to Ubuntu, and am running 20.04. When I was using Windows I had a Startech USB to VGA adapter (https://www.startech.com/en-us/audio-video-products/usb2vgae3) to add 2 external monitors to my laptop. When I switched to Ubuntu, the adapter no longer worked, and there doesn't appear to be an Ubuntu driver for it. I was looking on Amazon and there are some that are only 10 dollars, but the ones that specifically mark they are for Ubuntu are about $50 or more. I don't mind spending that much but if I could get one for less I'd much rather do that. Does anyone know of any relatively cheap USB to HDMI adapters that work with Ubuntu? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
Comment: Please refer to https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic where you'll note "*Shopping or Hardware Recommendations*" are off-topic.  Ubuntu Forums allows those sort of *opinion* based questions.
Comment: See also: [Super User: Hooking up a second monitor using a USB-(Displayport/HDMI/VGA) adapter](https://superuser.com/a/1598950/425838)
Answer: I have heard that USB-to-video adapters using DisplayLink GPUs have Linux drivers and work well enough.  I say "well enough" because USB was not built to support computer displays, it's something of a hack to use USB for this.
If your laptop has a DisplayPort or HDMI output, and I suspect it does as not having a video output on a laptop is rare, then getting an adapter for one of those to VGA should be more stable, give better performance, and not need driver updates with each new OS upgrade.  Avoiding the use of VGA would also be wise but I can understand the need to keep using it in some cases.  I've used DisplayPort to VGA adapters before and found them inexpensive and "there is no step three" simple to use.
Comment: Yeah, HDMI to VGA adapters are super cheap and they always work with Ubuntu because there's no driver involved.
Answer: USB video card adapters for Linux Ubuntu
The following info. is up-to-date as of Sept. 2023.
It covers Ubuntu 14.04 and later, through to 20.04, 22.04, and 23.04.
Option 1 [best, if you have USB-C ports]: USB-C to HDMI, DP, etc. adapters
USB-C video cables or adapters are cheap ($15~$30) and easy to find. They can convert USB C to:

HDMI
DP (Display Port)
DVI
Component Video
VGA
etc.

The most common are to HDMI and DP.
Since the video standards are built into the hardware and specifications, they are just plug-and-play, even in Ubuntu, and they take no configuration, no special drivers, and no extra CPU resources.
Here are some examples:

USB C to DP cable, $15
USB C to DP adapter, $15
Amazon search for "usb c to dp adapter"
Amazon search for "usb c to HDMI adapter"

Option 2: USB-A to HDMI, DP, etc. DisplayLink adapters
If your computer is older and has no USB-C ports, however, or if all of your video outputs and USB-C ports are taken up on your computer, or if you don't have an output built into your computer that can support 4k at 60Hz, then you can use a special proprietary "DisplayLink" hardware/software solution to give you more monitor output at up to 5k at 60 Hz using standard USB-A 3.0 ports.
DisplayLink has been around since 2007, and is widely supported by a lot of adapters today. Expect it to be ~2.5~10x more expensive ($40~$150) than a comparable USB-C adapter, however. It is now owned by https://www.synaptics.com.
It uses special drivers you have to install on your computer plus a special "DL" DisplayLink hardware chip in the adapter, to force any USB 2.0 or 3.0 port to become an external video card.
Therefore, it also uses extra CPU resources on your computer, unlike the USB-C to video adapters above.
DisplayLink over USB 2.0 is limited to a max resolution of 2048 x 1152, according to here: "Maximum resolution supported: 2048 x 1152". Check the specs of the particular DisplayLink device you buy. It may be lower resolution than this.
DisplayLink over USB 3.0 on the latest DL-6xxx (ex: the latest DL-6950 SoC used by this device here) (on Amazon here for DP and here for HDMI) can support up to 1 video output at 5k 60Hz (5120 x 2880) or 2 simultaneous video outputs at 4k 60Hz (up to 4096 x 2160). That's incredible. I'm sure it's going to use quite a few extra CPU resources to make this happen, however. If you choose HDMI, be sure your version of HDMI supported by the monitor itself can support 4k at 60 Hz. My monitor only supports 4k at 60Hz using the DP cable, not using HDMI.
Read about the different IC generations here, and ensure you know which IC your device you are going to buy has: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayLink#IC_Generations
Common inexpensive ($40) 2k 60Hz adapters like this use the DL-3500 chip and support resolutions up to 2048 x 1152 at 60Hz or 2560 x 1440 (2k, 1440p) at 60Hz. This is likely the adapter I'm going to buy myself. It explicitly says it supports Ubuntu, and reviews confirm this.
Reviews of the $90 Club3D CSV-1477 USB 3.0 Type A to dual 4k 60Hz adapter I mentioned above also state it works for Ubuntu, however. Search the reviews for "Linux" and "Ubuntu".
Driver installation instructions
You should download the latest DisplayLink drivers from Synaptics.com directly here: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/downloads/ubuntu. DisplayLink drivers are provided by Synaptics, the maker of the DisplayLink protocol and hardware DL chips, not by the maker of your particular adapter you are looking at, from what I can tell.
Legacy drivers are under the "Legacy Drivers" menu here: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/downloads/ubuntu. They go back to Ubuntu 14.04 from 14 Jun. 2017. Looking at the list of all drivers, the DisplayLink binary drivers support Ubuntu 14.04 and newer, including 14.04, 17.04, 17.10, 16.04, 18.04, 20.04, and 22.04, and 23.04. The latest DisplayLink driver supports Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and 23.04.
Note: I think you first need to disable Secure Boot in your BIOS for this to work.
For older versions of Ubuntu: How to install DisplayLink software on legacy Ubuntu versions.
For my detailed instructions I wrote myself, see here: Full instructions: installing displaylink-driver on Ubuntu 20.04 (also applies to 22.04 or later).
I have tested my above instructions on Ubuntu 20.04, and the next instructions on Ubuntu 22.04, and they worked:
For Ubuntu 22.04 or later:
# Make this directory if it doesn't exist, and cd into it
mkdir -p ~/Downloads/Install_Files/DisplayLink
cd ~/Downloads/Install_Files/DisplayLink

# Download the Ubuntu APT package provided by Synaptics.com, the official
# makers of DisplayLink
wget https://www.synaptics.com/sites/default/files/Ubuntu/pool/stable/main/all/synaptics-repository-keyring.deb

# Install the DisplayLink APT package keyring
sudo apt install ./synaptics-repository-keyring.deb

# Update your APT package cache
sudo apt update

# Install the DisplayLink driver provided by Synaptics.com, the official source
sudo apt install displaylink-driver

# Reboot.
# Now it is plug-and-play. Plug in your DisplayLink adapter and it just works.
# It may take up to 5~10 seconds to recognize a monitor.

Official list of DisplayLink adapters
All officially "certified" DisplayLink adapters are listed here: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/displaylink-products-list?field_displaylink_category_value=usb_adapters. Make a selection in the "Video Output" dropdown menu to choose HDMI, DisplayPort (DP), etc.
Even if an adapter does not explicitly state it works in Ubuntu, it may still work, so you can always buy it and try it out and leave a review stating whether or not it works in Linux Ubuntu.
The Ubuntu DisplayLink driver for Ubuntu is not open source. They provide the binary only, not the source code. If you'd like to try to extract the separate parts of the binary to make it usable on versions of Linux other than Ubuntu, however, they do provide some "getting started" instructions here: https://support.displaylink.com/knowledgebase/articles/679060.
Good luck. Leave comments and report back your findings. I'd like to hear which DisplayLink adapters people are using in Ubuntu, how well they work, where to buy them, and how much they cost so I can quit doing so much trial-and-error myself.
I'm going to buy an adapter myself and try it out. (Update: done. See below).
What not to use
USB-A to HDMI Devices like this and this may be as little as $13~$25, but they are not DisplayLink compatible, and seem to work on Windows only.
When searching for a DisplayLink device, search the description, reviews, and official Synaptics list of certified DisplayLink devices here: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/displaylink-products --> USB Adapters --> "View Products" (direct link here).
My final selection of DisplayLink adapters
I narrowed my selection down to these two:

$38, WAVLINK USB 3.0 to HDMI Universal Video Adapter, Displaylink Chips Supports up to 6 Monitor displays, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Ubuntu 20.04,22.04,LTS, ChromeOS-Upgrade Version - looks like it uses the older DL-3500 chip. Good reviews. Works on Ubuntu. Inexpensive. Up to 2048 x 1152 at 60Hz or 2560 x 1440 (2k, 1440p) at 50Hz.
I bought this one: $90, Club3D CSV-1477 USB 3.0 Type A to Dual Display Port 1.2 4K 60Hz External Graphics Video Adapter for Multiple Monitors. There's also the HDMI version: $84, Club3D CSV-1474 USB 3.0 type A to Dual HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz External Graphics video adapter for multiple Monitors - uses the latest and greatest "DisplayLink DL6950 SOC", which can support 2 simultaneous 4k 60Hz outputs! This one will be much more future-proof, but obviously costs a lot. You may need the DisplayPort version if your 4k monitor only supports 60Hz over DisplayPort, not HDMI, like mine.

You can always buy an HDMI to DP adapter anyway if you want to use the DP version with HDMI. I got a 2-pack of HDMI to DP adapters 4k 30Hz for $10 to use with my older, lower-resolution HDMI monitors on this USB A 3.0 to DP DisplayLink adapter.

My test results of the $90, Club3D CSV-1477 USB 3.0 Type A to Dual Display Port video adapter
Tested in both Ubuntu 20.04 (see my installation instructions here) and Ubuntu 22.04, both with the X window manager.
It works great! I followed my driver installation instructions above, in the terminal. On Ubuntu 22.04, when I ran sudo apt install ./synaptics-repository-keyring.deb, I got this note:
N: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file '/home/gabriel/Downloads/Install_Files/DisplayLink/synaptics-repository-keyring.deb' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
I don't know what that means exactly, but it had an N: in front, which I think means "Note", not "Warning" or "Error", so I ignored it.
When done with the driver installation instructions, I rebooted, plugged in the Club3D CSV-1477 adapter into a USB A port in a USB-C hub (since my test computer has no USB-A ports; see Note 1 below), and it works! It took quite a few seconds (maybe 5~10 sec) to recognize my monitors I plugged in. I tested a 4k 3840 x 2160 60Hz monitor with a Display Port cable, and a 2K 2560 x 1440 60Hz monitor with an HDMI cable through this DP to HDMI adapter, with both plugged in simultaneously. I also tested an old 1280 x 1024 monitor using an HDMI adapter into the Club3D DisplayPort adapter. It all worked.
There is one bug I noticed, however, where in certain configurations, such as this one, I can move my mouse cursor off the edge of the monitors and into the yellow area here, which I should not be able to do!:

Note 1: Do not use a DisplayLink adapter if you have available USB-C ports. Use a USB-C to DP or to HDMI adapter as described above, instead. I did this just to prove the device works. I'll be using it mostly on a different, older computer which has no free USB-C ports.
CPU usage
I was able to drive a 4k 60Hz monitor over DP and a 2k 60Hz monitor plugged into the same adapter at the same time through an HDMI to DP adapter.
On my super powerful 20-core Dell Precision 5570 laptop running Ubuntu 22.04, I didn't see any noticeable increase in CPU usage. But, this is a very powerful computer.
On my much weaker 8-core Dell Latitude 7490 laptop running Ubuntu 20.04, I saw an increase in CPU usage of a few percent. See images below. But, it was still very usable.

References

My Q&A: No 60Hz Refresh Rate option on my 32" 4k external monitor in Ubuntu 20.04
This answer: Super User: Hooking up a second monitor using a USB-(Displayport/HDMI/VGA) adapter
This answer: Ask Ubuntu: USB to HDMI adapter that works with 20.04

See also

My answer: Full instructions: installing displaylink-driver on Ubuntu 20.04 (also applies to 22.04 or later)
My article on my personal website where I write about video driver issues in Ubuntu too: Common ways to fix video driver (and related) issues in Linux Ubuntu
My answer: Increase timeout when modifying display settings (cannot change monitor layout when using dual-monitor 4k 60Hz DP 1.4 adapter) - solution: restart the computer and then configure the displays with nothing else running.


Pseudo ASCII graphics: What is the point?

Question: Dwarf Fortress uses tiles; tiles that are images of ASCII characters no less! I see this as counter-intuitive. I thought the idea of using ASCII characters instead of graphics is so you could run in terms and have a huge performance gain. With this in mind, why is the default tileset not more "pretty" and "friendly"?
Comment: This feels more like a rant than an honest question
Comment: Because ASCII graphics are awesome :)
Comment: I dunno. Pictures of ASCII graphics seems in-line with a game where dwarves will carve a relief of *an image* of cheese.
Comment: I know it's an old question but i just wanna say that ascii ar still available on linux (maybe mac i don't know) by setting [PRINT_MODE:TEXT] in the init file, in this way it run in a terminal (and can run through SSH :p)
Comment: But its not "real" ascii. If it was, it would be so much more powerful! I see tons of advantages with using "real" ascii, for some see Anto's answer.
Comment: I'm not sure if DF always worked like this. It's my understanding that it used to be fully ASCII, and when they replaced it with tilesets, they kept ASCII in for 'backwards compatibility'.
Comment: Good point! To be honest, never played DF before and just read the title of your post :P I just assumed DF used 'real' ASCII graphics :/
Comment: @Grace Note - and if a Rendition is masterful, there can be a rendition of that rendition!
Comment: I can't speak for Toady, but personally I'm a terrible artist. Limiting your graphics to single characters pretty much entirely gets taht out of the way and lets you focus on programming.
Comment: Why is everything in blocks in minecraft?  The answer to this question is the same answer to your question.
Answer: I don't know why this choice was made for Dwarf Fortress, but I can highlight a few possible reasons:

It'a retro, gives you nostalgic vibes and all that.
It stimulates your fantasy to actually imagine what the world could be like
The author maybe didn't know how to draw those graphics
The author maybe just wanted it like that. His game, his choices.

In case real ASCII had been used, the following advantages would have existed as well (though this is not the case):

It is, in some cases, easier to program
The creator just wasn't familiar with the right tools
Works on older hardware, doesn't require a graphical screen and should be more performant

As far as I know, they are working on bringing out new tile-engines (with "real" graphics).
Comment: Rendering speed... An ASCII console window is not going to be able to utilize graphics hardware, so rendering tiles that look like ASCII symbols would allow for a high speed game and more to be going on than straight up console window.
Comment: Good answer and all, but not exactly... well, you might want to read the question again. The question says that they do *not* use ASCII. They use *images* of ASCII characters.
Comment: @Aeo I made the same mistake. The OP may wish to refine his title actually.
Comment: @Aeo: Oops, didn't see that. Edited my post.
Comment: Ah, excellent! Now I can upvote you with confidence :)
Answer: Using images instead of ASCII allows for GPU acceleration for the drawing, which offloads work from the CPU to the GPU, freeing more cycles from the CPU which allows it to process things in the game faster.
It also allows for tilepacks which make DF look much better.
Try doing this with ASCII
Comment: @Hobo And now you see why I just added this as a comment to the accepted answer ;)
Comment: I tried using a graphics pack once and just couldn't get use to it. I had to revert back to ASCII!
Answer: There are really three questions here.
Why does it look like ASCII?

It's retro and therefore funny.
The game is an homage to roguelikes (nethack, moria, rogue), which really were ASCII.

Why isn't it really ASCII?

It used to be.
Using actual characters puts you at the mercy of the console driver for how it decides to draw them.
The Toady One wanted visually-impaired players to be able to change the size of the tiles, which using real ASCII wouldn't allow.
Possibly he also wanted a wider selection of accented letters, which the traditional console code page (Unicode page 437, if you're curious) doesn't have very many of.
Using graphics that look like ASCII allows players to switch the tileset to something they like better.

Given the above answers, Why does it STILL look like ASCII?

The Toady One didn't want to confuse existing players by introducing a new impenetrable interface, when the switchover to graphical tiles happened.
It's still retro and therefore funny.
It's still an homage to roguelikes. Adventure mode just wouldn't feel right with graphics (unless you believe in playing the new graphical versions of nethack, in which case you are a heathen).

Plus, I dare you to try to make a 16x16 pixel tile that depicts a relief of an image of cheese, or a relief of a dwarf cowering in fear and an elephant laughing. Go on, I'll wait.
Comment: I concur: animating ascii in the console is a pain in the butt. graphic card acceleration means framerate = animation!     At the moment i'm writing a game for the console, but i'm trying to partion it well enough that in the end, the display won't matter so much. yay oop.
Answer: Ain't no one can tell you for sure but the original dev(s), however, looking at it from a programmer perspective, I can only draw a few theories...

They wanted to have the ASCII look and feel. After all, ASCII is where it all started at, no? Perhaps they started pure ASCII and realized others may not agree. So they went with images to...
Make the game more easily skinable. An image set can be swapped in and out easily enough, but you are going to be pretty hard pressed to swap out some ASCII I'd imagine.
Perhaps, in whatever language they programmed it in, the dev(s) were more comfortable using the image libraries vs. figuring out how to get ASCII to work.

Again, these are just theories, but that's my thoughts on it. Haven't played DF, but certainly heard enough about it.
Comment: Heathen! How dare you not play DF, how dare you!!! Download it now, open it up, generate a world, embark, create a fortress, get addicted!


Convert a vector into a csv file

Question: Is it possible to use QGIS to convert a vector that contains points/polygons into a csv file and, if yes, in which way?
Comment: Questions in GIS SE are expected to have only one question. Please edit to focus on your most pressing question; the other can be asked in another question.
Comment: csv files are usually a means for data exchange between softwares and definitely not recommended  for what what you are asking for.
Answer: You can use the Save As... option by right-clicking the layer and select the format to CSV.
You can also decide to keep geometries of your features by setting the Layer Options (e.g. you can use AS_XY to keep the X and Y coordinates for, say, a point layer).
Comment: If the geometries are exported using Well-Known Text, linestring and polygon types will contain commas -- try delimiting with `|` instead.
Comment: Thanks, just tryed.. The problem is that mmqgis gives me this error "Bad CSV file - verify that your delimiters are consistent" when trying to add the csv file, I need that plugin to join a layer and a csv by attribute
Comment: I get the same error even with I
Answer: The MMQGIS plugin is able to export vector data to a CSV file.
I usually use semicolon as CSV delimiter. In the delimited text import dialogue, make sure that no other separator is checked.
BTW the MMQGIS plugin can import and export from/to CSV.
Comment: Thank you!!! It worked with MMQGIS plugin and it's function to export geometry into a csv file:)

Convert a vector into a csv file


Importing two libraries of the same name into eclipse

Question: I imported sherlock action bar in my workspace by File>Import>Existing Android Code Into Workspace and in package explorer it is viewed with name library above my project. I also want to use this project in my app: https://github.com/bauerca/drag-sort-listview And I just can't get them both at the same time because when I try to import second library eclipse tells me that "projects cannot be imported because they already exist in the workspace".
Answer: No need to change package names. As they are both different libraries, probably they already have different names. So just rename the Library project and you're good to go.
Answer: Since you have the second project's code - change the package names, and import again.


How to attach eye armature to rigify armature?

Question: Im creating a character, and Im using a rigify armature for the body. and a normal armature for the eyes, I used a Keep offset setting to parent the eye´s armature to the rigify armature, but when I move the head bone the eyes blows up!
Comment: Hi David you mind posting a .blend?  You can use pasteall.org/blend for a quick place to upload.
Comment: Parent your eye bones to the "ORG-head" bone instead of the "head" bone
Answer: Rigify armature is really confusing with all those names so what I always do to parent head with new bones for the eyes is to select head bone in edit mode, add a new bone and then add other bone that is going to move one eye and then do the same for the other eye.
After that select the bone that is in the middle connecting eyes with head and delete it. You will have eyes parented with the correct bone head.
I know there are probably other way to do that


Themes in Flash Builder and Flex

Question: I'm using Themes with Flash Builder. And if I choose a Theme Flash Builder copy the SWC into a folder in my user dir (C:\Users\christenl\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Flash Builder\Themes\myGrand_theme)
When I update my theme file. Flash builder does not copy the new SWC into the folder. So I have to import the theme again or copy the file to the location.
Is there a way to point to the theme project instead so I dont have to manualy copy paste the file every time?
(The haxed way copy the project into the folder Adobe makes in my user dir, or make the theme project compile the SWC into the theme folder adobe makes.)
Answer: I believe Flash Catalyst would solve your issue. That's how I do it.

Themes in Flash Builder and Flex


Why does Torricelli's law seems to fail when water speeds up after I put my finger in a hose?

Question: We are taught that the speed of the fluid through a hole in a water filled tank obeys Torricelli law: $v=\sqrt{2gh}$, thus the speed is independent of the size of the hole. Why is it then that making the hole of the end of a hose smaller (for instance, by using my finger) the speed increases? (note, I was told that this is because the situation is different, and what I have is constant pressure from the street, but this is not the case in my house where we have a tank on the roof)
Answer: What you have given as toricelli's law is a general simplication.
The actual law is stated as this:
$$v = \sqrt\frac{2gh}{1-\frac{a^2}{A^2}}$$
Here $a$ is the area of the smaller hole and $A$ is the area of the bottom of the tank.
This complete formula gives the dependence on the area you make (or decrease) by using your finger.
While generalising, we often consider $A\gg a$ and hence neglect the denominator to get what you wrote earlier, $i.e$, $ v = \sqrt{2gh} $
Answer: Torricelli's law is just a restatement of the conservation of energy of a non-viscous, non-turbulent and incompressible liquid flow. Thus, the maximum speed that can be obtained by making water flow through a hose (purely by the force of gravity, ie. a tank on the roof) is the formula that is given.
The water flows slower when it moves through a hose with a larger diameter because of the turbulence of the flow, reducing it's speed from the ideal limit.
Comment: Even with a non-viscuous non turbulent flow, Torricelli law is still a simplification that does not take into account the continuity equation and assuming a large water reservoir.
Answer: Torricelli's formula can be derived for water jet running out from a tank, where water does not move much and obeys laws of hydrostatics.
Inside a hose, all the water moves roughly with the same velocity and the Toricelli's formula does not apply, because moving water experiences considerable friction as it moves along the hose and behaves in a more complicated way that make laws of hydrostatics inapplicable. The pressure in a water element decreases as it moves along the hose.
When you restrict the opening of the hose, more friction happens at the end, which decreases water throughput and therefore also speed of water inside the hose. The friction then is not as strong and the conditions are closer to hydrostatic case. The speed of water at the end gets closer to the maximum possible value, given by Torricelli's formula.
Answer: If you severely reduce the cross-section of the hose by putting your finger into it, you increase the pressure drop across the restriction and thus the flow rate decreases (you can block flow altogether too, of course, if your finger tightly fits or covers the hose's open end, or by 'kinking' the hose).
This causes the volumetric flow rate $\dot{Q}$ ($\mathrm{m^3/s}$) to be reduced but it also needs to flow through a smaller cross-section. Roughly we can calculate $\dot{Q}$ as follows:
$$\dot{Q}=vA,$$
or:
$$v=\frac{\dot{Q}}{A}.$$
with $v$ ($\mathrm{m/s}$) the flow speed and $A$ ($\mathrm{m^2}$) the cross-section.
So to maintain the same volumetric flow rate, at smaller $A$, $v$ needs to increase. Thus, seemingly paradoxically perhaps, you can reach high $v$ at low $\dot{Q}$.
When you're blocking the end of the tube gradually more and more, flow speed $v$ will first increase, until you've blocked the opening completely, so then $\dot{Q}=0$ and thus also $v=0$.
For 'reasonable' values of $A$ Torricelli's Law is respected.
The above also holds true for water drawn from the mains (constant pressure).
Comment: "So to maintain the same volumetric flow rate [...]"  Why SHOULD the same volumetric flow rate be maintained?
Answer: Torricelli's law indicates the maximum dynamic pressure (proportional to velocity squared) that a certain hydrostatic pressure can provide. If you put a thin diameter (assume frictionless) nozzle on a non-frictionless hose, because the maximum speed in the thin nozzle is restricted to that of Torricelli's law for the given head (height) at that section in the pipe, $v=\sqrt{2gh}$, the flow speed in the much wider hose has to decrease due to volumetric flow rate, and because the hose is the only source of friction, the energy lost to friction is less because the energy loss to friction in a section of pipe is proportional to velocity squared.
Increasing the pressure at an open outlet so it approaches the source pressure only has the effect of ensuring that there's less dynamic pressure in the supply pipework meaning less flow velocity and less loss due to friction. If it's zero then all the energy is dynamic pressure and the rest friction. If it's close to the source pressure then only a fraction of the energy is taken up by dynamic pressure and friction, with all the remaining static pressure being able to be converted to dynamic pressure and not friction assuming a frictionless nozzle (due to the small length of a nozzle, the friction loss in a nozzle will still be low enough that the system won't come close the friction loss of the nozzleless system).
The maximum dynamic pressure (assuming 100% of the static pressure energy is converted to dynamic pressure) is the limit provided by Torricelli's law.
As the nozzle width approaches zero, the static pressure before the nozzle approaches the static pressure $\rho gh$ of the supply because the flow rate in the pipes approaches zero, and in a frictionless nozzle, the velocity in the nozzle will approach $\sqrt{2gh}$, except for the width of zero where v=0. In a nozzle with friction, as width approaches zero, the velocity in the nozzle approaches $\sqrt{2gh}$ but it reverses and approaches zero as the width of the nozzle gets really small as the effect of friction in the nozzle becomes significant.
Like decreasing the width of the nozzle and keeping the diameter of the supply pipe the same, if you keep the nozzle the same and increase the width of the pipe supplying it then the static pressure before the nozzle will approach the maximum hydrostatic pressure for the height (because flow speed will decrease because diameter increases and the volume needs to be the same as the volume coming out of the nozzle due to volumetric flow rate, which is limited by Torricelli's law because there can only be a certain speed in the nozzle, and it has a fixed diameter. So it has the same effect, except increasing the width of the supply pipe does mean that the speed of water coming out of the nozzle starts to converge on the limit of Torricelli's law at larger diameter nozzles, meaning a higher flow rate (speed*diameter) can be achieved with the wider nozzles (and that includes no nozzle at all) compared to when the wider nozzles are connected to a thinner supply pipe.
If you had a pipe of 2cm diameter and a nozzle of 1cm diameter, and a pipe of 4cm diameter and a nozzle of 2cm, the static pressure before the nozzle in the 2nd configuration would actually be slightly higher than before the nozzle in the first configuration because the supply pipe being physically wider means there is less friction loss, so increasing the pipe diameter doesn't only reduce the dynamic pressure in the pipe, which reduces friction loss, but a wider pipe actually causes less friction loss per unit of speed on the water that is flowing.


Subscribe Salesforce without using EMP Connector

Question: I am writing a java application where a change in Salesforce Account should hit my java application through Streaming API.I gone through various articles and I found it can be achieved through Emp connector and CometD protocol.I wanted to implement with API and normal HTTP methods without including cometD libraries.How can I do it.
Comment: Would you mind sharing why you wish to avoid CometD (it has a Java client) and re-implement it yourself?
Comment: Iam not supposed to use any third party application JARS.More over I have a doubt.If I use cometD how can I authenticate whether The call Is from Salesforce Or Not.Is there any authentication mechanism to authenticate a call from Salesforce to my java Application?
Comment: More Over the server holds my connection untill a change is done.Tis consumes a thread for evry single SOBJECT
Comment: The Streaming API is authenticated via OAuth just like the other Salesforce Platform APIs. There are Java OAuth clients such as Scribe that are available. Furthermore, the performance footprint of running a CometD client is not significant. I agree with @Daniel, do not try to reimplement CometD yourself as you will waste a lot of time and energy.
Answer: You can't currently1. The Bayeux protocal via CometD is the only push technology currently supported by Salesforce for the Streaming API.
From Bayeux Protocol, CometD, and Long Polling:

Long polling, also called Comet programming, allows emulation of an information push from a server to a client. Similar to a normal poll, the client connects and requests information from the server. However, instead of sending an empty response if information isn't available, the server holds the request and waits until information is available (an event occurs). The server then sends a complete response to the client. The client then immediately re-requests information. The client continually maintains a connection to the server, so it's always waiting to receive a response. In the case of server timeouts, the client connects again and starts over.

1 - Can't might not be the right term here. Technically you could re-implement CometD from the ground up yourself. And if you are lucky/skilled you'll end up with something much like the current CometD library.


Is it ok to use circular references in the profile url?

Question: In order to get the autobiographer badge, quite a few SO users put the URL of the SO profile as their URL. Is this ok, or should this be disallowed?
Comment: OMG, WE WILL ALL DIE!
Comment: What other URL do I have?
Answer: Tons of people do this, I don't see a problem with it.  They can put whatever they want in their profile.  If they don't want to put a personal site in their profile, so be it.  Autobiographer is one of the trivial badges, no need to put big stipulations on it.
Answer: They could put a space, save, and then delete it again immediately after getting the badge. Autobiographer is on the bottom of the list of badges we should worry about people getting unfairly

Come to think of it, I don't have that badge; I'm going to put a link to this post in my profile to get it :)


Java Swing: How to access variables in a 2nd frame from the first frame?

Question: I'm programming a desktop application in Java using NetBeans.
My question is this:
1st: I have a Jframe that is the principal frame of the application.
2nd: In some moment I want to create a new object of some kind, so I press addButton y create a new JFrame (I create a new class window that extends Jframe) with some text fields in it.
private void addButtonMouseClicked(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
    w = new window();
    w.setVisible(true);
}

this is a screenshot simplified with a simple string instead of a full class
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3361/screenshotlw.png
3rd: In this new window have I read the text fields and create the object when I press some button.
Finally when I press the accept button I want the new frame to get the object in the 2nd frame.
Question: what is the most elegant/efficient/easy/better way of getting the object in the 2nd frame from the first one?.
My First Solution: was to create a static method setNewData() on the first windows, and the second windows calls this method when you press the button.
Now I came with a New Solution:
On the second frame I have a method to set a mouselistener on the button. And a getString() Function.
On the first frame I got this:
private void addButtonMouseClicked(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
    w = new window();
    w.setHandler(ml);
    w.setVisible(true);
}

MouseListener ml = new MouseAdapter() {
    @Override
    public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
        TextFieldOn1stFrame.setText(w.getString());
    }
};

And on the second frame I got this
public void setHandler(MouseListener ml){
    button1.addMouseListener(ml);
}

public String getString(){
    return texto.getText();
}

Note: Sorry for the Long Text, I'm new on java and don't know if this solutions are the best.
btw sorry about my english too.
Answer: I don't know if this is the Swing-standard way of doing things, but what I do when the parent window  needs to be notified when a child window performed some action is to create my own listener interface for that child window.  Then, I create a class that implements the interface in my parent window and pass an instance of that class to the child window.  The child then calls the interface method when the particular action is performed.  So in your situation, I would do the following:
(Note: It's better to use ActionListener instead of MouseListener for handling button clicks.)
Frame2Listener interface
public interface Frame2Listener{
  void theButtonWasClicked(String textBoxValue);
}

Frame1 (parent)
private void addButtonMouseClicked(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
  w = new window(new Frame2Listener(){
    public void theButtonWasClicked(String textBoxValue){
      TextFieldOn1stFrame.setText(textBoxValue);
    }
  });
  w.setVisible(true);
}

Frame2 (child)
public window(final Frame2Listener fl){
  button1.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
      fl.theButtonWasClicked(texto.getText());
    }
  });
}
public void setHandler(MouseListener ml){
  //delete this method
}
public String getString(){
  //delete this method
}

I'd love to hear from any Swing experts whether this is a good technique or not.
Hope you're liking Java! ;)
Answer: Well, I don't have enough rep to comment on mangst's solution, but wanted to add that with your usage of the words elegant and efficient, this seemed like a prime opportunity for some design patterns.
What mangst has described is an implementation of the Observer pattern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_design_pattern).  I would, however, suggest having a collection of objects implementing the interface as suggested by mangst.  This way, upon a given update you are able to iterate through many observers to perform some action in each, whether that is changing data, presentation, etc.  Should multiple windows ever need to receive the data/action from your child window it's simple to just add another to the list of Observers you already have.
There is also the Mediator pattern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediator_pattern) which could accomplish similar results.
There are a lot of cookie cutter approaches for very common computing problems, and by familiarizing yourself with the lexicon, you can easily implement tried and true approaches.
Comment: i was thinking of somethink like that !!

thank you for the reference to the Designs pattern !! i should look into that first (is just that i was expecting some "direct java" solution, I suppose it's not that easy)

And its way more elegant than my 2 first solutions !!

Thank you very much!
Answer: Best way is probably to pass that object to another class using it's constructor or proper setter method.
public void setWindow(Window w) {
  this.w = w;
  // now you can use "w" variable in whole class
}


Spring Boot / Spring Data import.sql doesn't run Spring-Boot-1.0.0.RC1

Question: I've been following the development of Spring Boot, and sometime between the initial version 0.0.5-BUILD-SNAPSHOT and the current version I am using 1.0.0.RC1 I am no longer running my import.sql script.
Here is my configuration for LocalContainerEntityManager and JpaVendorAdapter
@Bean
    public LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean entityManagerFactory(
            DataSource dataSource, JpaVendorAdapter jpaVendorAdapter) {
        LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean lef = new LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean();
        lef.setDataSource(dataSource);
        lef.setJpaVendorAdapter(jpaVendorAdapter);
        lef.setPackagesToScan("foo.*");
        return lef;
    }

    @Bean
    public JpaVendorAdapter jpaVendorAdapter() {
        HibernateJpaVendorAdapter hibernateJpaVendorAdapter = new HibernateJpaVendorAdapter();
        hibernateJpaVendorAdapter.setShowSql(true);
        hibernateJpaVendorAdapter.setGenerateDdl(true);
        hibernateJpaVendorAdapter.setDatabase(Database.POSTGRESQL);
        return hibernateJpaVendorAdapter;
    }

Interesting the hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto still seems to run, which I think is part of the definition of my SpringBootServletInitializer
@Configuration
@ComponentScan
@EnableAutoConfiguration
public class Application extends SpringBootServletInitializer {

However, I also noticed that the tables generated no longer have underscores and changed their shape when generated?
However, that could be the result of updating my org.postgresql version like so:
Previously:
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId>
    <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
    <version>9.2-1004-jdbc41</version>
</dependency>

Now:
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId>
    <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
    <version>9.3-1100-jdbc41</version>
</dependency>

I also had to change pggetserialsequence to pg_get_serial_sequence to get the script to run at all from pgadmin?
I guess I'm confusing what's going on, but most importantly I want to get back to having my import.sql run.
I have been following the sample project: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot/tree/master/spring-boot-samples/spring-boot-sample-data-jpa
And their import.sql isn't running either on 1.0.0-BUILD-SNAPSHOT
Answer: The import.sql script is a Hibernate feature I think (not Spring or Spring Boot). It must be running in the sample otherwise the tests would fail, but in any case it only runs if ddl-auto is set to create the tables.  With Spring Boot you should ensure that spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto is set to "create" or "create-drop" (the latter is the default in Boot for an embedded database, but not for others, e.g. postgres).
If you want to unconditionally run a SQL script, By default Spring Boot will run one independent of Hibernate settings if you put it in classpath:schema.sql (or classpath:schema-<platform>.sql where <platform> is "postgres" in your case).
I think you can probably delete the JpaVendorAdapter and also the LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean (unless you are using persistence.xml) and let Boot take control. The packages to scan can be set using an @EntityScan annotation (new in Spring Boot).
The default table naming scheme was changed in Boot 1.0.0.RC1 (so nothing to do with your postgres dependency). I'm not sure that will still be the case in RC2, but anyway you can go back to the old Hibernate defaults by setting spring.jpa.hibernate.naming-strategy=org.hibernate.cfg.ImprovedNamingStrategy.
Comment: Thanks Dave, I see all your contributions to the project! And I really appreciate you taking the time to point out this out to me.
Comment: ... and if `spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update`, then `import.sql` will not run.
Answer: Hey I came across similar issue. My sql script was not getting invoked initially. Then I tried renaming the file from "import.sql" to "schema.sql", it worked. May be give this a shot. My code can be found here - https://github.com/sidnan/spring-batch-example
Answer: In addition to what was already said, it's worth noting you can use the data.sql file to import/intialize data into your tables. Just put your data.sql into the root of the classpath (eg: if you're running a Spring Boot app, you put it in the src/main/resources path).
Like was said before, use it together with the property ddl-auto=create-drop, so that it won't crash trying to insert the existing data.
You can also set up which specific file to execute using the spring.datasource.data property. Check out more info here: http://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/current/reference/html/howto-database-initialization.html
Note: the schema.sql mentioned before would contain the whole DB definition. If you want to use this, ensure that Hibernate doesn't try to construct the DB for you based on the Java Entities from your project. This is what de doc says:

If you want to use the schema.sql initialization in a JPA app (with
  Hibernate) then ddl-auto=create-drop will lead to errors if Hibernate
  tries to create the same tables. To avoid those errors set ddl-auto
  explicitly to "" (preferable) or "none"


Struggling with normal map

Question: So I am working on a character to be taken into unity and frankly my normal map and Ambient occlusion are horrific...I'm wondering if it comes down to a bad original structure or something...I've attached some images to reference what issues I am running into..Thank you for any and all advice.
Comment: We all volunteer our time to try and help people out. We can't help people quickly  and efficiently if the problem isn't clear and well described, so you will get no answers. There are other questions that need answering as well. Don't blame @DuarteFarrajotaRamos for your bad question please. Take some responsibility.
Anyways, glad you have figured it out.
Comment: What issues specifically are you experiencing? Could you clarify what your question is?
Comment: "*I mean I'm unsure how to really explain*" Well you should really figure it out if you want any answers, because our guessing powers are really weak. Please edit your question and provide all the relevant details
Comment: I mean I'm unsure how to really explain. the texture given by the maps doesn't even come close to resembling my high poly texture when it is applied. It has a bunch of weird melted looking blobs in the texture. its all just very sloppy and just not even close.
Comment: figure it out myself so thanks for nothing. People who are new and looking for help don't need attitude by the way. I came here as a last resort but obviously that was a mistake. Don't be a troll, its just rude.
Answer: Make sure your models are not intersecting.  Your low poly model should be slightly larger than your high poly model and no part of the high poly model can protrude through any part of your low poly model.  Your model is kind of complex to do all at once.  You may trying breaking it down into smaller pieces (selecting parts in Edit mode and hitting P: By Selection) and baking them all to the same map individually(Uncheck CLEAR in the Bake Panel), then when all parts are baked, rejoin them by selecting all and hitting Ctrl J.
Comment: It also appears your margin may be too high and its overlapping your normals on top of themselves.  Change your margin in the bake panel to 1 or 2 px.

Struggling with normal map


Change socksport and listen address?

Question: Is it possible to change TorAddress and TorPort when using apt-transport-tor? I'm trying to use socksports listening on another machine on my network.
Answer: The apt-transport-tor documentation shows how to configure this.
You'd want to either edit /etc/apt/apt.conf or add a new entry under /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ containing a line like the following:
Acquire::tor::proxy "socks5h://apt:apt@localhost:9050";

The line follows the same format as cURL's -x directive, I.E. socks5h://username:password@host:port
In this case the username and password are used for traffic isolation, so that APT doesn't share circuits with other things that may be using the Tor client.

Change socksport and listen address?


Are Einstein-Hermitian connections on a stable vector bundle ever algebraic?

Question: Let $X$ be a smooth, complex projective variety with ample line bundle $H$, and let $E$ be a poly stable vector bundle on $X$. Then there is a unique Hermitian-Einstein connection on $E$. Is this connection ever algebraic?
Comment: Have you looked at the Chern connection of the Kahler-Einstein metric on a manifold with ample canonical bundle?
Comment: I believe that this is essentially the question I am interested in if the tangent bundle is stable. Under what condition is this real analytic connection algebraic?
Answer: Some comment: algebraic connection $\nabla$ gives rise to a connection $\nabla+\bar{\partial}$ on the associated holomorphic vector bundle which its curvature vanishes.
A vector bundle which admit algebraic connection has vanishing Chern classes, so if $E$ admits Hermitian-Einstein connection, in general its connection could be non-algebraic and its Chern classes is non-zero in general.
In fact, non-flat algebraic connections for vector bundles not admitting flat structures on complex projective manifolds does not exists.
In general if $E$ be an algebraic vector bundle on a curve with algebraic connection $D$, then E always is semi-stable with degree zero. See this paper of Biswas.
Let $E$ be a semistable vector bundle (which is equivalent with $E$ admits an approximate Hermitian-Einstein structure) on curve $X$ of rank $r$ and degree zero. Then $E$ admits an algebraic connection.
If the holomorphic line bundle $L$ has an algebraic connection, then it is flat. See This answer in MathOverflow.
Comment: Let $A$ be a special affine variety in the sense of Griffiths. A holomorphic vector bundle $E\to A$ has an algebraic
structure if and only if, there exists a Hermitian structure for $E$ whose
curvature form satisfies
$$\Theta(\sigma)=O(\omega_{Poincare})$$
in the punctured polycylinders at infinity on $A$. See Theorem I. of paper of Griffiths https://publications.ias.edu/node/210 . So Hermitian-Einstein metric on special affine varieties are algebraic since  $E$ has order $O(1) $
Comment: I think you are using the term ``algebraic connection'' to mean a complex algebraic connection on a complex algebraic vector bundle. The question is about real algebraic connections on complex algebraic vector bundles, I think. For example, the Fubini--Study metric is real algebraic, i.e. given in local affine charts by real algebraic functions.


Book identification - quest to defeat impending magical death

Question: I read a book (or trilogy?) in the 90s about a boy who gets cut on the chest by a knife.  It's a magical wound that will kill him within a few days or weeks.  A good wizard assembles a group of guardian-type people to take the boy on a quest to defeat the evil ruler who marked him.  One in the group is a girl with some kind of mind powers who makes the boy forget about his impending death.  Another is a warrior with black eyes named Scythe after the sword he uses.  The boy turns out to have magical powers as well and is eventually revealed as an elemental (?) with power over the elements.
Comment: A very good description.
Comment: possible duplicate of https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/124066/childrens-fantasy-blind-monk-leading-boy-who-can-control-the-elements (which is newer but has an accepted answer)
Answer: This is "Blade of the Poisoner" and "Master of Fiends" by Douglas Hill.
The book contains an extensive discussion of elemental magic and one of the main protagonists is a character named Scythe.

Young Jarrel has suffered a wound from the evil Poisoner's blade, and
  is destined to die by the next full moon. Only by destroying the blade
  that gave him the wound can Jarrel be saved, and it will be up to
  Jarrel's new companions--Archer, Scythe, Mandra and the wizard Cryl-to
  help save him. What follows is a lively journey to the Poisoner's lair
  to ultimately defeat the evil-and to discover what remarkable powers
  Jarrel may possess.
Talents. Elementals. Good guys. Bad guys. You've seen it all before...
Amazon Review


How should I transport my big LEGO sets?

Question: I'm moving and I have some big LEGO sets (Police Station, Fire Station, and Ultra Stealth Raider).  How should I pack them so they won't get shattered to pieces in transit?
Answer: You should disassemble the buildings to smaller parts, then pack these parts with bubble foils. After that, you can place them in massive plastic boxes. LEGO bricks aren't really fragile.


The meaning of budding technology

Question: could someone help me understand what a budding technology is? Budding usually means "being in an early developmental stage", but I don't think this definition applies in this context. Thank you!
"RKS largely and quickly superseded keyless entry, a budding technology that restrictively bound locking and locking functions to vehicle-mounted keypads."
Answer: Two things:

In the sense of the article, budding in this sense is what the the product (keyless entry) was at the time of its introduction ... which all technology is at the time of introduction.
You're looking at Wikipedia, which is user fed. This means "stuff" in there can be either old or at the whim of whoever put the information in there. The "author" of that tidbit thought it was probably a good word to use.

IMHO, this is an ignorant way to write what they are trying to say. By putting it in there, the author is being redundant. We know it was a budding technology at the time of introduction. It definitely isn't now, so all you are doing is confusing the reader. Most likely, whoever wrote it was trying to use crafty words to write something simple.

The meaning of budding technology


What does 머가여~ mean?

Question: I told a friend of mine that he looks good and he answered:

머가여~

What does this mean?
Answer: They replied in text slang. The proper text would be 뭐가요 which means "What"
Often in informal text conversations words are shortened or spelled incorrectly to imply familiarity, cuteness, or aegyo

머 is slang for 뭐 which means "What"

가 is a particle which indicates what 'object' is being talked about in a sentence.

여 is internet and text slang for the polite 요, and denotes aegyo.

~ is another form of text aegyo which denotes the last vowel is lengthened if spoken.

So the direct translation of the above is "What" but it implies them asking you to expound on 'what' looks good with a playful tone or 'cuteness'
Answer: It's "뭐가요?" in Korean.
However, it can mean a lot of different things NOT because of the language, BUT becuase of the human nature.

He understood you, and he might have been just being polite. (He liked it that you thought he looked good, but felt a little awkward to say it himself.)

He understood you, and he liked it, so he was being friendly to you. (You know, the friend stuff. Something that can develop into a more serious relationship.)

He understood you, and he might have tried to ignore it (maybe because he has a girl friend already? or the gf was right next to him at that moment? or you were not his type?)

He just didn't understand what you actually meant. (This one seriously depends on what you actually said to him exactly)
Answer: Another possibility is that your friend was being humble and trying to say "not at all, my friend", in a polite but still friendly way. A similar example is:

옷이 예쁘네요. Your wearing looks so good.
뭐가요~ No way!

A direct translation of the last sentence will be "What does! (What looks so good!)", and by this the speaker tries to be humble and claims that their wearing does not look good. Another example:

와주셔서 감사합니다. Thank you so much for coming!
에이 뭘요, 당연히 와야죠. No worries! It's my pleasure!

In the last sentence, "뭘요" (shortened from "무엇을요") literally means "for what! (Thank me for what!)" and it denies that you have done something to be thanked for. The sentence "당연히 와야죠" means "I should definitely have come", in other words, you have done what you should (e.g. considering your relationship with the listener, etc.)
Yes, these are normally a very polite wording, but the way your friend says this (as "머가여~", not "뭐가요~") is cute and friendly and it avoids being too formal or distant.

What does 머가여~ mean?