Did you know that you can install the same CSS validation tool on your
local machine? Follow the simple instructions below, to set yourself up to
run the
Web developers are all familiar with the W3's CSS validation service.
CSS validation is an essential part of developing a Web interface. The same goes for XHTML validation and running JavaScript through JSLint.
As someone who designs boardgames, I feel lucky that I get to see all the different stages a game goes through before it's published. First there's making a prototype, typing up rules, playtesting, etc. But my favorite part is watching the artwork develop. I'm no artist myself, so aside from making some suggestions along the way I leave the artwork to the professionals at Fiery Dragon.
My latest game creation is on the very Nerdabout-worthy topic of mad scientists, so I thought I'd share some of this early artwork, to be followed up with pics of the finished product when it comes out in a month or two.
First up is the board, which no boardgame should be without. This first pic is of my own homemade prototype which I used while developing and playtesting the game.
By John Pavlus
Everyone's seen those internet chatbots that aim to provide a simulacrum of "real conversation" via algorithm. Actually, chatbots have been around for over 40 years -- the first famous one, ELIZA, parodied a psychotherapist by answering every statement from the user with a question that vacuously parroted the statement back.
Things have come a long way since then, and now a veteran chatbot programmer named Rollo Carpenter has come up with a new solution to the "computer conversation" problem that ironically updates ELIZA's method.
When used with the --dump option, Lynx parses an HTML document and
builds a list of hyperlinks in that document.
If you have tried either of our previous Lynx recipes, then you may have noticed that, in addition to parsing out the textual content from Web pages. Lynx prints all of the URLs referenced in a document, as a numbered list at the bottom of the output.
Here's another Lizts by Liz! She puts it all in order so you don't have to. This week...Top 10 Animal Videos! A mix of old and new animal video classics that will make you laugh, giggle or gasp.
By Liz Suman
TICKLING MONKEY
SHOP-LIFTING SEAGULL
By John Pavlus
By now you’ve probably seen Carl Sagan’s (born 75 years ago on November 9) viral music video hit from beyond the grave, “A Glorious Dawn”:
Well, Monday 11/9 would have been Carl Sagan’s 75th birthday, and there are two celebrations on tap.
One: White Stripes guitarist Jack White has a record label, Third Man Records, which has issued “A Glorious Dawn” on limited-edition 7" vinyl . Who knew that Jack White was a secret nerd? Even more awesome is the fact that the record’s B-side has an etching that reproduces Sagan’s famous “Golden Record” of earth sounds, which was launched on the Voyager 1 probe in 1977. The probe left our solar system in November of 2004.
Two: I’ve conducted a short interview with the creative genius behind the song, John Boswell. Enjoy!
What inspired you to remix COSMOS into a music video?
I gained a deep appreciation for science and philosophy in college, and when I first saw an episode of Cosmos about 5 years ago, it immediately resonated with me. I loved the style and message, and Carl's charisma was the cherry on top. The idea to remix it came to me after being inspired by other artists that have used auto-tune technology on speech, such as the Gregory Brothers and DJ Steve Porter; they were both working in mostly comedy but I wanted to apply the concept to a more personally meaningful source. I turned to Cosmos because I knew how profound Carl's message is and that it would fit well with a mash-up; the result was surprisingly pleasing, so I decided to put it on Youtube for anyone who may take interest in such an idea.
Were you surprised at the attention that "A Glorious Dawn" received? Has anyone from Carl Sagan's estate commented on it?
At first, I was only expecting maybe a few thousand views for the video - through some devoted Sagan fans that keep tabs on new Sagan-related material. However, the song and video quickly caught on to the Sagan community, and spread from there, to viewership levels that I did not forsee in any way. To my delight, the song has reached and inspired many people who have never heard of Sagan and motivated many to further research his books and TV series. I have been in touch with his wife and people who have worked on Cosmos, and they have expressed their sincere appreciation for the song, which is highly satisfying for me. I feel honored to give back to the Sagan community in this sense.
How did the record release with Third Man come about? Is Jack White a COSMOS fan?
Third Man Records approached me about releasing A Glorious Dawn not long after the video began its viral spread. Jack White loved the song, and I can safely assume he is a big fan of Cosmos and Carl's message. I was initially skeptical about the ability to get proper copyright clearance for release, but Jack and friends really pulled through on that front. We reached an agreement that keeps them, the Sagan family, and myself very happy and excited about the release. Even if you don't own a record player, it is a pretty cool collector's item.
You’ve made a sequel to the original music video. Are you going to make a whole album's worth?
Since the follow up video, We Are All Connected, was a success as well, I will definitely continue the series. Whether I will eventually compile a whole album's worth of material is yet to be seen; there is a plethora of footage out there with excited scientists talking about all sorts of fascinating subjects, so there will never be a shortage of source material. I am currently working on a third video, which is coming along great, and it should be out in about a week or two. If you enjoyed the previous two, this new one will fit right in.
There are numerous useful things that can be done with Lynx. For instance, you can quickly scrape a weather report for any US zip code.
Another little-known use for Lynx, is to preview HTML documents.
When I think of the holidays I think of a fine stout, hot tea, seed cake, and other delightful treats all to be drunk and eaten while sitting around a crackling fire watching a Lord of the Rings (special extended version of course) marathon. If you're like me and know lots of geeky folk, here are some truly inspired Lord of the Rings Amigurumi patterns you can use to make presents that will be treasured everlastingly long. All patterns were created by and originally posted on Geek Central Station.
Frodo and Gimili. You can use this pattern make Sam, Merry and Pippin.
Legolas and Gandalf You can also use this pattern to make the feared Ringwraith King. Why not make Eowyn while you're at it and then act out the Ringwraith's death scene. "I am no man!" Stab. The end.
Visit Geek Central Station's shop on Etsy!
Photos by Geek Central Station
Please wait while our tweets load…
Recent Comments